I've owned the Bose in-ear and V-moda Vibe, and these are hands down the best out of the three. I can't say these are better than highly acclaimed earphones like etymotics, but as an owner of three earphones in similar price ranges I can say these are the ones to get.
Let me start off and say that when I first tried these, I put them back in the box to return. On all the other in-ears I've tried I used the medium tips, so I assumed it'd be the same with these ones. I put on the medium round tips and the sound was horrible. I was really disappointed. But later on in the day I decided to try them again after reading that the large triple flange were the best tips. After doing this, and also turning sound check and EQ off, the sound was amazing! The v-modas are good for bass, but the monster beats have an all around better sound. I used to think the bose in-ear were really good but they are the worst of the three and I wouldn't recommend them.
The tips that work for me, and I think a lot of people, are pretty comfortable once you get use to them, but that takes awhile. They used to hurt my ears, but now I don't notice them at all. But they sort of clean out yours ears! Once u take them out it's kind of embarrassing how much gunk gets on them. If monster releases new replacement tips, these earphones would be a lot better. The tangle free cord really works, I've only had to really un-knot them once or twice.
I think a lot of people don't like these earphones because they didn't play around with them. I know every body's ears are different, but if you can find the right fit these earphones are amazing. Don't be turned off by the celebrity endorsement! Beats by Dr. Dre Tour High-Resolution In-Ear Headphones from Monster
At the end of the day, the durability of these headphones is what sets them apart from the rest.
Like most things, there is no shortage of opinion as to who makes the "best" headphones. Overtime, you can almost predict the reviews before you look at a product (Shure, Etymotic, etc = Great; Bose = overpriced, etc, etc). The basic problem with all of these is that you can't account for everyone's ear. Simply put, it doesn't matter if someone else hears or does not hear the difference in a set of headphones if you can't. This becomes an even bigger issue with in ear headphones as I know plenty of people who don't use them because they simply can't find a plug that fits comfortably in their ear.
Bottom line - be prepared for some trial and error before you arrive at the in-ear headphones that work for you.I did. But now, I think I have finally found my answer with these Beats by Dre Tour In-Ear headphones.
I was skeptical from the jump given that it is a monster product and I usually find their products to be... (drumroll please)... overpriced. The Tour headphones have been given that label too, but I'm not sure its really warranted here.
Right off the bat, the sound quality was great. The bass was as good as I expected and is definitely some of the best I have heard out of any headphone I have listened to. However, the overall sound produced by the Tour was better than I expected. With every genre of music I have played on them, the Tour has sounded as nice and clear as any other brand of headphone I have purchased. There were, naturally, a few songs I thought sounded better on my old Shure's or Sennheiser's, but overall the Tour did a great job with every song I threw at it.
But therein lies the rub. Which each review of earphones you often see people rattling off several different kinds of earphones they have purchased. While some purchase numerous products by choice and others are simply going through trial and error, too many people (including myself) are forced to try a top of in-ear headphones because these things simply fall apart too easily.
As much as I knock the sound on them, at least the earbuds that come with the ipod hold up with usage. For me, it sometimes seems like the more money you spend on these, the more fragile they are. Nothing is better than having a nice pair of in-ear headphones that produce great sound while you are on the go. But what good is it if the things fall apart with the slightest bump?
I have gone through two different kinds of V-moda which both started to lose sound in one of the earphones within a couple of months. The wiring began coming apart a few weeks later (even somehow shocking me in the freaking ear with the Vibe). I could never get good bass out of my Sennheiser earphones, but they also began losing sound out of one of the ears after about the fifth month. The most disappointing were my Shures. I loved those and would still be using them if the sound hadn't started going out of the right side after about 6 months.
I had pretty much given up at that point and just started using one of my audio technica over the ear's for everything. I saw the Beats by Dre headphones in a store and initially dismissed them. Way to cash in on your name Dr. Dre. But then, I looked at the actual cable and was intrigued. It looked like it might just be durable enough to hold up for workouts and everything in between. I had a gift card for the store and a coupon which brought the price down, so I decided to give it a try.
Almost a year later, I'm glad I did. Whether working out, mowing the yard, running for the train, hustling to my flight, etc, I've had no problems with these guys. The sound is just as good today as it was the first day I scooped them up.
And at the end of the day, that's what levels the playing field and even puts them on top of other in-ear headphones in this price range. The sound is great (not just for hip hop music, though hip hop does sound phenomenal on these). But they also hold up and that's important too. I don't want to dismiss other reviewers who have commented on theirs breaking, but I do fear that many have gotten a fake pair. Be careful and only purchase these from an authorized Monster retailer (even watch out for some people on the Amazon marketplace as some of those "remanufactured" and "like new" products may also be fakes - "FYI - there should be a serial number on the plug-in that goes into your mp3 player or stereo").
The big caveat are the actual in-ear pieces. It doesn't matter how great the earphones are, if they won't stay in your ear, are uncomfortable, etc, they simply will not work out for you. I swapped out the default in-ear piece for the smaller one that comes with the Tour and it worked perfectly for me. I imagine that there are probably some replacements you could get from somewhere else that would also work here, but this could be a dealbreaker for any brand of headphones and the Tour are no exception.
Overall, the Tour in-ear headphones have been a very pleasant surprise for me. I would definitely recommend giving them a try if you are in the market for a new set of in-ear headphones. Some say they are overpriced, but I disagree. Even at full price, I don't think the price of these is that much worse than other in comparable set given how well they have held up for me. As cliche as the saying is, don't judge a book by its cover. Monster and Dr. Dre have produced a great sounding set of headphones that should hold up to repeated usage. - Earphones - Beats - Earbuds - Monster'
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