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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great replacement for iPhone earbuds, February 15, 2008
I'll start by saying I'm not an audiophile and therefore my judgment on sound quality will not be nearly as technical. I did read some sites and did a bit of break-in. I'm not sure I noticed much difference.
My Apple iPhone buds didn't last long in a soft case in my pockets all day. After the second pair where the speaker detached from the earbud, I gave up on the Apple iPhone buds.
I purchased the Maximo HS1 (earbud). Inside my Maximo HS1 box from Amazon was a pair of these HS2s (sound isolating). The box was sealed, so I don't think Amazon could have known. After my initial disappointment, I scoured the web for information. iLounge had the best information on both the HS1 and HS2 and is worth checking out. The conclusion: the HS2 is a better product. I got lucky!
Pros:
* Solid feel
* Fit comfortably
* Microphone works as well or better than iPhone microphone
* Sounds quality is better than iPhone earbuds
* Sound isolation works great. I keep the volume at the 1st or 2nd level from the bottom even on the train.
Cons:
* The "button" for answering a call or pausing works just fine, but is a bit bulky and takes a bit more force to press. Not as simple and elegant as the iPhone earbuds.
* Headphone jack looks flimsy. I worry that eventually with enough abuse the jack wires will fray.
* Wire is a bit stiffer than the iPhone earbuds and doesn't roll up as easily.
General observations:
* They fit very naturally, but it is worth trying the included larger and smaller rubber isolators. I've found the sound quality is best when positioned properly in the ear. Not too tight and not so loose that background noise comes in.
* The sound quality is definitely better than the iPhone earbuds. I don't feel like they produce a great clear bass sound, but it isn't bad and I'm not sure having deep base pounding millimeters from my eardrum is what I want anyways.
* Classical sounds great. The guitar strain in Simon and Garfunkel's America stands out beautifully.
Overall I'm extremely pleased with my purchase. At >$60 I consider them a little expensive still. If they were ~$40 I would send them as gifts to all my iPhone-using friends.
[Update after 3 months of use]
These headphones are still going strong. I really like the sound isolation. The microphone is great. I'm very happy with how durable they are. I even accidentally ran them through the wash, which I wouldn't risk doing again, but the sound quality returned to normal after they dried out.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best iPhone headphones out there right now!, July 5, 2008
I've read a jillion reviews on Amazon and I've never written one, but I felt compelled after seeing a few negative reviews on this product. I researched every iPhone compatible earphone available out there, this included offerings from V-Moda, Skullcandy, Shure, et al. After a lot of back-and-forth, I decided on these; the price was right, the sound-isolating style attracted me, and the reviews were mostly positive.
I'm not a sound engineer, but I am a musician and a serious music aficionado of everything from classical to hip-hop. I feel that I made the right decision with this set. Since I've only had them a week, I cannot speak about their long-term reliability, so I will only say that they feel very robust in their build quality. As for sound, I think they're wonderful. The sound isolation is excellent, they're very comfortable in my ears for long periods, and with my iPhone's EQ setting on "treble booster" I believe they make most of music sound brilliant. Are they the absolute best earphones in the world? No, of course not. But at their price point, it doesn't get any better and I would certainly rather have these than various models that cost twice as much if not more.
A final note, the soft control button on the iP-HS2 is brilliant. It's easy to press, feels good, and reliably does what you need it to. I couldn't say that for the included iPhone ones which would often skip the track when I intended to pause the music. I listen to music all day and this is one of the things I love about the iPhone, so having this function improved by these headphones was an enormous positive.
Please consider these very seriously, it's a great product and a solid value. I'm a happy iPhone user.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad, Not great., May 29, 2008
These are perfectly fine headphones for an iPhone. I normally like to get Sony earbuds, but for my iPhone I needed something with a microphone that fit Apple's idiotic recessed headphone plug. I am morally opposed to spending $100 bucks for headphones, so I picked these up. They sound fine (I'm no golden ear and I listen to industrial, techno & dance) but not as good as the Sonys that I like (MDR-EX71's).
I tried a pair of V-Moda Vibe Duos and thought the sound sucked, so if you like those then you'll hate these (and the Sony's). I had a set of Rivet headphones and they sounded fine but the cord was like 6 feet long and was forever getting tangled, and the mic position was bad (so when I lost those I decided to try these).
Others have complained of hiss on an iPhone with these, and yes they do hiss; but only because they are the most sensitive headphones I have ever used. On my iPhone even at very low volume settings these are LOUD! At the highest volume settings they will damage your ears (Which I guess could be a bonus for some).
Callers complain that I sound quiet when I am using them for phone calls.
The cord is rubbery and kind of wired feeling. It tends to tangle. I like that the cord is short but comes with an extender. The short cord is perfect if I have my iPhone in my shirt pocket, and the extender works great for when I want it in my pants pocket.
So for cheaper iPhone headphones they are not bad.
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