Last time, I reviewed the EFITZ Sports Earphones and I am still blown away. I use them on my daily commute and they’re still bangin’. This is normally a website focused on earbuds, but I am so impressed with Specter Wireless’ products, I decided to make an exception.

The ELUX Wireless Premium Sports Headphones

First impressions – these are comfy. A big problem with headphones is that they are usually too tight. At first it might seem unnoticeable, but after a few hours your ears start aching (don’t forget to take well needed listening breaks!). I didn’t notice this problem with the ELUX headphones, they are easily adjustable and they sit on your head without much effort. I tried them on for 2 hour durations (at a safe listening volume) and the outer parts of my ears didn’t experience that stereotypical physical ache.

These are Sports Headphones, so they are designed to be durable. You can bend them, you can sustain falls with them on and they’d still be working (source):

The aesthetic of these headphones is very elegant, very chic. They make for a nice accessory as well as a nice compliment to your workout. My biggest issue is that the white color allows for some staining to occur, but with careful maintenance that can be avoided (or just purchase, the just-as-fabulous black version of the ELUX headphones)

Sound-wise, these are great. I will be honest, these are not audiophile level headphones (think $500+). But that’s not the purpose of these headphones. They aim to provide a nice quality of music wirelessly. They are balanced, but a bit more on the bassy side. They require 2 hours of charging to allow for 12 hours of playback (via Bluetooth, 20m distance) and a 400 hour (!) standby time. I usually charge mine once per week for a regular Monday/Wednesday/Friday workout (plus commute). Comparably, I like the ELUX headphones better than the Urbanears Hellas. The ELUX are more comfortable, offer better adjustment and provide a better Bluetooth pairing experience.

The AQSTIX Waterproof Wireless Speaker

I never knew how much I needed a portable speaker in my life, until I tried the AQSTIX speaker. On the surface, it looks cute. But most importantly it is so useful. Usually when I want to share some music when I have friends over, I usually either grab my phone and show them or I open up iTunes on my Macbook. But both ways are too quiet. Now, I just select the song through my phone and stream it into the AQSTIX through Bluetooth. And boy is it loud – the AQSTIX is a 20 Watts dual speaker system. I’ve also used it to provide ambient music through the included microSD card compatibility. There is also an AUX IN jack, so you can feed your music through that as well.

The AQSTIX is waterproof up to 3 feet. Perfect for setting the mood for outside events – no need to worry if there is some water being splashed around. AQSTIX is very bassy, despite its small size it packs quite a punch (partly due to the “MaxxBass Technology” it offers). It offers 12 hours of playback on a single charge and the NFC-enabled Bluetooth pairing for easy pairing with your devices.

Both the ELUX Wireless Premium Sports Headphones and the AQSTIX Waterproof Wireless Speaker are available from Specter Wireless. Specter Wireless, once again, does not disappoint with their product line and innovation. I’m looking forward to their future releases. Check out their Twitter and Instagram

Every Sunday, I like to go jogging. Most of the time I want to bring some music with me, because jogging without music is boring. Unfortunately, this is more difficult than you would think. As a novice, I used to bring some of my relatively expensive earbuds. I learned that lesson the hard way, when my $150 VSonic GR07 broke after a month – a mixture of water damage and cord damage. Now I rely on cheap $10-$15 earbuds. They sound muffled, and they break after a month but at least I don’t feel guilty about replacing them. I got the chance to try the EFITZ by Specter Wireless and I could proudly say that things are about to change

The EFITZ come in a very premium case. It’s a nice change of pace. I’ve had expensive earphones that come in cheap packaging, which makes me wonder what else the company had skimped out on. This was not the case with Specter Wireless. Full premium quality right from the start. Each package comes with: the EFITZ earphone, a microUSB charging cable, 3 types of closed ear tips (small, medium and large), 2 types of semi-closed ear tips (small and medium) and an instruction manual. The semi-closed ear tip addition was a nice touch. Often times during a jog, I want to pay attention to the road, particularly if there are any cars or cyclists. The semi-closed tips provide just the right awareness of the outside environment without sacrificing the sound. Nice Touch. Unfortunately, a carrying pouch missing. Not a significant issue, since these earphones most of the time will be around your ears rather than tucked away in a pouch.

