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Yes, I am aware this has nothing to do with Wi-Fi, BAD, or otherwise, but we Wi-Fi guys (and gals) like to have nice things, don't we? Also, it's good to have some decent "buds" (earbuds) when studying, or working from say, a coffee shop. :-)
A few months back I lost my beloved Shure SE525-CL In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) due to carelessness on my part (for which I have imparted unending flagellation upon myself). I have since been using my Apple EarPods, or my wife's Beats Solo headphones, while I bide my time replacing my lost Shures.
Every now and then I'll do a search on the InterWebs ™ for "best earphones under $100". I've tried a few with poor results. I don't remember exactly how I got around to finding the MEEs, but I'm glad I did.
The first review I found for them was overly effusive, which to me is a dead give-away for not believing it, so I kept looking. After the 4th, or 5th review I was thinking there must be something to these things. So, I checked on Amazon and there they were for $40, in Clear no less (just like my Shures)! I figured for $40 bucks I'd take a chance on these.
Two days later a lovely, smiling, Amazon Prime box arrive with the acquired loot. I promptly opened it and was surprised by the quality of the packaging - it felt very high-end.
I opened the box and was surprised again by the quality of the included items:
- A very nice carrying case
- Earbuds (of course)
- Detachable cables (1 with Mic & volume controls for phone use, and 1 without)
- A bag of 6 pair of ear tips
- 1 set of Comply ear tips (that's what I'm using)
- And a 1/4" headphone adapter for use with stereos and what not.
All this for $40? Yup. So, we have some nice packaging, but how do they sound? Well, they sound like the best $40 earphones I've ever heard. Yeah, that's not much of an assessment, I know, but I'm just passing time here until I can pull the trigger on another set of $500 earphones. Until then, these fit the bill just fine.
If you're like me - not ready to be spending several hundred dollars on Pro IEMs, but still want something that sounds good, then these are a no-brainer. The build quality is better than it should be, and the sound is not only good, but "Sound-Isolating". Yeah, for $40 you get a good set of earphones that block out sound really well. Not by any fancy noise-cancelling technology, but just good, foamy isolation, from the tips that come in the box.
If I were to describe the sound I would say their bassier than I would like, and the highs are not nearly as smooth as my Shures were. They're more "shrill" in that regard. But, with a little EQ adjustment they sound, for lack of a better word, good.
I primarily use earphones when I am trying to get stuff done, or traveling on an airplane, to block out the noise. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I spend a lot of time in coffee shops. I have an office, but for me, getting out, finding a secluded corner, putting on my earphones, turning on my Noizio app (for the appropriate amount of thunder & rain), my Film Score and Mozart playlists, helps me focus, and keeps me from being distracted. These earbuds fit the bill for me. Good isolation and good sound.
Look, these WILL NOT be competing with high-end IEMs. They're not gonna beat Shure, Etymotic, or Westone. But, if you're looking for a good pair of earphones for under $100, heck under $50, you can't go wrong with the MEE Audio M6 PRO In-Ear Monitors.