Headphones for 928?

[mikeofthegarden]

Hi there. I'm looking for a good set of in ear headphones for my 928. I use Apple EarPods right now, and while excellent for listening to music, I can't control volume or talk on the phone using it.

I did actually buy a set of headphones from this sit (I think they were HTCs) but alas, the sound quality was sub par compared to the EarPods, and the volume/call answering controls did not work. Also tried a pair of my gfs Beats headphones with no success.

Anyone have any luck with headphones for the 928? I know Nokia makes some, but I've seen some really mixed reviews about them. I'm thinking I may just have to wait until the a-Jays Five for Windows Phones come out.

 

[Laura Knotek]

The Nokia headphones would definitely be the most compatible with Nokia devices.

I wouldn't recommend Apple headphones for any devices not made by Apple.

 

[mikeofthegarden]

Have you had experiences with the Nokia headphones? I've read reviews were they don't work on L920s sometimes, or break down after 3 months.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Which ones are you getting - the in ear or the cans? I've owned both. I've had the cans for a few weeks with no problems. I did have the in ears and one did break down. Nokia is fine with replacing it once it is within warranty, so you should be good either way.

Sound wise, they're balanced enough. I bought them for the mic and volume control. If sound is more important, you've got a ton of choices. If you want the mic and volume control, Nokia is your option in the short term. If you're in the US, the in ears on amazon are cheap, and if MSFT still has the deal on the cans in the store, those are cheap too.

 

[western_riders_dad]

Not sure what your most important features are and budget is, but I just picked up a JayBird BlueBuds X Bluetooth headset.

I'm very impressed with the overall audio quality. While they don't rival my wired cans or TDK in-ear buds the sound is amazing for Bluetooth. I get great isolation, they stay put while mountain biking, and I am able to control volume, tracks, and use voice commands. I would not consider them as a primary headset for voice calls as the noise cancellation does not match other BT headsets dedicated to phone use, but the BlueBuds are adequate, as long as there is not a great deal of ambient noise.

It took me several weeks lamenting the price ($169) but I finally just went for it. I know it is a lot of money, but in my mind I justified it. Again, not sure about your intended use, but for me, the lifetime guarantee against failures due to sweat was also a key selling point.

Good luck!

 

[john_blaze]

I bought a pair of Audio Technica CKM500IS. Has a mic and control button which can be used to play/pause/answer/end call (one click), skip track (two clicks), previous track (three clicks), and voice command (long press). Also has a volume dial, the max volume being whatever the volume is set to on the phone itself. For example, if the volume is set at 17, that is as loud as the music will play at, but the volume can be reduced through the dial.

I chose the CKM500IS because although I'm not an audiophile, the CKM500 (which the CKM500IS is based off of) was well received by audiophiles in terms of value for sound quality. All I can say is they sound good to my admittedly non-audiophile ears. They also seemed to be more durable, which seems to be an issue with some of these headsets.

My only real complaint is the positioning of the control unit, it's too far down. It's at the beginning of the Y-split, which is about 17 inches from the earpieces. The reason this is an issue is because when you're using the mic it needs to be held up to your mouth when speaking to be heard loudly. It would have been better if were around 6-7 inches down from the earpiece so that wouldn't be necessary. Also the control unit causes most of the microphonics while walking due to it's positioning and weight causing the wire to sway, probably would be less of an issue if it were higher up. I'll probably pick up a wire clip which should help.

That said, I'm fairly happy with them otherwise.

Oh yeah, something to consider with the Audio Technica's are that they are made by a Japanese company with no official retail channels here. I bought mine directly from Amazon (not a third party seller) and it came in Japanese packaging, so they may have to be shipped to Japan if they need servicing. I just ended up buying a Squaretrade warranty for them, so I didn't really look into it.

