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Cheap pair of headphones??

74 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/cheap-pair-of-headphones.140448/

R
raj_in Original post #1
May 9, 2011 at 9:12 AM
Since there is the offer goinig @ letsbuy thought of picking up a cheap pair of headphones
any idea which ones are good
budget abt rs.500
LINK
aroraanant
May 9, 2011 at 9:58 AM
I m also planning to pick one.
Philips SHE3570 and SHE3582 looks good but I also want to ask if anyone have tried any of them.
BTW @raj_in about which offer are you talking about?
doomgiver
May 9, 2011 at 10:13 AM
get soundmagic pl11, best value for money.
Rs 540 @ itdepot Theitdepot - SoundMagic PL11 In-Ear-Headphone

reviews :
SoundMagic PL11 Ear fully Enchanting Review - Online Best Latest Price Reviews | Features in India
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/hardware-q/132074-creative-ep630-soundmagic-pl13.html

you wont regret it.
R
raj_in #4
May 9, 2011 at 10:50 AM
i was more thinking on the lines of the link i provided
doomgiver
May 9, 2011 at 10:59 AM
dont buy cheapo headphones, pl11 have great quality.
didnt you read the links provided???
R
raj_in #6
May 9, 2011 at 11:03 AM
ya read them
but i dnt trust ebay
can other dealers tht provided COD & pl11??
doomgiver
May 9, 2011 at 11:11 AM
ebay??? no, its "THEITdepot"
its a reputed company.
i got my smps from them, its not at all like ebay, its an idian company.
if you want, you can ask others too who brought from this company.

and COD is only if the company is in the same city as you, else, you have to do a cash/cheque deposit.
aroraanant
May 9, 2011 at 11:49 AM
apart from those in that link i have shortlisted these
SKULLCANDY XL-2X002N 2XL for Rs500

Creative EP 630 for Rs 700 approx(I have used them and feel that they are the best one but our slightly out of budget)

Soundmagic PL11 for Rs 600

And also tell how are Philips SHE3570 and SHE3582 for 450Rs and Panasonic RP-HJE100GU for Rs550-660 approx


Now please suggest the best one among these.
desiibond
May 9, 2011 at 12:06 PM
I would go with Soundmagic PL11 but be careful with the connector.
xtremevicky
May 9, 2011 at 12:11 PM
In the list that you have created Soundmagic PL11 are the best .
aroraanant
May 9, 2011 at 12:17 PM
But if we look at the design I think EP 630 is better as we can see its connector/jack and earphones plug are more comfortable to use than PL11.....!!!!
cute.bandar
May 9, 2011 at 12:30 PM
500 is now cheap ? :lol:

I recently bought a pair for Rs. 50 . That's cheap.
desiibond
desiibond #13
May 9, 2011 at 1:10 PM
500 is now cheap ? :lol:

I recently bought a pair for Rs. 50 . That's cheap.

no. that's JUNK. And no trolling please.

But if we look at the design I think EP 630 is better as we can see its connector/jack and earphones plug are more comfortable to use than PL11.....!!!!

it may have a better jack but PL11 is much better when it comes to audio quality.
doomgiver
doomgiver #15
May 9, 2011 at 5:24 PM
But if we look at the design I think EP 630 is better as we can see its connector/jack and earphones plug are more comfortable to use than PL11.....!!!!

what?!?!? no way!!! ep 630 are horrible in comparision. i have owned them, and i can say that the difference in quality is huge. soundmagics are definitely better, by a large margin.

apart from those in that link i have shortlisted these
SKULLCANDY XL-2X002N 2XL for Rs500

And also tell how are Philips SHE3570 and SHE3582 for 450Rs and Panasonic RP-HJE100GU for Rs550-660 approx

Now please suggest the best one among these.

skullcandy = gloss + looks - performance
in short, STAY AWAY unless you want to make a style statement rather than listen to good quality music.

those philips are earbuds, they will kill your ears with pain faster than anything else you can think of.

we here are all experienced ppl, dont you think we know a bit more? :duh:
and we wont intentionally give you bad advice, no?
except for certain characters :mrgreen:
R
raj_in #16
May 9, 2011 at 6:10 PM
just out of curosity
if they get damaged under warranty
where ti go??
is there any service centre in kolkata??
aroraanant
May 9, 2011 at 7:58 PM
l your ears with pain faster than anything else you can think of.

we here are all experienced ppl, dont you think we know a bit more? :duh:
and we wont intentionally give you bad advice, no?
except for certain characters :mrgreen:

I know that you guys are experienced people that is why I m asking you... :)
doomgiver
doomgiver #18
May 9, 2011 at 9:46 PM
just out of curosity
if they get damaged under warranty
where ti go??
is there any service centre in kolkata??
i got no idea. my ep-630's died after 2 years, so no warranty :(
and im in ncr, dunno about calcutta

I know that you guys are experienced people that is why I m asking you... :)

Headphones - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

rules :
1. donot use earbuds. EVER. exception : psp oem earphones. these babies are very comfortable and have great quality. if you find them cheap, BUY 2 OF THEM!!! and send one to me :grin:
2. dont use open design headphones in public, you wont hear a thing.
3. use in ear monitors for use in public, so that you listen to your own music, not to others :)
4. (this one is very personal, and will vary) use open-aural headphone to listen to quality music
5. use a good quality audio device, not a cheap pendrive-pmp combo
6. use good quality music (almost all my music's bitrate is 320, except for my pink floyd collection, cant find it at good quality anywhere)

ok, here is a big list of 'phones listed by quality
*www.techenclave.com/audio-zone/compendium-audio-zone-reviews-rankings-iems-184391.html

my personal wishlist :
brainwavz m3
grado sr60
khmadhu
khmadhu #19
May 10, 2011 at 9:51 AM
How is the build quality of soundmagic pl11 (wear and tear). will it last long for 2 years.?

6 months back i bought a ear phone called "Avikon"(never heard this before) , for Rs 200 ,Audio quality was good. but now the wire inside got twisted and now there is a break while listening music.
doomgiver
doomgiver #20
May 10, 2011 at 6:33 PM
ppl have advised to use the plug carefully, otherwise, use as normal.

see, this is why you dont buy cheap headphones.

at least spend 500 bucks and get a great audio experience
R
raj_in #21
May 12, 2011 at 6:38 AM
if i were to buy an mp3/mp4 player within 2k-4k
wht would u suggest
plz give a range of options bcz 4k will b d limit more likely abt 2.5k
doomgiver
doomgiver #22
May 12, 2011 at 10:42 PM
dunno there, buddy, i think chip/digit did a pmp shootout last month.
at that level, stick to sony or creative, i've heard they are quite good at the lower end.
R
raj_in #23
May 16, 2011 at 8:47 PM
from net reviews its looks the sansa clip+ is the best
anybody knows if its available in india
& does anyboday know any good pmp website like gsmarena
aroraanant
May 18, 2011 at 11:09 PM
how are Soundmagic PL21 when compared to Soundmagic PL11 and Creative EP630 as all of these 3 costs almost the same...
Plz reply soon as I wish to purchase one of these very soon
khmadhu
khmadhu #25
May 19, 2011 at 10:14 AM
bought soundmagic pl11 for Rs 585 net. good one at that price.. :)
aroraanant
May 19, 2011 at 10:32 AM
I just checked the rates on ebay.
The prices are:
EP630->650
PL11->533
PL21->600
Now which one to choose I m really very confused,have used EP630 I must say they are awesome but u guys say Soundmagic is good.PLz tell me guys which one to go for.

