Best ear buds no nonsense!

[Chewbacca]

Well after trawling the forum I have seen a few posts on the new panasonic ear buds (do they just look nice and come in a nice box?).

Not to mention a few others what normally mars the debate is price, well I'm asking now what is the best ear bud style head phone. Again it is all up to personal oppinion but please dont post if you have not used any other ear phones apart from your own ie. " I use ex71's they are great".

I used to use shure E2's untill I got sick of the cord behind the ear and the uncomfortable fit, I had thought of getting some etymotic er6's but read quite a few bad reviews which put me off.

I would like some ear phones that the chord does not go behind the ear, that are comfortable yet sound amazing I'm not to bothered about aluminium trendy designs or nice boxes.

[Jackonicko]

You need to read posts rather than simply 'notice' their existance, then you wouldn't need to ask asinine questions like: "do they just look nice and come in a nice box?"

Posts on the HJE70 have included assessments of their sound, quality, comfort and configuration, and reviews from elsewhere.

They do look nice, they do come in a nice box, and they do come with a brushed titanium case, but more importantly they are as comfortable as the EX71 and sound better than the E2C or ER6i. And yes, I own all three.

Not many people own them, so there aren't many reviews.

I also recommend the Sennheiser CX300 and am extremely interested by the Audio Technica CK7s, which look promising, though I've yet to get the pair I've been promised.

[Chewbacca]

Better than E2c?

Can you point me toward a decent review?

In all seriousness I might have to get myself a pair they are quite cheap on ebay and they come with a "brushed" titanium case so even if I dont like them I can use the case as a lavish peanut dish.

[Chewbacca]

jack have you had any experience of creative EP-630's just some people I have spoke to about this swear by them.

They are cheap but someone I know says they are better than his e2's.

[Jackonicko]

I haven't seen an in-depth review, Chewie, but then I've never seen a pair on the shelves of a store. They seem to be 'by order only' and are as rare as rocking horse sh.it.

The difference in sound quality between the E2C and the HJE70 is small, and probably comes down to individual preference. I prefer the slightly more bass heavy, less harsh, less percussive and less hissy sound of the HJE70, because it suits rock better than the E2C. Where the HJE70 really scores over the E2C is in comfort. I simply can't keep the E2C in my ear for more than a track or two because the buds are SO uncomfortable, and I find all the winding the wire (which is too fat and not flexible enough) down round the back of my ear to be too annoying. The HJE70 also feels better made, better engineered, and of better materials. The aluminium buds and jack plug collar feel very 'Rolls Royce' and the luxury peanut carrier is G-R-R-R-EAT!!!

I have tried the Creative 630s, but only once. They sounded much the same as JVCs HA FX55s to me. Not great quality but much better balance than the EX71. A good low cost solution, in other words.

If someone put a gun to my head and said pick some cheap earbuds - NOT the HJE70 - I'd be choosing between the Sennheiser CX300 and the Audio Technica CK (NOT CM) 7, which look promising. If it had to be what I'd tried for a decent length of time, then CX300. The ER6i and E2C wouldn't score.

[NBrownie09]

Originally posted by Jackonicko
The ER6i and E2C wouldn't score.

That's Harsh Jacko...

[NBrownie09]

So where can u find the HJE70??

[iMonster]

http://digitallyunique.com was the lowest price I could find(VERY, VERY FAST SHIPPING)

they were about $91 with shipping+handling. ^_^ I am EXTREMELY happy with them! I'd hug Jack if I could! :P

[NBrownie09]

Is that US???

any discounts by chance???

thanks in Advance IMonster!!!

[iMonster]

discounts? if I had discounts I would have gotten it cheaper myself ^_^

and yes it's US

I couldn't believe how fast I got them! I couldn't really find them cheaper and I trusted that place cause it seems well put together unlike most of the other online stores I saw them at for a higher price even.

[Jackonicko]

"That's Harsh Jacko..."

It's not, really. The ER6i would probably still be fifth on the list of good cheap earbuds, and the E2C might still be sixth or seventh. Last year, before other, better headphones were available, the E2C and ER6i would have been higher up the list, despite their real weaknesses, perhaps even first and second. They are MUCH, MUCH better than the Sony EX71 but both are very deeply flawed, and both have been overtaken by new entrants to the market.

The E2Cs feel cheap and are VERY uncomfortable, and while the sound is (as I said) much better than the EX71, it's a bit unbalanced and over percussive. The ER6i is better, but the sound is awfully flat, and without a perfect seal they're tinny.

And when you've found better, you obviously wouldn't choose or recommend them.

But next year, perhaps I'll be describing the HJE70 as third best in its price bracket, if two better phones are released. I don't expect that, to be honest, as Panasonic seem to have made a quantum leap in value for money and quality/performance for price.

[NBrownie09]

wow, i appreciate the honesty....
would you recommend a used pair of HJE70's?? they are about a month old, and i would be saving $20 easily...

in other words, how are they built? I used to work in retail and know Panasonic is very good, so i'm expecting for there to be no difference...

Thanks!
NB

[Chewbacca]

I'm planning on getting the HJE70's for two reasons.

One : No behind the ear wire to mess about with & good reviews

Two: Jack owns & has used lots of different brands of head phones and you can tell he knows what he is talking about.

I'm going to buy some within the next month or so.

[iMonster]

I'm so glad you're joining the cult Chewy :) they realy are amazing phones! remember to try different sizes on each side to find your perfect fit ..it took me a bit of messing and found the small on both sides is my fit ^_^

[fallenipod]

i here hje70's are good but im a normal high school student with no money for them. i went with the jvc hafx55's instead and i love there sound. i would reccomend them. the only few problems i have with them is that the smalls are just a tinny bit small for my ears and the mediums are way to big so every now and then they fall out. my only other complaint is that the chord said 5ft but thats just the chord that extends from where the 2 headphones reach. in other words chord is at my knees unless i stuff in pocket.

[Jackonicko]

NBrownie09

Would I recommend second hand?

It depends how they were treated by the previous owner, I suppose, and how squeamish you are about using buds that have been in someone else's ears.

They can be cleaned and sterilised, I guess (I'd dip the silicon sleeves in TCP for 25 minutes and very GENTLY clean the aluminium buds with a soft toothbrush dipped in the same stuff).

Knowing how they sound, I'd rather have a good pair of second hand HJE70s than a new pair of FX55s or HJE50s.

[NBrownie09]

lol, true that...
i'll keep looking into them...
I'm looking into the Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5Pro, what do u think about them ppl?
I hope Ebay doesn't rip me off....
ARG!