Zune Premium Headphones v2 Reviews

• Excellent headphones with one small problem

  
  By A2G8UU79ZI8195 on 2008-01-23
  There are others that have spot on reviews here, but I wanted my voice and review to be heard and added. I intend to keep my review short and simple, since we are after all talking about headphones.
  
  First off, these are great sounding headphones. To echo what someone else said they don't have the overbloated bass found often in other headphones. Although, on the flip side, I would almost like a little more bass. But overall, less is more in this case. What does remain though is a nice, clean, and liquidy sound. Liquidy is a hard thing to find in a pair of headphones in this price range I feel.
  
  So whats it's one problem? While I absolutely LOVE the look and design of these headphones (including the bungie cord texture and the magnetic earbud connection) it is the one thing that causes it's flaw. And that flaw is that because of it's rough texture, if it rubs up against something you hear it transfer to the earbuds, and thus interferes with the sound. While it is noticable to tell that sound from the music, it does distract after a while.
  
  For instance, I used it while shoveling snow (that time of year)...I could hear everytime I moved. I imagine running or exercising in any way would be the same case. Now sitting still. No problem. Overall this one element brought the overall score down one star. Still an awesome and eyecatching set of earbud headphones, but not perfect.
  
  

• Excellent headphones!

  
  By ASN9ZIGQ00UOZ on 2007-11-29
  It took me 3 days to realize how to use these headphones. You have to push them in your ears and then when the rubber expands they seal your ear and create the noise reduction. The sound quality is excellent. They aren't bose in that bose creates more of a seal and blocks out about 40% more sound, BUT for $30+ bucks these are great. I've spent at leaste $75 on headphones in 2 years. This was the best choice so far. VERY COMFORTABLE. They haven't fallen out of my ears after I learned how to place them in.
  
  

• Nice in-ear headphones for a good price.

  
  By AY342XD53HFWC on 2008-01-17
  Pros:
  *movable wire splitter to keep the headphones together when not in use
  *has a fabricated cover (instead of rubber over the wires)
  *magnatized earpieces
  *comfortable
  *different sized rubber coverings
  *comes with a bag (with a magnetic close)
  *has a removable stretchy pink thing (i wrap the headphones around my zune and put the eapieces through it to keep them from coming undone)
  *very noise-cancelling
  
  Cons:
  *if the wire rubs against you while they are in, it makes a noise, but when you listen to music you can't really hear it
  *they are very noise-cancelling, yes this was a pro too but it can be annoying because you cant talk at the same time (this is true for all headphones), but you can take one out and stick it to the other with the magnet and that works fine
  
  Bottom Line:
  These are very nice headphones for the price (a few of my friends have commented on how nice they are too).
  I would highly recommend them.
  
  

• Sounds good, but is it really better?

  
  By A33H2KV2YT3OY on 2007-11-21
  I recently purchased the Zune Premium Headphones v2 after an accident destroyed my old head phones (but luckily left my Zune completely in tact). I specifically was looking for the magnetic headphones and so far these Premium headphones have lived up to their name. With several different sizes to fit the ear, it is easy to mix and match until you get that comfortable fit. Plus the sound quality is noticeably better, not only when plugged into my Zune, but also when plugged into a computer.
  
  But is it worth the price? Probably not. I like to keep one headphone in my ear with the other one magnatized and although I can do that with these headphones their larger size and overall bulky-ness makes is difficult to keep them from coming apart of falling out of my ear when I move around. Also although the connectors do fit more easily into my ear than the old headphones, the rubber doesn't feel as nice as the cloth slip-overs.
  
  If they sold the original headphones I would reccomend getting them over these, but since they don't this is a good alternative.
  
  

• great for the price!

