Author: Mark Alexander

Since I started getting back into portable CD players last year (and more recently MiniDiscs) I've also gotten back into wired headphones. I've been so out of that scene for so long I really had no idea where to start, but based on a whole lot of online recommendations, I went with Grado. Yeah, even though there was absolutely no isolation from outside noise they sounded great. They looked funky. The one problem was the comfort. After only a couple months' use the supplied foam ear pads just became uncomfortable. I tried several other variations, including an absolutely ridiculous over-the-ear variety. I finally reached the point that I couldn't stand to have any of the Grado pads on my ears for more than a few minutes at a time.

That led me back to Sony. The past pair of good wired headphones I owned (if you don't count that Stax electrostatics that needed a dedicated converter box directly attached to the speaker outputs of an amplifier or receiver) were made by Sony. I couldn't remember the model number, but I remember them sounding good and despite the fact they too were on/over the ear design, I they were extremely comfortable for extended listening sessions. Not able to track down the specific model I had, I ended up buying their tried-and-true "professional" wired, over-the-ear headphones that they've been making forever and have been very happy with them. They were miles ahead of the Grados in terms of comfort and they sounded as good as I remember Sonys sounding.

The only downside was they filled half my messenger bag and came with a non-removable, heavy, coiled cable that made desk side listening less than optimal—especially since it was connected to a tiny device that could easily get pulled off the desk if you weren't paying attention.

So…last fall I briefly tried a set of pricy,highly-recommended Linsoul "TIN HiFi T4 10mm Carbon Nanotube Dynamic Driver in-Ear Monitor Earphones." I returned them almost immediately. After coming from the deep, rich bass of the Grados and the Sonys, they sounded tinny in comparison, no matter which ear tips I used.

So back to the Sonys and just paying a bit more attention to what I was doing when I was plugged in.

That's served me well until a few weeks ago when—once again—I simply couldn't stand to have them on my ears for more than a few minutes at a time.

I resorted to Amazon reviews again for in-ear buds. I had a couple pairs of Skullcandy buds that were okay for falling asleep with, but sonically they weren't the greatest. Further searching and reading reviews led me to Thinksound In20 and Vibes 202. I ordered the red Vibes because the color was fun and thoughtthey'd look good paired with my red MZ-R900 MiniDisc player. I mean, something fun like that never could really sound good could it? Especially at only $40.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from either one by this point, but I figured the overall winner would be the Thinksounds since they were twice the price of the Vibes.

Boy, was I surprised.

The Vibes (even with the funky "in ear monitor" design and the over-the-ear wire arrangement similar to the Linsols that I so resoundingly hated) blew the Thinksounds out of the water. I lived with both for a couple days but ultimately ended up sending the Thinksounds back. With the refund money, I bought two more sets of Vibes in different colors…because I'm a big ol' homo and need to color-coordinate the headphones to whatever device I'd be using.

So I've been living with the Vibes now for about two weeks and I'm still surprised at how much I enjoy them. No more pressure on my ears, I can wear them for hours, they're easily transportable, and have absolutely great bass (finding the proper-sized tips were instrumental in this).

So would I recommend them? Definitely. And for the price, you can't beat 'em.