Creative EP-630 In-Ear Headphones Reviews

• pretty good - NOT exactly the same as the Sennheisers

  
  By A37G6DC85XFUHJ on 2007-05-12
  These headphones were purchased as an extra set, so that I wouldn't take my Sennheiser CX 300B phones back and forth to work.
  I thought they might be rebranded Sennheisers, since they looked so similar. They're not. The silicon earbud covers aren't quite as smooth, and the plastic of the driver housing is stamped with a different number. (They do l ook like they were made in the same factory.)
  Sound quality is not quite as good, but it's not off by much.
  
  Anyway, almost as good as the 300B's, and less money.
  
  

• Great headphones

  
  By A2LWN9JS5SL5XN on 2007-03-18
  After enduring the standard Apple headphones for over a year, I decided to upgrade and I'm really glad I did. These are without question the best in-ear headphones I've ever heard. I have even tried the $100 Bose headphones and still prefer these. Although the bass is about equal on both, these have a much clearer sound and actually fit in my ear. Highly recommended.
  
  

• a lot of sound for the investment..

  
  By AS9QM3HF53TN8 on 2007-04-30
  I have been buying ear canal phones recently and unwilling to pay the big bucks, I have targeted phones in the sub $75 range. These diminutive little guys have a very good sound. The low end is tight and not at all exaggerated. The mids and highs are surprisingly smooth compared to the competition and I find myself able to listen for extended periods without fatigue. Sibilance is often times an issue with inexpensive phones but not with these. I have owned them for just a short time so cannot comment on their durability. They seem small and perhaps even fragile but quality of construct seems very good. The only thing I would have preferred is a more substantial cord. This is one of those small gauge limp numbers and tangling could be an issue. But for $24 folks, you can't go wrong. The previous negative comments regarding these phones are unwarranted. You can buy them with confidence.
  
  

• randron

  
  By A17KP8THH33QU4 on 2007-02-23
  I read a lot of reviews of this item before I purchased it. I am a musician, so the quality of the sound matters to me a lot. These headphones are remarkable! There is a wonderful balance of highs, mid-range, and lows. I heard things in my music that I'd never heard before. The clarity was spectacular, the bass full and rich. My tastes are eclectic so from classical to rock to folk to jazz, the sound was excellent. I had purchased a set of Shure E2C headphones and found them to be unacceptable (very bright highs and mediocre lows). For my ears, these are just right - and comfortable, too. The noise transmitted through the cables, as noted by some, has not been a problem. I highly recommend these for the money!
  
  

• More bang for your headphone buck!

  
  By AK76KGM9RE22S on 2007-08-02
  I owned both Sennheiser CX300 and V-Moda Vibes, which are in the $60-80 price range these days, and ultimately returned both because I thought their sound was so muddy. But... I am certainly not a bass-head; clarity, detail, crispness and brightness of sound are my thing. With the Senns and the Vibes I felt like I was listening to music through a wet washcloth, and had to monkey with the EQ on my player extensively to get a sound that was comfortable for me.
  
  After returning the others, I reluctantly purchased the Creative EP630's, expecting them to be similar to the Senns (since they look almost identical). I thought maybe this is just how IEM headphones sound, and if that's the case, I'd much rather spend about a third less for the same muddy sound.
  
  As soon as I got them out of the box, plugged them into my iRiver Clix2 and fired up some music, I was simply BLOWN AWAY. To each his/her own, but these cans deliver EXACTLY the sound I had been looking for, without having to obsess with EQ. Crisp, rich detail with a smooth balance across the spectrum of lows, mids and soaring highs. I am hearing subtleties and nuances in my music I never knew existed, with an expansive soundstage for this price class. And all this for about a third of the cost of their competitors.
  
  Serious bass-heads will likely be disappointed with these, but they are perfect for me. At this price, I am seriously considering buying another set or two as backup or in case these become discontinued.
  
  This is one case where inexpensive does not equal CHEAP.
  
  Excellent product, highly recommended.
  
  
• Deep and clear bass, works best with X-fi
  By A3OOQH73VQ97VN on 2007-12-27
  It has a deep and clear bass. Details are also clearer than standard ear buds. I tried it with Creative Zen Wav 2GB and I notice improvement especially with the bass. Details are also more noticeable. It also blocks away external noise. I got in in Singapore for S$45 at Creative HQ and I think it is worth the money. When combined with X-fi Extremegamer soundcard's headphone out jack, it is closest to perfect, almost the best music you can get today, possibly second to Aurvana X-fi headphones. It basically works with any standard headphone audio jack, including Zen and Ipod players.
  
