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Q: Specilized Earbuds ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Specilized Earbuds
Category: Arts and Entertainment > Music
Asked by: chance_ak-ga
List Price: $7.00
Posted: 14 Mar 2003 18:10 PST
Expires: 13 Apr 2003 19:10 PDT
Question ID: 176378
I enjoy listening to rock-rap music that has alot of deep sounds. It
sounds great with a subwoofer but with normal earbuds you dont get the
same result on a CD player. I would like to find some earbuds (Not earphones) that
have expanded bass reception. I know there are some that have better
than others but i would like something REALLY nice in the low hertz
section. I am not looking for you to find me the best price (not like
i would complain tho :-) but i just would like to know what i need to
look for. Also the specific limits on the frequencys would be nice.

One more thing, I dont want anything that doesnt fit in your ear. I
know that you can ger headsets that have great bass but i specificly
want earbuds or something similar. One variation is the kind of earbud
that wraps around the back or ear kinda like a hearing aid.

If you need more information please let me know.
Thanks,
Wayne Nelson
Answer  
Subject: Re: Specilized Earbuds
Answered By: gan-ga on 14 Mar 2003 20:37 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi Wayne,

I found the below listed earbud-type phones for you. I have listed
those which I believe are likely to provide the best bass reponse
towards the top. Some turned out upon close inspection to be perhaps
not quite what you are looking for, due to review references to lack
of bass under certain conditions - I have nonetheless included them
lower down in your answer, should you yourself wish to investigate
them further.

I recall purchasing some audio equipment some time ago myself, basing
my purchasing descision purely on paper specifications.. I recall
being horribly disappointed on power-up. Since that time, I have
always thought that it makes good sense to take other's reveiws into
account before purchasing, so I have tried to include as much review
in your answer as possible. Obviously people's opinions differ,
sometimes widely, as to what constitutes 'good sound', but all the
same I hope it proves useful to you.

Note that for practical purposes, the normal range of human hearing is
from 20 cycles per second (Hz) to 20,000 cycles per second (20
kiloHertz, 20kHz). There are, however, individuals with worse, as well
as with better, hearing response; and overall, hearing declines with
age - a typical adult may have a range around 40Hz to 15kHz. Thus,
whether response figures below maybe 15 - 20 Hz are truly relevant, or
are a really just a marketing device, is a matter for conjecture.

Bioacoustics, the study of living sound:
http://www.animalvoice.com/about%20bioacoustics.htm
(see 'Sonic range' about halfway down the page.)


----------------------------------------------------


Sennheiser Streetwear earbuds:
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

User review on Amazon for the 400 model:
"These in-ear headphones are excellent. They're not quite as stylish
as Bang and Olufsen's but I think the sound quality is as good and
they also appear to handle bass a lot better at high output. The price
is also a LOT more attractive than B&O's."


http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/mpindex30.htm

Sennheiser MX 300 Frequency response 20 - 20000 Hz
Sennheiser MX 400 Frequency response 18 - 20000 Hz
Sennheiser MX 500 Frequency response 18 - 22000 Hz

Reviews:
http://www.newsearching.com/headphones/Sennheiser_MX300_in-ear_headphones.html
http://www.newsearching.com/headphones/Sennheiser_MX400_in-ear_headphones.html
http://www.newsearching.com/headphones/Sennheiser_MX500_in-ear_headphones.html

More reviews at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004Z0BM/ref%3Dnosim/newsfortraders/104-8340441-6296744
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004Z0BN/ref%3Dnosim/newsfortraders/104-8340441-6296744
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004Z0BO/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/104-8340441-6296744?v=glance&s=electronics&vi=customer-reviews

Adobe PDF datasheet for the above three available at:

http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/pdf/mx.pdf


----------------------------------------------------


Etymotic Research
"""""""""""""""""

From their website:
"Etymotic Research was established in 1983. ER has developed and
patented some of the most innovative
hearing technology available today. ER's products are used worldwide
by scientists, hearing healthcare practitioners,
hearing-impaired consumers, musicians and others who insist on
superior sound quality."

A search on usenet revealed that many audiophiles regard Etymotic's
earphones to be amongst the best available. A great deal of
information concerning the ER4 and ER6 models is located at:

http://www.etymotic.com/

Downloading the PDF information sheet from the homepage revealed the
following characteristics:

Frequency response: 20 Hz to 16 kHz


----------------------------------------------------


Aiwa HP-V165 Frequency response 6 - 25000 Hz:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

These list a very wide frequency response, however user reviews were
mixed.

In fact, the more I searched, the more negative reviews I found.
Therefore, I am only listing these as part of your answer, so that you
are aware of these reviews..

http://www.audioreview.com/Headphones/Aiwa,HP-V165,In-Ear,Type,Headphones/PRD_122642_2750crx.aspx#reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005NGQT/104-8340441-6296744
http://www.epinions.com/Aiwa_HP_V165_In_Ear_Headphones_Headphones/display_~reviews


----------------------------------------------------


Panasonic RPHV297 Frequency response 10 to 25,000 Hz:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Good response specifications, but fairly noncommittal reveiws.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004T8R5/qid=/sr=1-3/REF_TAG(pd_sbs_e_1)/104-8340441-6296744?v=glance&s=electronics


----------------------------------------------------


Bang and Olufsen A8 Frequency response 50 to 20,000 Hz:
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Doesn't claim extremely low bass figures in the specs, but has some
good reviews:

http://www.epinions.com/content_44201578116
"The sound quality on both the ground and in the air was excellent.
The lows came out strong and tight and handled the bass-boost from the
MD player very[sic]. The highs were also clear and sharp. I also
compared with other headphones I had with me and these produced
clearly sharper, deeper and tighter sound. I was very happy!"

Although, another reviewer does cite a lack of bass with these
(expensive) phones:

http://www.danchan.com/feature/2000/10/30/bno/bno.htm
"The only thing I would criticize was the lack of bass when I cranked
up the volume"


----------------------------------------------------


Search strategy:

Search phrases used in the Google search engine:
(Do not include the set of single quotes, which surround the full
phrase to be typed):

'"in-ear" "bass"'
'bang olufsen ear earphone'
'bang olufsen A8 review'
'range of human hearing'
"best earbuds"

I hope you find the above resources useful. If you would like further
clarification or detail, please do not hesitate to ask before rating
my research.

Best regards,

gan.
chance_ak-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
I loved it! I have found the earbuds i will need. The researcher
provided more than an answer, he provided very good advice as a low
price.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Specilized Earbuds
From: gan-ga on 15 Mar 2003 00:18 PST
 
Thank you, chance_ak, for your kind comments. I appreciate them.

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