Amazing sound quality inexpensive earbuds


I'd like to share my experience with quality earbuds for my Galaxy S3. I read reviews of many headphones looking for something reasonable and when I almost pulled trigger on $150 Yamaha EPH-100 I found this review of LG Quadbeat SE (also known as HSS-F420):

http://en.goldenears.net/15834 (a lot of earbuds reviewed there)

Just look how clean waterfall diagram is. I ordered them from gooddigitalshop.com that is Korean company located in Seoul. I got them within a week and am absolutely amazed with the sound not to mention that they costed me $21 ($29 with shipping). I used Paypal but they also accept credit card. Not only that sound is clean transparent and very, very dynamic with beautiful midrange, but also comfort is great. I ordered second pair for my wife and just got confirmation that it was shipped. Yamaha might be good as well but it is 16ohm - minimum recommended for S3. LG Quadbeat SE is 24 ohm. I also have AKG K271 mkII and this LG earbud is pretty close. Be sure it is SE version since they make another regular Quadbeats. SE version has red logo on the back of each earbud. I hope this might be of use to anybody looking for high quality earbuds.
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Mapman, you cannot go wrong with AKG K3003 and it is on sale right now for only $1300 (and it is not made of gold)

http://www.amazon.com/AKG-K3003I-Reference-Earphones-Control/dp/B006Q4NSK8
Wow! NEver saw those AKGs! I would like to hear those and compare to the Klipsch.

The Klipsch S4s originally retailed for over $200 or so I think I recall.

Ear buds are mass market products used by many. That is good for audiophiles seeking good sound for not much.

Earbuds are a great place IMHO to establish a reference for how recordings actually sound prior to investing in speakers and all that goes with it, including having to deal with room acoustics.

Earbud's job is highly optimized. Closest proximity to your hearing sensors takes a lot of variables out of the equation for good sound, making getting it a lot easier and cheaper. You need a good transducer with flat response. Also a tight seal in the ear to provide optimal acoustics.

Headphone/earphone-centric web sites compile and publish detailed measurement charts facilitating quantitative comparisons of hundreds of product options. It is much easier to both on paper and in practice to assess and compare earbuds than say high end audio speakers.

Earbuds are inherently highly efficient. Demand on amplifier is low on the grand scale of things in that not much power is required to produce good bass. Source quality becomes more apparent in that many other variables downstream are not in the picture as with a home audio system.

Of course,you need speakers in a room then to translate the sound into something that resembles what you would hear were you listening live. Room acoustics and many other factors that keep us all buzzing on and on then become part of the secret sauce.
I just got a pair of the 420's from Korea and am burning them in, out of box pretty average. Seems the midrange is there but they need tamed on highs and bass hopefully opens up. For $30 they seem nice so far.
I can say it is critical to install the right rubbers for your ears, mine came with the 2 layer rubber installed but after trying all 3 provided the single large pad took bass to entire new level.
Chandliz, Largest pieces are a little too large for my ears but give good bass. The only problem is that mid-bass is recessed and replaced with stronger midrange. Split rubbers give fuller sound - decent with Galaxy S3 but much cleaner with Fiio E07K fed by USB from the same Galaxy S3.