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EarPollution Plugz

The first set of earbuds that I tried were the EarPollution Plugz series, from iFrogz. You probably know iFrogz from custom iPod cases, but they have been in the headphone market for a little while now. You have heard me speak of their products before, especially in blog posts I did over the summer. I have been acquainted with their press relations woman for awhile now, and she was kind enough to send me their flagship model of earbuds called Plugz. The Plugz are definitely on the low end compared to other earbuds, priced at only $14.99 U.S., but are great for casual listening, as they provide a relatively-good sound, customization options, including an option for a microphone, and are also very comfortable. I tested them with the same music I used to test the other earbuds, which included a hip-hop song, a Shostakovich symphony, and a rock song. The first time I put the earbuds in, I realized that, while they do cancel some noise, they do not cancel as much as I would have liked, because the tips only go into the ear canal a little bit. When I tested them using the hip-hop song, I only had to turn my Mac up about halfway in order to hear it loudly. I was initially a little disappointed with the bass, but after equalizing it just a little bit, I found it to be much better, and the stereo on the Plugz cannot be beat. The next song I tested was the second movement of a Shostakovich symphony, which did have to be turned up a bit due to the recording age and quality, so that yielded a little more noise, but with no fault to the earphones. Again, the stereo came through very well, and I did not have any issues with bass on this one even before equalization, and I had no trouble hearing all of the instruments of the orchestra with good clarity. The last song I used to test it was a rock song, which I was able to turn down much more due to its levels. Again, on this song, the bass came in fine with no equalization, and all of the instruments were very audible. Overall, I really enjoyed using the Plugz, and I give them a 4/5 for a rating, because, while they were good, they did lack some bass quality and noise cancellation. However, they are great for casual listening and are a wonderful first pair. If you are looking for more high-end earphones, you can always check out their Timbre series, which is a bit more expensive but totally worth it. Either way, feel free to check them out at their website and pick up a pair for yourself.

Etymotic hf5′s

The other pair of earbuds that I would like to review today is what most consider to be the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to in-ear headphones, and those are the hf5 series from Etymotic Research. While pretty expensive with a price tag of $149 U.S., they are completely worth it to an audiophile like myself. The hf5′s are meant to also be the most noise-canceling out there, and it is 100% true. With the earbuds in, I can hear absolutely nobody around me, and, even if no music is playing, my whole world is silent. The only trick is that you need to hold your ear open in order to put them in, because they go pretty far into the ear canal. One thing that makes the hf5′s unique is the fact that they come with a carrying case, which also contains interchangeable tips and a tool for fixing the filter on the earbuds if it becomes too clogged. This alone tells you that these are high-end listening devices and for when you want the best sound possible. Upon receiving them in the mail, it took me awhile to find the right tip that fit my ear, but that is why it comes with many different tips, so that you can decide which is best for you. Yes, it takes a little experimenting, but it pays off greatly in the end. I plugged them into my MacBook Pro and opened up iTunes to start with testing the hip-hop song. The hip-hop song required absolutely no equalization, and the hf5′s sounded incredible, giving me almost the sensation that I was there listening to it live. I tested them next with the Shostakovich symphony, which, again, required a small level boost, but nothing major. The clarity of this was so stunning that I nearly fainted the first time I heard it with these earbuds. I was even able to catch a man in the audience coughing during a professional recording session! Of course, all of the things that should have been there were as well, but the clarity was just unreal, and nothing like I had ever heard before. The last song I used to test the earbuds was the rock song, which, of course, had to be turned back down. Once again, all instruments in the band came through incredibly clearly, and I had no problems hearing anything and everything within the music. Overall, I recommend these earbuds highly to the experienced audiophile, and recommend you check them out at their website and pick some up if you are really into your music. I give them 5 out of 5 stars.