How to choose headphones and not overpay: testing models from 100 up to 224 000 rubles

Now on the market a lot of in-ear monitor, varying in price, design and quality, and to make the right choice in favor of some models is difficult. In this article I'm not going to analyze all the popular models in the market, but only look at four price groups headphones on the example of the most prominent representatives.

My testing experience suggests that the results can be a certain degree of probability attributed to other models in every price category (although there are always exceptions and different perceptions of each individual sound man). I hope this article will help you decide when to pay a premium, and when to save.

Thus, in the experiment, was attended by: Ritmix RH-010 for $ 100, ceramic Harper HV-801 for 950 rubles, sports Monster iSport Victory 7 000 and premium Astell & Kern Layla II for 224,000 rubles.

Ritmix RH-010

These headphones and the like of various Chinese brands can always be found in large supermarkets or online stores at a price of 50 to 200 rubles. Indeed, money is small, but whether it is possible in these headphones to enjoy music - the big question. It's like a lottery. The fact that the headphones at this price in the production in China, no one will be checked for quality of workmanship, the main thing - the volume. As a result, half of the items in the lot immediately found problems: broken earpiece heavy creaking and other "joys."

We were lucky, bought "ears" were non-defective.

Sold Ritmix RH-010 in a plastic blister with a minimal design, but inside we are waiting for, in addition to the headphones, two more spare embouchure of different sizes.

Simple design: a round case of speakers, from which exits through a cylindrical tube wire. Intracanal mounting arranged without displacement. Headphones are made of plastic, lightweight, but sit in the ear is not too reliable and constantly strive to fall. Soundproofing average. The cable consists of two connected together with a wire braid and a certain place forks, going to the left and right drivers. Plug straight and without gilding.

Workmanship is very low. These headphones with careful operation enough for a maximum of three months, the average lifespan of the - month. After that, usually frays wire near the connector or one of the headphones just stops working. In other words, in such an approach for the year on the headphones will go from 500 to 1000 rubles.

Well, what with the sound? Theoretically, it is, but the music it can be called with a large preload: no depth and sound of individual instruments, persistent wheezing and crackling. The composition is rolled into a featureless noise, occasionally interrupted by snatches of words vocalist. Bass weak, high frequencies are sometimes not audible.

So, if you are an enemy of your ears or your life is an urgent need to listen to some sort of record, and the hand is not nothing better then Ritmix RH-010 can be used. But choose them as the main headphone strongly advise you, especially with such workmanship.

Verdict: poor sound, featureless design, usability mean, disgusting quality, the price is low. Not worth buying.

Harper HV-801

Why is a huge number of headphones in this price range it is my choice fell on Harper? The answer is simple: usually low price coupled with good sound quality. HV-801 and does tempt the ceramic body and neodymium speaker that avoids chatter peculiar to certain plastic models, and improve the sound quality.

Headphones are sold in a compact cardboard box, the contents of which are stacked in clear plastic. Looks are not too rich, but miserable it also will not name. On the reverse side shows all features of the gadget. Comes with carrying case, additional silicone tips, clips and instruction in Russian.

Headphone housing made of glossy ceramic, has a cylindrical shape with rounded ends. Side has a small recess with an opening through which the air intake occurs. Themselves directly inserts arranged at an angle to the body.

On the other hand output cable, protected by a piece of rubber from abrasion. The wire has a circular cross-section of a thin and complex structure. audio signal transmission is carried out via shielded wires OFC. Copper wires covered with black braid, it goes on top of spiral weaving strong strands. All this is enclosed in a soft transparent polymer. This design also looks stylish and tear well-kept, and even reduces tangling.

Ends with 1.2-meter cable with gold-plated straight plug. On the left earphone wire located remote playback control with microphone.

HV-801 were quite severe and felt in the ears, besides ceramics little cold ear. Soundproofing here if not wholly, but very good: the noise of the subway at a low volume of the music will be heard, but the sounds of the city block the ear cups almost completely. When walking headphones stably held within the channel, but it is necessary to go on a run, as immediately strive to fall.

Neodymium magnets are very pleased with me: the sound is really good quality, without interference, noise and rattle even when a recording below average. Maybe not crystal clear, but a dynamic and drayvovy.

The entire frequency range is well worked through: deep bass, vocals in the midrange can be heard clearly, and the high ringing sound and biting. The sound of each instrument here is difficult to reconcile, but still no sound merge into a single stream. The only thing I was missing a little bit, so it's volume: the sound seems a bit flat.