The earphones are very sturdy. The piece that goes around your ear is firm (but still pliable). A common problem with over-the-ear earbuds is that the ‘over-the-ear’ portion either breaks off or becomes too pliable, so it no longer retains its shape (and your earbuds fall out). Not a problem with these earbuds. It looks like the over-the-ear portion will remain functioning for many years. The cable is thick. This combined with the fact that these earphones are over the ear, means that the microphonics are reduced (in fact I didn’t hear any). Strain relief is provided at important cable junctions, so you can expect the cord to last a long time. Nevertheless, you should still take care of your earphones, since every time you crumble them up and put them in your pocket, there is potential damage to the cord.

From first glance, the earphones seem a bit bulky. But when you pick them up, they are rather light. I wore them throughout the  week. I had a few extended session of around 2 hours (1 hour jog and 1 hour just around the house) and I didn’t feel them at all. I did have to switch out the default tips to Comply tips (personal preference) and it took me about 5 minutes to get used to the over the top style (I usually wear my earbuds straight down). But overall no complaints, the fit was snug and my ears didn’t hurt after prolonged use.

These are bassy earphones (think JVC HA-FX1100 / ATH-CKS1000). The bass isn’t overpowering (although you can certainly make it so with some EQ modifications in your music player), but it can be felt. The bass does not muddy the sound, so the highs and the mids shine through. The earphones have decent clarity (comparable with earphones in the $150-$200 price bracket). I’d say the sound signature is slightly V-Shaped, but not over exaggerated like the DUNO DN-2000. The isolation is superb, Specter used CSR’s cVc technology for noise isolation. This technology promises to deliver crisp, clear audio as well as block out ambient, road and conversational noise. I do not know the details behind this technology, but I am not complaining – it is effective.

I used a site called MONOPRICE to buy my HDMI (and instrument) cables. While Best Buy has cable for $10-$20, monoprice has cables for ~$4 each. So one day, I noticed that they also sell earbuds. So I added a few to my cart and decided to test them. Here are the results.

Monoprice 105874 Premium Sonic Isolation Earphones

I do not recommend these. These are like generic iPhone earbuds. Did not stay well in my ears and did not sound good.

Monoprice 108320 Enhanced Bass

There was some forum hype surrounding these earbuds, so I decided to try them out. They were the best sounding of the bunch. As the name suggests the bass was nice, but the mids and treble were pretty good too. Unfortunately these were uncomfortable in my ears for long periods of time. If these fit nice into your ears, these are the way to go. Buy a different set of tips for these!

Monoprice 109927 Enhanced Bass

These are supposed to be an upgrade to the Monoprice 108320. Personally I saw no advantage and they still did not fit in my ears. Skip these and go with the 108320

Monoprice 108321 Button Design Noise Isolating

These were not noise isolating as the name suggests and were rather fragile. Nothing really bad about these and nothing really good. Just your run of the mill earbud

Monoprice 109396 Hi-Fi Premium Noise Isolating

My absolutely favourite (cheap) pair of earbuds. Great sound. Great isolation. Most importantly, extremely comfortable with the default tips! I use these all the time. It is a bit hard to tell which one is left and which one is right, but I put some whiteout on the left one to easily differentiate between them. Highly recommended!

Here are some things to realize before buying a pair of cheap earbuds. These won’t sound like your SHURE earbuds. But they’ll beat anything retail in the sub $50 category. I’d recommend you buy at least two pairs as these (and other cheap earbuds) break often. I go through 2 pairs a year. I highly recommend the Monoprice 109396 Hi-Fi Premium Noise Isolating and the Monoprice 108320 Enhanced Bass (with extra Comply Foam Tips). Good luck and remember to protect your hearing!

Bill Murray really put this in a nutshell with his famous line, “How to tie the strongest knot ever: 1) Put some headphones in your pocket 2) Wait one minute. Ta da!”

Many have sought to unravel our tangle frustrations. And yet most of the options for managing cables and preventing tangles fall way short when it comes to earbud cords. Coiling, taping, loose knotting, and binder clips can be useful in some situations but rarely fit the bill while we’re on the go.

Hi

You got a page or any info on eartips?  different kinds, shapes etc and what the difference is between them all?

many thanks

The name of the game is isolation. You are looking (or at least you should be) for the tip that can isolate the most sound, yet is still comfortable to wear.

