Customer Reviews

NuForce - NE-7M - Earphones

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have owned many pairs of IEM's in search of something I really like. In my search I owned:
JVC HA-FX66 - $40MSRP
JBL Reference 220 - $80MSRP
Bose In Ear - $129MSRP
Sennheiser CX 300 - $70MSRP
Panasonic RP-HJE550 - $99MSRP

The NE-7M has about 3/4 of the bass of the Bose but tighter and less bloated. Better mid tones than all of the above phones, and clearer non-sibilent highs than the above phones. It's signature is full with only a very mild weakness in the mids (compared to MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE IEM's). If you like more bass than "neutral" sounding phones it is simply one of the best deals on the market.

The cabling and the phones are also of excellent build quality with minimal microphonics in the cable (none from the cable being rubbed), if you loop the cable over your ear you will eliminate the little bit of microphonics that do exist. I also find the cable light and with just enough stiffness to help make them less tangling.

These phones are also very easily driven by Ipods and small devices. I am using a 2nd Gen Ipod Touch and have never cranked the volume over 1/2 way and usually listen between 1/4 to 1/3 volume and still have nice bass response.

I don't really want to give these 'phones such a low rating since there are some things about them that I really love, but, given my personal experience, I also can't bring myself to give them anything higher. It's unfortunate.
I got these for my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago because her Shure E2cs' wire is cracked and she wanted something with a mic to use with her iPhone. I had read lots of very positive reviews on other sites that claimed the NE-7Ms were superior to other IEMs (in-ear monitors, aka earphones) two or three times the cost.

But the problems have been many. First off, the fit is odd, both for me and my girlfriend. The phones stick out oddly far for a pair of IEMs, especially compared to the E2cs and my NuForce NE-8s (which, by the by, I love). This wouldn't be so bad except that 1) the weight of the cord makes it feel as though the phones are going to fall out (even though they never have), and 2) they can't be looped over the ears; which brings me to my next point...
Microphonics. You know that rubbing, rustling noise you hear with IEMs when you rub or bump the cord? It's especially present using the stock silicone tips, distractingly so. I know some people say you can loop the cord over your ears to reduce microphonics to great effect, but I couldn't keep the darn cables over my ears since they (the IEMs, not my ears) stick out so far. Aargh! Switching to the foam tips from the E2cs solved the problem to some degree, but it's still there. There are relatively inexpensive wire guides available from Phonak Audéo that would probably solve the problem completely... But having to buy accessories to make these work properly defeats the purpose of buying budget earphones. I could end up spending an extra $25!
I also don't care for the stock tips. It's not the sound quality or noise isolation that I mind, but, as mentioned, the microphonics are horrible with them and for some reason they make a distracting rustling noise in my ears. Sort of a mix between a rustle and a squishing sound. Odd because using the same tips on my NE-8s does not produce the same effect. It may have something to do with the barrel shape of the driver casing. The problem was reduced with the silicone Shure tips, and eliminated with the Shure foam tips.
One of the previous reviewers mentioned that there seems to be less sound coming through the left channel than the right. My girlfriend and I have had a similar experience. For me it's only noticeable if I'm really listening for it or if I'm listening for hours on end, but for my girlfriend the imbalance is very distracting. I think that it might be a combination of a fit issue and because that's the side that the mic is on. Again, the problem was lessened for me when I used the foam tips.
The same reviewer also mentioned that there is a lot of static interference. I haven't experienced this personally, but my girlfriend has and says it's very distracting. It's probably due to the dry and cold, but that makes them unusable for five months here in Boston and longer elsewhere. I have never had this problem with the NE-8s and she's never had it with the E2cs.

On to the pros...
These things sound pretty amazing. I don't claim to be an audiophile, but I'll try my best. Compared to the E2cs and the NE-8s, the bass on the NE-7Ms is nothing short of astounding, especially with the foam tips. They sound like I have a nicely tuned subwoofer in my head. Seriously. Nice quantity, but also very controlled. Listening to electronic or hip hop is really, really fun. I also own a set of Sony MDR-V300s (What?! Why?!) and I would say that bass quantity on the NE-7Ms is less than the V300s, but also much, much less boomy and overbearing. Once upon a time I also had the Sony MDR-EX71SLs, and from memory I would say that the NE-7Ms have similar bass quantity, but again are less boomy and overbearing.
I agree with other reviewers that the mids are less present than with the Shures or with the NE-8s, but not really distractingly so. I wouldn't say that they're lacking in mids, per se.
I would also say that the highs are comparable to the Shures, but less detailed and present than the NE-8s. This combined with the mids makes me prefer the NE-8s, but only by a small margin and only for certain music. I definitely prefer the NE-7Ms to the E2cs.
They're also more efficient than the NE-8s and are easily driven by my 5th gen iPod, which is very nice.
The mic seems to be of good quality, too, and my girlfriend sounds better talking into the NE-7Ms than she does straight into her iPhone!
The construction also seems very good. The driver casing is made of bronze-colored metal and I would imagine that it would last a long time. The wires are thinner than on the E2cs, but are more pliable and seem less likely to crack over time.