  
  By A35P5047I80690 on 2008-01-18
  I saw a friend with these and decided to give them a try, even though i am not a zune owner. Was very pleased to find them for sale on amazon and was amazed at the price. I have owned A LOT of ear bud headphones in search of the best possible pair. While I have owned better headphones (my shure e4's may be the best) you can not find a better pair of headphones for the price.
  
  the only thing that stopped this from getting 5 stars is the cloth cable. While they are attractive an stay cleaner and less knotted up that the typical black plastic cable, they transmit a lot of noise as they move across your clothes. was more distracting initially, but i've learned how to avoid moving the cable too much.
  
  bottom line: great sound and comfortable fit and priced to make them an excellent choice.
  
  
• I'm glad they were free
  By AICGWPW6WRA5U on 2008-03-30
  I have never left a review on anything, but these headphones are awful!!!! I got them free with he purchase of my Zune (which I love). The sound quality is great if you do not move. I push them in to form the seal. If you move around and the cord touches anything. It sound like you are using a stethoscope.
  
  I can not wear them when I run on the treadmill. They fall out every 2 seconds and when They stay in I can even hear the song, because of the sound I described earlier. If you plan on using these headphone and not moving at all they are great.
  
  
• Best deal for the price
  By A2SVE0ICO6DV55 on 2007-12-20
  Ok, let me first start by saying I have owned 20+ set's of headphones or earphones over the last 10 years. I listen 4+ hours a day to them so I have a little more than average experience with this stuff. These Zune earphones are by far the most bang for your buck. I hate the cheap bass sound that most earphones put out and these are not like that. The sound is rich and pure. I have owned Bose, Sure, Sony, Denon and by far these are my favorite. I had the version 1 earphones and they quit working after 6 months (my fault from rough use) and I upgraded to these. It was worth the $39.00 I paid for them. I returned the Denon earphones the day that I purchased these. Save your time on the reasearch and just purchase these.
  
  
• Hollow sound with major problem
  By ARL8R2IFRD1W8 on 2008-06-09
  The cord jacket is really cool material as opposed to standard rubber/plastic. It is highly flexible, doesn't have a lot of memory and does not tangle very much. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, the material translates movement into scratching static sound. It is aweful. I can't imagine the expectations of the folks who are rating these highly. Cool look, marginal sound with major design flaw. These came with my 80gb Zune today and I am here on Amazon trying to find more headphones. Sad thing is that Zune considers these headphones to be "premium".
  
  
• Noise isolating and noice causing. Magnetic issues?
  By A367UBNZ8PADE6 on 2007-12-18
  These headphones are a cool design, but when it comes to what they are intended for (premium sound), they shoot themselves in the speaker - so to speak. The wire covering makes tooooo much noise as it rubs against clothing or anything. The rubber speaker bud is a great idea, but not when the wires create so much noise (ever played with two tin cans and a string?) that travels right into your eardrum.
  
  Also, I think the magnet is also a cool but ..what were you thinking moment. Won't this cause issues with my 80gb hard drive? Or are magnets somehow user friendly with hard drive technology these days? The 80gb zune has a metalic looking back case that is tempting to stick the magnets too, and this is another reason (2nd behind the first paragraph) why I won't use them. Not to mention if a credit card is in my pocket, etc.
  
  
• Really nice - but too much treble for me
  By A13BZIVKGDEOTC on 2008-01-10
  I bought the 2nd generation 80 gb Zune a couple of weeks ago. After doing some research beforehand, I was pretty impressed that Microsoft was willing to throw in these 40 dollar headphones along with the player (which by the way is excellent).
  
  Pros:
  I really really like the cloth wire and the magnetic ear pieces. This really reduces the tangling and it looks really nice too! The bass response is really nice, but you would except that from ear canal headphones. Overall sound is good.
  
  Cons:
  There is way too much treble for my liking. For ear canal headphones, I don't think treble should have as much emphasis as bass in general because it just irritates my head with the high pitch glass-like sounds that the treble gives. If they didn't come with the Zune I would probably never buy them, and I don't think they are worth 40 dollars.
  
