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: Good Sound, Nice EarBuds, Cheap Cord is the Weak Link
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The ear buds are made of aluminum and seem pretty well made. Oddly, neither ear bud is labeled as left or right. Where these really fall short is the cable. The rubber sheath is very thin and seems poorly attached to the plug and ear buds. I suspect most will damage the cable well before any problems arise with the drivers. They could have easily invested a dollar more in to making a better cord and charged two more dollars or get rid of the Barbie purse they include for the holding the buds and put that cost in to improving the cord. The buds come with three sets of rubber fittings and I think the smallest ones are oversized. I have had at least a half dozen similar style buds made by JLabs, Sony, Lentek, Klipsh, etc. that all have come with different sized fittings and I usually use the medium or small. The smalls on these buds feel pretty tight in my ear and started to hurt a little after a while. I wouldn't recommend these for anyone with smallish ear holes. If you are only willing to pay ten bucks for a set of ear buds, I'm not sure you can say that sound quality is the most important thing but, I have to admit that I was pretty impressed by the sound. The sound quality was certainly better then average. Nice full sound. I noticed they were a little heavy on the bass which I suspect is intentional. The quality is certainly better then the stock buds that come with the iPods and better then many I have tried that cost a lot more then twice the price. If they could just improve the cord quality I would definitely recommend these ear buds. Maybe for $10 it is worth it but, I would hate to consider ear buds as a disposable item.Customer Review: Pretty solid headphone that could last longer
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Ever since the earbud type headphone was introduced, I have only been using this type of headphones. Currently I am using the premium earbuds (or in-ear, or whatever you call it) from Sony and Apple. I have always liked the isolation of the noise that the earbud type naturally has (I am not talking about noice-cancelling technology here). However, most earbuds that I have owned are not that strong and reliable. Over time, I ran into problems like peeling of the cables and the contact problem in the audio connector. Although I have not used the Lift Audio headphone for a long time, this headphone gave me hope that it might last longer than other earbuds I have used. Full alloy metal design gave a solid feel and the material that is used for a cable felt very durable. But the stiffness of the cables created some noises when I moved. That was a little annoying.
The sound quality is pretty good. Usually I do not expect too much in this price range, however, the Lift Audio headphone sounded clear and powerful. The bass sound could have been richer, though. I felt that the Lift Audio headphone is more suitable for MP3 songs than classical music from an SACD. The headphone isolated the external noise pretty well. Also, I really like the keychain case that comes with the headphones. This is probably the best case for an earbud I have ever had.
Overall, the Lift Audio headphones have a solid build quality and generates nice sound. Only thing I want to know is how reliable this headphone is. I will know soon since the headphone is used by my kids, who will give a torture test for any headphone.
Customer Review: Fine for casual use
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I use these with my computer for Videos and DVDs when I don't want to disturb anyone by using speakers. For this purpose they are a good and cost effective solution.
As far as "passive noise isolation" goes, I think that's just a fancy way of saying that these function as earplugs as well as headphones. I don't find them especially effective in this regard. I have them in now with no audio playing and I can clearly hear the the key clicks from my Logitech keyboard only slightly muffled. I can hear cars as they drive by my open window and planes as they pass overhead.
Mine came with the smallest silicone fittings attached and initially I thought they would be the best fit. However, when I tried the medium sized ones, I liked them better. I've seen in several of the reviews here, people having trouble getting the fittings on to the buds. I pinched the fitting between my fingers to create a thin oval opening, then placed the edge of the bud into the the oval and "rotated" it into place. Worked without difficulty. But even with the more comfortable medium fitting, I find that I want to remove them after about 45 minutes - at least for a short break. I should mention that I don't generally use earbuds, so that may have a lot to do with this.
In terms of audio quality, I find their performance better than adequate for the above-stated purposes. Spoken words are clear and when playing DVDs, even very small background sounds (which may be lost by the speakers) are clearly audible with these. Incidental and background music seems fine - not muddled, decent bass.
Customer Review: Good sound quality, but heavy in the ears.
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Lift Audio Groove Noise-Isolating In-Ear Headphones are a very nice set of semi-premium earbuds. As mentioned on the Amazon product page, these earphones feature a "Quality Metal Design." In other words, the main body of each earphone is a chunk of metal that really makes these earphones feel substantial ... and will probably contribute to long-term durability.
The earphones provide a reasonable sound range with clear highs and a well-defined mid-range, but the bass isn't as rich as some other premium earbuds I've used. The "noise isolating technology" is basically just marketing speak for "form-fitting earpieces" that help limit outside/ambient noise. The earphones come with three sizes of earpieces, and if you don't use the earpieces that fit snugly inside your ear then the "noise isolating technology" doesn't work.
The Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging option is a particularly nice feature because you don't have to use giant shears or a butcher knife to cut through tough plastic packaging. The earphones are wrapped in a simple plastic bag (sort of like a Ziploc) inside two slightly larger cardboard boxes. Easy to open and easy to recycle.
The only problem I really have with these earphones is that since they are made of metal they are very heavy in my ears. Even when I use the earpieces that fit perfectly in my ears the earphones want to fall out while I'm exercising. So, if you are extremely active these earphones might not be the best choice.
Still, the Lift Audio Groove are nice earphones if you want a set that sounds good and is easy to open.
Customer Review: Cool-looking earbuds, but slightly muddy sound
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
These headphones look really cool. The metal finish on them is very nice and they have a good weight and feel to them. They look really sharp. They fit in my ears very nicely and have additional rubber bud covers for smaller/larger ears. The case is cute, but not as sharp-looking as the earbuds. Almost like the case was an afterthought. However, a case was appreciated as most headphones I've bought don't come with one.
The earbuds do a good job of isolating sound when you stick them in your ear. I've always been a fan of the in-ear headphones - I actually like the ones that go IN your ear. These earbuds were comfortable at first when I put them in, but then they start to hurt. I've always had this problem with earbuds - I think the problem is my sensitive ears, but it could have been the corners/edges of the buds.
I also appreciated the straight jack, as I have an iPhone and iPod and the right-andle jacks don't fit as well on those.
However, that's where this positive review ends. The sound from these buds is simply not that great and it's apparent from the moment you first hear music through them. I'm no audiophile, but the sound is a little muddled - kind-of muffled. Music just doesn't sound crisp and sharp. I tried several different EQ settings on my iPhone and none of them really sound great through these earbuds, though the "Jazz" and "Treble Booster" setting gave me the best sound overall sound. However, given the price, I'd say the sound is about what you'd expect from a $10 pair.