You might want to check out the Sennheiser MM 70 S:
Amazon.com: Sennheiser MM 70 S Ear Canal Headset for Smartphones, Black: Electronics

Also if you like the sound of your girlfriends Beats, apparently the urBeats In-Ear Headphones works with Windows Phone 8:
Amazon.com : urBeats In-Ear Headphones (Black) : Electronics
Looks like the volume controls should work (post #20):
http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-920/205228-headphones.html#post1786450

As well as the Klipsch Image S4A:
Amazon.com: Klipsch Image S4A In-ear Headphones for Android with Inline Microphone: Electronics

 

[Adrian Luna]

Nokia is collaborating with Coloud (haven't heard of them) to bring some nice crossbranded headphones out, marketed toward WP.

Coloud Boom, Knock and Pop: new fun and affordable headsets for Nokia – Nokia Conversations : the official Nokia blog

 

[CDiS99]

All of these look really nice. But they're kind of pricey for a pair of everyday use headphones IMO.

Does anyone know of a pair of in-ear, with the ability to control volume, take calls, voice commands, etc, for around $25?

 

[Jason Villeda]

I'm also looking for a pair of on-ear/over-ear cans that has a fully function remote and volume control. I like the Sennheiser PX 200 II and the Incase Sonic but I don't know if the volume control or remotes will work on the Lumia. Any other ideas? I'm looking for something under 100 dollars but that has superb sound quality for the price.

 

[mikeofthegarden]

Ah! I'm not the only one! Good. Besides the Nokia Purity earphones, it looks like we have to wait for the Jays Five.

 

[john_blaze]

CDiS99, you're gonna be pretty limited in the offerings at that price. I didn't want to spend that much on earphones myself. Never spent more than $20 on a pair before and typically just use whatever is bundled, but I found myself gradually looking at higher price points as I couldn't find anything I liked. The problem with the lower priced ones is that they seem to be less durable across the board, so you're likely to be replacing them more often. Add to that the lower sound quality, and overall you have a lesser experience with what could amount to essentially the same cost in the long run. Not saying that the pricier options are definitely more durable, but it seems to be more hit and miss.

Here are a couple that I came across during my research that are in that price range:

Sony MDREX58V/BLK EX, the only one I believe with volume control (a dial which probably works the same way it does on my CKM500IS):
Amazon.com: Sony MDREX58V/BLK EX Series Earbud Headphones: Electronics
Referenced from this thread, post #22:
http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-920/203918-headphones-u-s-lumia-920-a.html#post1770399

Skullcandy Ink'd 2.0:
Amazon.com : Skullcandy S2IKDY-003 Ink'd 2.0 Earbud Headphones with Mic (Black) : Electronics
Referenced from this thread, post # 8:
http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...mendations-nokia-lumia-920-a.html#post1812894

Original OEM Nokia WH-208:
Amazon.com: Original OEM Nokia WH-208 3.5mm Stereo Headset for Nokia Lumia 900, 920, 820, 720, 710, 620, 610, 510, 520 - Bulk Packaging - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories

Can't speak to the exact functionality of the models, except for what others have posted.

There's also the Coloud Pop that Adrian posted a link to above you, which should be around $25-30. Says they're supposed to be released in September.

Jason Villeda, I didn't do any research on any on/over-ear headphones since that's not what I was in the market for, but I think this post (#5) might help you in your search:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...mendations-nokia-lumia-920-a.html#post1762006

Essentially, anything designated as "Made for Iphone" will not have full functionality, such as the two headphones you listed. You need to search for on/over-ear headsets with Android compatibility alongside Windows Phone 8 compatibility. I would start at Head-Fi.org - Headphone forums and reviews for audiophiles, a good portion of my research was done there as well as this forum.

 

[gab1972]

Personally, because I'm also on a budget, I love the SkullCandy line. I think, for the price, they're great.

I'm currently rocking these:
Amazon.com : Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket Ear Buds 2012 : Electronics

And these have a mic which are also good...
Amazon.com: Skullcandy S2FMCY-063 Full Metal Jacket Headphones with Mic, Blue: Electronics

Both around $25.