Harper HV-801 - a very good set of headphones, especially for its price. The sound quality, good sound insulation, and they look great. Claims to the assembly either. This is a great choice for those who want to get high-quality sound at a budget price (950 rubles).

Verdict: sound good, interesting design, usability average, average quality, average price. Buy you need if you need a good sound at low price.

Monster iSport Victory

Headphones should not only be qualitatively play music, but also be comfortable. Now, remember how often in-ear monitor begins to leave its rightful place, once you move from step to run. And what to do if you are active in sports and would like to listen to music at the same time?

Save the situation may be special sports headphones, a prominent representative of which is the line Monster iSport. It includes several models, but again, we have limited ourselves to the wired-channel "ears", the choice fell on the Victory.

Packaging is a folding case, inside which there are earphones fixed in plastic, soft carrying pouch, manual in Russian, as well as a set of replacement ear cushions and silicone hooks. These hooks are located around the speaker, - a distinctive feature of the Victory. this technology is called SportClip: soft nozzle is inserted into the recess of the ear and provide reliable fastening in addition to the traditional intracanal. Ear cups is also not as easy as it seems. They are made of OmniTrip technology that allows them to take the shape of the ear canal.

Through the use of these two chips headphones do not arbitrarily leave the ear in any somersaults. In addition, they provide good sound insulation so that it ceases to be captured even hum the subway. At first, it seems even a little odd, but you get used to good quickly.

Victory can be customized to fit your ears With the replacement of nozzles. Headsets have low weight (25 g), and an ergonomic shape, so when they are worn not feel any discomfort.

Two more pleasant features of these headphones - waterproofing and antibacterial coating. Therefore, even if the active sweating "ears" were not in danger, and if you get them soiled, the gadget can be easily rinsed under running water.

Confuses wire? It's also not about Victory: plane section is confused much less than round. To protect against magnetic interference shielded wire. 3.5 mm jack is also pleased: he has an L-shape, which increases its durability, and covered with gold plating to enhance the audio signal transmission.

To not have to pull out the phone when an incoming call or switching tracks on the wire is the remote control with built-in microphone that allows you to take the challenge, and control playback volume.

So, in terms of operating Victory clear leader, but what with the sound?

Each earpiece is one emitter. They are well and spend the entire frequency range from 20 to 20,000 Hz, but most pronounced bass here. The sound is clear enough, distortion and spurious no wheezing. Although there will be quite difficult to isolate the sound of a single instrument, the overall composition looks nice.

To tell the difference between Monster iSport Victory and professional headphones only when listening to music in uncompressed format. Full insulation ensures the absence of extraneous sounds in your favorite music. Especially like the way they sound and heavy dance music. Volume decent margin: for most compositions of 50% volume.

Headphones look unusual, stylish and sporty. The build quality and excellent materials - for a long time use does not raise any problems or damage.

If you lead an active lifestyle, exercise, enjoy the comfort and good music while you enough qualities of MP3, the Monster iSport Victory is an excellent choice, although not too cheap: the price - about 7000 rubles.

Verdict: good sound, design, sporty, comfortable, high quality, the price is high. Buy you need if you like to listen to music while working out.

Astell & Kern Layla II

Layla headphones, so named in honor of Eric Clapton composition - is the top model in the range of Sirens famous music sound engineer Jerry Harvey, who was famous for the invention-channel headphones. In our hands was the second reincarnation of this model, which was located inside each earphone 12 reinforcing drivers chetyrohpolosnym crossover.

Of course, it is difficult to assume that such a device may be cheap (the price is around 230 000 rubles). Yes, and to enjoy all the delights of these headphones need a good Hi-Fi-player the price is not less than (we used for our tests model of the same brand Astell & Kern AK320). Let's see what we get for this money?

Picking up a box with Layla II, once you understand that in a premium device: large, high-quality cardboard and illustrations inside all packed in foam. Components also not pumped: earphones, two removable cable (with connectors 3.5 and 2.5 mm), five spare pairs embouchure, a brush for cleaning, a screwdriver for adjusting bass and cool box made of metal and carbon fiber for carrying.

