iPhone and iPod earphones have always been a mystery to me. Actually, I’ll go even further than that. I really don’t understand why so many “high-end” devices out there come with such absolutely craptacular earbuds. When you spend over $400 for a device to play music shouldn’t you be given reasonable equipment with which to hear your tunes?
Anyway, while I wait for the Powers That Be to finally hear my consumer cries, let’s take a look at these iMetal stereo headsets from Maximo! The iP-HS1 (earbud style) and the iP-HS2 (isolation style) posing beside Monty the pirate hat dog. Metal earphones? I hear you ask. Sounds cool, right? But do they?
Hit the jump for the full down-low on both these stereo headsets!
Unboxing
The iMetal headsets come in two different types (each sold separately — woot, the first time I’ve ever used that phrase!): earbuds and an isolation solution. The HPS-1 is the bud and the HPS-2 is the in-ear isolation pair, but I’ll just say buds or isolation from hereon out.
Here’s what comes in the buds box:
- stereo headset (foam covers, too) with microphone
- extension cable
- carrying pouch
- user guide (not shown)
Here’s what comes in the isolation box:
- stereo headset with microphone
- three different sizes of silicone tips
- extension cable
- carrying pouch
- user guide (not shown)
The carrying case and extension cables for both sets of headsets are the same, although the cables will be black or white depending on the headset. The travel pouch that you can see in both pictures can be sealed by pulling the draw strings at the top, so you can stuff one headset inside and not worry about it being scratched up or getting tangled with other things in your pocket or bag.
I highly recommend keeping these and all other headsets/earphones you might own in a good case. I’ve had a lot of pairs die on me for just wearing them around my neck or stuffing them into my coat pocket when not in use. Wear, tear, and weather got to them. But now I’m all about the cases. Pouches save lives, folks.
The Walkthrough
They’re not called iMetal for nothing. The headsets are made out of a “lightweight alloy metal design”. Does this do anything extra for sound? I have no clue. But they look pretty cool! The lustre on the buds is less than that of the in-ears, but neither is what I’d consider bling. The Proporta Echo case I reviewed before was a lot shinier :D. I’ve been testing these earphones out for a couple of weeks now and given them a good break-in period like Maximo suggested in a review letter.
The headsets break down into three basic parts: the drivers, the microphone, and the M Button (the equivalent of the clicker button on the iPhone’s default headset). After those parts I’ll talk about the cord length and sound.
The features are the same on both headsets unless I point out otherwise. Let’s do this!
1a) Drivers on the buds
When I first saw the headsets on the Maximo website I knew which one I’d prefer: the in-ear ones. Buds have never really been my friends because most of them get uncomfortable real fast, and a pleasurable music experience takes the backstage to a growing outer ear ache. But as far as buds go, this pair is about on-par with the most comfortable buds out there. I can listen to music for an hour or so without feeling any discomfort, but that can vary. The biggest complaint I have about designs like this is the foam itself, it just makes my ears itchy and a little irritated. Sometimes it happens happens after an hour, sometimes after five minutes.
If you’ve never been bugged by ear-bud designs, then I don’t believe you’ll have any complaints about iMetal’s. As for the metal aspect of the buds…I’m reviewing these during the spring and summer periods in Ontario so it’s not exactly frigid weather, but I can’t say I’ve ever felt the metal feel ‘cold’ or uncomfortable when touching my cheek or ear. So we can cross that fear out. Metal and plastic feel pretty much the same so far, but metal looks way sweeter, man! (I know, that’s not real English..)
2b) Drivers on the in-ear
I usually use a pair of Shure SE-210 earphones for my cranial jamming sessions, so I’m pretty used to the feel of isolation (in-ear power!). With that said, I feel the comfort aspect on Maximo’s isolation could be improved upon. The key here really is the silicone tips. They come in three different sizes, and they’re all quite easy to change (just peel them off, no big twist or push required):
When I wear them they certainly feel secure enough (and I can feel the air seal when I put them in), but it somehow just feels like there’s too much give in the silicone. I’m more comfortable the thicker tips I’ve felt in Sony’s Ex series and Shures E and SE series. That is to say, a thicker silicone that creates a more secure feeling seal, and a more comfortable fit. The headset is comfortable enough, but I’ve felt better from other products at similar price points (e.g. the ones from Sony).
