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THE BEST HEADPHONES - EARPHONE SOLUTIONS RANKINGThe Best Headphones for iPods and full size stereosTo most of our customers it will be no surprise that our rank includes nothing but high-end in-ear earphones instead of full size headphones. If this is your first visit to our site you will soon find out that we do not currently offer full size headphones and you may think our opinion was too biased when compiling our ranking. Well, all personal opinions will be biased one way or the other however, we would like to offer some explanation about our findings and ranking. Our company is an Authorized Dealer for AKG and Sennheiser (two of the most well known full size headphone manufacturers) since 1995 and the reason we don't offer them is because we don't really love them like we do the high-end ear canal earbuds (we sell AKG and Sennheiser microphones on our other website). The big ones heat up my ears up to a headache before I can listen to 4 of my favorite songs. I personally own the AKG K701, Sennheiser HD580 and Sony MDR7506 but they sit inside my drawer. Our team also prefers the high-end in-ear earphones. We have found out along these 12 years that it's much easier and more pleasurable to promote the models that we truly enjoy on our day by day lives. In our eyes (and ears) the in-ear earphones present all kinds of advantages when compared to a full size headphone.  Looks can be deceiving… A big headphone doesn’t equate big sound. Quite the opposite; most full size headphones will require some sort of amplification to sound good. The high-end in-ear earphones we sell are very different in that regard as well. They are extremely efficient and, because of the added benefit of the isolation, you will probably need half the volume setting with an in-ear earphone than with regular headphones for them to output the same volume.With in-ear earphones (also called canal phones) the sound is inside your head rather than coming from right and left. It’s a very distinguished experience in itself. In-ear earphones will not require any kind of amplification and we recommend caution when trying to get an amp as most will add hissing to the sound. The in-ear earphones are small only in size. Their sound is MUCH bigger than a full size headphone.  We believe that the top of the line headphones are the ones that have the greatest performance without distracting us from what really matters, the sound. In-ear earphones are almost invisible and many times lighter than a full size headphone. Their sound will never be comprehended until you listen to them. These in-ear earphones utilize a different technology. A full size headphone is comprised of dynamic speakers much like your stereo speakers. The high-end in-ear earphones we promote at Earphone Solutions utilize micro drivers called "balanced armature drivers" that work like a tunning fork rather than a moving woofer cone. The micro balanced armature drivers are a very hi-tech piece of hardware that are only made in two countries in Europe and in the USA.Folks like Justin Timberlake and other high profile artists use these high-end earphones not only for stage monitoring but for their personal listening as well. They all own iPods and they all have two things in common: they can buy anything they want and they all use the in-ear balanced armature drivers earphones -- not to be confused with cheap earphones that come with the iPod -- two completely different technologies; stock iPod earbuds and all of the earbuds sold at big box retail stores are all mini dynamic speakers that can be bought by the tens of thousand for $0.50 each from Chinese distributors! Going back to our ranking, our first place goes to the Shure SE530-PTH ($499.99) which you will also find in a couple of other ranking lists. The SE530-PTH is a triple driver earphone.  It has 3 micro balanced armature drivers inside each earpiece. The sound is unbelievably detailed. Comfort and fit are unbeatable, only matched by the UM2. What I really like about them, is that unlike full size headphones, these will isolate up to 44db (compare that to 24db with the Bose Quiet Comfort) allowing you to listen to your music at a much lower volume setting and still providing lots of output volume with extreme detail. You could never get this combination with headphones. When I first used the in-ear earphones it was like breaking free from a prison I was experiencing when using my big and heavy headphones -- I always felt I was wearing a helmet at home and smoke was about to come out from my ears. Forget the outdoors; unless you