If you value your hearing you would stay away from these

First off, cheap earbuds often do not have any tips on them. You are exposed directly to the plastic. They are not designed to go inside your ear canal, just stay slightly outside. This is the worst possible option. Unless you ear accommodates the shape of the tip, these will not be comfortable to wear and will always fall out (an over the ear method might help). Secondly, these do not isolate well so you will have to turn the volume up and since these earbuds are quite close to the ear canal – you risk hearing damage. If there is anything you should take away from this article, it is this – stay away from earbuds that do not have some sort of tip.

Next we go on to foam earbuds. There are two types of foam earbuds:

1. Foam that is not designed to go into your ear canal. Looks like this:

These may look nice, but they have no place on your earbuds

I’ve never had luck with these. I would recommend you stay away from these; there is little that separates these from the earbuds without tips. Note, that this is because I couldn’t get them to stay in my ear – if anyone has any positive experiences share them in the comments!

The best choice for earbud tips

2.Foam that is designed to go into your ear canal. This is a tricky case: You get what you pay for. The cheaper foams do not provide much isolation and fall out of your ears. The more expensive ones are more reliable. A more expensive foam tip is the BEST option (in my experience). They provide better isolation and are more comfortable to wear. I can recommend the: Complfy Foam Tips. Once you go with good foam you can’t go back

Another benefit is that a foam tight fit will improve the bass signature of your music. This is true of both the higher end foam in-ear tips and the lower end in-ear foam tips

A triple flange silicone tip. A bit excessive for my taste

Lastly we have Rubber or silicone tips. This is the budget solution, and at one point in time used to be my favourite one. A silicone tip provides a good seal and a good isolation – No matter what the price. They are the most neutral option – no (or minimum) effect on sound.  There is a con – they could get uncomfortable. Some people find them uncomfortable right at the start; others find them uncomfortable after prolonged use. Luckily I belonged to neither group and was fine with using these earbud tips

These also exist in the bi/triple flange variety. Apparently this helps improve isolation. I found minimum difference

To summarize here are my recommendations in order of most recommended to least recommended: Comply foam tips (or other higher end foam tips), any generic silicone/rubber tip, lower end foam tip and that’s it – the no tip or the foam tips that don’t go inside your ear canal aren’t even an option. Don’t risk your hearing

Whichever case you choose, make sure that you buy earbud tips that will fit your ears. Earbud tips that are too large won’t fit your ears and earbud tips that are too small won’t cause the proper seal. Ideally you’d want to buy a set of different sized tips. If that’s not possible look at your current earbud tip size and buy a set that matches those. However, be warned, as far as I know there is no standard: One company’s medium is another company’s small

Quite a popular choice and should be satisfactory for most. True audiophiles (and bass lovers) stay away

The Smokin’ Buds are marketed at an affordable price that is pleasing to people who want good sound within a reasonable spending limit. The acoustics are nice.
The impendence is at a level of 16ohms, so you can be assured that you won’t be hearing the tinny screech sounds that one would expect from earbuds that have been made with poor quality.

What’s even more beautiful is that the earbuds contain neodymium magnets within themselves. These magnets are amongst the most powerful magnets found in the world, and you will find them in the greatest pairs of earbuds on the market. They essentially guide the flow of electricity through the earbuds in a much more efficient way so that almost all of the sound goes directly to your ears; therefore, sound loss is heavily minimized, if not completely obliterated. The bass response on these is pretty nice, but don’t buy them specifically for that quality. For one, the best inducers of bass are the drivers. Even considering the fact that they are placed inside earbuds, at 9mm, the drivers are small. 11mm would have made a bigger difference; furthermore, the range of sound goes from 20hz to 20khz. This range shows us that Skullcandy definitely understands the limits of human ear hearing capacity, because we cannot hear above 20khz. What’s most important in these figures, however, is the 20hz. Earbuds that offer great bass generally have a much lower number in this area. Earbuds that have excellent bass typically start off with figures around 12hz-15hz. The lower the number of the starting hertz, the deeper the bass. In any case, the bass in these babies is still sufficient enough to allow you to get your groove on.

One of the greatest selling points of these earbuds is the inline control. You can control the volume through the earbuds itself! This makes the earbuds excellent for running. Furthermore, they also come with different sized earbud foams; therefore, the earbuds will most likely have a size to accommodate your ears. Lastly, they come with a carrying case! This will ensure long-lasting quality.

The downfall of these earbuds, from personal experience, is that they don’t last long unless you actually use the carrying case. If you use them appropriately, if you use the carrying case, if you clean them after use, you can be assured that these earbuds will last you a while; however, if you mistreat them, they typically lose their quality within about a month and a half.