  On a personal note, I really don't like ear canal headphones. I bought a pair of Sennheiser CX-300's which are pretty well known for their amazing sound. Despite the excellent sound that both these premium headphones and the CX-300's I own give, I just cannot get down with the ear canal design. If you have never owned ear canal headphones before, it would be wise to reconsider this type of design. Like many have said, it creates a seal in your ear, and this could cause some discomfort with your eardrum when you move around because its a complete seal so the air is being pushed against your eardrum. In addition when there is ANY movement on the cord you WILL hear it. Now since this is true for ALL ear canal headphones, I haven't counted it against the premium headphones. But this is just a personal irk about ear canal headphones.
  
  I currently use the Brookstone Surround Sound Earbuds to listen to my Zune (about 30 dollars). If you don't mind the ear canal design and you don't mind a bit of treble than these premium headphones would be good for you. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother.
  
  
• No tangles!
  By A2IXWE3ZAV38S on 2008-03-10
  I like these headphones. Whoever designed them came up with some innovative features that I haven't seen on other headphones. The cloth covering on the wires does a great job of keeping them from getting tangled. Most other earphones I've used have knotted up fairly easily and the rubbery texture of the cables makes them difficult to undo. The cloth covering helps prevent this. The magnets keep them from knotting up as well. I haven't seen these features on any other phones, though there are probably some out there that I don't know about. The cable does make a little noise if it rubs on something, but I haven't found this to be particularly annoying as some of the other reviewers have suggested. The sound quality is good and they seem are bit louder with my Zune than others that I've tried. I generally go through a pair of headphone every 2-3 months (usually JBL or Phillips in the 20-35 dollar range). Hopefully the zune headphones will hold up longer. The construction seems sturdy. I've had them 3 weeks now and they are holding up fine.
  
  
• Great Headphones
  By A2LH4JHOO1LB05 on 2007-12-17
  I just got these as a part of the new Zune 80 GB, second generation, and I think they're great. The only reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 is the fact that the headphone wires create too much external noise. I know there's a technical term for this...but it's just not coming to me. Simply put, if you touch/move/rub the wires, you hear it. If you're sitting still on an airplane, for example, then it's fine. But the slightest movement creates noise.
  
  So if you're an airplane traveler, these are awesome. If you're a gym goer, don't bother. These will make too much noise.
  
  The bass is fine, not as good as comparable Sony models, but good enough. They have a great fit in the ear (at least my ear). But most importantly, they have two convenient features: 1. the magnetic backs keep the two ear pieces together. I love this idea. This is probably one of the single most important inventions in earphone technology, I think. Plus, there's this plastic piece that you can pull all the way from the split wires to the base of the earphones. This feature keeps the cable neat and separate. No more untangling cables!
  
  If they didn't have that noise problem, these would've gotten a 5.
  
  
• How can too much bass be a good thing?
  By AJPQGW4NUFDRW on 2008-01-12
  TOO MUCH BASS colors all other aspect of sound.
  
  If you dig is a flood of excessive bass that kills all other aspects of music the are these buds for you.
  
  Music is made up of many frequncies. One aspect should not 'color' all the other sounds that should be heard in a pure expression.
  
  To call any ear phone set 'Premium' (no matter the cost) that cannot give a reasonably pure expression of the many aspects sound is misleading and not accurate for this item.
  
  These ear buds are far from premium.
  
  
• Excellent earphones
  By A3NUHHT13YLL94 on 2008-03-24
  Just recently purchased this product from amazon and I have to say that this is an excellent set of earphones. At first, I hesitated buying this because of the reviews regarding cable noise, but that is a flaw that can be easily overlooked. The sound quality is outstanding (Dont get me wrong... Bose is still better than this), looks: A+, and the earphones came with 4 sets of ear pieces for perfect fit. For the quality and low price.... I highly recommend this product.
  