 

[CDiS99]

CDiS99, you're gonna be pretty limited in the offerings at that price. I didn't want to spend that much on earphones myself. Never spent more than $20 on a pair before and typically just use whatever is bundled, but I found myself gradually looking at higher price points as I couldn't find anything I liked. The problem with the lower priced ones is that they seem to be less durable across the board, so you're likely to be replacing them more often. Add to that the lower sound quality, and overall you have a lesser experience with what could amount to essentially the same cost in the long run. Not saying that the pricier options are definitely more durable, but it seems to be more hit and miss.

Here are a couple that I came across during my research that are in that price range:

Sony MDREX58V/BLK EX, the only one I believe with volume control (a dial which probably works the same way it does on my CKM500IS):
Amazon.com: Sony MDREX58V/BLK EX Series Earbud Headphones: Electronics
Referenced from this thread, post #22:
http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-920/203918-headphones-u-s-lumia-920-a.html#post1770399

Skullcandy Ink'd 2.0:
Amazon.com : Skullcandy S2IKDY-003 Ink'd 2.0 Earbud Headphones with Mic (Black) : Electronics
Referenced from this thread, post # 8:
http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...mendations-nokia-lumia-920-a.html#post1812894

Original OEM Nokia WH-208:
Amazon.com: Original OEM Nokia WH-208 3.5mm Stereo Headset for Nokia Lumia 900, 920, 820, 720, 710, 620, 610, 510, 520 - Bulk Packaging - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories

Can't speak to the exact functionality of the models, except for what others have posted.

There's also the Coloud Pop that Adrian posted a link to above you, which should be around $25-30. Says they're supposed to be released in September.

Jason Villeda, I didn't do any research on any on/over-ear headphones since that's not what I was in the market for, but I think this post (#5) might help you in your search:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...mendations-nokia-lumia-920-a.html#post1762006

Essentially, anything designated as "Made for Iphone" will not have full functionality, such as the two headphones you listed. You need to search for on/over-ear headsets with Android compatibility alongside Windows Phone 8 compatibility. I would start at Head-Fi.org - Headphone forums and reviews for audiophiles, a good portion of my research was done there as well as this forum.

Personally, because I'm also on a budget, I love the SkullCandy line. I think, for the price, they're great.

I'm currently rocking these:
Amazon.com : Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket Ear Buds 2012 : Electronics

And these have a mic which are also good...
Amazon.com: Skullcandy S2FMCY-063 Full Metal Jacket Headphones with Mic, Blue: Electronics

Both around $25.

Thanks a lot for your responses, guys! I'm going to look into everything you posted.

 

[Beast of Haeven]

The in ears from monster/nokia can be had for 39.00 at the Microsoft store for cyan and white. They work fine and sound ok. If you want something more high end audio technica and klipsh(?) make real nice head phones.

 

[CDiS99]

The in ears from monster/nokia can be had for 39.00 at the Microsoft store for cyan and white. They work fine and sound ok. If you want something more high end audio technica and klipsh(?) make real nice head phones.

Woah, thanks for the heads up. These are usually $99.99.

 

[Jason Villeda]

You should also try eBay. I got the in-ears from Microsoft and the on-ears from Ebay. My combined cost was $100

 

[john_blaze]

No problem. Good luck on finding a pair that you like.

My one last piece of advice is to check the return policy on earphones from the retailer you buy them at. Some places will not accept returns (in case you don't like them) on earphones if the package has been opened.

 

[Umm Yeah]

This may be WAY too budget for what you are seeking but I used to have a BlackBerry and the old fashioned BlackBerry OEM headphones work well with my 928. They're nothing splashy at all but they are stereo headsets with microphone and a play/pause/end call button that also has the skip ahead and skip back functions. There is no volume control, however. The sound quality is decent but I'm not an audiophile. My wife says I sound much clearer on the phone with the headset than I do using the phone without.

But best of all, you can pick them up DIRT CHEAP! Amazon is selling them for $1.50 each. I usually buy them 3-4 at a time because I carry them with me always and after awhile, they may develop a short and I'll just through it out and use another. As I said, these are decent budget options if that's what you're seeking but they may be too budget for your needs.