  
• creative vs sony vs coby: fantastic
  By A1EFVTUYCEZEK on 2008-04-10
  I had the sony ex51's, which had a great balanced sound but after a year the volume decreased on them (had to turn up volume much more than before on player to hear). Tried the coby's that supposedly are the same as jbuds but are much cheaper in price - they were very muddy compared with the sony's balanced sound; and the increased bass didnt make up for the loss in quality of sound. Then I looked at the sennheiser cx300's, only to discover (via the reviews and various online forums) that:
  
  -supposedly, creative ep630's, sennheiser cx300's, and sharp md41's all come off the same assmebly line in japan, made by some company called fosters, and differ not in their internals but in things like cord length and etc. I found this info on so many sites (some with a lot of details on this) that I think it may well be true. I also found reviews where poeple compared these and did not find any substantial differences in sound quality, etc. However the creatives are of course much cheaper than the sennheisers. The sharp MD41's I couldnt find anywhere, even on ebay.
  
  -on ebay there are a lot of knockoffs of the creative ep-630 as well as the sennheiser cx300s - there is a lot of info on this as well online, where people have even listed ebay sellers who are selling very cheap knockoffs (typically under 20 bucks for either the ep's or the cx's), and they also list the things to look for to make sure your earbuds are not knock offs.
  
  -so I went with amazon to be safe, and with the ep-630's to save money.
  
  best decision I ever made: VERY balanced sound, not muddy AT ALL; fantastic balance across the spectrum, excellent resolution and clarity; the cliche is true - you'll hear things in your music that you never heard before. In terms of balance they are like the sonys only without the low volume problem (I can turn down my mp3 player quite a bit to get teh same volume level out of the earbuds - thus saving battery as well); and also they sound *slightly* clearer to me than the sony's. Just fantastic sound. You know its a great sound when you turn your equalizer OFF because you simply dont need it - the balance in the sound is that great; no compensation is necessary from your mp3 player.
  
  Bass is natural sounding, mids and highs are well balanced, not shrill or tinny at all; balance is the key concept here; no muddiness, just clarity. If you are experiencing anything but balance and clarity just turn off your equalizer.
  
  With these on, your music will inspire your heart and soul once again. They're that good.
  
  
• SKIP THESE - NO GOOD!
  By A1JB8SR5F0SOX1 on 2007-05-17
  I have an iPod Nano and the earbuds that came with it got stepped on. I thought I'd up the already decent (albeit slightly tinny) sound quality of those. I bought a pair of Sony High Performance earbuds ($35 at BJs) and they stunk.
  
  These CREATIVE LABS EP-630 earbuds were even worse! They have way to heavy bass (distorted and fuzzy) and the vocals and high tones get lost. It's mush! MUD! They also have the stethescope effect (make noise as they brush up aginst clothing, etc.) and they whistle in the wind a bit. The silicon is not so great...you have to put them too deeply into your ear canal, which only makes them sound more distorted.
  
  PASS ON THESE!
  
  
• Great quality headphones
  By A1T0SGTJAWHRMZ on 2007-12-27
  To start off, I think its important to mention that I did not buy these headphones, but got them in a package with the Dell laptop I purchased.
  
  Initial Thoughts: Initially, I was extremely disappointed with these headphones. I had never used in-ear headphones before and did not know how to use them or what the appropriate way to wear them was. Because I was used to regular ear buds from an iPod, I hung these in my ear and music sounded terrible. After an hour or so, I could not find instructions anywhere and just gave up on them.
  
  Current Thoughts: I decided to take these to Hawaii with me and give them a second chance. The package comes with three ear bud sizes and I decided to wear the small ones because I could not get the medium ones to sit properly. The quality sounded great on my flight but because of my inexperience using the headphones, it started hurting my ear after 4 hours. (Its possible this discomfort was due to placing the ear buds too far into the ear canal or not being used to the headphones)
  Later in my trip, I placed the medium sized buds on the headphones and found the optimal placement and position for my ear. What a difference this made. I could hear the magnificent bass these headphones produced and experienced the great pseudo-noise-canceling. I heard nothing from the outside while wearing these headphones and heard details in songs I have never heard before. The wires are very thin and flexible, never getting in the way. Also, the headphone plug is very short (about .75") and helps when getting into tight places or not interfering with objects. This product is nicely boxed with a convent carrying pouch which easily fits both the headphones and ear buds. I can now wear these for 5 hours with no discomfort. This is just another great Creative product.
  