  
• New and Improved
  By A1642Q3RGEVUGV on 2008-03-25
  The new second version of the Zune premiun headphones offers crisp clear sound in a noise cancelling design. Bass is strong, but not overpowering. Treble is crisp without being too bright or tinny sounding. These headphones come with three additional sizes of inserts to fit your ear perfectly.
  
  As far as drawbacks to this product, I've found only one. The cord for these headphones is covered in a fabric to help prevent tangling. However, when the cord rubs against your clothing, the texture of the material on the cord transmits noise through the headphones. I did not find this bothersome, but some might.
  
  Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase, and I highly recommend these headphones.
  
  
• I love them!
  By A2IWKU78NKQUA8 on 2008-07-20
  Speaking as your typical teenager (but not for long!) who loves to blast their music into their headphones, and as someone who has blown out plenty of pairs, I'm so happy that this is the first pair of heaphones where I go, "Oops! Too loud!" (It's a new experience for me.) I love them. I just got them today and put in the small size (it comes with small, medium, and large) and plugged them into my Zune.
  
  You can hear everything so clearly, even rythms that I hadn't noticed before. They're noise cancelling too. I put them in and I couldn't hear my mom talking to me, or my brother, or the TV. I'm really looking forward to getting these back to my dorm room! The little pouch is neat too, altough it would have been great if it were big enough to put the Zune in too.
  
  It also comes with a headphone clip, but I haven't quite figured out what it does, I'll let you know. When I bought them myself, someone mentioned that with the cloth-like cord you could hear a lot of movement but I've noticed that that's only if the cord slides along itself because I found myself playing with the cord, running it through my fingers, and I didn't hear anything.
  
  All in all, great heaphones, really comfortable. Believe me, I've tried a lot of them and these are the best!
  
  
• I love it!
  By A3HAEZKRVDBB32 on 2008-08-29
  I love these headphones! I've worn them walking, running, at the gym on an elliptical and it is the BEST quality ear buds I've had (and I've gone through countless from expensive to cheap)! I see a few reviews about interference when moving, I think they must have a pair that are defective.
  
  I have put these earphones through the ringer while exercising with them on and have had NO, I repeat NO, problems what so ever!
  Love em'!
  
  Now with that being said, the only issue I had is with the material around the cord, it can wear, fray, and tangle if you're not careful. BUT even with that I'd buy em' again because they sound SO good!
  
  
• I know why the wires make the scratching sound.
  By A34PEZP8SBC1KX on 2008-10-17
  I got this product today from amazon.com and I was disappointed first because I also experienced the scratching sound from the wires. I read what some of the reviewers have written about that and I thought I screwed up. There was no way I could return it because I had already opened the package.
  
  I checked reviews on the other ear buds like Sony E75 and Bose on various websites, I found out that most in-ear earbuds makes that scratching sound. It works like the stethoscope the doctors use. I guess that happens because we push the ear bud too deep into the ear canal that it gets too close to the actual Ear-drums. And every sound is thus magnified.
  
  So the solution to this problem is don't try to push the ear buds all the way into the ear canal. I don't think thats what the designers had in mind. When you use it try to keep it just slightly in. You try to find the actual depth by checking if the scratching sound is picking up or not. You will see the difference then. No scratching sounds, at the same time enjoy a great sound from the ear buds. And it gets better when you think of the price.
  
  
  
• Good value, aesthetics
  By A15VIS4LA0VGA3 on 2007-12-12
  These headphones have a pretty good sound. You can find headphones with better bass, soundstage, etc. for the same price, but these ones also have the advantage of looking really neat. The headphones magnetize to each other, reducing the amount of tangles in your pocket. In addition, the entire cable is covered in a cloth mesh, which is far less prone to tangling than the typical extruded rubbery plastic, as well as looking neat. There's a cool design engraved on the metal parts of the headphones as well.
  
  Basically, they fit well, they look cool, they sound pretty good for the price, but the fact that they are less likely to tangle makes them a lot more convenient for me, and I'm willing to overlook the slight flaws in the sound.
  
