Soniq USA SE500 Pulse Earbuds Active Stereo Noise Isolation Earphones Black/Chrome

These earbuds have really great sound. Very clear and detailed. I like them enough to use them instead of my Westone W4R when I am on the move (though the Westone do sound a bit better, I don't mind the difference too much when ambient noise is around - but in bed I still prefer the Westone).I also have the Shure SE 215, and I actually like the Soniq better than those, and nearly as much as the Westone (which are $400 quad balanced armature IEMs - so this is really high praise).There are some caveats, though:- The cables produce a lot of noise (microphonics is the fancy term for that, I think). If you're very sensitive about that, these might not be for you.On the other hand, the cables are sturdy, look cool, feel nice and are really, really tangle-resistant (in fact, I dare say these are the best ones in that regard that I have come across).EDIT:I tried wearing the cables behind the ears and that actually works surprisingly well because of the fabric cable material.It's more comfortable than all behind-the-ear models I've tried, with their stupid guides that actually only make things worse(you know, the wire inserted within the cable covering that is supposed to be molded and stay in shape - I really hate those things!)Using the Soniq like that, the microphonics are all but extinguished.- The frequency response curve is definitely not flat. There is a heavy bump in the low end, especially when you use the supplied silicone ear-tips. It is definitely better with the foam tip, though the supplied one was to small for my ears so I am using Comply 500. With the comply, the low end is a bit more tamed - enough to enjoy even classical music, though the bass is still a bit more pronounced than I'd like.Still, while the amount of bass is maybe a bit too much, the quality is great. It's well defined, not muddy at all. And it doesn't have a negative impact on the remainder of the frequency spectrum. Mids and treble sound fantastic, very clear and transparent.All in all, these are great for music which thrives on bass (like EDM). With instrumental music (like classical) - they still sound good, but there may be better choices. Me, I like them both for EDM and classical.Oh BTW, they come with a nice little round case. Big enough so that you don't have to distort the cable cramming it in, but still very compact. Also, it is sturdy and has a very nice feel. I like it very much.

- Overview -First and foremost, I want to get out of the way that I'm upset simply because these headphones sound absolutely incredible for their price, and that they far outclass my brand new $120 studio headphones (V-Moda LP's) I just picked up for home use. I can tell how this might come off as an over-exaggeration however, but in contrast to the large number of reviews on here that received these earbuds on discount/for free/with compensation, I was not compensated in any way for these. I paid the full $49.99 price tag for these, and at this price they are an absolute steal. The sound is absolutely stellar, and these far outclass just about every in-ear headphone AND over-ear headphone set in the sub $150 range.- Sound -I have tried a large number of headphones, including Audio-Technica's, Sennheisers, V-moda, AKG, Shure, and the price to performance ratio with those headphones (even with a $100 DAC and Amplifier) have never quite satisfied me for the sound they have produced. These have opened my eyes to the potential of in-ear audio performance, and past these earbuds my audio expectations have been vastly raised; it's extremely rare that you receive any audio-based product for far little than what you should be paying as set by industry standards. The sound is crystal clear in all frequency ranges, and I am finding myself not only purchasing another set for my girlfriend, but also equalizing my PC's audio to have a sound profile similar to these. Even if these were the equivalent in price of my studio headphones, knowing how good they sound I would've picked these up in place of them in a heartbeat.- Conclusion -Highly recommended. The five star reviews on here are not over-exaggerated by any means even though I can admit I felt like they were all extremely biased because of their discounted/compensated reviews as I mentioned earlier. I bought these headphones based on their frequency range, ohm rating, and solid metal build with water-resistant coating for a more "on the go" convenience. I was not disappointed, and you won't be either. Pick these up before they become popular and the company has a reason to spike the price.

WOW! I bought an expensive pair of noise isolating ear buds quite a few years ago to wear while mowing the lawn. After years of faithful service they finally broke, but I never replaced them because I didn't want to shell out another couple hundred bucks on earbuds when I've got about 20 non noise isolating pairs laying around. The other day I decided to get another pair and when I saw these I thought what's to lose? 16 bucks is super cheap so even if they aren't great it wouldn't be a big waste. I was shocked to open the package... the box they came in is actually very nice, much nicer than I'd expect for $16 earbuds. Who cares about a box though, am I right? Opening the box I was immediately struck by how the earbuds looked like they were high quality. Then I see they came with a carrying case, a case!? For $16 I bet it'd be hard to buy just the case. Finally I notice the super nice, super flexible fabric cord... these things seem legit.I immediately put them on, plugged them into my phone and fired up Pandora. They sound GREAT! Honestly better than the super expensive ones I had years ago. I've been listening the whole time I've been writing this review and am about to go mow. I can't hear the keys typing, so I know I'll be able to listen to music at a comfortable level while mowing. If you want noise isolating earbuds.... BUY THESE NOW! (I'll report back if they don't work well while mowing, but I highly doubt that'll be the case.)