The first thing you notice: the size and weight Layla II is much more than other in-ear monitor. But remembering how much is inside the speaker humbles immediately with this. To my surprise, wear them quite comfortably. The thing is special bow that hung on the ears, distributing the weight on them. They bend easily, have a memory effect and gently rub the skin, but weightless Layla II clearly felt. Headphones securely they held in the right place and can arbitrarily fall only at a strong race.

Housing Layla II, manufactured from a single piece of titanium, has a complex drop-like shape. On the carbon fiber inserts printed logos. As already mentioned, there are 12 speakers inside: four on the lower, middle and upper frequencies. They cover the frequency range from 10 Hz to 23 kHz.

Three output channels are made from stainless steel. FreqPhase waveguide technology corrects time and phase drivers, providing each of them with the signal difference within 0.01 milliseconds to sounds drifted to the eardrum at the moment that necessary.

average length of cable consists of twisted wires in the braid. He went out pretty hard, but to break or grind it required a lot of effort. Even if you succeed, you will have to buy new headphones do not, but only the cable - that's the main advantage of the removable parts. It ends Gold-plated straight plug.

Microphone and playback controls on the cable there, but there is a special remote control, for which we will need to complete and screwdriver. The fact that Layla II - is reinforcing the headphones and the sound that they produce, would like not every music lover, because the bass in this arrangement are traditionally weak. This control allows for enhanced low frequencies from 0 to 10 dB, making the sound more comfortable for many users.

To connect the cable to the headset, you must connect the four headphone plug the holes in the thickening of the wires, and then fix the design special nut.

Trying different ear cups, you can change the degree of sound insulation - from moderate to almost complete. Also include complete attachments, there are those who remember the shape of the ear canal for greater comfort of use.

Well, probably, the main question: how can a bunch of sound "player - Headphones» 500 000 rubles? Contrary to expectations, the sound could not carry me to heaven in bliss.

The test began with MP3-songs. His ears were heard all the defects recording: rattles, squeaks and other debris, which is usually cut off other headphones.

Rightly judging that Layla II created for lossless-audio, I switched to FLAC format. Here I waited opposite picture: the sound was perfectly clean. If you listen, you can hear every instrument, to analyze the work of each musician or vocals. But there was another problem: there is no sense of integrity. And if in the case of classical compositions this effect is almost imperceptible, while listening to rock music lost much drive and instruments sound like a little apart from each other. Furthermore, even with a maximum vykruchennyh regulators last bass is clearly not enough heavy compositions.

Headphones were too good for my ears, accustomed to dynamical emitters. But, unfortunately, it is the specificity of reinforcing monitors.

Layla II - headphones are designed for a very limited number of people. It audiophiles who like the sound reinforcement emitters and are willing to spend half a million to a portable audio, or people who are professionally engaged in music, including sound engineers. For them, Layla II will be just the perfect choice, confounding expectations for a hundred, and as a bonus they are waiting for the high quality of workmanship and premium materials.

Verdict: the sound of a great (for the reinforcing structure), premium design, usability average, the quality is very high, the price is too high. Buy you need if you can not live without good music.

conclusions

So, what is to stop your choice?

Ritmix RH-010 and other headphones in the price range up to 200 rubles, I could recommend only enemies. Not only do these signals reproduced through the difficult call music, so even break them in a few months, so that in a year you spend on buying new is more than worth a good model.

If you have any special requirements: love to listen to music in uncompressed format or in the classroom sports, like stylish things, or most high quality - you'd better choose a model in the range from 4000 to 10 000. Yes, purchase can hit hard on the wallet, but it's a high-quality thing, and these "ears" will last for several years of daily use. For sports Monster iSport Victory - it is almost a reference model.

If you are just crazy about good music, or are associated with it at work, no compromise and dispose extra money, then you in the premium segment for headphones from 50 000 rubles. Here and best design and excellent materials, and high quality workmanship. The sound here is also the best, but we need to remember that without a good Hi-Fi-player and records in lossless-format difference with the cheaper models will be difficult to catch. Tested Astell & Kern Layla II can be called one of the best among the reinforcement in-ear monitor without any reservations.

Well, if you do not need all those bells and whistles, MP3 quality quite happy with and you just want to listen to music, you need to choose from a price range of 800 to 2000 rubles. There are a lot of high-quality models, which - if you have, of course, not a musical ear - to tell the difference in sound with the more expensive it will be difficult, but you can save well. Of course, before buying it is necessary to check the sound of the vending model itself. That is why the results of our test, the best on a parity "price - quality" recognized model Harper HV-801.