Is it everyone's dream to own an ipod at least once in their teenage life??
It started way back in my first year in Germany. I was deeply attracted by Apple's frontline portable music player(PMP) for mid range customers, the ipod mini. I grabbed the silver version at that time n i was so damn proud to carry around the streets. Then the bad thing happened, when it was stolen! But it wasn't the end of apple yet. At that time the nano 2nd generation just launched, n to me it was one of the best in terms of design from apple. slicky stylish and sharp! Without hesitation it became the replacement of the mini. I bought the black version with some words engraved behind it. It was then given as a gift to my precious one not because it's an IPOD, but because i want to give the best of whatever i had to her.
I came back to Germany, without a PMP. Believe me it's hell when you don't get to enjoy music especially you're sitting alone in a tram starring at some turkish kids doing stupid stuff, or walking to Uni without music. So I decided lets try the mp4 player. Unfortunately I don't have enough budget to get a high-end, and therefore i got a Meizu M6. Wat da heck is Meizu?? lolz it's a chinese brand btw. It works fine for me until couple of months later it became DEAD by its own. Though it wasn't a high-end PMP, but it's sure costly though! Wat a waste. I'll never trust product M.I.C!!!! Then i tot, maybe i've spent way too much on non-lasting PMPs, so might as well get something cheap. There goes the purchase of Creative Zen Stone for 30euro. 1GB. It didn't last long either, now that it shuts by its own just like that.
And then you know it's time for a new one. Of course, first thing i looked for is the new Apple ipod Nano 3rd Gen. 140euro 4GB. hmmm. Then i thought, why apple again??? then i open up my choice and asked around for opinion, until finally i was looking deeply into the Sony A and S series, particularly on the A series. 2,4'' Bluetooth, premium earphones 4GB for 120euro. premium earphones included man!!! Earphone was another issue but i'll come to that later. It was my top priority in my PMP shopping list, but I still want to look around. Then i came across this idea that eventhough PMP with "premium" earphones included, the earphone won't be as good as getting an IEM earphones(will come to this later). Until the last minute when I have to place my order, suddenly i went for the Sony NWZ-S616F 4GB Black PMP.
There! Wasn't the most good looking player in the market, but doesn't look bad at all. Most importantly, the sound quality is somewhere n times above the ipods that i've even owned for half of their prices. I am not doing a full review on this as i'm not pro, but I was so damn satisfied with this. The only disappointment was that Sony didn't include a small pouch or something like that to protect the mp3 player, and it's damn hard to find accesories for this player as it's not as popular as the pods.
Initially I set aside 150euros for a player. Now that i've only spent half of it, what should I do with the other half? Here comes the thing. A pair of In Ear Monitor Earphones(better known as isolation earphones) would be perfect. Of couse, i cannot break my budget just for a pair of earphones.
I've purchased many earphones/headphones before here and I am still buying more. I don't regret doing so, but I really do regret that I didnt' get this particular pair of earphones earlier, as it would have been my permanant one. The rest are either bad in sound quality, or easily broken, or can't fit into my ears.
So, In this 3 brands ---Shure, Ultimate Ears and V-moda--- their entry level IEM earphones are pretty good, well at least it's way above those lousy earphones, particularly the ipod earphones. I also made quite an effort to read forums and reviews on those earphones before deciding which one to go for. In the end, i went for Shure SE110.
So wats so special bout this earphones?? Firstly the isolation technology. Of course it took me quite sometime to figure out how to actually insert and perfectly fit into my ear. But once it's in the ear, it totally blocks out everything. I mean TOTALLY! I was on the street today with 3 rubbish trucks with tons of engine sound normally, but it was totally muted today. I can stand there whole day watching them without even feeling disturbed! But why would i wanna watch rubbish mens anyway?? ish so gayish!!!
2ndly, The sound. Very nice bass, very clear mid range, and high pitch range. Of course if you read some professional reviews, you will find that this pair hasn't even reach it's peak of sound quality yet, but for me as a low end consumer, it's already a big blow for me. I tested out with Jazz, Pop, Slow Rock, Alternative, Country, Classical, Acoustics, Club Music. Everything is way beyond what i've heard in the past 23 years!!!!
3rdly, check out the thickness of the wire. Of course it's only the 3rd day i've been using it, but by looking at the quality of the wires, it will be a durable one. Furthermore, it's so comfortable that you can wear it the whole day literally. These pairs come with accesories such as the pouch and the sleeves options. I am very very comfortable and satisfied with the foam sleeves(black one) as you can press it to insert into your ears, and it'll expand inside the ears. So no pain at all!!!
Finally, the combinition between Sony + Shure = Music into perfection!!! Of course as i've mentioned this is my personal review, and if there's any pros out there or pros wannabe who doesn't agree, u can either shut up and go fuck yourself, or sponsor me some money so i can get the higher end versions of Shure IEM earphones!!!
ENJOY THE MUSIC!! IT'S A SONY!! FOR SHURE!!!!
