yurbuds: inspire duro, IronMan Series Sport Earphones

I returned a gift at the Sport Authority. I could only get store credit so I grabbed these $49 headphones. Since my Apple iPod buds are shredded.

I'll be using these to work out. Suppose to be sweat proof. So far they are pretty comfortable and don't feel like they will pop out. They are a wee bit microphonic. Not as bad as the Monster Turbine Pro Coppers and much lighter.

They don't block out exterior sound which is great for safety while on the move and the cables are tangle resistant kevlar.

With the iPod Nano set with the EQ off, I was disappointed with how ZZ Top's Rough Boys sounded. Not much bass. With the iPod's EQ set to Bass Booster, sounds much better. Dave Brubeck's Take Five... not bad. They are still breaking in and seem to be getting better.

I'll compare them to the originally $399 Monster Turbine Pro Coppers in-ear speakers once I get more listening time in. For now... I'm off to the gym!

Girlfriend works at a gym/is a personal trainer and one of the things I got her for Christmas were the $70 Sennheiser Adidas CX685 earbuds. Sweat proof, excessive strain reliefs and adjustable hooks allowing you to really get a good snug fit. She LOVES them and the brief time I spent listening to them sounded really good. If she succeeds in getting me to start running again I'll be interested in some earbuds but not something as bassy as the her Senns. These sound like something I might be interested in checking out.

When I first got the Monster Turbine Pro Coppers I did a review. You can read it read it hear. http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=291948&highlight=Monster+Turbine+Pro+Coppers

The Monsters really impressed me with the dozen plus different styles and sizes of ear pieces and carry cases. When they first appeared they were $399. Now if you shop around you can find them for $160. One thing I emphasized was finding the proper fit. The fit makes a huge difference in the quality of sound.

These yurbuds Inspire Duro come with two unusually shaped ear pieces in two sizes. They slide on to the headphone buds. You put them in your ear and turn them and they lock in your ear. They are surprisingly comfortable and I hardly notice they are there, unless you hit the cables. The will transmit sound into your ears, but it's not bad at all.

These yurbuds Inspire Duro sound pretty darn good! The difference between the yurbuds and Monsters is that they are more forward and fuller in the mids, bass is pretty tight, but a bit lighter and the highs aren't as sparkly.

I listened to Diana Krall, Dire Straits, Led Zepplin, AC/DC and Placebo. I use Diana Krall because with a good system you can hear a lot of little sounds, like the bass strings twanging, the foot pedal of the drum, the moisture in her breath. It was there with the yurbuds, just not as pronounced as the Monsters. The rock music wasn't as engaging and powerful, even with the bass booster engaged on the iPod. Especially Led Zepplin's Kashmir. It was adequate but not thunderous. Oddly Placebo's cover of Running up the Hill was full of bass and kicked ass.

Again I'll mention the fit is critical to overall sound. If I hold the buds down and get a tighter seal the bass fills in nicely. It will depend on the shape of your ears. But all this nit picking probably won't matter match if you use it for working out and running.

Overall the yurbuds aren't as articulate and engaging as the Monsters. But the Monsters are considerably more in price and at the time was the top of the line. I've only played the yurbuds for 4-5 hours, hopefully they will break in more.

For the $48 I couldn't be happier.