  Pros:
  - Great bass and sound quality
  - Small form factor of everything
  - Different ear bud sizes
  - Price
  
  Cons:
  - Needs getting used to
  
  These are my first pair of in-ear headphones and would recommend it to everyone. The value is perfect and would buy another pair in a heartbeat.
  
  
• Best in ear headphones by far
  By A3DPOSE819MJFK on 2007-03-22
  Let me first start off by saying that I had my doubts about the earphones because creative isn't exactly known for earphones. I use these with my first gen ipod nano, and they sound great. I had originally used the Sony in ear fontopia phones before this one, but after just 3 months the cord of the sony earphone started fraying and after another 2 months most of the wire was showing through. I debated whether to splurge for the bose triports or take a chance with these. Thankfully my friend had the triport, and I wasn't that impressed by it. the bass was overwhelming and the mid range sounds were muffled by it.
  
  So after ordering these I was EXTREMELY suprised at how good they sounded. These earphones have just the right amount of bass, fit well, and the cord's build quality is very sturdy.
  
  Compared to my old sony fontopia's these are the clear winner. The creative's have deeper and richer bass, and the wires don't fray.
  
  Compared to the Boss triport ie's, the creative has a better fit, cost less, and don't have the overwhelming bass problem. As such I'm giving these a 5 out of 5...awesome all around.
  
  
• They shouldn't be selling this product
  By A1RX8TB1DEWRO2 on 2007-03-25
  This product is substandard. Used them for a day and now I'm returning them.
  
  The audio quality seems as though it would be really good. The only problem is that the construction of the phones promote that stethoscope sound from transmitting whenever the wires encounter vibrations (i.e. when you move). This problem makes them all but unusable unless you are completely still while using the headphones.
  
  Unless you only plan on using these headphones while sitting on the couch, do not bother to buy them. You will only be disappointed.
  
  Poor product, sending mine back and I'll stay away from Creative from now on.
  
  
• One word, WOW!
  By AWCLRDJBR16M1 on 2007-04-09
  These earbuds (if you can call them that) are the most comfortable, best sounding, highest quality set I have ever had the pleasure of owning. Standard earbuds simply don't compare. Soundstage is great (yes, you actually get a soundstage with these), the compressed, bottled up sound quality you get with standard earbuds is completely gone, bass response is unbelievable for such a small driver (be careful, you eardrums WILL meet in the middle!). The only small gripe I have is that you get a bit of cord noise, but that is the case with all in-ear types anyway, and with time you learn to minimize it. I don't recommend driving or riding your bike with these in, you really do get lost in the music. Basically, if I could give them 6 stars I would, they are worth twice what I paid. HIGHLY recommended.
  
  
• Earbuds are great but... I wouldn't buy these again...
  By A2LYL22FUPZUDY on 2007-04-10
  Honestly, these earphones have great sound and everything said in the reviews about needing low volume and picking up the most subtle background tone in the music is absolutely true. I heard things in songs I didn't even know were there before! But...!!
  
  I have a major major problem with this set and I'd never recommend them to anyone. Mostly, the soft rubber/plastic/whatnot they used to coat the cords has almost a 'sticky' catching quality to them. It's soft and feels good to the touch, but they 'catch' on *everything*!! Coats, buttons, clothing, etc. - and all that does is serve to pull the buds out of your ears. Constantly. Very very annoying.
  
  Sorry - I love 'em, but they gotta go. Looking for a new pair... *sniff*
  
  
• ........WOW........
  By A15W4VDSTQJ8HB on 2007-05-26
  i bought these headphones and i was more than satisfied. i love them, the bass is the best, i listen to hip hop, rap, reggaeton, and a lot of music that just has a lot of bass and these are the best headphones for that. i take the train a lot and every time the train comes i don't even hear it, i have to make sure to look up and check if the train is there cuz if not then I'll miss it. forget about buyin a $50 pair of sony headphones, or $100 pair of bulky bose headphones, these are as good or maybe even better than those. WARNING: DONT CROSS THE STREET WITH THESE ON FULL BLAST WITH YOUR IPOD!!! i warned u so if something happens, I TOLD YOU SO!!!
  