Anyway, at $30, these earbuds are right up your alley. Go get them if you are someone who has respect for sound and wants to exercise in style. Even if you don’t like exercising, these earbuds will certainly accommodate your busy lifestyle.

sir/madam, you some good points about buying a good pair of buds ,
now what brand name could you recommend ,, mine keeps breaking
because i forget they are in my ears and i roll over and pull on the
wire and some connection breaks and i have to buy a new pair,,,
thank you

This is an important issue. Without a good cord, even the best earbuds will be reduced to junk. There are two issues that a bad cord can present: microphonics and sound transmision.

Nu Force NE-7M: Affordable, yet robust.

If your cord breaks, sound no matter how good won’t transfer.

There are several ways to solve which cord do you need. First off, try to buy earbuds with a clip (here is an image of what I am talking about). Most earbuds usually come with this clip. Make sure to use it. This way when you turn, there won’t be stress on the wires, but instead on your clothing.

If you are looking for specific recommendations, I have tried several pairs of earbuds with superb cords. I am not sure what your budget is, so I will give you a low priced earbud and a medium priced earbud

Head-Direct RE0: Best bang for your buck

For the cheaper earbud, I found that the NuForce NE-7M can not be beat.

They have a very good rubbery cord, a clip and are probably the best earbud I have ever heard for under $50. These lasted me 2 years before the casing broke (I was pretty rough with them)

The best earbud for the value for your buck is the Head-Direct RE0. Great sound (best for under $100) and the cord will last. The cord might feel cheap, but it hasn’t broken on me yet. And the sound is phenomenal.

The Klipsch Image S4 earbud

When I first got the package and the earbud case, I was not impressed. The material felt cheap, but since I purchased the earbuds for the drivers and not the case, I promptly slipped the Image S4 on. I was quite surprised by the comfort of the earbuds.

The advertising claiming soft and flexible tips did not lie (and I usually have trouble with earbud tips due to small ears). The tips are made from rubber and not foam, but you will barely feel it.

These earbuds do not sound like what you would expect them to sound. They remind me of the Shure E2c, but without the price tag. However, please note that I have burned in those earbuds (for 24 hours). The image S4 sound quite balanced. The bass was there, but definitely not overpowering (Sennheiser CX300 I am looking at you). The highs and the mids were also well represented. This is what I like about these earbuds— they do not distort music by over focusing on one element. These earbuds strive to represent all elements equally.

The earbud casing, might feel a bit cheap. But for the quality of sound the Klipsch S4 provides, it is a small price to pay. The wire is a bit too thin, but most microphonic-like effects are unnoticeable.

A Low Price for a High Entry Earbud

The earbuds do provide nice sound isolation, if you can get a good fit. I can’t stress how important this is, but you must get a good fit. Getting anything less will disrupt the sound (especially the bass). I usually have slight trouble with ear tips, but have had no trouble with the Klipsch Image S4

You are basically buying higher end earbuds for a lower end price. They come with a two year warranty, but I haven’t felt the need to use the warranty in the time I owned them (1 year). These are great earbuds if you are looking for a replacement to the default iPod earbuds or just want something higher than the cheap junk they sell at retail stores. I recommend purchasing the Klipsch Image S4 from Amazon. Not only is the shipping fast (and free). But you will have the safety of knowing that your order is handled by a safe and reputable company

Microphonics is defined as the transmittance of mechanical vibrations through an electrical component. Basically, microphonics is the basically the annoying rustling sound you get when your earbud cable rubs along a surface. No matter how good your earbuds may sound, when you start actively using them, the microphonics will take away all the pleasure.

The most common way, earbud manufacturers reduce annoying microphonics is to add a little clip at the earbud cord. This way, you attach the clip to your clothes, and your earbud cable will only come in contact with air, thus reducing microphonics. The Nuforce NE7M use this method for preventing microphonics, while good in theory, it is rather annoying to attach the earbud clip every time you want to use your earbuds. Luckily, the Nuforce NE7M has a very strong rubber cord, which brings me to the next point

Make sure your earbuds come with an insulated rubber cord, none of the cheap nylon trash. While an insulated rubber cord will not remove all microphonics, it will eliminate the majority of the effect. There are earbud manufacturers that put a netlike rubber coating over their nylon cord earbuds. While this may reduce microphonics, they will still be present and extremely annoying. The best cord is a rubber one, the thicker the better. However, keep in mind if the cord is too thick, it might pull down, forcing the earbuds out of your ears. Balance is key.