In short, I have a hard time either recommending the NE-7Ms or steering people clear of them. I realize that our experience with these 'phones is highly personal, but there are a lot of problems we've come across. On the other hand the sound quality on these is second to none within the price range. There are probably very few IEMs out there worth more bang for the buck... if you can get them to work. If not, what's the point?

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

In need of earphones for the few occasions when my regular computer-based speaker system would prove too loud, I looked around for a while but could not find anything that would fit my needs and my budget...I really liked the offerings available from Shure but they simply cost too much for the amount I would be using them. As a secondary concern, I wanted something with a microphone, as I plan on purchasing an iPhone (or another smartphone, if somebody can come up with something better) in the very near future. Shure offers this as well, but as an add-on (even more money). Enter...NuForce!

I was already very, very happy with my NuForce Icon, paired with the NuForce S-1 Speaker, so taking a chance with NuForce again wasn't that big of a deal...sure, I could have always returned them, but it was nice to know that even if I loved them, I wouldn't be out a lot of money.

I received the NE-7M very recently and have been loving them...they provide a clear, open sound, just as I've come to expect from NuForce. Its possible that some other earphones would give "more" bass, but at the expense of overall clarity and balance. It took some trial-and-error with the included ear-tips to get the best fit...I settled on the 2nd smallest. Not only did they fit the best, but they also provided the best sound isolation and bass response...this was immediately noticeable when comparing them directly. With the other tips, the bass was lacking...once I got the right fit, it came out with a vengeance.

I have not yet had a chance to use the microphone, but hopefully I will soon...whether it be the iPhone or something else. I might try Skype in the meantime just to get a handle on it.

I am very pleased with these earphones...they fit comfortably, block out ambient sound very well, and (most importably) sound fantastic. Very three dimensional. That they are half the price of any other reasonable competition is the icing on the cake. If I have one complaint...and its a minor one...its that I would have picked a different accent color if given a choice (the pair currently available has a gold accent...I would preferred silver or all black). Not a huge deal, as the color is just a small portion of an already small earphone, but I figure its worth mentioning.

Another vote for the Nuforce NE-7Ms.

I was hesitant at first because I've never heard of Nuforce, but for $50, these things can be beat for sound and functionality. I've had the new Apple dual driver IEMs and Denon C551s and I feel that the Nuforce beats them both, especially in the lower end.

When the sound calls for you to feel the music, they definitely make their presence felt! There is also little distortion on the low end of the Nuforces which makes listening to the bass that much more pleasurable. I'm listening to the songs I know well and can't believe the impact they are having!I feel that the sound stage is also wider. The mids and highs are smooth and provide a separation of instruments which give these earphones a very warm and natural sound.

The integrated mic and controls are convenient as well. I'm able to take calls on my iPhone 3G and use Skype on my Macbook. There is a button to control playback of music and answer/reject calls.

Purchase these and you will not be disappointed.

Pros: Sound quality, design, customer service.
Cons: Wiring quality/construction/durability

Initially, I really liked the Nu-Force 7m and actually encouraged my partner to buy them. The sound quality is quite good, and the design is really good -- works well with old Edge iPhone, etc. But in 6 months, we've gone about 5 of these headphones. Two out of the five arrived DOA, with either the microphone or one of the two earpieces not working. Nu-Force was quite good in replacing these DOA headphones rapidly. In another two, one of the earpieces failed after about five months of use. It seems that the wiring at the headphone jack or at the microphone eventually fails inside the cord. I'm currently on the last surviving pair (that I got because early on I lost then found a pair) - I suspect that Nu-Force might actually be good about replacing them, but I don't really want to go through the ordeal of repeated replacing my headphones. Given these repeated wiring problems, I can't really recommend these headphones. I really hope Nu-Force updates and fixes these wiring problems, because these are basically very good headphones, but this poor wiring is too much to put up with anymore.