  4/5 stars since the sound could be a little bit better.
  
  
• Ear buds
  By A21IO4MT6DC86O on 2008-01-14
  Comfortable but sound quality lacking. The ear buds that came with the Zune has more bottom end. Sent them back
  
  
• Nice Headphones
  By A2PORP7LTWGNVJ on 2008-02-09
  These sound great and keep out the ambient noise quite nicely. The wires make a bit of noise when they rub but overall I am happy.
  
  
• Alright if you do not move.
  By A1KCP42CDKB64K on 2008-04-02
  I'm glad I did not have to pay for these because they would be going back. Wearing these you hear every move you make and it is very irritating so I ordered my 2nd pair of Ultimate Ears.
  
  
• Great Headphones For Senstive ears.
  By AYEG771FDKJB8 on 2008-05-12
  Great Product.
  
  I have really senstive ears, the regaulr head phones that you shove into your ears ans pray to to god himself that your ear doesnt bleed, bother me alot. they turn my red red and fall out alot.
  
  So as i was looking for fitted headphone with great sound for my zune 30 GB V1.
  
  These headphones work perfect.
  
  Pros.
  . They have four sizes that you enter into your ear that are comfortable and perfect for those of you who do not like feeling your headphones rubbing in your ear.
  
  . they channel out outside noise pretty amazingly. Where i am going to college right now they are working on the bulidings, and its a little smaller so its loud. These headphones channel out all that outside sound and you can hear your music perfect at a very low volume.
  
  . they come with a cord wrap and pouch for easy carring.
  
  . the cord is really tuff.
  
  . magnet clips for earphones
  
  cons.
  you can lose those rubber slip ons if you take them on, but they are strudy.
  
  
  
  
• Good...while it last
  By A27B5DPW8G9EG on 2008-05-16
  They arent that great, theyre just good. The quality is magnificent which to me is what really matters. The "extras" are a hassle, the "magnetic buds" don't work as great as others and the "soft fabric cable" gets annoying and somehow my little cable things got ripped so now it looks awful. I'm considering new earphones but they are good, not durable.
  
  
• Genius design
  By AGCLVTX88HK4R on 2008-08-02
  This earbuds run laps around the apple ones , of course they are not no bose nor sennheisers but for under $40 they are hard to beat, not too much bass perfect clarity and detail, magnets on the earbuds and cloth-like wiring that prevent tangling take it from me.(Own iphone,ipod classic 80,zune 80,zen 8g).
  
  
• Static Noise
  By A3IR4HR9YSYDR0 on 2008-10-11
  All the visual aesthetics of these ear plugs are great. Even the feel of the plugs in my ears was good and even the sound - if I remained perfectly perfectly motionless - is just plain excellent. Hoever, I'm not a Hutt. I move. And any movement of the cord from the V-split up to each earplug results in unlistenable scratchy static noises.
  I'm returning this. Major disappointment.
  
  
• Best in ear buds i've found
  By A37GZFICEEUTRZ on 2008-11-03
  I have bought 8 different in ear buds and have found none better than these. It is fact, in a quite enviroment, while moving around YOU WILL GET FEEDBACK ON THE EAR BUDS. Inexcapable. Still the best at blocking out external noise. Not real happy with price.
  
  
• Not premium
  By A2PKD51VNI3F0 on 2008-01-19
  Of all the head phones I've owned these are at best average. They are not any better than the ones for which I've paid $19. Not a lot of clarity.
  
  
• re: zune headphones
  By A1T3YOE3YRNEN on 2008-02-08
  I don't have any interest in buying zune, but their headphones are AMAZING. It's like having a high quality stero system in my ears. I love them!
  
  
• Zune
  By AHR2SCGDGZVXT on 2008-02-16
  If you have a Zune you ned to be prepared for anything. These have a great
  sound.
  
  

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