are like Paris Hilton and like to draw attention to yourself or it's part of a Halloween costume, a full size headphone has no place outdoors. The UM2 headphone ($299.99) gets second place on our ranking with a dual driver configuration. These output a warm, balanced sound with stronger bass presence. It's one of the favorite of joggers and gym nuts :) (myself included). The Shure SE420 ($349.99) also come in second place. The bass of the SE420 is more refined and more controlled than the UM2. You will have less bass presence but more bass detail.An awesome entry point is the Shure SE210 ($149.99) which will give you excellent sound, excellent comfort and fit at an affordable price. All the above models offer far superior isolation than the Bose noise cancellation headphone. The Shure and the Westone in-ear earphones will isolate up to 44db of external noise while the Bose will cancel only up to 26db. When it comes to isolation, nothing can touch "ear canal" earbuds. For this reason and the obvious difference in size, the in-ear earphones are also by far the best choice for frequent flyers and frequent subway, train and bus commuters.  The other model we ranked among the top is the Ultimate Ears 5PRO which outputs outstanding detail and bold sound across all frequency range. Some customers do not like the way they fit, as they are designed to stick out of the ear, but many simply love the way they fit. The sound is a no contest. If you are looking for the headphone with the most comfortable fit, the UM1 headphone is your ticket. We also recommend them for children and people with small ear canals. If you are a bass lover, nothing will beat the 5EB. If you are looking for the most comfortable and that will stay in your ear while running, you can't go wrong with any of the Shure models and any of the Westone earphones. Top sound quality can be found on the SE530, SE420 and Westone UM2. If you are looking for less expensive options but that would work perfectly for jogging, the Westone UM1 and Shure SE210 would be on the top of my list. We hope you enjoy our ranking: |
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| The new Shure SE530-PTH with triple driver comes in first place for sound and comfort. The SE530-PTH includes the PTH (push-to-hear) accessory. The major difference between the Triple.Fi, UM2 and the SE530-PTH will be personal taste. The SE530-PTH outputs slightly more detail in the mid range; the Triple.Fi outputs the most detail on the high frequency range while the UM2 has stronger bass than both SE530 and Triple.Fi. Overall the SE530-PTH is slightly brighter and the Triple.Fi is the boldest of all three. The UM2 is slightly more balanced (flatter) than the SE530 and the Triple.Fi. The UM2 sells for less but both the Triple.Fi and SE530PTH are triple drivers. The SE530-PTH includes the PTH (push-to-hear) accessory and it comes with a 2 Year Warranty while the Triple.Fi does not include the PTH (you can purchase it for $59) but comes with a 2 Year Warranty as well while the UM2 comes with a 1 Year Warranty. Fit and comfort are very similar between the UM2 and the SE530-PTH and not so great with the Triple.Fi for those customers that want a flush fit. |
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| Dual driver earphones. Best sound, very "musical", PERFECTLY BALANCED OUTPUT, detailed and comfortable. The UM2 has better designed cables, providing better fit and better comfort than the 5PRO. Customer service from Westone is outstanding. Extremely fast and responsive. Also, the Westone UM1 and UM2 are the ONLY earphones Made in USA. |
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| This is the newest earphone in the market. The bass is incredibly tight. Comfort and fit are EXCELLENT and it has one of the highest noise isolation if not the most. This dual driver wonder took 6 months more than the other SE earphones to come out but the wait was very well worth it! Shure included airline adapter, external volume control and the new black foam sleeves (our favorites now) PA910. The sound is more refined than the UM2, specially on the highs which are very controlled and precise with no sibilance. Construction quality is also very high. The SE420 will come with a 2 Year No Hassle Replacement Warranty when you have an invoice from EarphoneSolutions.com |
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| The SCL5 has dual drivers with awesome sound quality and excellent bass. It also has an excellent comfort and fit (the memory wire that goes behind the ear has lovers and haters).
The SCL5 has more emphasized highs and lows than mids.
