Onkyo IE-FC300 In-Ear Headphones, Red

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This reviewer currently has three pairs of Shure earphones, the E3 Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones and SE425 Shure SE425-V Dual High-Definition MicroDriver Earphone with Detachable Cable (Metallic Silver), and a mic equipped older version of the the SE215 Shure SE215-CL Sound Isolating Earphones. Of course the preference is for the more expensive SE425. The Shure E3 has a bit more treble bias. The SE215 is mostly used for phone calls and in a pinch for music; they seem a bit dull compared to the other Shures. Both the E3 and SE425 sound great, providing good definition at all frequencies and sound levels. Additionally all have great isolation properties due to the fact that well fitting earplug options do block out much outside sound. Now the Onkyo IE-FC300(R) at a lower price point comes along.

Out of the box the Onkyo earphones (or "in ear headphones") come with a durable black oval shaped carry case which contains three sizes of soft rubber covers for the earphones in addition to the pair already installed on the FC300. Most noticeable is the red connector cord. The cord is flat and these types of cords are naturally tangle resistant; something very much appreciated for those who hate untangling things. Simply letting gravity untangle cords is a glorious thing!

The earphones themselves have a piano black finish, with a metal silver tip and Onkyo branding on the body. They are marked L and R.

Onkyo must have recognized a weak point in some earphones can be the connection between the cord and the earphones; for this user, hard wired phones have failed and the entire unit needs to be sent back. Additionally, a removable cord can make a microphone option available, so listening and talking on the phone are seamless. (This Onkyo FC300 does not come with a microphone). With a hard and satisfying click the Onkyo connects securely to the earphone. As for durability, this connection could fail or generate noise or static when moved, and time will tell. The same doubts existed when the Shure SE425 was received, and that unit has lasted over a year now with no connection issues or detectable noise with movement.

Over a week, for 3 hours a day, these earphones were tested in mostly quiet highway drives with a variety of music on an ipod running 256+ kps and ALAC music. This user has preferred over the ear use with the Shure earphones, and after spending some time with the Onkyo in this same over the ear listening configuration, found that the under ear position seems to provide better fit and isolation. This may be due to the relative size or configuration of the Onkyo earphones with a slightly more elongated shape and definite fixed position of the earphone itself. In any case, most users will find a position and earphone cover that will satisfy proper fit.

Listening to orchestral music (eclectic Art Zoyd) with multiple violins the definition and rich quality of the FC300 was noticeable. Bass oriented Meat Beat Manifesto with some super deep (normally) room filling low frequencies showed that it is possible to feel and hear these sounds with an "in ear headphone". No distortion was heard even at much higher volumes during short tests. There are no outstanding or obvious frequency boosts or biases with seemingly smooth response over the listenable range. This was surprising in this price point, as these phones definitely sounded like a more expensive unit, not SE425, but for the price point, very competitive.

Sound isolation was acceptable. Over time, this user has grown accustomed to the fit of the Shure phones and found that sweet spot for both insertion and size of cover that provides optimal isolation. (In fact, and as indicated in a prior review, this isolation can beat out active noise reduction during air travel). The FC300 did let some road noise in. Letting the phones hang down rather than over the ear helped reduce noise further. Again, over time and maybe with trying some other size covers, most users should be able to find an optimal sweet spot.

If there was a weakness of the Onkyo FC300 it might be that it is almost too stylish and visible. Most earphones have an ability to disappear during use but that is next to impossible with the larger size and visible red cord with the FC300. This is probably nit-picking considering that many listeners now use much larger headphones for personal and portable listening, in addition to the brighter colors being presented not only for headphones but also other earphones.

Summing it up, the Onkyo FC300 in ear headphones provide wonderful balanced listening in a competitive price point. The FC300 sounds more expensive than it is, and is recommended for people shopping in this price point.

Plus:

Balanced sound

Surprisingly strong bass response

Great tangle resistant cord

Break resistant connection from cord to earphone

Multiple options for different size ears

Good fit when hanging down

Stylish

Minus:

A bit larger than many other brands (visible)

Stylish (!)

