At CES 2011 this year in Las Vegas, I had the pleasure of playing with Sony’s latest earbud/MP3 combo made for active lifestyle and sports, the Sony NWZ-W252.  This has been awhile now but Sony has updated the outstanding earbuds/MP3 combo for 2011.

Why is this the best earbuds for sports?

Simply put it, it combines an MP3 player and radio into one, single unit with the earbuds.   Right now, I use a Motorola S9 Bluetooth headset coupled with my Android smartphones or my iPod Touch.  Believe me, that’s a lot of gadgets to carry in my pocket just to listen to music while I work out.  The difference between the Motorola S9 and this Sony NWZ-W252 is that Sony has used a flexible material for your head, making it much more comfortable to wear for longer periods (in fact, you don’t even feel it), that is simple but revolutionary for someone like me who must listen to music while working out.

I think a lot of people forget that an MP3 player is supposed to do one thing, that of listening to music.  Sony NWZ-W252 is the most “comfortable” set of earbuds that also combine an MP3 player with long-lasting battery.  On a one minute charge, the Sony NWZ-W252 can play up to 3 hours of music and more if you charge it longer.  This works out really well when you want to go work out and forgot to charge your MP3 player, just stick it in your computer’s USB port while you put your socks on and it’s ready for you.

I can attest to this feature as I’ve owned a bunch of Sony MP3 players in the last few years, the battery on the Sony Walkman MP3s are the best in the world.

I tried these Monster Turbine earbuds back in January this year at CES 2010 in Las Vegas and I remember they were pretty awesome.

Well, I just got them in the mail and was able to do a comparison test between all the other earbuds I own.

First of all, let me say the Monster Turbine earbuds are very well built, there’s reinforced coupling and the earbuds themselves are very stylish, perhaps the most stylish earbuds I have seen so far.

For sound, Monster Turbine earbuds outperform any other earbuds I have ever tried, the mids and treble is just so awesome.

Although bass is maybe a tad lacking than the Jbuds J2 earbuds, you get a nice “punch” with your bass because the mids are so incredible.

Are they worth the $100 price tag?

I think so, these Monster Turbine earbuds now make #1 our best earbuds list based on performance.

Whether you are a bass-head or classical-nut, these Monster Turbine earbuds will satisfy your perfection for music listening.

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

• Best earbuds I have ever tried so far.
• Really Great bass and treble/mids are incredible.
• Earbuds fit snuggly.
• Re-enforced couplings for accidental yanks.

Price: $101.21 on Amazon

See video review of the Monster Turbine earbuds:

(High-quality build)

(I love the stylish design.)

(Comes with a leather case and bunch of other earbuds you can try.)

I got these Etymotic Research ER6i earbuds in the mail couple days ago and can I say one thing first, what a waste of $64.99.

Why?

The triple flange buds (which are supposed to work better than regular earbuds) actually lose isolation like a baby without diapers plus the overall sound quality is horrible.

I can’t believe how many great reviews of this earbud is on the internet today, they are all lies!

Not only that, the build of these ER6i earbuds are cheap, easily broken if you yank it.  You can see my video below for proof.

These are one of the worst, most-expensive earbuds I’ve tried.

Our rating: 2.3 out of 5

• Average treble/mid, almost no bass.
• No reinforced couplings and “cheap” build, easy to break.
• Not very good earbuds period.

I also got the Shure E2C earbuds from Amazon today, these are $69 on Amazon so I expected better sound than anything else I have tried.

My first impressions

The Shure E2C earbuds definitely were the most sturdiest earbuds I have ever tried with reinforced coupling and thick lines.  I can tell these earbuds are going to last a long time just the way they “look” and feel.

The Shure E2C earbuds come in a fancy, big plastic case which includes the earbuds, different earbud fittings (total of 18!!!) and even ear wax guards.   Oh yeah, also a nice “sturdy” case molded like carbon fiber. (maybe it is carbon fiber)

Anyways, I tried these but Shure E2C earbuds don’t quite live up to their standards (as many positive review on Amazon noted.  Perhaps these were those people’s first earbuds).

One of the most disappointing factors of the Shure E2C was a total lack of bass. (even when trying different buds and sizes)

I know, I know, maybe you aren’t a bass-head like me but Shure E2C had like no sound after a certain low frequency, let’s just put it that way.