2) The microphone
This is located on the left-ear wire and hangs around mouth-level while worn. At first people told me the mic volume was pretty quiet, even when I was already speaking in my outdoor voice. But then I checked the orientation of the mic — it was facing away from me. So you’ve got to make sure you keep your wires from getting twisted, since the wrong orientation will leave the small dot on the mic facing outwards and picking up near jack from your voice. After you get used to that you should have no major problems with people hearing you.
3) The M Button
Yeah, that’s my own name for it, I think. What would you call it? Gosh! Anyway, It’s like the clicker on the Apple headset. Click it once and play a song, click again to pause, etc.
This stays at the Y-section of the headset, where the left-ear and right-ear meet. Hangs around chest level so it’s easy to access. The button requires a reasonable amount of pressure to actually activate, which can be useful since it has never activated accidentally on me.
4) Cord length
From top to bottom: Maximo Isolation, Maximo Buds, Shure SE210s, Apple headset, 2x Maximo extension cables.
Alright folks, here’s where I get a bit experimental with a picture. Yeah, I agree — it looks kinda weird. The point of this pic is to show the relative length of the earphones based on the length of an iPhone headset length. The default Apple headset isn’t great, but its length is perfect: you can put the iPhone on your belt or in your pocket, with just enough length to let the cable hang out from under your shirt.
I’m picky about this because my Shure earphones (as great as they sound) are way too bloody long! I have to tie them up to be the length that they are in the picture. On this note, I’m very happy to say that the Maximo headphones are just the perfect length for me. They’re never too short to that I have to bend over, but never too long that they get snagged on every doorknob and table corner I pass by. But remember: if you want them longer, you’ve also got the extension that gives an extra 3/4 the length of the headset cable.
5) Sound
I had to recruit some help from my self-proclaimed audiophile pal to get the descriptions for this section, as I’ve always felt a little lost when describing the details on earphones. I mean, you can hear the difference between a $5 and $80 pair of earphones, but beyond that I start to tread on unfamiliar ground. So I’m starting each section off with his comments in italics with mine right afterwards.
Earbuds — The mids felt a little recessed, with a strong emphasis on bass. The sound stage wasn’t very wide compared to other earbuds, but the detail is acceptable. Overall, the sound is laid back, not in your face.
I agree with what my friend said here. I’m no expert, but the earbuds definitely sound like you’re listening to the music from behind a barrier. It’s not quite as detailed as the isolations, but I think it makes up for that by focusing less on the bass. In the end I really did prefer the earbuds over the isolations just because the bass wasn’t hitting me so hard, and I could hear other parts of my songs. Walking out on the street with the earbuds is a basically hopeless endeavour, unless you crank it up and have concert decibel levels blasting your ears. Goodbye ears.
Isolations — The mids also felt recessed, but this time there’s a huge emphasis on bass. Delivers a thump — a matter of preference if you like that or not. Mids didn’t sound accurate, not liquid at all. Highs felt lacking. Reminds me of Sony MDR-EX71 earphones.
The big point I’d like to add here is that these are isolation earphones. The bass that they pump may be stronger, but at least you can hear them outside. With the isolations you have the ability to go onto the subway or onto the street without having to max out your volume (which I really hate doing). This way your headset remains just that, a headset. Not makeshift stereo speakers where everyone else hears your tunes 😛
Conclusion
Let’s hit highlights:
Liked:
- Cord long enough to be ‘pocketable’, but not too long as to drag or get snagged.
- iMetals look cool, but don’t feel cold.
- Sound is on-par with other earphones in price range
- iPhone controls and mic are built on cable
Could improve:
- Microphone design could be better, more easily oriented for clear sound.
- Silicone (or are they rubber?) tips on isolations (HPS-2) could be thicker to add more comfort when wearing
All in all, the iMetal headsets are a welcome addition to the line of accessories that will actually fit the iPhone’s ridiculous, recessed 3.5 mm jack. They’re a different visual take on a classic earbud and isolation design, and iLike it. (oh, that was bad.)
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