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24 May 2011
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Part II of the budget headphone review. Budget on price that is, not performance. Sennheiser and Shure are two of the biggest names in earbuds, so I thought it fitting to match two of their cheapest sets up against each other. Read on for the continuation of yesterdays article.
Comfort;
The main time many of us use our earbuds are when we're travelling, which in general means we're going to be wearing them for extensive periods of time. We've all had bad experiences with buds that rub against our skin, or are just simply the wrong shape to fit in our ear. Let's have a look how these two fare...
The MM 30i's do quite well, actually. The sleeve, although it doesn't do a particularly good job of blocking outside noise, is quite comfortable, and even after long periods it was still fine. I did notice a slight tickling/itching sensation after about an hour, but you get this with these kind of in-ear buds. I did find that it doesn't stay in super well when doing physical activity such as running. The design of the buds is simply to slot into your ear, there's nothing to really grip. In most cases they were fine with walking, but if I bent over or bumped them they would quite often fall out.
The SE 102's, on the other hand, stayed in my ear very nicely, even when I ran with them. This is more than likely due to the design, which has the earbuds using the natural shape of the ear to hold themselves in. As far as comfort, I've got no complaints. The cable goes behind the ear with these, which means if you are ticklish behind the ears you might find yourself laughing, but everyone else should be fine. Even after long periods of time they were still comfortable.
The Shure buds are designed to fit into that little dippy bit in your ear. I've always wondered what that was for.
Sound quality;
The big kahuna, the muckamuck, the most important aspect in all buds; What do they sound like?
The SE 102's sound good, especially in the high notes. Everything comes across sharp and clear, with vocals being clear as well as instruments of all kinds. But it all feels kind of... hollow. The problem is simple; they don't handle bass super well. Whether we like it or not, bass gives meat to our music, and can turn something average into something brilliant. And unfortunately, when paired next to the MM 30i's, these fall a bit short at the deep end. But that's not to say they're bad. Not at all, and in most cases, if you're not into bass heavy music, you won't notice too much of a difference. But any thumpy-boomy music is going to sound a bit weak. Distortion didn't seem to be a problem, even at maximum volume they were pitch-perfect.
Now this is section is where MM 30i's really strut their stuff. From crisp highs to brain-rattling lows, they deliver. For the price you pay for these buds, I wouldn't expect anywhere near the bass performance. Everything is clear, and they provide a well sized soundscape (That means the music sounds like it's coming from everywhere; surround sound, basically. At least, that's what I think it means.) The MM 30i's definitely win this round, but we're not finished yet.
Practicality;
I decided to add a few more sections than what I mentioned yesterday, since after some thinking I figured there was more than just 6 things to test. So, practicality. What this basically is is how practical are these. Can you just shove them in and listen, or is there prep required? Lets see.
The MM 30i's are definitely shove in and listen buds, no preparation required. The symmetrical cable design means you don't have to slide them in at a certain angle or twist them round. The upside of that is that you can get them in quicker, the downside is the fit isn't as snug, meaning they aren't super stable once they're in, as I said above. It's tough to deliver in both practicality departments, as making them easier to put in almost always results in a less-stable fit.
The SE102's take a little while longer to put in, since you'll have to put the cable behind your ear and twist the bud till it slots into place in your ear. Not a whole lot longer, only 4 or 5 seconds, but it is a difference. The result, of course, is a much more stable fit. Like I said above, you'll be able to do almost everything you normally would with these in, within reason. So there's no clear winner in the section, with each delivering in different ways. Next up we've got...
Extras;
Not a whole lot to mention here, but it still needed its own section. What does one set have that the other doesn't? Well, apart from what I've mentioned below, the MM 30i's really take the trophy in this section by having a remote control incorporated into the cable, exactly like what we're used to with the generic Apple buds. The lack of one of these on the Shure's give the Senn's a big advantage here, since being able to control your music and take calls without digging for your phone is a big plus. The mic works well too; I was able to have more than one conversation without issues.
This is what you get in the box with the Sennheiser buds. They're pretty, eh?
What's in the box?
What do you really get for your money? I know you pay for the buds, but what else do they come with?
The MM's come with standard issue bud equipment; the buds themselves, a fit kit comprising of three different sizes of soft plastic sleeves, and a quick start guide. No extra fancy equipment, no bag, just exactly what we were expecting. On the other hand...
The SE's come with exactly the same as the MM's, plus a bag to put them in. On top of that, you get a 3.5mm extension cable. The reason for that is to compensate for the ridiculously short cable on the buds that I already mentioned, but the extension can be used for more than just these, making it count as an actual accessory. So it's Shure that wins out in this department, by going the extra mile supplying a little bag to keep them in.
In conclusion, I don't really know what to say. It's been pretty square the whole way through, with each set taking turns to push ahead. It basically comes down to what you're after; if it's some stylish, easy to use buds with the super addition of a mic and iPod controls, then you'll have to cope with their shortcomings in noise isolation and noise leakage, and try not to plan on doing too much physical activity in them. "Them" being the MM 30i's, of course.
On the other hand, if you're after something to allow complete privacy with your music that also does a decent job of blocking outside noise, and you're planning on walking or running with them in, then you'll want to get the SE 102's and be willing to put up with the lack of iPod controls and the lower sound quality.
So I can hear the next question already: How much do these cost? I was told by Shure that their's retail for $99, and Sennheiser MM30i is available online from $102. It's also worth noting that the Shure buds are quite a bit older than the Sennheiser ones, which would also account for the difference in performance; as tech progresses, so does quality. I'd like to thank both Shure and Sennheiser for giving me access to the buds, I wouldn't have been able to do the review without them and they've been absolutely fantastic to work with, as usual. Check in again soon, in a few days I'll be covering another set of relatively low cost Shure buds, and they're off the hook amazing.
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