M9P In-Ear Headphone w/ Mic + Remote

Although Amazon now advertises a new model alongside these phones, the price has doubled since my purchase a couple of months ago. Admittedly I would never have come into a possession of the pair at the current price level, but I'm still tickled to have made their discovery. The driver is relatively small, but if you find the right earpiece (the smallest always works best for me), bass frequencies are more than adequate. In addition, the mic and in-line iPod control have both performed consistently and well. Finally, the extras alone (extra tips, designer case) were by themselves worth the cost I paid. Later I found a pair of generic "Premium" earphones with mic (in white, and elsewhere in black--both on Amazon)--at half the price and decided I'd try them. Now I understand why some buyers complain about a set of phones being totally "worthless." The generic "Premium" pair had mediocre sound, a speaker that cut out, and an in-line mic gizmo that not only failed to record decently but obstructed the sound. I'd take these at 4 times the cost over the so-called "Premium" phones with mic. [Original review]: These phones at an entry-level price come with all the features normally associated with high-end, expensive phones. My set included 5 pairs of ear tips in different sizes along with a hard-shell case (with a web netting for storing the extra tips), a handy, firm, metallic alligator clip for keeping the cable in place, and a soft plastic piece designed to separate the left and right cables sufficiently to prevent entanglement. At first I found the phones notably lacking in bass frequencies, but after removing the installed double-flanged ear-tips and swapping them for the smallest tips in the collection, the volume and frequencies, including bass, were full and resonant, and equally so in both channels. Granted, the bass doesn't have the richness and clarity of my Sony MDR-EX700 IEM phones (with a 16mm diaphragm), but those list at 30X the price I paid for these. Also, with use ("burning in"), clarity and definition usually improve. The mid-range is already extremely accurate and detailed (I can hear the click of every key of Stan Getz' tenor saxophone), and the ride cymbal is clean and shimmering. The acoustic bass strikes me as full but somewhat muddy, lacking in clarity and tight definition. I tried the mic and was able to pick up the conversation within several feet of me, playing it back immediately on my Nano. In sum, don't immediately judge these phones by the installed "fancy" ear-tips. Swapping them out for some of the included extra tips can make a tremendous difference. Also, be aware that a case like the one included with this set is being sold on Amazon (by J-Labs) for more than the headphones alone. My only disappointment so far is that using the microphone (my first) required extra time due to minimal instructions. A simple labeling of "On" and "Off" would have been a nice convenience. I ordered another "cheap" earphone/mic gizmo for $5 from another vendor because it advertised an in-line volume control. It merely made me appreciate the MEElectronics M90P all the more. The M9 permits you to double-click and advance tracks; nothing like it was to be found on the newly ordered product. Moreover, the mic on the M9 was both more sensitive and more conveniently located. If you carry audio with you, it's hard to see how this one can be passed up--even for prices above $10.