Noise isolation highly dependent on how well it fits

Over the ear geometry and fit works but not as good as "hang down"

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I could not be happier with this pair of in ear headphones. The sound quality is so far and above what I was expecting from an in ear headphone set. As far as sound quality they are definitely worth your money and I think they sound just as good as a full studio style set. I am constantly amazed at how well they handle some of the softer moments in jazz, but it also really opens up with some of my favorite rock albums. This is a very versatile headphone set.

I also love that these headphone cords are flat and are tangle free. One of the most frustrating experiences in life is spending 15 minutes trying to untangle those headphone wires again. With the Onkyo you can simple dangle the headphone cords down and let gravity do the work.

However, these are not the headphones for physical exercise. Unless you are sitting on an exercise bike, these ear buds will not stay in your ears.

I do highly recommend these headphones if you want to be able to enjoy a great listening experience for music or video, but these are not for you if you need headphones for the gym.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have mixed feelings about these earbuds. While they have excellent sound and seem to be constructed rather well, there are several things that make them impractical in some situations. I think they are best suited for everyday casual use, where "better" sound quality is desired.

These arrive "unassembled", which was new to me. The earbuds are actually detachable from the cable. They fit together on gold connectors. The idea is that the cable can be replaced -if you want to swap out colors or maybe if it gets damaged. It's a good thought, but it adds to the weight of the overall product.

The earbuds for these are HUGE. They fit into your ear like a normal earbud, but they have an incredibly large, oversized driver to deliver great bass (which they do), but as a result, these are heavy on (or "in", if your prefer) your ears. I do find that the rubber tips hold the securely in my ears, as long as I'm not moving around much. They are bigger -they look bigger, they feel bigger, and they are heavier. Keep this in mind.

I don't like the cable. The cabling is flat, which is supposed to prevent tangling and kinking, but honestly I don't think it's that much of an improvement. Like normal cables, it starts in a single cable, then has a plastic block after which the cable splits into the separate "L" and "R" channels. I feel like the cable itself is heavy. I like to think of the material and feel like a non-elastic rubberband. I've found it can still twist in awkward ways, and the cable ends up transferring a LOT of sound to the earbuds. If the cable moves against your shirt, you will hear it. Because the earbuds are already heavy, the additional weight of the cabling (including the center block), makes you realize you are wearing headphones.

However, from a sound-quality perspective, I really like these. The bass is probably the best -yes, the best -I've ever heard in an earbud, and I've tried many of the last couple of years. The midrange (especially vocals) are clean, and the treble remains crisp but perhaps not as "bright" as I prefer. They seem extremely well-balanced. I listen to a lot of different types of music, and I would rank these among the best "over the ear" headphones that I have used. They close off sound from the outside (isolate noise), but unfortunately noise transfer from the cable frustrates me.

They can be driven rather loudly with no distortion, but they seem to require a higher volume setting than other earbuds I use. This may be because they have a bigger driver. I can turn the volume up all the way on my media player with no distortion.

From a use perspective, don't expect to do any physical activity with these. They will not stay in your ears, and the noise transferred by the cable to the earbuds (think "string and cup telephone"!) is extremely distracting. These are good for sitting still, walking about (marginally), and listening to music critically. If high-quality sound is desired, give these a try.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Fairly cool looking earphones, but certainly not something that you can "hide" while wearing. Comes with 4 sets of rubber adapters for your ears, I found the ones already attached to work well for me. Noise isolation is pretty good while these are comfortably seated in my ears. The pop off connectors attach very securely and tightly, never had one disconnect by itself so far. The cord is flat style, which is tangle resistant actually a great feature when you'd rather not fumble around with unfurling your earphones and just want to get to listening to music right away.

Of course the earphones do a great job of sound reproduction. I tried classical to rock/pop & heavy power music and found them to be quite clear. Highs, mid-range, and bass all come out distinctly. It was a pleasure to listen to music with them.

I would only buy these as "nice" earphones, since these are around $100 a set. If you tend to break or lose your earphones regularly these are probably too expensive to buy all the time even if the sound reproduction is definitely better than cheaper earphones of the $10-20 range.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I absolutely love these in-ear headphones. They are comfortable in your ear. The sound is perfect!!

The cord is flat which I believe looks better but is also great in that they do not tangle like the round wires.

They are a very nice red color for the cord and black for the earphones. You can switch the cords if you want to change color but I have not looked into buying the cords separate for the earphones yet. Great product.