It comes with a no hassle 2 year warranty by Shure when purchased from Earphone Solutions. A great option for stage monitoring (professional musicians) and for those iPod owners that like strong bass and highs. |
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| In comparison to the SE210, the SE310 outputs more detail but we like the fit and comfort of the SE210 slightly better. Fit and comfort are VERY GOOD. The only reason we don't give it an "excellent" for comfort and fit is because the SE310 has a slightly longer nozzle/eartip than we would like. Bass: GOOD, Mids: VERY GOOD, Highs: EXCELLENT. 2 Year No Hassle Replacement or Repair by Shure when you buy from an Authorized SHURE Dealer such as EarphoneSolutions.com (must present our invoice to Shure). |
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| Extreme detail on the mid and high range providing a very clean background. One of the best earphones for jazz, classical and songs that require a clean background but have few instruments in the music. The SCL4 has emphasized mids and highs with weaker bass. If you are looking for something more balanced, the Shure SE210 could be a better and cheaper solution. Comfort and fit are very good and when you purchase the Shure earphones from Earphone Solutions you are guaranteed the 2 Year no hassle replacement or repair by Shure. |
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| Best for those looking for comfort and very good detail on mids and highs. The bass is tighter than the Shure "E" series so you will get more definition on the low end of the frequency range but it may also sound like "less bass" when playing heavier bass songs. EXCELLENT comfort and design. If it weren't for the fact that the SE210 are slightly bigger than the more expensive earphones, the fit and comfort would be about the same as the top of the line SE530. |
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| Very well-built, strong mid-range puts the SCL3 as one of the best earphones for audio books and an excellent option for outdoors, jogging, etc. as well. Cable design could be improved as the exit of the cable shoots straight up falling many times right across the ear instead of behind the back of the ear. Its 2 year warranty and build quality set it apart from the Etymotic ER6i and ER4P (ER4P has greater detail on the highs but its lack of bass is disappointing). Ultra-lightweight, sound isolating earphones deliver high-performance, full-range audio to enhance your music listening and gaming experience. It comes with a 2 Year no hassle replacement or repair by Shure when purchased from EarphoneSolutions |
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| After further testings we discovered a new sound coming from the 5PRO after experimenting with smaller sleeves. Dual driver earphones. Outstanding full sound. Great performance specially when taking in account cost. The reason we don't rank them higher is because some may find them a bit on the bulky side and they will not fit people with smaller ears. |
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| Most inexpensive dual driver earphones in the market. Extended bass delivers a full strong low range but with definition. Much better built than the Etymotic. It could be a bit too large for smaller ears. |
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| Huge upgrade from stock earbuds. A great first in-ear earphone. Good bass and much more detail than consumer in-ear earphones. The cables on the SCL2 Black is 5 inches shorter than the SCL2 clear. We prefer them with the shorter cables because it's less to deal with and still enough to reach the iPod on your waist. The sound of its direct competitor, the UE's 3STUDIO, is slightly better but the fit and comfort of the SCL2 and 3STUDIO are very different. The 3STUDIO is designed to stick out of the ear and if you wear them that way the 3STUDIO will be more comfortable than the SCL2 which is designed to stay flush in the ear. Some of our customers prefer the fitting of the 3STUDIO. The SCL2 are very nicely finished and they come with a 2 Year no hassle replacement or repair policy by Shure when purchased from EarphoneSolutions. |
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| After its big brother, the UM2, these are the second most comfortable earphones we have reviewed. It's direct competition for the Shure SE110, Shure SCL2 and Shure SCL3. The SCL3 will have more emphasized mids, the SE110 will have great sound and fit with lots of detail on the mid range as well while the UM1 has a more balanced output and not so much detail on mids and highs. As far as comfort and fit, this is it. Cables are also better designed than the others. The Westone UM1 and UM2 are the ONLY earphones Made in USA. |
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| Great entry level high-end earphones. It disputes with Shure E2C and personal taste will determine which one is best between the two. Sound is great. Return rate is one of the lowest which tells our customers also like them a lot. They could be a bit large for very small ears if you want to use them flush. |
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1.888.473.9661 | Celebration, FL
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