Sennheiser 550 REVIEW? EARBUD HELP?

[JOEYJO]

Please choose the appropriate forum for this topic. Thank you. I want to replace my MX 500.
I just bought the new MX550 and here are my thoughts on them and why they are being returned to the store-
TOO Much Treble, TOO little bass, and a whisping tin effect that hurts my ears.
Though vocals are crystal clear and I imagine these would be ideal earbuds for people into spoken word and ebooks, but for electro, indie-rock, or rap - NO WAY! tried messing with equalizers and it doesn't do much improvement, though the design on these are very nice and lightweight- disappointing!
MX500's sound better to me just wish they were updated.

So this leads me to ask people out there:
1) I live in New York City and must be aware of my surroundings and sounds so I am nervous to buy ear canal type/noise cancelling phones. How much noise do these block out?
Can I still hear cars, people, announcements? Would just plain earbuds be better then?

3) What earbuds are updated more then the MX500 that are less tin and nice robust bass? Not over $50 bucks and allow me to hear a little bit of the outside world for safety sake?

Thansk so kindly

[swy32x]

That's odd, I really like the MX550's and felt that they had an even sound distribution. Are you using the foomies?

In-ear buds are very good at isolation, with the cheaper ones such as the Sony mx51/71 there is no outside noise except for roadworks next to you, trucks driving by etc.

[JOEYJO]

Well I think the 550s do not have bass and saxaphones sound so high pitched it hurts my ears.
So in ear buds block all noises out and I shouldnot buy them if I want to be aware of my surroundings?????????????

I have searched these forums all day and I cannot seem to find some valid advice on earbuds.
The reviews on audio cube don't tell you that much either unless your buying something over $100.

Sony, Pioneer, Audiotechnica, what is a good earbud with robust sound and nice bass?

Are there any models of in ear canal buds that allow noise in
so you can hear a mugger behind you before they strike or a car horn before they run you over?

Thanks

[Grey Cell]

I just got my MX550's last week, and so far I really, really like them.

My previous earphones were the Sennheiser MX500 (good) and the Sony MDR-ED31LP (better, though I've come to loath the corded cable).

My first impressions of the MX550 were:
1. it's LOUD
2. it packs a bass that puts the MX500 to shame, without sacrificing clarity in the higher ranges
3. it lets outside noise through, but is not easily drowned out by it.

The last bit is important, because I mostly listen to my iPod in noisy, crowded environments where not hearing something that may be coming in your direction is a very bad thing indeed. I listen to pretty much everything, from Bach to Flogging Molly, from Covenant to Aus Rotten, so I've been looking for a set of good all-round earphones that pack a decent bass (because that's what get drowned out first when you're sitting in a noisy old bus).

They took some getting used to at first, but there's no way I'm going back. Yes, they can hurt your ears because they're louder and clearer than you may be used to, but I've found that with the MX550 I can easily turn the volume down a few notches and still enjoy my music without missing anything - and wih a sound quality I never managed to squeeze from any of my previous phones. (Do use the foam pads though - big difference). I wonder how the sound will change as they get burned in.

[JOEYJO]

Glad you like your 550's but the pair I had sounded like a tuna can with mild thuds for bass.
I agree they are loud and I liked the way they are designed but I am looking for a different earbud this time.

Audiotechnica- How are their earbuds and do they have some bass?

Thanks

[tlinds]

I've tried the 500's and 550's, trying to find earbuds that sounded a little clearer than the sock iPods. I found the 550's were remarkably clear but they did lack a bit on the low end. The 500's are just what I was looking for: they're light, comfy, loud enough, well balanced, and clear. IMHO, they'd be perfect if the buds looked like the 550's and the cord was constructed like the iPod's.

[MikeyMac]

I think the Sennheiser MX550 earphones suck so badly.
I bought a pair last Monday they sounded terrible and then died on me, replaced on Tuesday they died and then started to work again and then the left channel went completely.

When they did decide to work they werent too bad sounding but no greater than the stock earphones but definately VERY loud, clear but too much treble (tried all EQ settings but no better).

They look very cheap and too me felt very flimsy not quite rugged like it says on the box. I wasnt expecting a music miracle from these 'phones but was hoping they were better than the stock ones.

Time to stop being cheap and buy some E2Cs me thinks..

[chriswn]

I just bought the 400s on Amazon ($9.49) to replace the original buds & they are a significant improvement, both louder & fuller sound, not sure how they compare to the 550s, but supposedly they are the same as the 500s (but without volume control). So I use these as my cheapo pair for being out & about & I have a set of Etymotic ER-4s for at home listening. The problem with in-ear phones is not only that they insulate against outside noise, but they also create a loud noise whenever the cord hits something, so they're not very sell suited for moving around.