M6 In-Ear Sport Earbuds - Black

I write this review with some trepidation. It seems when I write about how good a pair of headphones is, they never fail to go out soon thereafter. So we'll see. Please also note: I do have a suspicion that several reviews for this product may have been solicited. Those are the reviews where the person gushes about the headphones and writes a very professional sounding review, but upon inspection, it is their only review. I am currently in the top 600 reviewers and though I often acquire free items in exchange for an unbiased review, this review is based off a purchase with my own money. I was replacing my Sony MDR-AS40EX Active Style Headphones Earbud Style (Black) after the left earpiece finally fizzled out. First negative point: the cord is far too long. It borders on ridiculous. I have taken to clipping my iPod on the waist of my shorts and then pushing my shirt in between the iPod and my skin to prevent chaffing. It is too long to use an armband or to clip the iPod to my collar (which is what I am used to). The one good aspect of the Sony and a few other brands was that the cord had two sections, so you could use the headphones and the first bit of cord comfortably for a sleeve or collar clip and then add extra cord for length if needed. Clipping to the collar leaves a good four feet of cord to dangle either in front of your shirt or underneath, not the most comfortable if you are an efficient runner trying to keep from having dangling cords catching your hands or elbows. But that's my one star knock. The pros are all very good. First, these earbuds come with a variety of rubber earpieces. I found that the medium sized, double style worked best for me. The triple kept pushing the earbuds out, or pushed in too far, the sound wouldn't come through. But they stay in place pretty well while running. Even with a good amount of sweat, they were in no danger of slipping out, though they did come loose a couple of times. The over ear hooks actually work (which is a surprise since most don't). They can be shaped to a certain extent, and seem to hold shape pretty well. Since they are pretty stiff, I was able to shape them a bit to help 'push' the earbuds towards my ear for a more secure fit. The sound is good, but not great. The Sony pair blew it away. I don't expect a lot of bass, but the other three or four pairs I've had some better lows and more depth resulting in a richer tone. I listen to a lot of variety when running: Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, Muse, Ladytron, etc... and lots of Jpop and Jrock. The lack of depth on the low range is more noticeable when listening to the more electronically infused bands like Muse. But overall for the price, I can't really quibble. These set me back about $20. They do fit nicely in the ear which is my most pressing need with a pair of sport headphones. And since they aren't $100 top brand headphones, I am willing to sacrifice a little sound compared to my Sennheiser headphones I use at home. I still haven't found the best sub $50 running headphones. These come close, but the long cord is a major detractor. Otherwise they are quite good. ******************************************** Update: I am no longer happy with these earbuds. After using them for a few weeks I began to notice that there were four issues. 1. The cord is just a major pain in the arse. I began clipping the iPod on my collar again and just threading the extra cord down my shirt. It was still dangling almost to my waist. It wouldn't catch on anything, but I couldn't have it outside my shirt or it would flop all around if outside the shirt, then catching on everything. The Sony headphones have a point where you can separate the cord into two. Would have liked that feature here. 2. The large piece that sits just outside the ear is a major pain. It's a bit heavier than the components in other headphones, and has an odd shape. You have to twist it just perfectly to get the earpiece in the ear while having the larger component sit so that it does not irritate your ear. I have tried it with the various rubber inserts, but it is just a awkward feeling, even if positioned just right. And after running for a bit, it tends to slightly move, sitting against the inside of the anti-helix (for those who know the parts of the ear). It is VERY uncomfortable when this happens. So I have to fidget to get the piece positioned correctly again. No amount of tinkering with the over ear loops helps either. 3. The changeable rubber in-ear pieces are all pretty lackluster. They are cheap rubber and slide out easily when sweating. If you try and use the longer pieces to get them pushed a little into the ear canal, they tend to scrunch together and then there is no sound. 4. Finally, even after letting them 'burn-in' the sound is so-so. I popped in two other pairs of headphones that had better sound. Looking at the other reviews, MME tends to just reply: it's your iPod settings... But then why would two other brands of headphones sound substantially better? I am going back to the Sony: Sony MDR-AS40EX Active Style Headphones Earbud Style (Black). I will also try some other brands in the $20 - $40 range and post the recommendations here. All in all, not really terrible earbuds, just several issues that I feel might be more user specific (shape of ear and whatnot), and a few issues which I believe do warrant the 2 star deduction: namely the long cord and the lower quality sound compared to the Sony and others that I listened to. Update: Bought Polk earbuds. They are nearly perfect in every way. I bought the orange (direct from Amazon $29 & Prime eligible) Polk Audio UltraFit 500 Headphones - White/Orange (ULTRAFIT 500ORG) Polk Audio UltraFit 500 Headphones - Black (ULTRAFIT 500BLK) Polk Audio UltraFit 500 Headphones - White (ULTRAFIT 500WHT)