I m having a ebay discount coupon of Rs150 also
doomgiver
doomgiver #27
May 19, 2011 at 5:07 PM
yaar, we have all told you.

buy anything other than ep-630. period.

cmon yaar, its not too hard to decide, no?
also dont you think we are giving good advice?
aroraanant
May 20, 2011 at 12:26 PM
ok then.
I think PL21 is better than L11 so I m gonna PL21 then
ratul
ratul #29
Aug 28, 2011 at 1:25 AM
ok, ir's 3 month since the last reply, but i was planning to buy ep-630, and after reading this, now i am planning to buy the pl-21.
But the main reason apart from SQ for me to buy ep-630 was the 1-year warranty which i know from where i would get.
But i dont know anything about the SoundMagics.
How to get the iem replaced in case of any fault.
Has anybody got their's replaced? How was the service and how much time it took for the replacement.
I live in delhi.
v4u_luv2004
Aug 28, 2011 at 2:49 AM
^^^
Dude now Creative EP-630 doesn't carry 1 year warranty any more gone are the days.
Now the warranty they provide is just 3 months.
And for heavens sake don't go for that as I personally used it for long time and was a fan too but following suggestions from TDF i got SM PL-21 and its fantastic on the other hand my Nokia WH-701 is fantastic too. :D
Sarath
Sarath #31
Aug 28, 2011 at 11:48 AM
No mentions of JVC Marshmellows here?
I think they sell for around 0.5k and are highly famous in many forums. Do check them out.
ratul
ratul #32
Aug 28, 2011 at 2:41 PM
^^^
Dude now Creative EP-630 doesn't carry 1 year warranty any more gone are the days.
Now the warranty they provide is just 3 months.
And for heavens sake don't go for that as I personally used it for long time and was a fan too but following suggestions from TDF i got SM PL-21 and its fantastic on the other hand my Nokia WH-701 is fantastic too. :D

ok, well i was also considering wh-701's, but did'nt thought of it having a SQ higher than ep-630's, but pls tell me about the warranty from the SoundMagics, and shud i have to buy them online only or i can get a dealer in delhi.(i dont prefer online as it could take some time to deliever.)
AndroidFan
Aug 28, 2011 at 2:54 PM
No mentions of JVC Marshmellows here?
I think they sell for around 0.5k and are highly famous in many forums. Do check them out.

Yes, those babies have been on my watchlist for quite some time now...

JVC MARSHMALLOW [HA-FX34] - Rs.550.00 : Pristine Note, Shop audio, headphones, amplifier, DAC, hifi, mp3, audiophile products online store India
ratul
ratul #34
Aug 28, 2011 at 3:03 PM
No mentions of JVC Marshmellows here?
I think they sell for around 0.5k and are highly famous in many forums. Do check them out.
well i want to listen to hard metals(Godsmack), as well as pop, and normal indian bollywood, so i want good base for metals, and also good treble, high and low.
Should i choose JVC HA-fx34 or pl11 or pl21?
ratul
ratul #35
Aug 28, 2011 at 3:17 PM
Yes, those babies have been on my watchlist for quite some time now...

JVC MARSHMALLOW [HA-FX34] - Rs.550.00 : Pristine Note, Shop audio, headphones, amplifier, DAC, hifi, mp3, audiophile products online store India

Hey, the one's at pristinenote are fake one's or originals or used ones? (at Rs.550??)
Coz i checked out at HomeShop18 (well known tv shopping channel here), and they are giving it at Rs.2144.
JVC MarshMallow HA-FX34 at HomeShop18.
Sarath
Sarath #36
Aug 28, 2011 at 3:41 PM
But I would still say get the Sennheiser CX180 if you can. @1.3k. They are the best I have heard.