Best Headphones I have ever owned!
NuForce NE-7M
Outstanding Sound and Price!
Comfortable to listen to all day and If you lose them It won't break the bank!
Even better they are an American Company Based in my Home State of California.
"Simply the best headphones I have E V E R owned. I have tried headphones in the 3-4 hundred dollar range and while their sound is often worth the price. The NuForce Headphones are so much better than their price indicates. I will be spending my Christmas Money on at least an extra pair or two! So better safe than sorry. For the Price of my Shures I could Own. 7 Pairs of these fine headphones."
I primarily use them with my Iphone and the omni directional microphone has never let be down.
Don't overlook these gems.
Rob

The main thing that led me to purchase these earphones from a relatively obscure company is a raving, in-depth review by an expert head-fi.org member and reviewer named Headphoneaddict (google Nuforce NE-7M and the forum thread should show up immediately). Although I'm not quite an audiophile, I know good sound when I hear it. I've owned several different earphones/buds including the [...] Bose Triport. I've also listened to the Etymotic ER6i and Shure E2C. The Nuforce NE-7m simply blows them all away in terms of both sound quality and value. I'll begin with a comparison of sound quality.

While both the Sony earphones were very comfortable and had acceptable bass, they were tuned to sound "hot" with overpowered treble that they simply couldn't handle without painful distortion at higher volumes, making the music sound rather fake. The Sennheisers actually aren't bad considering they were practically freebies, but, being earbuds, they have no sound isolation and poor bass. On the other hand, the Bose had very powerful bass but to the point that it was quite boomy and overshadowed the higher tones, leading to a somewhat muddy sound. [...]they'd be a decent value, but still not as good as these Nuforce phones. The Etymotic and Shure have good highs and mids but really lacked in the bass department. In contrast, the Nuforce just have great overall sound quality that beats the majority of other [...]earphones. The bass is powerful yet tight and controlled while treble is extended and clear. Listening to a 1000kbps AAC of Paul Oakenfold's "Starry Eyed Surprise" really astonished me with the level of clarity and oomph. I'm still in the process of burning them in for around 100 hours, which should increase the sound quality a bit.

Also, Nuforce is kind enough to include 4 sets of eartips, including one set of foams that provide excellent fit and sound isolation for increased bass response. Just the foam pieces themselves can often cost more than a few dollars, so it's really a nice addition. I've yet to use the built-in microphone, which seems to be incompatible with my Samsung phone, but I bought these purely for use with my computer and mp3 player. The earphones themselves are constructed decently with a nice metallic finish, and the cord is plenty long with decent quality. As with all canalphones, these suffer a bit from microphonics when you're moving around and brushing up against the cord, but looping the earphones above the top of your ears and around to the front before inserting them helps mitigate this issue.

Overall it's a great set of earphones. I strongly, strongly encourage potential buyers to read the review on head-fi.org that I mentioned earlier. According to the expert, these easily beat the Shure E3C's and possibly the SE310's, which cost at least 3 times as much. I'm not sure about that, [...]

I purchased the NuForce NE-7M Stereo Earphones for my iPhone because my V-Moda Vibe Duo's failed. They were only lightly used and were very well cared for so I was extremely disappointed that my $150 was just flushed down the toilet due to a known issue that has apparently plagued the vibe duos for a long, long time and is even still an issue in their newer models. After my experience with those I was looking for a cheaper alternative so as not to get burned like that again.

I researched iPhone ear buds for about a week couldn't find any that are as well reviewed, affordable, and didn't have page after page of complaints about quality issues so I decided to purchase the NuForce NE-7M's. Upon receiving them, I was extremely disappointed to learn that ironically they had the exact same problem as my V-Moda's right out of the box which was a "dead ear." I immediately contacted NuForce via their website and had a prompt email response by the next morning. I was pleased to learn they had already shipped me a new pair via priority mail and had also included a postage paid envelope to return the defective pair! No cross-shipping, credit card info needed, no waiting for them to get around to it, no "try this or that first" blah blah, or ANY of the usual headaches with replacing a defective item you purchased online. Just a fast and efficient resolution to my problem.

