Lift Audio Groove Series Noise-Isolating In-Ear Headphones (Black)
by Lift Audio
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Lift Audio Groove Series Noise-Isolating In-Ear Headphones (Black)
Customer Review: You Can Do So Much Better...
Summary: 1 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
You don't often get to review products like the Lift Audio Groove Noise-Isolating In-Ear Headphone. Most things you get your hands on have redeeming qualities that you can spin into some charitable appraisal. This becomes hard with the Lift Audio Units.
They might be good enough for Lady Gaga at bleeding-ear volume while running on a treadmill, but for anything nuanced, where really accurate base and mid-range and the ability to reproduce silence count for anything, you might as well listen to your music through speakers while sitting under a wet-blanket.
Sure, they do produce sound; their casings are made of metal and they do fit in your ears, but that is pretty much all the good that is to be found in them (that is, once you've got past the crucial "made-of-solid-matter" attribute). Bad is one thing, but these headphones are a surprise: "surprise" as in, "for a valid product comparison, consider two tin cans and a wet piece of string."
Their highs are indistinct but still create an annoying brightness in places. The base notes are leaden and distant and their inability to be silent in places where the music pauses is simply unforgivable. In a sense, you could call them `deadphones': when you use them for good recordings of music with any subtlety, they crush everything good about it under the savage weight of their enormous mediocrity.
Their physical design is no less a disaster. They have no indicator of which ear each phone goes into. The wires on the headphones crinkle like half-cooked vermicelli (great for tangling) and the zipper on the ghetto-quality carrying case jammed after one opening.
I don't know how robust their construction is and I doubt I'm going to find out: I both own other headphones and I know where I can buy other headphones and I cannot imagine using these often enough for them to break or wear out.
There are many ways for you to do better for your money than the Lift Audios. Here are a few headphones that I own or have tried in a selection broken down by price and purpose:
Sony MDR-XB20EX 9mm High Sensitivity Driver Extra Bass EX Earbuds. Inexpensive and innovative in design, these base-boosted, low-price Sony headphones feature decent drivers, set in an in-ear housing combining basic, noise-blocking headphones with a flattened cord that resists tangling and knotting.
Sony MDR-EX300/BLK Vertical In-the-Ear Style EX Style Headphones (Black). Equipped with Sony's new 13.5 mm drivers, the EX300s offer solid performance for people who love sound but don't need the snob appeal of more expensive headphones. With the ability to stand up to everything from hip-hop to classical, they can make an iPod sound good without resorting to an amplifier.
Grado iGi In-Ear Headphones In-Ear Headphones. For those who *do* want the snob appeal, there is no beating the Grado iGis. Their list price is not small, but they are very nicely made, in-ear units that can do justice to Yo-Yo Ma playing an unaccompanied cello. One musician I know favorably compared them to $300, dual-driver in-ear monitors that he owns. They are definitely worth the silver. They're what I used to wash the sound of the Lift Audio Units out of my ears.
You can do a lot better than the Lift Audio Groove headphones and you should. If you're an average American, you work for your money and you deserve a better return than the Lift Audios give when you spend it.
Customer Review: Good looks, for better sound read about low cost alternatives
Summary: 2 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Lift Audio Groove - Low cost ear bud comparison.
The problem with earbuds is that due to the fact that the wires tend to get snagged, quite often one of the earpieces will malfunction, and you have to get them replaced. For me that is about every two years. Durability has entered into my purchase criteria.I have built up quite a collection over the years, and the promise of more solid construction (metal), combined with a low price caught my interest with the Lift Audio Groove (LAG) earbuds. Well unfortunately if it sounds to good to be true, its probably not true applies here.
Here are my review comments in detail:
1. There are no published specifications. Probably for a good reason. I estimate the frequency response at 20hz-15khz, efficiency at 103db.
2. While the shell is indeed metal, and very solid feeling at that, the strain relief openings for the wires to the earpieces are metal (thin tubes) as well. Combined with the thinnest gauge wire cord that I have ever seen, this is a recipe for a prematurely cut wire. Additionally this tube extends over half an inch below the shell, making it interfere slightly with proper insertion depth. I would up needing to twist the tube to the up position to get the best comfort and seal. The assorted earpieces are the most difficult to slip on and off of ANY earbuds I have ever tested. Be careful not to tear them when swapping.
3. The straight in plug is quite compact, also the smallest I have ever seen, but the strain relief here is traditional plastic and appears adequate. The very thin joint and individual earpiece wires is very thin, and the sticky rubberized texture makes it tend to tangle easily.