LOL JVC marshmellows shouldn't be more than 500 bucks anywhere.
ratul
ratul #37
Aug 28, 2011 at 3:59 PM
Will anybody tell me about the warranty and service of pl-21 and jvc?
And can i get any of these directly from dealer( if possible in delhi.)
And i will listen the music from my Nokia 5233, most songs at 128-160kbps.
Then what will give the best sound quality from the two? (senheisers are out of my budget :sad:.)
AndroidFan
Aug 28, 2011 at 5:06 PM
Hey, the one's at pristinenote are fake one's or originals or used ones? (at Rs.550??)
Coz i checked out at HomeShop18 (well known tv shopping channel here), and they are giving it at Rs.2144.
JVC MarshMallow HA-FX34 at HomeShop18.

Pristinenote has original earphones... Don't worry...

If you check on ebay.com, the same earphones are listed at 4$+shipping. But the shipping costs and the hassles of Customs are too much to bother.

There are many people who have bought from Pristinenote who might be able to vouch for the product authenticity... I have personally not yet bought from that seller...
Sarath
Sarath #39
Aug 28, 2011 at 5:09 PM
for upto 160kbps these should be fine. Infact getting better ones means that you will need a better sound source too.

I don't have much idea about the service. Check smc in delhi they have some sale running on, on the soundmagic series

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add:

Oh how lame of me, I bought Brainwavz M1 from pristinenote. So I can vouch for them too. Pretty good sellers.
ratul
ratul #40
Aug 28, 2011 at 5:20 PM
ok, and which one of these two are more durable?
I mean i am a rough user, everytime in my pocket strangled and every night rolled over by me..
doomgiver
doomgiver #41
Aug 28, 2011 at 8:11 PM
Add:

Oh how lame of me, I bought Brainwavz M1 from pristinenote. So I can vouch for them too. Pretty good sellers.
???
didnt like M1?!?
Sarath
Sarath #42
Aug 28, 2011 at 9:38 PM
^They are good but I like the CX 180 better.

Also check someone has bought the PL21 in delhi. Here OP: *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/overclock...ost-your-latest-purchase-361.html#post1484220
ratul
ratul #43
Aug 30, 2011 at 12:09 AM
^They are good but I like the CX 180 better.

Also check someone has bought the PL21 in delhi. Here OP: *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/overclock...ost-your-latest-purchase-361.html#post1484220

thnx for the link..

Well, today i bought SoundMagic PL21 @ Rs.550 from SMC, Nehru Place.
Sounds really good, thanks for your advices..
Sarath
Sarath #44
Aug 30, 2011 at 1:16 AM
This is the third post I am replying to, of yours. Neways you are always welcome to share your problems here and contribute in solving other's, in any way you can.
V
Aug 30, 2011 at 8:02 AM
I bought pl21 from smc just a week ago for 600rs.
KDroid
KDroid #46
Sep 3, 2011 at 2:02 PM
Shouldn't this thread be in the Audio section? :|
A
AngelaW21 #47
Sep 8, 2011 at 4:12 PM
I got one pair of head phones from ebay its really very cheap just in 99 only.
doomgiver
doomgiver #48
Sep 8, 2011 at 8:35 PM
I got one pair of head phones from ebay its really very cheap just in 99 only.

oh really? im absolutely fainting with happiness. why dont you go and listen to your new 99 bucks toy while we laugh as it breaks down in 2 days?
ofabhishek
Sep 8, 2011 at 8:48 PM
@ v4u_luv2004

Soundmagics may be good but any Nokia bundled earphones are crap... i even used WH-701 which came with my brother's Nokia XM
they don't even fit in properly and don't have additional tips to complement them
doomgiver
doomgiver #50
Sep 8, 2011 at 9:06 PM
ofabhishek, you are so right. the bundled earphones of 5310 "express music" (music my indignant posterior) are/were so bad that they would never sit properly and would always hurt my ears.

i gladly smashed them (for revenge) when i got my creatives 3 years ago.

now i will smash(no wait, i'll just give them a light hit, they were pretty good 3 years ago) them too when i get my new 'phones
A
AngelaW21 #51
Sep 12, 2011 at 6:57 PM
oh really? im absolutely fainting with happiness. why dont you go and listen to your new 99 bucks toy while we laugh as it breaks down in 2 days?