On top of that, I had to turn up the volume a lot higher than other earbuds I have tried, meaning you will have to use more battery more on your iPod or media player to enjoy the “quality” sound.

As far as everything else, it’s crisp clear like the vocal, treble, and mid-range.   Indeed, Shure says these are for studio professionals and I have to agree, if you only care about treble and mids, these might be one of the better ones to get.

But really, the Shure E2C earbuds are hard to put on, plus putting them on my ear for long periods of time really made my ears hurt a bit physically (as they weigh a lot more than regular earbuds) and yeah, all the treble without bass hurt my ears too.

One more point, the Shure E2C come with a flange that also has a lot of play, I had to keep adjusting it to get it snug and fitted right.  That’s not a lot of fun.

Overall, I would have to say these are good earbuds but aren’t worth spending $69 and they aren’t comfortable. My level of comfort means I can sleep with earbuds, this one you certainly can’t.   (For example, I have slept easily with the Sony MDR-EX75s with no problem at all for many months.)

I think these earbuds “were” great couple years back but nowadays, there’s so many better earbuds at lower prices.   Simply, price isn’t right for what you get here.

If you are casual listener (or bass-head), I would definitely go with a Jbuds J2 or Sony MDR-EX75, you will get much more balanced sound for much less money.

Update: (5/24) After using these for about a week, the Shure E2Cs do provide the best treble/mid spectrum over all other earbuds.   I can recommend them for treble-heads, recording studios, and people who like classical music.  OR if you want earbuds you can never break, these are it as they are super-rugged.

Price: $69 on Amazon

Our rating: 3.6 out of 5

• Great treble/mid, almost no bass.
• Earbuds move around the ears a bit.
• Hard to put your earbuds on and off, very heavy.
• Very sturdy reinforced coupling and wires, the sturdiest earbuds I have ever tried.
• Might be good for professional vocalists who want to use it in their studio, not for a regular joe.

Well, Amazon just shipped to me the Jbuds J3M earbuds (which are exact same as J3 with mic).

My first impressions

I had hoped that Jbuds J3 series would be better than Jbuds J2 series since it’s a better model but no, the earbuds seem to move around my ear too much, killing a lot of that insulation.

I really liked Jbuds J2 better because the “flange” is much longer.  And yes, I even tried different sizes of buds to see if there were any difference but no, I think it’s a design flaw.

Anyways, sound is about the same as J2 but the moving around the ears is killing it, a definite deal killer since J3 series cost almost double J2 series. Also the re-enforced couplings seems a bit less studier than the J2 earbuds.

(Mic, on the other side of mic control)

(reinforced coupling, doesn’t look as strong as J2′s)

(Problem area, the unit needs to be not plugged in for my desktop computer in order to work correctly while it worked fine on my iPod, MP3, and laptop.)

Overall, the J3M earbuds aren’t worth your money simply because Jbuds J2 earbuds have much better insulation as better functionality as far as I can tell.

UPDATE (5/20): It’s been about 3 days since I’ve been using these J3Ms on my Nexus One and Palm Pre, the mic actually works great while the earbuds provide you with stereo. I would actually recommend this one over J2 since it has a mic if you are going to use it with your smartphone such as an iPhone.

Update (5/24):  After using these for a week, I’ve kinda fell in love with them as the mic on the J3M is great for talking in stereo on your smartphone, plus it works really well in the wind.  I now give it “the best earbuds to get for your smartphone”. These are great alternatives over cancer-causing bluetooth headsets, which only cover one of your ears.

Price: $39.95 on Amazon for Jbuds J3M

$29.95 on Amazon for Jbuds J3

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

• Good earbuds.
• Really treble, mid range and bass but a bit lacking than Jbuds J2 due to its insulation. (too much play in the ear)
• Earbuds don’t fit snuggly.
• Re-enforced couplings for accidental yanks.

Our verdict: Jbuds J2 still better in performance and value.

Also see my hands-on video review of the Jbuds J3M earbuds:

JBuds J2 earbuds have dropped their prices a lot lately (from regular $79.99 to $13.99) so I decided to order them and try them out.

These are the “best” earbuds I have tried so far.  What makes these high-performance earbuds stand out is its ability to product larger bass than any other earbuds I have tried plus all other sound frequencies are great too.

With their recent “slash” of prices, the JBuds J2 earbuds now are the best value earbuds you can get.  It’s a killer deal.

