Best sound you can get for $50

These earphones are a big disappointment. There is no bass and the treble is mushy. Moreover, they stick out of the ears a fair way, so they are uncomfortable to wear. There are many better options in the market

Hifiman has managed to create an IEM which has among the lowest THD ever measured (actually regardless of it being an IEM. Its THD is one of the lowest ever measured in a sound reproduction system), if not the lowest (as far as one can compare from the information on the internet), this translates to an extremely clean sound reproduction. Frequency response might not fit everyone's taste, but due to the very linear and smooth nature of it, can be very easily equalized. In order to get the most linear FR, one should insert them quite deep in the ear canal, which can be quite uncomfortable at first (with the original tips. I had no problem whatsoever when I used the Logitech UE900 tips instead), but I got used to it pretty quickly. There are plenty of tips for ... MoreHifiman has managed to create an IEM which has among the lowest THD ever measured (actually regardless of it being an IEM. Its THD is one of the lowest ever measured in a sound reproduction system), if not the lowest (as far as one can compare from the information on the internet), this translates to an extremely clean sound reproduction. Frequency response might not fit everyone's taste, but due to the very linear and smooth nature of it, can be very easily equalized. In order to get the most linear FR, one should insert them quite deep in the ear canal, which can be quite uncomfortable at first (with the original tips. I had no problem whatsoever when I used the Logitech UE900 tips instead), but I got used to it pretty quickly. There are plenty of tips for different fits, though none seem to be high quality. When the cable is worn behind the ear, microphonics is very low. I have heard many horror stories about the cable which disconnects quite easily, but I don't have any suggestions how to strengthen the connection. I can only hope it won't happen to the pair I bought. To sum up: Pros: - High quality, accurate sound reproduction - Smooth, easy to EQ frequency response - Very small and comfortable (unless you decide to go all the way...) - Aesthetically pleasing - The best one can get for the price - Almost perfect impulse response (no unwanted resonance - hence clean signal) Cons: - Weak cable - headphone connection - Tips are quite slim and not too comfortable - Cable is not as flexible as the ones coming with high-end custom IEMs *Based on measurements from Innerfidelity and rinchoi's blog.