I understand that things happen and though it's still too early to tell if this was a fluke or a long-term product quality issue, what means the most to me is how the company handles it and in this case, NuForce did an excellent job of keeping my faith in their company and product. If they approach making their products the same way they handle problems like this then I bet they will be around for a long time because frankly, customer service and customer satisfaction seem to be rare business goals nowadays. When I find a company that shows that my purchase and my business in general means more to them than just a number on a balance sheet, I stick with them until they stop doing so. All in all, this issue has probably made me more of a loyal customer to NuForce than if I had received them with no problems at all.

I have had the ear buds for several weeks now and I feel like I can safely say you WILL NOT find a better pair of headphones for this price anywhere, period. They have a nice full and warm sound, great bass response, little to no "cord rustle" and are very comfortable. They are in every way equal or even a little better in sound quality to the Vibe Duo's minus the ridiculous price tag. I don't consider myself a true audiophile; I haven't sat there and listened to song after song trying to nitpick every little nuance or used any kind of audio measuring equipment to pick apart the sound. What I have done is put these on and simply enjoyed great sounding music of all kinds. For me, the true measure of good sound is sound I never have to think twice about. Poor sound is very distracting and with the NE-7M's, I never hear a flat high or a muddy low that pulls me out of the music. They simply flow without drawing attention to deficiencies or missed sonic opportunities.

I can only think of two cons really and I feel they small issues at that. First would be that the cord is a little "wiry" and stiff and isn't "wrapped" in a cloth or similar material like the vibe duo's are. This doesn't cause any usage problems but is one thing I really liked about the duos and find myself missing it now. Honestly though, if it's a production cost thing and keeps the price down then I'm totally fine with it. The second con is the clicker button for answering the phone and pausing/advancing songs is a very small "bump" on the microphone unit and the button itself has very little travel when pressed. When I am running and need to answer a call or skip songs or whatever it's difficult to tell if I have my finger on the button or not and once I do "find it," it's hard to tell if I am really pressing it due to lack of button travel. This is a minor thing because frankly I didn't buy these headphones because I spend all day answering calls and clicking on to the next song, I bought them to listen to music. It's just worth noting is all.

I highly recommend these ear buds and this company in general. As with all ear buds, just ***make sure you experiment with the different sized ear pieces*** to find the best sound and fit. Using the wrong size can make even the best buds in the world sound terrible and cause issues such as discomfort, falling out, and not properly cancelling outside noise and cord rustle.

Pros-
These are comfortable
Sound very good

Cons-
Mic is horrible
Falls apart

I searched high and low for a comfortable pair of headphones that I could use on my phone. I found these and thought bingo. It looked like they were going to fit all of my requirements at half the price I would have paid. I bought them and was blown away by how good they sound. Easily as good as anything I have spent three times the money on ion the past. Then they fell apart. The mic button started randomly activating, calling and hanging up with infuriating speed. I couldn't count on anything more than a few seconds before being cut off or have my music paused or pocket dialed etc. No prob, a quick RMA and all will be right again, right? Wrong. Customer service is very friendly and very ineffectual. It took a couple of weeks and several emails to complete the process. No prob, a new new set will fix my issues, right? Wrong. Its three weeks in and now the new one are dieing. The left channel keeps dropping out. Sound. Silence. Sound. Silence. Annoying.

I really liked these so long as I wasn't making any calls, the fact that they sound so good only makes it worse that I have spent more time dealing with these broken headphones than listening to them.

After seeing all the glowing reviews for this product already listed, I have come to the conclusion that, tragically, my ears were just not made for this product. I'm sure that the headphones actually *do* sound great, because the few times I managed to uncomfortably jam them into my ear holes to get the full effect of their noise reducing capabilities, I was greeted with a full and rich sound. Unfortunately, they rarely stayed put there for more than a few seconds before slipping out again, and resting relatively loosely in the folds of my ears, which exponentially reduced their sound quality.

The inability to fit into my ears properly was entirely due to the latex "sound tips", which _are_ removable. But once removed, the sound quality is also greatly reduced (not only because of the loss of noise reduction, but also because the tips seemed to aid the bass). Experimenting a little, I managed to reapply the sound tips *backwards*, providing a better (though still fairly uncomfortable) fit into my ear. But again, the sound took a hit for it.

The final straw was this morning, when out of the blue, the earphones failed completely. Fiddling around a bit found the problem to be the wiring around the jack, which apparently couldn't take the *single month* of normal, low key usage it was subjected to.

So... buy at your own risk. I'm willing to believe that under different circumstances, I'd be completely satisfied with these headphones. Unfortunately, they just didn't work for me.