Because in-ear earbuds, (as opposed to in-ear-canal IEM's) are kind of hard to find in quality these days, I thought I'd do a shootout of the 3 different pairs I own.
They may not be available depending on what part of the world you live in, and may have to be imported, like I did for my 585's.
I used my favorite transparent source of audio with no eq, and a dsp circuit quiet enough not to get in the way: C.Crane Skywave radio. Set wide open to "music", not voice.
Rules:
1) Foam-surrounds are ON.
To get the sound as designed at the factory, the foam-surrounds are not an option! Put them on. Just like you don't wear heavier over-the-ear phones without actually using the cups or foam spacers, with your ears jammed up directly against the drivers, you don't do this here either. It is not just a comfort thing, but an audio-reproduction thing.
2) Proper wear:
With foam surrounds on, gently place them into your ear, and give them a *tiny* nudge downwards. Done.
Do NOT jam, corkscrew, fold, spindle, or mutilate your ears trying to get them directly over your ear-canal. Yes, they might fall out when jogging. Choose a different pair for that.
CABLING / LOOKS Yes, they are basically lighweight cables, which vary a little bit. If something like that is going to ruin your marriage, stop now. Or, if you were expecting SOLID gold, instead of gold-plated connectors, stop.
For looks, I'll let you look them up if that's your main objective.
SOUND: (with foam-pads on!)
MX-170 - In-your-face midrange. Generic sound, even though the drivers are actually ok. More musical than vocally-tuned - but still. If an fm station has already EQ'ed their sound for a marketing demographic that wants high and sparkly, then this will push these over the top. Overall, "OK" - better than dimestore buds, but you might hit the wall sonically if your needs are more than talk radio.
MX-365 - a good all-rounder. Did I mention the pads have to be on?
Good bass without being a bass-head banger. Controlled midrange and high end without being muddy or shrill. Useful for all genres. My day-to-day goto.
MX-585 - the most detailed and pleasant midrange and highs, but at the expense of a *little* bass compared to the 365.
If you want the smokestack-freightrain of tympani's coming at you from way down the track, these may not be for you. Or a deep-cello note earthquake. The bass is *there*, but it is not as prominant as the 365.
The detail is incredible. Woodwinds, brass, flutes, etc all impeccably detailed. Don't read that as shrill ! Put it this way - you can easily hear differences in slight changes in triangle strike force, and the ring lasts longer than the 365. Yeah, I'm listening at that level. The 170's on triangles? just crashy clank.
Warning: these are pretty feminine to the western-eye. Pearlescent white, silver cabling, frilly knot on the bag etc. An alternate outlook may see them as something naturally refined, and a thing of beauty - like a pearl is. I'm only interested in the sound, but I won't be making a statement out anywhere about it.
So really, between the 365 and 585, it depends on what you want to emphasize. I'd call the 365's a more playful west-coast sound, and the 585's the more refined and detailed.
This is why I don't own just ONE pair of headphones / earbuds like my world depended on it. I get bored listening to the same sound over and over.
Even if you aren't using Sennheisers - for goodness' sake put the pads on, or at least generic replacements, wear them *lightly*, and try again.
I guess I missed the boat on the MX series, and now have to import stuff if I really want it that badly.
They may not be available depending on what part of the world you live in, and may have to be imported, like I did for my 585's.
I used my favorite transparent source of audio with no eq, and a dsp circuit quiet enough not to get in the way: C.Crane Skywave radio. Set wide open to "music", not voice.
Rules:
1) Foam-surrounds are ON.
To get the sound as designed at the factory, the foam-surrounds are not an option! Put them on. Just like you don't wear heavier over-the-ear phones without actually using the cups or foam spacers, with your ears jammed up directly against the drivers, you don't do this here either. It is not just a comfort thing, but an audio-reproduction thing.
2) Proper wear:
With foam surrounds on, gently place them into your ear, and give them a *tiny* nudge downwards. Done.
Do NOT jam, corkscrew, fold, spindle, or mutilate your ears trying to get them directly over your ear-canal. Yes, they might fall out when jogging. Choose a different pair for that.
CABLING / LOOKS Yes, they are basically lighweight cables, which vary a little bit. If something like that is going to ruin your marriage, stop now. Or, if you were expecting SOLID gold, instead of gold-plated connectors, stop.
For looks, I'll let you look them up if that's your main objective.SOUND: (with foam-pads on!)
MX-170 - In-your-face midrange. Generic sound, even though the drivers are actually ok. More musical than vocally-tuned - but still. If an fm station has already EQ'ed their sound for a marketing demographic that wants high and sparkly, then this will push these over the top. Overall, "OK" - better than dimestore buds, but you might hit the wall sonically if your needs are more than talk radio.
MX-365 - a good all-rounder. Did I mention the pads have to be on?
Good bass without being a bass-head banger. Controlled midrange and high end without being muddy or shrill. Useful for all genres. My day-to-day goto.
MX-585 - the most detailed and pleasant midrange and highs, but at the expense of a *little* bass compared to the 365.
If you want the smokestack-freightrain of tympani's coming at you from way down the track, these may not be for you. Or a deep-cello note earthquake. The bass is *there*, but it is not as prominant as the 365.
The detail is incredible. Woodwinds, brass, flutes, etc all impeccably detailed. Don't read that as shrill ! Put it this way - you can easily hear differences in slight changes in triangle strike force, and the ring lasts longer than the 365. Yeah, I'm listening at that level. The 170's on triangles? just crashy clank.
Warning: these are pretty feminine to the western-eye. Pearlescent white, silver cabling, frilly knot on the bag etc. An alternate outlook may see them as something naturally refined, and a thing of beauty - like a pearl is. I'm only interested in the sound, but I won't be making a statement out anywhere about it.
So really, between the 365 and 585, it depends on what you want to emphasize. I'd call the 365's a more playful west-coast sound, and the 585's the more refined and detailed.
This is why I don't own just ONE pair of headphones / earbuds like my world depended on it. I get bored listening to the same sound over and over.
Even if you aren't using Sennheisers - for goodness' sake put the pads on, or at least generic replacements, wear them *lightly*, and try again.
I guess I missed the boat on the MX series, and now have to import stuff if I really want it that badly.
Last edited by a moderator:
