Lately, I've been listening to a lot of headphones as part of my hardware review routine. I've listened to expensive ones. Slightly less expensive ones. Hilariously cheap ones. You get the picture.
So when a Swedish headphone company by the name of Nocs got in touch with me, I was a bit surprised - because I didn't know they existed. And there's a good reason for that (sort of): Nocs has specialized in making solely Apple-friendly headphone products. Until now.
The NS200 earbuds represent Nocs' first Android-compatible headphones (basically, just minor changes to the 3-button controls), and are a variant of the company's standard NS200 iOS earbuds. Aside from the inline controls being optimized for Android, in fact, they're exactly the same. This is something companies like Klipsch and Etymotic have been doing recently, as well - more audiophiles are buying Android phones, and a market for higher-end headphones that are Android-compatible is emerging quickly.
So, are these the real deal? In a word, yes. For $70, the NS200's provide a sound experience of significantly pricier headphones. If you're looking for a high-end Android headphone with inline controls that won't break the bank, I can't think of a better choice.
What is it? Earbuds. With inline controls and a microphone. You probably already got that. (official website)What's in the box? The headphones, and 4 sets of earbud tips. And a shirt clip thingy!Do I want them? Do you have $70, and not a lot more? Do you not have a set of good earbuds? Then the answer to this question is "yes."Sound: Holy crap, that sound. The Nocs NS200's provide a level of fidelity I'd associate with a headphone closer to twice their price. To elaborate, I'd describe the sound signature of the NS200's as energetic - highs are piercing and bright, and bass is strong without being overbearing. The thing is, while I say "energetic," compare these to headphones with much more colored sound characteristics (such as Ultimate Ears, Klipsch, Beats, etc.), and they feel more flat and neutral in some ways. Compared to my primary headphones, the Etymotic Research hf2's, though (which are absurdly flat and neutral), the Nocs definitely add little flourishes to your music. The takeaway is this: sound comes through very crisp, clear, and generally balanced. These aren't reference headphones, but nor are they meant to be. They provide a very tasteful interpretation of most music, and are well-suited to almost any genre, in a way that truly belies their price.But: There are two sides to every coin. First off, those bright and energetic high notes can throw some songs out of balance, with vocals getting overshadowed by pianos or guitars that, as mixed, would otherwise be a little more subdued. Still, it's that kind of character that makes the NS200's very, for lack of a better word, "fun" to listen to. They're so feisty.Comfort: The NS200's are tiny. You can't really tell in the pictures, but the actual earbud housing is extremely short and stubby (and made of aluminum), and they're also very light. This means they sit in your ears with unusually good weight distribution, and combined with their low weight to start, I'm pretty sure I've found the most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever worn. You will actually forget they're in your ears.The box they come in is kind of cool.The 3-button controls should work properly if you have an HTC or some Samsung phones.Bass: If you need strong bass, the NS200's do a pretty good job for their price, but if you're looking for phones that really give a deep, resonating thump, they just aren't built for that. It's also worth noting that while they get plenty loud for my taste, they top out significantly quieter than other headphones I've tested.Isolation: Isn't very good. I place the blame squarely on the absurdly comfortable fit of the NS200's - no matter what tips you use, you just don't feel like you're getting a solid seal (even when you are). The tips were also not interchangeable with any of the 4 other sets of earbuds I had on-hand. So, if you want a headphone that can drown out all ambient noise, look elsewhere. The below-average isolation also means you have to turn them up higher in loud environments, and that's bad for your ears.Controls: They didn't work with my Motorola phone for anything but answering/ending calls and play/pause. Track skipping was no dice. Nocs claims they've tested with a bunch of HTC phones and a few Samsungs that the controls fully work with, so check out the product page to see if your device is on the list. The microphone is decent, by the way - you still have to hold it up to your mouth and look like a moron doing it, though.Despite the cool, sleek, minimalist design (and the aluminum, and the claims of Kevlar-reinforced cable), I can't help but feel the NS200's are fragile. The cord connected to each bud is absurdly thin and flimsy, and the flex joints do not inspire my confidence. But hey, they have a 1-year warranty.The upmarket NS400's, which cost just $30 more and aren't in an Android-friendly flavor yet, are just kind of taunting me. For that extra money, you get titanium-coated diaphragms - and that sounds fancy. They also come with a better microphone, and titanium housings. I want.
