BGR gets down with iHarmonix stereo headsets for iPhone and BlackBerry
We’re pretty big fans of music here at BGR, so we can become a little scrutinizing when it comes to the headsets we use on a daily basis. What we’re looking for is a headset that can deliver clear, clean and crisp sound at all volumes (there is nothing worse than getting garbled noise when you crank it up). Sure we have a few pairs laying around HQ that we’ve grown fond of but we can still check out some new ones from time to time, right? We’ve been testing out the Platinum i-Series and the Pro i-Series buds from iHarmonix over the past week or so and to be honest, we weren’t expecting much from these mid-range buds. You know what they say about judging a book by its cover though, so hit the jump for the skinny.
Let’s start out with the Platinum i-Series. The headset’s wires are designed nicely with a thickness and coating that keeps them from getting tangled — always a good feature when you’re stuffing them into a bag or pocket. They also have an in-line microphone with a button to send/end calls and to pause music. The build quality seems good enough for the unit to last as long as your phone or MP3 player will. Unlike the Pro i-Series, these come with three different rubber earbud sets so that ears of all sizes get the perfect fit. The sound quality is definitely impressive and beats most headsets we’ve tested in the same class and price range for sure. Bass is clear and heavy without getting distorted at higher levels and you almost feel like your chest should be getting rumbled by a subwoofer. Almost. Unlike similar headsets, the bass doesn’t take away from the mids or the treble however, so the balance is damn near perfect at low or high volumes. We came away very impressed.
Call quality on the Platinum i-Series is also very good for both the iPhone 3G and on the BlackBerry we tested them with. Although the caller can sound a little on the sharp side, it wasn’t that bad and it didn’t hurt our ears. For the most part, they sounded very natural and there was little to no background noise – even outdoors. Our friends on the other side of the line said we sounded crisp and clear, but a little distant at times. While they could understand and hear us perfectly they reported that we sometimes sounded like we were on speakerphone, albeit a really good one.
Next up is the Pro i-Series and we’re a little less excited about this particular model. The overall quality of the headset itself is just as good as the Platinum, but unfortunately it doesn’t perform as well as the Platinum when compared side-by-side. When compared to other headsets in the same price range, it is definitely above average but part of the problem is the earbud attachments. They come in large and slightly larger. The memory foam earbuds, which are like earplugs you roll and put into your ears, were difficult to place in the ear canal and were very uncomfortable. The rubber earbuds were much easier and more comfortable to wear, but weren’t a perfect fit. Because we had some difficulty getting these in our ears, sound quality suffered a bit without question.
When listening to the same songs with these headsets, we noticed that we had to turn up the volume a bit more to get the same effect as the Platinum series. However, once the volume started going up the sound started to become muddled. Of course, it probably isn’t best for your ears to listen to music that loud, but if you wanted to drown out outside noise so you can enjoy your music in a loud environment, it might sound a little distorted. Call quality is just as good as the Platinum series and has the same mic button, too. Actually, when listening to callers on the iPhone, they sounded a little better through the headsets than they did on the phone’s earpiece. Voices sounded natural and clear with little noise in the background and our friends said the same on their end.
So, are the iHarmonix earbuds worth it? At $59.95 for the Platinum and $39.95 for the Pro we definitely say yes for both — with the caveats that 1. your ears have to be the right size for the Pro i-Series to work out well and 2. you don’t need to get up near max volume, ever. For the money, it’s pretty tough to beat the Platinum i-Series and it’s definitely worth forking over the extra $20 over the Pro i-Series. The Platinum was just way more impressive — to the point where we think we’re going to keep them around for daily use.
iHarmonix Platinum product page
iHarmonix Pro product page
First!
I’m deaf in one ear.
Any of those stereo sets come all wired to one earbud?
Thanks!
Nicee!
Shameless product endorsement. Hopefully there are not too many of these.
I can’t say that I’ve heard of these ear buds, but I have been rocking some Skullcandy iPhone full metal jackets and I think they sound great! Plus the mic sounds good and the button works well with the iPhone’s iPod function.
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone) at: Tempe United States
My other earphones literally shat themselves a few days ago! I’m defenatley going to give these a go.
@ scott
im right there with you with the skullcandies i just need to find some replacements for the gel they sent me ….i tend to lose just one of everything lol
@Carl E – Shameless product endorsement? Are you serious? This is what blogs do, they review products, give their opinions and spend money so YOU don’t have to.
This is also a good way (Besides advertising) to make extra cash to keep the blog you enjoy reading up and alive. Its not free running these things you know.
Cool..although I am quite happy with the Blackberry Bold headphones..
This is good. Music is my life and until i become deaf it will always be. lol
@scott @champ22 Actually, I was using the Skullcandy headsets up until we got these (they are really good and very inexpensive). This is definitely a step up, but I haven’t gotten rid of my Skullcandy headsets yet….
Sorry but Skullcandy are pure marketing especially for the price. Lusted for a while until I heard real ‘phones.
For PURE music (3.5mm) listening buds use Klipsch Custom 3 they are THE best. Very $$$ & no in-line mic (SHURE MPA-3C can add-on a mic) but simply cannot be beat. (will admit some people prefer the fit of the SHURE line, se420, & se530 in particular)
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For more cost conscious users & those that require an integrated mic, the Sennheiser MM 50 series are hard to beat.
Sennheiser MM 50-IP (for any 3.5mm, don’t let iPhone scare you off)
Sennheiser MM 50 (for 2.5mm)
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I used to sell all these and many more (V-moda, Plantronics, Sony, etc) so I have a pile of first hand experience & plenty of customer reactions to go on here.
Just bought the Shure SE 530’s a few days ago to use with iPhone and the sound quality is phenomenal. Buy the adapter if you want play/pause etc control. Was able to get them through a Friends of Apple program from Shure for 1/2 price which made it a no brainer. Have 3 drivers- 2 woofers and a tweeter and DJ’s tell you that they’re hands down the best thing out there.
@ Fetus
if your going to call first, maybe you should say something intelligent too… just a thought
Is this were I leave a comment so I can win a pair?
sounds really good. now i better get my ass and working and get some money go get these
Good day everyone!
I agree with jsok, the ones that came with the Bold aren’t bad, especially for free.
Sound quality isn’t as good as my shure’s, but the shure’s are strictly earbuds.
Can’t believe no one has mentioned the HF2 / HF5 ‘phones from Etymotic. Fantastic noise isolation and sound reproduction. None of the fake pumped up bass like on many other sets. I literally hear parts of the music with these that I don’t via any other speakers or headphones.
I’ve needed a set of good new headphones for my iPhone for a while. I think I might have to try these…