Pros: Nice Nozzle design, good bass, wide soundstage
Cons: Color scheme,odd rear profile, no cable clip and adjuster
I would like to thank HiSound Audio for this review unit. This is my first review of an IEM.
To begin with, I compared the E212 to Crossroads Bijou3 which costs about $10 more.
Tested with
HP ProBook 4410S, GS3 with Noozxoide & Poweramp
Accessories
3 pairs of red ear tips, cable manager, flexible phone case
The flexible phone case supplied are good. A cable clip instead of the cable manager would have been more useful IMHO.
Design
I've been using the Bijou3 for about a year and although they look like they have very steady cables, the right side of the cable gave way just after a year. The cables on the E212 looks thinner than the Bijou3 (but now I don't think thickness of a cable is relative to its durability), it is braided and shorter than the Bijou3 cable but I like the cable of the E212 as it is less tangle prone and is is a good length when using with my notebook. The Y split is also quite thick and looks durabable. The phone jack is oddly angled but I like it as it is easy to insert even on a mobile phone with thick casing. The stress relief on the phone end is twice the size of the Bijou3.
The phone body looks a bit cheap with a metallic plastic sleeve enclosing a shinny red body and comes supplied with 3 pairs of matching red tips. The best part of E212 for me is angle of the nozzle. This ensures a good fit and makes it sound vastly better than the Bijou3. More of the sound in the Sound quality section.
Isolation
The isolation of the E212 is about 30-50% better than the Bijou3 and it grips more firmly in the ear. This can be attributed to the nozzle design and the isolation is good. The sound quality is quite dependent on a good seal and a good seal is easy to achieve on the E212.
Sound Quality
The sound quality of the E212 is fantastic considering it is sold for about $38 on eBay and comparing it with the more expensive Bijou3. It is a lot better than Bijou3. The bass and the highs are much clearer and the sound stage a lot wider. This made picking out all the instruments in the song a lot more easier. EDM type music sounds great with these phones. Generally it was superior to the sound quality of Bijou3 in almost every attributes except maybe the very deep lows of the Bijou3. This is just after 20 hours of burn-in.
Value
I don't think it is easy to find any other IEM that is better than the E212 in it's price range. If so, I would like to know too.
*All prices quoted in USD.
Cons: Color scheme,odd rear profile, no cable clip and adjuster
I would like to thank HiSound Audio for this review unit. This is my first review of an IEM.
To begin with, I compared the E212 to Crossroads Bijou3 which costs about $10 more.
Tested with
HP ProBook 4410S, GS3 with Noozxoide & Poweramp
Accessories
3 pairs of red ear tips, cable manager, flexible phone case
The flexible phone case supplied are good. A cable clip instead of the cable manager would have been more useful IMHO.
Design
I've been using the Bijou3 for about a year and although they look like they have very steady cables, the right side of the cable gave way just after a year. The cables on the E212 looks thinner than the Bijou3 (but now I don't think thickness of a cable is relative to its durability), it is braided and shorter than the Bijou3 cable but I like the cable of the E212 as it is less tangle prone and is is a good length when using with my notebook. The Y split is also quite thick and looks durabable. The phone jack is oddly angled but I like it as it is easy to insert even on a mobile phone with thick casing. The stress relief on the phone end is twice the size of the Bijou3.
The phone body looks a bit cheap with a metallic plastic sleeve enclosing a shinny red body and comes supplied with 3 pairs of matching red tips. The best part of E212 for me is angle of the nozzle. This ensures a good fit and makes it sound vastly better than the Bijou3. More of the sound in the Sound quality section.
Isolation
The isolation of the E212 is about 30-50% better than the Bijou3 and it grips more firmly in the ear. This can be attributed to the nozzle design and the isolation is good. The sound quality is quite dependent on a good seal and a good seal is easy to achieve on the E212.
Sound Quality
The sound quality of the E212 is fantastic considering it is sold for about $38 on eBay and comparing it with the more expensive Bijou3. It is a lot better than Bijou3. The bass and the highs are much clearer and the sound stage a lot wider. This made picking out all the instruments in the song a lot more easier. EDM type music sounds great with these phones. Generally it was superior to the sound quality of Bijou3 in almost every attributes except maybe the very deep lows of the Bijou3. This is just after 20 hours of burn-in.
Value
I don't think it is easy to find any other IEM that is better than the E212 in it's price range. If so, I would like to know too.
*All prices quoted in USD.