Review on Xiaomi QTEJ02JY Original Headphone Mic Silver by Jennifer Miller

Let me start by saying that Xiaomi is the undisputed king when it comes to making the best value for money in-ears in the world offer industry. You really won't find a better deal than these headphones. Some companies offer good sound quality for a little more money but have terrible build quality, or have good build but poor sound quality. Xiaomi really doesn't make any compromises and I think that's wonderful. That being said, as consumers, we can still give praise and constructive criticism. I have Xiaomi In Ear Pro from last year to compare, so I will. The Good: The overall build quality is, I'd say, an upgrade over last year's model. Aesthetically, the new brushed metal looks and feels a little more sophisticated than last year's model. The cable, although no longer braided, inspires more confidence. And cable movement doesn't seem to make as much noise when wearing headphones. It's all great. I've never liked braided cables and this new cable seems to be better. The built-in microphone and controls have been SIGNIFICANTLY improved. It used to have annoying plastic buttons that were very flimsy and I didn't bother at all. This new all-metal design of the microphone and controls is great. The microphone itself appears to be of the same quality. I'd say the headphones actually look better and feel just as solid as their predecessors, so no complaints about them. The sound quality itself amazes me. They did a great job improving their previous model and improved the mids significantly. You will see a dramatic improvement in quality compared to last year. I suspect this is due to the change from 2 drivers last year to 3 drivers this year (2 balanced armatures and one dynamic). Bravo Xiaomi. Almost any music sounds respectable on it. I can not complain. It's really a highlight. They also have some nice extras like a tote bag and a drawstring tote bag. The bad and the ugly: The Y-section strain relief worries me about durability. The blemishes around the port and the onboard controls also worry me. Of course, they're on par with the previous model and the in-ear headphones have never been let down despite somewhat serious handling (I used them as sports headphones). And also. Someone in Xiao Mi's design department needs a serious overhaul of their earbuds. They just don't fit. I got rid of the original tips on the previous model and quickly switched to Sony's hybrid ear tips. I know at this price point there will be a limit to how good they can be, but I really can't stand the earbuds that they include. That's the only thing I don't like about them. I would legally reject many add-ons if they only improved the earcups. A better fit on the ear helps improve sound quality. So if you're going to take these, I'd suggest digging up some earbuds to replace these with. Bottom Line: They're incredible in many ways, but they're not perfect simply because of the blunt ear tips.