Despite a few drawbacks, the NS200's are a very good earbud at a very good price. Depending on your needs, it's possible they aren't the headphone for you, but for the vast majority of people, I think they're an excellent choice. Combining value with excellent sound, comfort, and good looks, it'd be hard to go wrong picking up a pair of these.
What is it? Earbuds with one-button inline controls and a microphone. (official website)How much? $130.What's in the box? The headphones, 3 sets of earbud tips, and a black-velvet carrying case.Do I want them? No, probably not. Unless you don't care about sound but do have $130 burning a hole in your pocket.Comfort: The EHS71's are a pretty comfortable pair of headphones, and while not on par with the Nocs I reviewed last week, I doubt anyone could complain about how they feel in or around the ear. The 3 sets of included earbud tips are a little less than I've grown accustomed to for high-end headphones (most come with at least 4, usually a duplicate pair for the "medium" size that fits most people, as well), but hey, Samsung must be putting that extra 10 cents towards better sound, right? After wearing them for about 2 hours, I had almost no fatigue, and the EHS71's stuck in my ears pretty well.Style: The EHS71's are definitely a good-looking headphone, you'll get no argument from me on that. The polished aircraft aluminum housings are nice and solid, and look flashy without being ridiculous. The cylinders at the top of the 3.5mm jack and splitter are also aluminum, which is a nice touch (thought the inline controls are not).Build Quality: You can't knock Samsung for sturdiness on these earbuds, thanks in large part to the wound nylon around the cord that goes all the way up to the splitter, which should prevent twist and bend damage to the wires. This means they're also incredibly hard to tangle, so that's a good thing, too. The aluminum parts inspire confidence in their solidness, though the rubber flex joints around the earbud housings and inline controls don't feel particularly strong (and are also quite short and thin - a bit of a no-no on headphones).Controls/Mic: The one-button control works as advertised (hang up/answer, play/pause), and the microphone seems decent enough. There's no lapel clip for the microphone, though, so that's another 10 cents saved for Samsung.Sound: If you're looking for a summary of how the EHS71's sound, here it is in a nutshell: not like one-hundred and thirty dollars of headphone. More like $50 - maybe. I'm not sure what Samsung's engineers were comparing the audio of the EHS71's to in testing, but it must have been something equally overpriced and even more underwhelming. For a balanced armature driver headphone, a technology that is definitely limited to higher-end equipment (though does not necessarily translate to good sound), the EHS71's sound awful. For a headphone in general, the sound is just mediocre. Subtle details were clearly lost, sound became noticeably muddy (distorted) at high volumes, and bass response was shallow, if loud. There's also just no character to the sound, and I don't mean they're flat or balanced, they're just kind of dull.Sound Comparison: I compared the EHS71's to my daily driver, the Etymotic Research hf2's, which come in at a street price at or lower than the EHS71's. I also compared them to a lesser extent to the Nocs NS200's, the UE TripleFi 10's, and for a control, a pair of mediocre Sony earbuds. Compared to their price-point neighbor, the hf2's, the EHS71's are laughably bad - high frequencies lack definition and crispness, details are lost, and bass is loud but almost completely without depth. Going down to the NS200's, which are $60 cheaper than the EHS71, the Samsungs still just don't sound good - bass, again, lacked depth (but was more prominent), while highs and mids were boring and almost sounded muted. Compared to the $180 TripleFi 10's, well, let's not go there for Samsung's sake. Finally, I did a listening comparison with the Sony buds (I'd estimate they're worth around $25 and sound like iPod earbuds), and the EHS71's did definitely best those - highs and mids were much more crisp, bass more defined, and sound generally more detailed. For people used to $30 iPod earbuds, these will obviously provide a much superior experience, but that's saying very little.Isolation: Noise isolation on the EHS71's is average at best for an in-ear headphone. Don't buy them expecting something that could replace a noise-cancelling headset or earplugs.Price: $130? Just no, Samsung. At least at $80 you could compete with Apple's premium iPhone/iPod headphone with inline controls, but the problem there would be that those sound a lot better.
