I'm looking at the microphone option (some people say that the microphone cable degrades the sound quality, but boy is it good anyway). I use the memory foam ear pads sold separately which seem to help with fuller bass. I am not a music lover or musician. Just like my music, so it doesn't sound tinny and bass-heavy. These are my first headphones. I'll compare to the Galaxy Buds plus ($100+ true wireless headphones) and the Sony MDVR6 ($80+ over-ear studio monitors). Sonically, I like this KZ best, although Sony is very close: I would say that Sony and KZ are "different" for me, not better than each other. Buds plus is just bass, everything else is muddy and tinny at the same time.* Microphone quality: I haven't tested it with a phone call or lots of background noise, but I have to keep the mic close to the mic when speaking into a voice recording app. When I do that, it's as clear as a phone's speakerphone and picks up less ambient noise too. Probably fine for the occasional phone call on the go, but not for working from home. * Difference from Headphones: The sound quality of these headphones is GREAT at a very low price. But all IEMs do is play sound and/or have a microphone. Headphones these days control your smartphone: volume, skip track, pause, read notifications out loud, etc. Also, Galaxy Plus headphones have a pass-through mode that lets you make calls and hear your own voice pretty well. So if you want these features, you need headphones. If you want really good sound at a low price, IEM is the right choice. Disadvantages (not product flaws, but rather disadvantages compared to wireless headphones): * They are wired. The Sony over-ear headphones I'm comparing against are also wired, but they have a nicely coiled, stretchy cable that allows for some freedom of movement. KZ are designed to connect to a device in your pocket or you, not a tablet or PC. If you move around with them too much, your desktop device will be pulled (or your monitors will be yanked out of your ears). Conclusion: hard to say. If I can get a Bluetooth adapter for these IEMs, the total price will approach the price of true wireless headphones, and the headphones can also control your phone. So on the go, it's hard to see if you can handle a cord running from your pocket to your ear in 2021 and not being able to change the volume or change the song without taking out your phone. For listening to music at home or at your desk, they seem to be at least as good as in-ear headphones and have much better sound quality than wireless headphones in the $100+ range. Compared to in-ear headphones: I can dance and shake my head. with them more than with bills. These don't come out. I can probably walk with it but don't want to lift weights etc with a cord that might snag.
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