Hello Mr. Doomgiver,

"Every cheap thing is not good" its is seek mentality. Yes I do have that headphone just in 99 and I am still using it and its working fine.

Hope this information will help some one else :)
doomgiver
doomgiver #52
Sep 14, 2011 at 4:19 PM
well too bad, they wont last long.
why dont you buy some cheaper ones? like those which cost only 5 bucks???

go ahead, use your cheapo stuff, if you are too stingy to spend money on quality....

lets use cardboard to make walls of a house.... coz its cheap, you know.... and it lasts longer than 2 days and works fine!!!!
ofabhishek
Sep 14, 2011 at 5:16 PM
@ ↑

i agree with u.... cheaper earphones doesn't only sounds bad but also do harm to your ears..(specially in loud volume). i firmly believe once u listen a good pair of earphones u'll get the difference and will never prefer to buy those cheap stuff again

i seek for both quality & durability while buying any stuff... manytimes cheaper stuffs turn out to be costly than its high-end counterparts if you think it as a whole
AndroidFan
Sep 14, 2011 at 10:11 PM
^^^ Agree... Once you start using high-end earphones, you can get totally addicted to it. You will never use a cheap headphones again... They all sound like crap compared to premium stuff from Sennheiser and JVC.
red dragon
Sep 17, 2011 at 4:21 PM
(almost all my music's bitrate is 320, except for my pink floyd collection, cant find it at good quality anywhere)

ok, here is a big list of 'phones listed by quality
*www.techenclave.com/audio-zone/compendium-audio-zone-reviews-rankings-iems-184391.html

my personal wishlist :
brainwavz m3
grado sr60
You could not find good quality PF!Improve your google skills..you can get the entire discography in lossless.PF sounds heavenly with Grados!
tango_cash
Sep 24, 2011 at 12:12 AM
where can i get Cash On Delivery on soundmagic pl11??
kool
kool #57
Oct 3, 2011 at 3:31 PM
any idea about this earphone for my Nokia 5230. This costing me only Rs.220 Nokia WH-701 Music Stereo Handsfree Headset | eBay
*i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqEOKpgE4k)w2cLQBOPi8COb5!~~0_12.JPG
doomgiver
doomgiver #58
Oct 5, 2011 at 4:43 PM
are you planning to use those controls a lot?

if yes, go for it,
if no, then there are lots of others to consider.
R
rajnusker #59
Oct 5, 2011 at 6:13 PM
Spend 700 extra and get the Phlilips SHP-2700.
ratul
ratul #60
Oct 10, 2011 at 9:40 PM
I use SoundMagic PL21 with large eartips supplied with it.
Problem is that they sometimes slips too easily from my earcanal, (XL ones dont fit in.. )
So was considering for some foamtips.. (of large size i think or you can suggest.. )

I found these two, but not sure if they will fit into the PL21's.. (Also seems to be quite expensive )
Soundmagic Foam Tips [ 3 Pair Medium Size ].
Soundmagic Foam Tips [ Pair Each - Small , Medium and Large ].

Also pls suggest some other foamtips compatible with PL21's.. (Preferably if SoundMagics provide them..)
kool
kool #61
Oct 17, 2011 at 8:53 PM
I ordered
(1)PL-11 from ebay @ Rs.585
(2)Philips SHE3570 BLUE color from hs18.com @Rs 350

And today i received both from same courier boy. To my surprise there is no difference in both earphones sound quality, both sounds awesome. Now i think i wasted money by buying PL-11 and it has plain looks with L shape lead. Philips is in blue color, looks cute in ear,and straight lead. I checked both earphones 1st on my nokia 5230 then on micromax music phone, iPod also. I tried to find quality of sound by listening 3 different songs on both earphones one by one, and there is slight difference, compare to SHE3570, PL-11 has only 5% good sound.

