Jan 20, 2012
While most of us listen to a wide variety of music, and a favorite playlist can find hip hop and pop right on top of one another, there is often one type of music we listen to most often. Or, at the very least, there is one type of music whose audio crispness and quality matters most. That quality comes from the recording itself, of course, but also from the speakers or earphones through which we listen to it. And as it turns out, those earphones might have some musical preferences of their own!
We decided to run a little experiment to determine the best earphones by music type. Working with our staff and some carefully-chosen friends and family members, we put together a 12-person team of testers – 8 males and 4 females. The mission they were given was simple and sweet; to listen to a variety of songs from a chosen group of popular musical genres. These genres included Classical, Rock, Hip Hop, Techno/Trance, Acoustic, Latin, Country and Jazz. Each was given an assortment of popular high-end earphones through which to listen to the music and asked to rate each set on its sound for the songs they listened to in each genre. Each tester had the same earphones, same songs. And once the results were in, we tallied them up to find the best of the best!
You can scroll to the bottom of our best earphones by music type page to see all the results and read more about the test itself, but we’ll provide you with a quick summary here…
You ready to Rock? Then Westone 3 and Westone UM3X should top your list! In fact the Westone 3 was the most popular of all the sets we tested, being the hands-down selection for Hip Hop and Techno/Trance, and one of the 2 top picks for Rock, mentioned above, as well as Country music. For Classical, testers’ ears were pleased as punch by the Shure SE535 and Westone 4. The Shure SE535 also joined the Westone 3 for Country tunes, the Westone UM3X for Acoustic tracks, and the Shure SE425 for Jazz. Who took home the most honors? Let’s have a look at which phones will best meet your musical needs, and which have the most well-rounded sound…
Westone 3 – Rock, Hip Hop, Techno/Trance, Country
Shure SE535 – Classical, Acoustic, Jazz, Country
Westone UM3X – Rock and Acoustic
Westone 4 – Classical
Shure SE425 – Latin
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Jan 18, 2012
We all know the importance of a perfect fit for earphones, but fitness goes far beyond the ear! If you’re among the countless teens, men and women working hard at keeping your New Year’s Resolution to get in better shape, one of the important tools you can add to your arsenal of motivation is a serious set of workout-ready earphones. Whether you’re keeping it indoors at the gym, or with workout DVDs, or venturing outdoors for walks, jogs, hikes and runs, Earphone Solutions has the best earphones to help you take some tunes along on your journey!
The Best Earphones for Running and Sports
When it comes to a snug fit that won’t quit, two brands that are always at the top of their game are Westone and Shure. Fumbling with your earphones at the gym or on the track or trail isn’t only annoying – it can be downright dangerous to you and your earphones. Dangling cords can easily get caught in a machine or trip you up on the treadmill if they slip free. Plus, as we said, it’s annoying! You’re trying to stay in the zone with your carefully-chosen playlist of motivating music and your earphones keep trying to make the great escape. Not cool, earphones. Not cool at all. So skip the cheap sets and treat yourself to some quality earphones in our selection of recommended options from Westone and Shure. It’s an investment in keeping your annoyance level low and your motivation high!
Posted in Best Earphones, Best Gym Earphones, Shure Earphones, Westone Earphones | No Comments
Dec 31, 2011
Have you had a chance to take a peek at the latest and greatest from Westone – the Westone 4R? If not, now is definitely the time. Coming from Westone, you already know the 4R is going to be something to write home about for sure, especially if you forgot to include it in your letter to Santa! But as for what you’ll actually be writing?
First, you’ll likely jot down the specs: 118dB @ 1mW sensitivity, 4 symmetrically balanced armature drivers, TrueFit Technology, a generously-sized 50” removable cable, 31 ohms, sleek style, and of course, even more. And even with these phones being oh-so-fresh, the reviews are already rolling in, and we anticipate many more once everyone has had a real chance to enjoy them after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
If your presents this year didn’t include a new set from Westone, don’t sit around sulking for 12 more months. Make a resolution to put your holiday cash toward buying something you’ll enjoy every day, whether you’re relaxing on the couch, concentrating on work, or letting your favorite gym playlist carry you through the last mile on the treadmill. They’re comfortable, have superior symmetry and the Epic removable cables will even resist tangles – these are the earphones for the job!
We’re excited to see what you think of the new Westone 4R, and hope you’ll share your review with us on this most impressive set. The more people in the world listening through high-quality earphones, the happier a place it will be!
Posted in Main - News, Westone Earphones | No Comments
Dec 29, 2011
While we aren’t down with the muffling of sound that this winter trick is sure to result in, when we came across this article on CNET we knew we had to share – Turn your headphones into earmuffs. If you’re the type of guy or gal that loves tackling fun and functional projects, this might be something to try your hand at, especially with the temperatures diving into the single digits for many parts of the country.
According to Grissini’s steps on Instructables.com for creating “Muff-Fones,” you can “hack some headphones into a spare pair of earmuffs” in just a few steps. We would never recommend doing this to a sweet set of the high-quality headphones available at Earphone Solutions, but if you have an old, off-brand set you aren’t using anyway, this could make for an interesting Saturday afternoon.
The necessary ingredients for this recipe of snuggly sound are simple enough – earmuffs and headphones. And while we recommend going cheap on the headphones as you’ll be taking them apart a bit, we recommend opting for a decent pair of earmuffs. After all, the point of the project is to keep you warm and toasty while listening to tunes in the shivery days of winter. Go super cheap on the earmuffs themselves and you’re wasting your time! A few tools are necessary as well, and some careful attention to detail and safety, but overall the earmuff mod doesn’t look to be very time intensive at all.
Another upside to keeping your ears cradled in the comfort of Muff-Fones while outdoors is that you might just find yourself appreciating the crisp, clean unfiltered sounds of your everyday Beyerdynamic headphones or Sennheiser headphones even more. The first note you hear once you’re warm indoors will be like the first bite of a premium, Grade A burger after a week of fast food!
Posted in Beyerdynamic, Main - News, Sennheiser Headphones | No Comments