NICEHCK EB2 1DD Earbuds 14.8mm PEK Diaphragm Dynamic Drive Unit Earphone 3.5mm Audio Plug with Sliver Plated Cable HiFi Headset (3.5mm, Sliver)

I did not expect to like these very much. This was a purpose-driven purchase. But I found that this form factor fills a need for me that I never expected. As a musician, I've always been at least lightly interested in audio gear, but I've been in a bit of a Head-FI fueled rabbit hole for just over 2 years now. I started with cheap in-ear monitors (IEMs) from various Chinese companies due to all the raving and ranting about them on Head-Fi. I'm not actually a huge fan of IEMs and generally prefer over or on-ear headphones, but I have a lot of trouble with finding over-ears that fit my small head and don't cause pain somewhere. I'm able to find on-ears that fit well and it had become my preferred form factor, but even those after a time wear on my ears a bit. And IEMs are also just a lot more portable and easy to store. I finally landed on IEMs and eartips that work for me (big fan of Spinfits and Mandarines) and then eventually landed on on-ear headphones that also worked for me and I was done wasting money on audio. Or, I thought I was done. I bought a Creative X3 DAC/AMP for the now endless Zoom calls and was surprised how much I liked it. But I didn't like having IEMs in my ears for hours in a row and I didn't really want to wear my on-ears all day, either. Then I remembered how much I like my Galaxy Buds Live because they don't go in the ear canal and just sit comfortably outside it. So I went back to Head-Fi in search of some earbuds because I figured they would be more comfortable for hours of use. And I was totally right about that. I started with these earbuds and again, I was really surprised at how much I liked them. They are comfortable to wear for hours at a time (stem down or stem up), but they also sound better than I expected them to. So many reviewers say that earbuds have no bass in comparison to most IEMs or regular headphones, but these have plenty of bass for my purposes. I've even watched movies with these using my X3 on SXFI mode (another thing I expected to hate and didn't) and the experience was really way better than I expected. Something about the openness of earbuds combined with fake simulated surround sound works for me in certain scenarios. And so I'm back in the rabbit hole again, seeking to see if spending money on better earbuds with interchangeable connectors will be worth the spend. But in the end, I really like these earbuds. I do wish they had removable cables. No, they aren't as resolving or as detailed as my best IEMs and headphones. But they are more comfortable than all of them and they sound good enough that I'm more than happy with them. They are great for spoken word and movies (esp. with the X3), but they are also good enough for casual music listening. When I'm serious about getting the last drop of detail out of my FLAC files or Tidal Masters I would then switch to a better set. But otherwise, I'm very happy with these and I hope they last for a long time.

Love these so much that I bought two. Nice airy highs and big coherent soundstage. A bit bass shy but takes EQ very well. Best of all it’s small and can sleep using them on my side.

If these were shaped closer to the original iphone earpods, they'd be perfect for this price. Otherwise I'd say, depending on your ear shape, if you are walking around with them, even with the foam earphone covers on, they have a tendency to creep out.

For a classical, jazz, or vocal based music lovers, these buds can be a very good listening tool. I discover new nuances from the same music I used to listen to. I own Sony MDR-7506 and Sennheiser HD-600 for my listening but I don't get to fetch them daily because of the relative bulkiness when I have a prolonged listening while reading books, writing things, etc.I think these EB2 buds just entered the same market as B&O A8 (or newer 3i) who wants a clinical clear mids and highs.There are two things that can help enjoying these gems. First, it needs a bit of burn-in. After an hour of listening at a moderate loudness already loosened up a bit on the base. Sound is more coherent and integrated. Second, it needs the sponge cover on to improve the fit on the ear. It might be a personal preference, but without the sponge sleeve/cover the sound is too clinical and the unit can be too cold to touch in the ear.I hope this get better reviews and get more affordable eventually. I got this from an eBay seller shipping from HK, but more and more seller should be convinced this units have a market in US.----- UPDATE (11/18/19) -----I just got my airpods pro and it really disappoints me that I still come back to these earbuds for the joy of listening. airpods pro has tons of base and really good noise cancellation that makes the ambient noise disappear, but EB2 makes whatever I am listening to more appealing.