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I was at my favourite shop this afternoon and tried out several pairs of in-ear earphones. I had great service from knowledgeable staff, which made it a very pleasant experience. I was actually there trying to decide which pair of in-ears to get and was asking some questions. The product consultant I spoke to promptly offered to let me test the earphones I had enquired about. The earphones I tried were the Sony MDR-EX85 (US$54), Creative EP630 (US$28) and the Sennheiser CX300 (US$79).

I started off with the Sony MDR-EX85.



Sounded not bad, bass was a tad heavy (not to the point of discomfort though, so people who like bass can give these a try), but overall quite warm sounding. I found the highs a bit lacking, and the seal wasn't that good, so I think the sound quality was compromised (I have to add that the earbuds were the same size for all 3 pairs of earphones, so I'm not sure why they don't all fit the same way).

Next up was the Creative EP630.



Good bass, great clarity, and pretty much balanced sound throughout. But I feel that not everyone will like the highs, so that's one minus point. These are very comfortable to wear, the seal is great, noise-isolation is great.

Last but not least, the Sennheiser CX300.



What can I say? It felt like aural bliss. It's such a well-balanced pair of in-ears, not taxing on the ears at all. The CX300 and the EP630 are identical in terms of design, very comfortable to wear and very light. The seal for the CX300 therefore, was as good as the EP630. Both were able to shut out the ambient noise effectively. Only minus point is the price.

I would have gotten the Sennheisers if they had been a bit more affordable. I'm not saying they're not worth the price though. In fact, I think they're worth every cent, but if they'd cost not too much more than the EX85, I'd have bought them. So, eventually I bought the EP630, which I felt was value-for-money. Finally, I can say good-bye to noisy kids and teens determined to share their music through their mobile phone speakers on public transport. In addition, I would also like to add that I own a pair of Philips SHE9500, which like the EX85, refuse to fit nicely in my ear, regardless of whatever size earbuds I put on. The sound quality is average, so I don't really recommend them.

Philips SHE9500




Disclaimer:
I don't think of myself as an audiophile, nor am I an expert on earphones. I just happen to like good music. Sound quality is quite personal, so the above are purely my own opinions. Please use this as a guide and try the earphones for yourself before you buy them.
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Posted: 2007-08-01 19:01:28
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i don't think any store will allow it, here in Greece.
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Posted: 2007-08-01 19:17:59
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Over here the general practice in most stores is that earphones cannot be tested due to hygiene reasons. Fortunately, there are a couple of stores I've found that actually are willing to go the extra mile and allow customers to test the earphones. Since sound quality is quite subjective as I've mentioned, it's very difficult for one to buy a pair of earphones purely based on the reviews they've read. In any case, the best bet would be the Sennheiser CX300 as I'm pretty sure most people would find that it sounds good. Or a safe choice that doesn't cost too much would be the Creative EP630 that I bought. Just tried it with my K750i, sound quality is great!
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Posted: 2007-08-01 20:40:04
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thanks for this - was looking for stuff on the creatives
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Posted: 2007-08-02 13:09:25
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well i tested with quite alot however i felt hpm-70 sounded best as its quite balanced and therefore not worth buying a cx-300 which then is better.( i tried the mylarone crossroads x3 and a lot more) were goot but not very balanced.
well this is my own preference
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Posted: 2007-08-02 13:22:34
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i have the creative EP635 which is the white version of the 630. They are OK, nothing special.
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Posted: 2007-08-03 22:37:32
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did you find the sony to be bassier than the cx300 as i have the latter at the moment and would have given you a trade he you bought the sony as i need something with more bass
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Posted: 2007-08-03 22:56:34
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you might also want to consider Creative Zen Aurvana In-ear ones as creative is currently doing a £10 mail-in cashback for them. Cost me £26.98 or $55. Bargain i say
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Posted: 2007-08-03 23:07:00
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@A L 3 X, the Sony was bassier than the CX300, I think you might like them since you're looking for something with more bass. But personally I prefer the CX300, it's a pity I didn't start this thread earlier, or we could have swapped eh? In any case, I think you're probably better off sticking to the CX300 as I felt they gave me more balanced sound across the range and also had decent bass.

@ayejatt, I haven't tried the Creative Zen Aurvana, but they sound like a good buy at that price.
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Posted: 2007-08-04 11:58:23
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i think maybe i should stick with em actually..as was using the HPM-70 with my n95 cos i thought they had more bass than the CX300...but when i got them out of my draw and used them, i realised the quality is a lost better as well as the bass responce and the HPM-70 sound a bit hmmm..'muffled', although not sure if i chose the right colour...took back my broken black ones and replaced them with white :S
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Posted: 2007-08-04 18:59:48
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