Another way to reduce microphonics is the placement of earbuds. Most people face the cord downwards, so it’s pointing straight towards the ground. If you wrap the earbud cord upwards, around your ear and then let it point to the ground, the ear will absorb some of the microphonics (over the ear placement). Here is an example with the Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 Pro:

Please note that you will have to experiment with this technique. Every ear is different, some people might be comfortable with this technique, and others may not. Think of this technique as a backup plan; only use it if you cannot reduce microphonics even further.Microphonics is a serious issue that many earbud enthusiasts overlook. Your earbuds might sound good at the beginning, but if you have a poor cord that sound isn’t worth squat. When buying a pair of earbuds pay close attention to the cord. Make sure it is strong and preferably made from rubber. If it has a clip, then that is a nice bonus, but don’t rely on it too much.

Skullcandy sells a variety of products that range from sound docks and headphones to t-shirts, backpacks, belts, and miles of other accessories in between.  The culture does not simply stay on the streets, though.  You can see Skullcandy products designed for biking, surfing, skiing, motocross, waking, and snowboarding. The greatest products Skullcandy sells, however, are earbuds.

Skullcandy has pioneered an unmatchable trend in the market for selling stylistically designed earbuds that are all the rage.  They are also very affordable. Most of the cost gravitates around the price range of $20-$100 for earbuds. If you’re an audiophile, then Skullcandy may not be the best choice for you. The sound doesn’t measure up to the sound found in earbuds made by higher end earbud manufacturers such as Monster, Bose, Shure, Denon, and the like.

All of this, however, is for a great reason. While the other brands focus on luxury, Skullcandy focuses on activity. Most earbuds are made so that they can be enjoyed in a comfortable level of motion, or lack thereof; however, Skullcandy’s earbuds are made for those who live very active lifestyles. It’s not the greatest idea to use a $300 pair of Ultimate Ears while skateboarding. Skullcandy, therefore, gives you an alternative. The company has deliberately made its products more affordable because it has the renegade in mind. There is honesty in the craftsmanship of the products; i.e., Skullcandy realizes that earbuds do get damaged due to overuse and contaminants such as sweat and debris. For somebody who simply wants to use the products for leisure and style, a pair of earbuds can last for months. For somebody who wants to shred with jams, the lifespan of the earbuds can be considerably shorter. As a result,  Skullcandy offers a lifetime warranty on all of its earbuds. In the event that the earbuds should break,  Skullcandy offers you a 50% discount on your next pair of equal or lesser value.

Imagine if someone offered such a warranty on skateboard shoes!

There is a whole collection of earbuds you can choose from when shopping Skullcandy. If you want some throwaways, you can settle for the Ink’d Buds. They retail for $20, and their sound is comparable to the overprice $40 apple earbuds. As a matter of fact, if you want a nice pair of earbuds that give you the raw Apple sound at an affordable price, just buy these instead. They are far more comfortable, and they also look sexier. These are definitely two huge wins in our book.

A step up from these are the Smokin’ Buds. The Smokin’ buds are the entry level earbuds for those who care more for sound quality and style than those who want throwaways. The earbuds sound great, but they are still limited in power. If you can afford it, definitely spend five dollars more to get the Titans. It’s not that the Smokin’ buds are bad- they are considerably better than the Ink’d-, but if you’re going to spend $30, why not just spend a little extra to get something that sounds so much better?

The Titan Earbuds retail for $35.00, and they are considerably better sounding. They have the appropriate sized drivers (11mm) for a great delivery of music.  The bass isn’t all that astounding; however, it definitely delivers a nice punch. You will be happy with these for quite a while. The titanium look gives the earbuds a more professional look.

Now, if you are somebody who likes to have a very active approach to life, and you do not care too much for sound quality, then you may wish to mix the Ink’d into your lifestyle in a special kind of way. The Chops Hanger earbuds are excellent for those who simply want to have stylish earbuds that do not fall off of the ears whatsoever. These are great for those who are going to be skateboarding, rollerblading, or playing in team sports.  They retail for $25 dollars, and they are built with over-the-ear-clips so that they don’t fall out of your ears.

There are many other styles you can choose from, and they can all be found at Skullcandy.com. Check it out!