Holiday Buying Guide: Earphones

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Cameron Baker
Kurtis
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Dec. 16, 2008

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Fantasy Land

I have a friend whose dad swears by his custom IEMs. When he travels, this is the first thing he packs. The second is his iPod filled with Chet Atkins' entire discog. He owns records that are worth more than two or three new iPods. He's got taste. Depending on how spendy you want to go, you have a few options.

One of the newest players in this market is EarPeace's LiveWires (http://www.livewiresforyou.com/) custom molded monitor. Two drivers, custom molded to your ears, turn around time somewhere in the neighborhood of three weeks, $250. This is a much lower price point than what's been offered from the big dogs in the past, and so far, people seem to really like them. EarPeace stands behind their product by offering a pretty good warranty and guaranteed fit — if they come in and the fit is off, send them back in for modifications. I actually had my ears molded recently and am waiting to get some headphones from LiveWires — so look forward to a review when I get them.

If you, or your gift recipient, are obsessed with having the best of the best, look to Ultimate Ears for a really nice (and really expensive) pair of custom fit monitors. Ultimate Ears will sell you a set with two to four drivers for $650-$1,150 (!!!). The few folks privileged enough to own a pair of these monitors really like them. The fit, combined with superbly engineered audio, make these stupid-awesome for music geeks. If they’re engineered for touring musicians, bets are the sound is near perfect. Those guys are hard to please.

If you are buying for a (semi)professional musician, this might be the coolest — and most useful — gift you ever give them. You can pick from several different color options for the housing, too, so every pair will fit the owner, physically and stylistically. One thing to keep in mind with any of these custom products: you'll need to get ear impressions made for the future owner. Having a pair of these on hand by Christmas ain’t gonna happen (you can blame us for our untimely guides, though, if that helps). Give them an envelope with a picture of the headphones and tell them how cool they are. That'll suffice for the time being.

Conclusion

Well, it’s been fun drooling over these headphones for the last few days. It’s a labor of love — I wouldn’t want anyone to buy uninformed. Now figure out what you want to spend, and pick a set that’s right for you. If you can, as always, listen before you buy. There aren’t a lot of places that will let you get away with that, but it’s worth a try.

Return policies are always important to watch for too — if you don’t like the way a pair of headphones fit, you need to be able to get your money back. It’s too subjective to state that any one pair is going to sound right or fit perfectly for each individual, so make sure you’re happy with the store’s rules.

I implore you, one last time — do not put up with the stock buds Apple, Microsoft, iRiver shat into the box along with your music player. It’s just not right, especially when $30-50 will get you into a pair of headphones that let you know what it’s like to enjoy your music. You’ve been warned. Now go forth and conquer.

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Page 1: Earphones for the Holidays Makes a Happy Boy or Girl, Basic Upgrades
Page 2: Mic'd up for the iPhone, Really Nice In-Ears
Page 3: Fantasy Land, Conclusion

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1 User Comment

1 - Posted by Stacie A. on December 17, 2008 - 10:53 am

Great suggestions!

Talking about headphones being the ultimate expression of affection. I will like to add to your list,the new ShareBuds MX Twin Stereo Earphones. It allows you to share your favorite tunes with a loved one without having to purchase an extra adapter of some sort.

ShareBuds MX twin stereo earphones provides a very convenient way for us to share our favorite love songs. I absolutely recommend it if you want share music you love with someone you love, go for it — it’s cool and easy to use.

My boyfriend and I recently bought one online (http://www.sharebuds.com).We we're definitely impressed. It will also make great Valentine’s day present! :)

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