4. The sound. Ah, the crux of the matter. The LAGs are quite loud, efficient, and that is what you first notice. There is plenty of bass, but with very little low frequency extension. It is boomy and not punchy. The midrange is nasally, and the only presence was of the "in the next room" quality. I would comment on the treble if there was any to speak of, but there isn't. There are high notes that you hear, but crispness and brilliance will never be amongst the adjectives used to describe their quality.
In conclusion, the metal shell and high efficiency are the only things these have going for them. Actually this is the first pair of aftermarket earbuds I have tested that did not match the OEM sound quality of the stock Ipod earphones. There are much better low cost choices out there. In order of increasing cost I highly recommend the following: Sony MDR-E828LP Fontopia Earbuds with Winding Case, Sony MDR-EX56LP/BLK EX Style Headphones - Hybrid Silicone Type Earbuds (Black)(was 51LP), JVC HAFX34B Marshmallow HeadphonesJVC marshmallow HAFX34B (was 33A), and the Skullcandy INK'D Earbuds (Black). (The Ink's and the 56LP are favorites) Also now that the price has nosedived, the Altec Lansing UHP606 Backbeat Pro Reference Earphones (Black/Gold)are a relative bargain. You can check my individual reviews if you want more details on those models. Comments and questions welcomed.
Customer Review: Low Cost Gets You Good Sound But Fragile Build Quality
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have used a lot of different makes and models of headphones over the years, but I have to admit that I had never heard of "Lift Audio" before. So when given the opportunity to test this model from Lift Audio, I was very interested to see what kind of quality level I was going to experience.
When the package arrived I was impressed to see a rather nice keychain case, which had the headphones neatly stored inside. It has a somewhat glossy, leather-like look to it, with a zipper and a rather large key ring loop attached to one corner. Upon removing the headphones I was pleased at the appearance right away. I got the black and silver set, so it has a nice industrial, manly look to it. However, after changing the ear tips and messing with then in general for awhile, I am very concerned about their build quality. They feel very cheap, which gave me doubts about their ability to stand up over time.
Now, the sound quality of these earphones seems to vary a bit. First of all I tested them with my iPod Touch, and I was actually quite amazed and the depth and clarity of the sound these little guys produced. I then tested them with two other MP3 music players, made by SanDisk and Creative Labs, and even with the sound equalized to boost bass and treble, these phones just didn't sound nearly as good as the twenty dollar Sony headphones that my children currently use with these devices. I have noticed this with other headphones in the past as well, so it is not completely surprising. I just wanted to mention it, as your experience with sound quality may differ based on the music device you are using them with. As far as noise isolation, I didn't find any form of noise isolation properties at all. However, the noise from the headphone cords makes a heck of a racket! So maybe noise isolating means that the cords are intended to make a lot of noise, as to drown out any environmental background noises you may encounter. Hmm...
So overall, I was fairly impressed with the Lift Audio in-ear headphones, given the low cost and fairly good sound quality. So under different circumstances I would have given them a 4-star rating. However, I have these headphones to my son, for him to use with his PSP handheld game system, and within a week they started falling apart. On one side, the metal sleeve, which is attached to the bottom of the speaker bud, came loose and is now completely separated and just hanging there on the cord. On the other side, the cord came out of the ear bud, but that side no longer works at all. Now mind you, I know 11 year-old boys can be hard on things like this, so I will not blame the manufacturer entirely for this failure. However, the build quality IS rather flimsy and I feel that people should realize this before buying. They are low cost, so you can't expect quality that would demand a much higher price tag. However, most parents look at lower priced headphones when purchasing for their children, and in this case your money may be better invested on something higher cost, with a stronger design and materials. I have noticed the cost of these Lift Audio headphones has been going up, and they are quickly becoming about as costly as the Sony earphones that my son has been using for well over a year now, and the Sony phones are still holding up just fine. For a more careful listener, who only intends to use their headphones rarely, these would probably be a solid, low cost option. But for rougher handing, and heavy use scenarios, I cannot recommend these headphones at all.
Customer Review: Lift Audio Groove In-Ear Headphones - Good Value, Versatile Fit, Below Average Sound Quality, Durability Questions
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Lift Audio Groove Noise-Isolating In-Ear Headphones seem like a relatively good value for budget in-ear headphones. The metal casing naturally gives them a more solid feel. The fact that they sell for one fifth of list is a little troubling. Still, if they deliver on the promise of even average sound this is bound to be a winner.
Update: After more than 3 months of moderate to intermediate usage, these are still working pretty good. There has been very little sound improvement, but they haven't failed yet.