--------
So guys, my experience says if u want budget earphone with great sound quality, u can go for PHILIPS SHE3570, u wont get disappointed at this price (Rs.350 only).
ratul
ratul #62
Mar 8, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Well, i am happy with my PL21's, but was looking online for some better options, and was blown away by the looks of these Indian Made Earphones.
Tekfusion Twinwoofers @Rs.1200 FlipKart.

Looks good and reviews there have been outstanding..
Anyone using these??
Please give your views. :lol:
doomgiver
doomgiver #63
Mar 8, 2012 at 1:37 PM
looks???
you going for looks?!??

you want the cans to LOOK good or SOUND good?
ratul
ratul #64
Mar 12, 2012 at 12:12 PM
well, definitely SQ...
but it has got some gr8 reviews acc to its SQ..
Looks can just be a bonus.. :p
Faun
Faun #65
Mar 12, 2012 at 1:04 PM
Don't just rely on couple of reviews.
doomgiver
doomgiver #66
Mar 12, 2012 at 8:20 PM
show me one good skullcandy review, and i'll show you the towering pillar of hate-mail and bashings that SK has received.

my advice? stay away. there are far better options available at all price points.


edit : im pretty damn sure someone mentioned skullcandy here.
tho im following 3 similar threads, and i might have goofed up.
in that case, my bad.
red dragon
Mar 12, 2012 at 9:23 PM
Who talked about skullcandy?

Sent from Galaxy S2
ratul
ratul #68
Mar 13, 2012 at 11:36 PM
show me one good skullcandy review, and i'll show you the towering pillar of hate-mail and bashings that SK has received.

my advice? stay away. there are far better options available at all price points.


edit : im pretty damn sure someone mentioned skullcandy here.
tho im following 3 similar threads, and i might have goofed up.
in that case, my bad.

haha..:-D
yeah, neither have i faced any HAPPY skullcandy user... :p
aroraanant
Mar 14, 2012 at 12:27 AM
Any idea about this guys Sony Headphones MDR-EX60LP
Please reply ASAP
Faun
Faun #70
Mar 14, 2012 at 3:18 PM
^^these(57LP) are neutral with not so big soundstage.
audiophilic
Mar 22, 2012 at 11:49 PM
Well, i am happy with my PL21's, but was looking online for some better options, and was blown away by the looks of these Indian Made Earphones.
Tekfusion Twinwoofers @Rs.1200 FlipKart.

Looks good and reviews there have been outstanding..
Anyone using these??
Please give your views. :lol:

I own these earphones, and purchased from Flipkart. :mrgreen:They're great for this price. :wink:Though if you want to go for cheaper than these, go for soundmagic, otherwise Twinwoofers do a pretty decent bass (not harsh bass at all, but good and smooth bass):cool:. i mostly didn't care about looks when i went for these, but they proved to be great. I also didn't believe those reviews on Flipkart, but man, these things are great! Truly speaking.:razz:
ratul
ratul #72
Mar 24, 2012 at 8:54 PM
I own these earphones, and purchased from Flipkart. :mrgreen:They're great for this price. :wink:Though if you want to go for cheaper than these, go for soundmagic, otherwise Twinwoofers do a pretty decent bass (not harsh bass at all, but good and smooth bass):cool:. i mostly didn't care about looks when i went for these, but they proved to be great. I also didn't believe those reviews on Flipkart, but man, these things are great! Truly speaking.:razz:

thnx, dat was really helpful.. :razz:
mitraark
mitraark #73
Jul 11, 2012 at 12:56 AM
What is the difference between Nokia OEM Headsets and Nokia Headsets ?

WH-701 OEM Earpiece Headphone for Nokia N91 N95 8g C5-03 C5 | eBay

Only Rs 189

Nokia Headset WH-701 (Black) | Headset | Flipkart.com

Rs 1250 :O
reniarahim1
Jul 11, 2012 at 11:32 AM
189 wala headphone looks like duplicate one. no warranty clause mentioned. china stuff i guess.