  
• These buds aren't duds
  By AHNFR9C3UAO9Z on 2007-10-18
  When I set out to find new headphones, I wanted to buy a pair that were 1) better than my stock iPod phones, 2)blocked out external noise from traffic while running or cycling, and 3) masked annoying music piped into my gym. These headphones served those purposes well. When you load these things into your ear, it shuts out a significant amount of the outside world. You're left hearing your music in a much more intimate circumstance - kind of like those teenage days when I would close the door to my room and listen to my high quality audio equipment in my chair which was positioned in the "sweet spot" of the room. The stereo separation is really good, so you can hear detailed things going on in both ears on well-mixed recordings. In addition, with side-by-side tests on your old earphones and these, there is a significant amount of low bass extension for their size. I'll admit that the mid's and high's might not be as bright as the open-air headphones, nothwithstanding the low-mid-high combination is still pretty good when played flat through a shuffle. I guess the only thing about these headphones that might be a downer is the stethoscope effect. If you are bouncing around while exercising (like running for instance) then you can hear the cord bouncing around in your ears. And when I'm working a hill real good on my bike, I can hear my heavy breathing. But overall, a great pair of headphones for the price and I give them a 5-star for value. I'm sure there are better buds out there, but they'll cost you 3 to 4 times more.
  
  
• An amazing bargain.
  By A1MR02VOGWQISS on 2007-04-01
  I just recently bought a new EP-630 and frankly, I believe it is THE bargain out there for in-ear headphones that belies its low price.
  
  The noise isolation is flat-out amazing, and both the bass and treble sound quality brings out details that normal earbud headphones totally miss. In fact, if you want anything for an in-ear headphone that sounds better than the EP-630 you probably have to spend at least US$100, more than three times the price of this Creative model.
  
  
• Great sound, decent isolation, sticky cord
  By A2DP4PT93L6DZ9 on 2007-04-15
  I agree with another reviewer that the cord on these headphones is pretty annoying. It feels like tire rubber so the cord is hard to wrap around things and is always twisted and sticking to things. The sound quality is very good. The noise isolation is good but for noise isolation headphones its not so great. Read reviews of other more expensive models and you'll see comments like "don't cross the street with these". You don't see comments like that hear. They block some noise but you can definitely hear whats going on around you.
  
  
• they're good
  By A3JPPJ5IO6PK2J on 2007-05-14
  I was mowing my lawn listening to my ipod with the ear buds it came with and I could barely here my jams (this is at maximum volume)...then I did it again with these ear buds and man did it dampen outside noise...I could really hear my music and I didn't even have to have the volume all the way up! One problem is they fall out of my ears and that gets annoying; and when I try to really stick them in it hurts my earholes...Overall I think they kick butt all hardcore and poop!
  
  
• Good...until they stop working....
  By AG49KQGQN1QXH on 2007-10-15
  So...I love these...they block out annoying noises. BUT..they stop working randomly. I've owned 2 pairs and both had the same pattern. One side stopped working..then the other. You have to play with the cord to get the sound to continue and you just end up getting annoyed. Both started doing this after a few months. I'm going to something else....
  
  
• Great sound but cord needs improvement
  By AY0A2J69TBB29 on 2007-10-16
  I bought these to replace the headphones included with my Sansa flash player. The sound is excellent. I have compared them extensively with my Sennheiser PX-100's and these win hands down. I still like the PX-100's because they're more convenient at times, but the bass of the EP-630's coupled with their noise blocking give them the nod.
  They're not perfect, however. For listening on the go I much prefer headphones with asymmetrical cords; they stay out of the way better and don't snag on everything in sight like these do. The plug has just about come off of my pair due the the frequent snags. Next time I'll spring for the more expensive and similar Sennheiser CX-300's because of the cord issues I have had with these.
  If you're just interested in good sound, however, these are unbeatable at this price.
  
  
• Amazing for the price
  By AYNZ3XEWTG2FD on 2007-03-31
  These are AMAZING headphones for the price. I've had a lot of in-ear headphones but these are the hands-down winners. Outstanding clarity and balance from low to mid to high and a comfortable fit to top it all off. I couldn't be happier. Highly recommended.
  
  
• Good Quality and not to expensive
  By ASNAQWGFJ4H7M on 2007-04-04
  I found these headphones to work great and compared them with 2 other in ear-bud headphones and the Creative EP-630 were louder and much more clear. The 2 other headphones were a cheap pair of $10 ones and the Sony in ear-bud ones. The Creative were about equally clear with the sony's but were louder.
  