PROS:
++ Metal housing is more solid and durable than most budget earphones
++ Narrow stems make these earphones an option for those with small ear canals
++ Street price is attractive value for budget earphones
++ Light weight means they pull less when wearing them
++ Moderate sound isolation when using the correct tips
++ Included carrying case is a nice extra
++ Includes a standard assortment of tips to get the right fit
CONS:
-- Cable is weak and provides a point of failure
-- Cable also has low efficiency, requiring higher volume on your MP3 player
-- Fabric over earphones is cheap and glued on
-- High original list price is exaggerated
-- Sound quality is mediocre, in keeping with budget earphones
FIT, FUNCTION, & ACCESSORIES
The fit of the headphones was surprisingly versatile. The earphone stems are thin enough that they can accommodate a relatively small ear canal with the smallest tips. I found that these fit easily for me, even compared against very expensive IEMS that I use.
The sound quality is noticeably mediocre. There is a general muddiness to the sound. While the detail is poor, this is in keeping with budget ear-phones in a similar price range. I found that the easy fit somewhat compensated for the weak sound quality.
However, relative to every other pair of IEMS I own it was impossible not to notice the low quality and low efficiency cable. That means you have to turn your MP3 player up higher than with better quality sets to hear the same volume level. It also means that the cable may be a breaking point for future device failure.
The included case is functional though unattractive. It does the job: carrying your earphones and the included accessories. They also include a standard assortment of tips to ensure most people can get the right fit. The smallest tips work for me, but if you find they don't isolate the sound enough you may want to step up to one of the larger sizes.
The fabric over the earphone speakers looks like cheap felt that is glued in place. I can't see how this wouldn't fail, even treating them gingerly. I cleaned off some glue from them when I first started using them, but so far they haven't broken yet.
CONCLUSION
Despite a high list price and some durability questions, these are worth consideration for the budget conscious consumer. They need to be handled gently. If you like the idea of solid metal casings on your earphones, these may be the most affordable ones you can find with that feature.
Enjoy.
Customer Review: On the Fence
Summary: 4 Stars
These earphones have me perplexed. Right out the gate, these have the best music quality I have ever gotten out of a pair of headphones...period. I have owned a large number of different headphones...most of them ear canals like these...but these are just amazing from a sound quality perspective.
I will also say, these are among the most comfortable ear canal headphones I have had as well. That has been hard to find in my experiance, but these work well. My ears are content to have them in for long periods of time.
I love the little carrying case these come with. I am really good--and I mean really good--at stuffing my headphones in my backpack and then later removing "Jim, the Magical, Unsolvable Knot" instead of my headphones. While this isn't unique, it is the first case I have owned with a pair of headphones. It's simple, and takes some time to get the cord in there, but I avoid the "Puzzle of Tangled Badness" later.
However, they are less than stellar in other areas.
Their sound isolation is less than stellar. I test this by turning the music down low on my MP3 player, and keeping music on my stereo on at a normal level. I then see how high I have to turn up my MP3 player before I can no longer hear my stereo. I do this off the assumption that anything can block outside noise if turned up loud enough...but I want to keep my hearing when I'm 104, so I like to keep my music low. Compared to past headphones, these do okay. They do isolate noise, but not as well as other headphones like the JVC Marshmallows and the Sony MDREX35Ls.
They also don't stay deep in the ear very well. What I mean by that, for those who haven't used ear-canal headphones much, is that while they don't "fall out" of your ear, they do dislodge quickly and easily from that "perfect listening" spot. (When they dislodge, you can still hear the music fine, but the overall quality of the music noticeably drops.) So while the music quality is great, it is only great as long as I relodge them.
The construction on these headphones kind of freak me out. I have never seen headphones with a metal shell before. (Honestly, my first image when I picked these up was of hitting someone in the head and knocking them out.) I don't worry about breaking the headphone itself at all. It freaks me out because they weight more than normal, and I honestly worry about the wire pulling out. Perhaps it is a fear of mine because that is what happened to my last two pair of headphones...but I just feel like I have to treat these extra tenderly because of their hefty construction. It is probably just me being a little weird though....
End conclusion, great buy, for anyone! Unless you really want to keep your music low and still have outside sound isolated, there is hardly a better buy out there...especially that this price!
*I have to amend this review. After some more break-in, I'm less than pleased. The more I use them, more I don't like them. The comfort has decreased significantly, since there is an odd, ridge (from the mold) on the ear piece that I didn't seem to notice at first. Furthermore, I new crackle has developed that sends a shock to my ears...that's a whole new listening experience. There is something wrong with the engineering, or grounding, or something weird like that. All I know is that I don't like current going through my ears. I had to toss them.... They get two stars now...but barely