Our rating: 4.7 out of 5

• Best earbuds I have ever tried so far.
• Really Great bass and treble.
• Earbuds fit snuggly.
• Re-enforced couplings for accidental yanks.

Price: $13.99 on Amazon (Also see this page for other colors)

For those of you who need iPod/iPhone controls, try the JBuds J3M.

(Jbuds J2 earbuds come with re-enforced couplings, making them stronger against accidental yanks, which are the leading causes of earbud failure.)

Also see my hands-on review video of the Jbuds J2 earbuds here:

Sony MDR-EX75 earbuds are one of the best earbuds on the market today.

First, the sound is great across all frequencies including great mid,treble, and bass.  It’s no surprise because Sony has been making some great earphones since the 80s, they have done a great job with earbuds as of recently.

Second, there’s a gold-plated extension cord that prevents you from breaking your earbuds by yanking on it. (which is the leading cause of earbud failures)

Third, the price is right for all the quality you get.   I have already bought like 5 of these MDR-EX75s for me and my family/friends.

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Great earbuds for under $100 that perform like $200 earbuds.
• Great bass and treble.
• Earbuds fit snuggly.
• Separate extension cord for accidental yanks.

There’s three different colors you can get:

White: $23.99 on Amazon

Black: $29.95 on Amazon

Silver: $39.99 on Amazon

There’s really no performance difference between the colors, I believe the prices fluctuate due to demand.

All of Sony’s MDR-EX series earbuds are pretty good, you can check out all of them on Amazon here.

Also, DON’T BUY Sony earbuds at BestBuy as they mark it up like 200%.  I saw the older MDR-55X for like $39.95 at BestBuy, what a ripoff.  Amazon is the best/cheapest place to get earbuds in the world period.

When Apple first came out with the Apple In-ear Headphones (they are really earbuds though), I was one of the first to buy it from my local Apple Store here in San Francisco.

Well, these are actually the “worst”, most-expensive earbuds I have ever bought.

First, the earbuds themselves don’t snuggly fit your ear, moving around too much and not giving your ear enough insulation. (even with the different sizes of buds I’ve tried)

Secondly, the Apple earbuds don’t perform that well at all, very little bass and not that much better with treble and other frequencies.

This is probably the “worst” earbuds, I wouldn’t get them even if they slashed the prices to $15.  Even then, I think it’s too much.

Apple is in the business of making media players like iPods, iPhones, and iPads but they are definitely not good at making earbuds.

I even asked the guy working at the Apple store, he said for some odd reason, these Apple earbuds had the highest rate of returns. (no wonder)

Our rating: 2.5 out of 5

• Very bad earbuds. (regardless of price)
• Little bass, treble and mids sound like cat screeching on window.
• Earbuds go all over your ears, never stay in the same place, which is probably why the sound is horrible.

Better alternative if you want great sound plus iPod/iPhone controls?  Get the Jbuds J3M earbuds (recently been slashed from $79.95 to just $29.95 on Amazon).

(Waste of $100 that I spent when it was retailed at $100.  Of course, I returned it within a few hours.  Simply, stay away from these earbuds.)

The only good part about Apple earbuds are the sturdy metallic casing, which looks durable but who cares when you can’t get any great sounds out of it?

The Sennheiser CX300 earbuds are not too bad, slightly better than the 2XL SnakeEyes earbuds.  Again the CX300 earbuds don’t come with sturdy connections where the two earbuds separate, could lead to breakage if you happen to yank it too hard.

I still actually use these earbuds, they are great for everyday applications, the bass is pretty good on these and they fit very snug.

At $26.99 on Amazon, these Sennheiser CX300 earbuds are not a bad deal with a great balance of treble and bass.

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

• Great starter earbuds. (for the price)
• Good bass and treble. (a bit better than 2XL)
• Earbuds fit snuggly.

Price: $26.99 on Amazon

2XL SnakeEyes earbuds are the very first earbuds I picked up from BestBuy couple years back when I “transitioned” from earphones to earbuds.

Well, these are decent earbuds and nothing wrong with them, except I broke them while snowboarding.  The connections aren’t too sturdy so if you need an earbud for rough-and-tough use, these aren’t it.  But if you aren’t going to be playing sports and just use earbuds for casual listening, these 2XL earbuds are fine.

Our rating: 3.5 out of 5

• Great starter earbuds. (for the price)
• Good bass and treble.
• Earbuds fit snuggly.

Price: $16.49 on Amazon