  
• Satisfied Customer
  By A3R94TMK77ELD7 on 2007-06-10
  I received the headphones faster than I was told I would. Outstanding quality of headphones!
  
  
• Very Good Deal
  By A1DMPDQZO9FO88 on 2007-07-20
  At first I was worried that these headphones would be a waste of money since from the pictures available they look less appealing than other headphones(I've owned some pretty awful headphones) but I was pleasantly surprised that they have a high sound fidelity. More so than the Sony Fontopia which I owned prior to these. It is more than worth the price they sell at considering it has such a clear sound. I would recommend these to those who want decent audio without spending more money on their headphones than their MP3 players.
  
  
• Little Bud, Big Sound
  By A318WIT78R92NF on 2007-07-29
  These ear buds get my highest recommendation. You can not beat the price / quality ratio. They are tiny enough to sink deap into your ear, delivering whatever message you choose with very clean sound. What more can I say, If you want the real "In ear" ear bud, look no further.
  
  
• Good, if you don't mind low volumes.
  By A3HIHNPK4GY0DO on 2007-10-03
  I bought these over a month ago, and had them for three days, before my cats got a hold of them. The sound quality was okay, if you could get the EQ just right. But I noticed that the higher the volume is, the more prominent a hissing sound on top of high end sounds. Not for blasting, but a good 'phone otherwise.
  
  
• One of the best....but still has its flaws
  By A3Q3R7L2GQQB94 on 2007-10-27
  well i bought these earphones becuz of so many recommendations from other online users from a mp3 player website....and i've got to say i am enjoying the excellent sound quality these headphones provide...with these headphones its a complete new experience its almost like ur rite there in front of the artist singing the song...the bass is just right and doesnt over do it like other headphones....and the best thing is it fits perfectly in my ear!
  well nothing is perfect and these headphone are no exception....
  some of the minor flaws it has are...
  
  1)if there is heavy wind blowing u could most probably hear in the headphones...yeah i said IN the headphones....i dunno the how that works but thats just how it is...but once u get music goin u wont even notice it..
  
  2) sometimes if u give it a little tug while its in your ears it comes off in such an annoying way that i just had to put it on here....
  
  but once again thats when i wuz an amateur with these headphones...once u realize its tru capabilities you'll have a whole new experience in listening to music....i say go ahead and buy it....for $30 u wont find a better deal than this for quality headphones
  
  
  
• Decent Sound, but too air tight! Hurts my ears...
  By AZ11H01TNUC7P on 2007-12-08
  I bought these headphones, had them for only 1 day and returned them for refund.
  
  Sound is good, nothing special though...
  
  My main problem is once you put these in your ear they are air tight and when you pull them out of push them in it pushes and pulls on your ear drum, I find this very uncomfortable. I was using them at work and I am constantly putting them in and out when someone was talking to me or I needed to get up and do other things. I did try other sizes of ear pieces (the ones provided and even others) but when it's too loose it loses sound quality.
  
  I much prefer the Sony MDR-EX71 headphones, they are very similar except they have small holes in the back of the ear piece which allow for ventilation, while the silicone ear piece is sealed in your ear the air can escape through the tiny holes in the back of the ear piece.
  
  I would not recommend these headphones to anyone...
  
  
• epic buds
  By ADN8BLXTP77G0 on 2008-03-25
  These are the most fantastic pieces of equipment I've ever arbitrarily dropped $30 on. Trust those review websites, people! This is the real f**kin' deal. Audiophiles don't joke when they say these are easily worth the price. It's like being in your own little world with these on in your ears. I'll be upgrading soon but jeez these will be long used (for my daily trips to and from school). They're great for exercise as well. Just be prepared to get used to the 'in-ear' feeling. They remind me of earplugs in that respect.
  
  
• Musician review
  By A2TGBM2V44UYW0 on 2007-04-01
  I read all the reviews before purchasing these which is more than the 5 listed here. I am in a 7 piece R&B/Funk/Variety band and use these with my IEM system. So far, I am really loving them. The clarity of sound throughout all ranges has been great. They do have the noise thing that is referred to in other posts but once you turn on the volume, that completely goes away. After purchasing my IEM system, I could not afford the high dollar ear buds and these are doing the trick nicely so far. I may upgrade in the future but for now, these are great.
  
  

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