The Best of Both Phone, and TabletMEElectronics M9 Hi-Fi (Black)
Manufacturer: MEElectronics Part number: EARPHONE-M9-MEE
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones are an exceptional value, offering solid audio, a good design, and nice extras for an ultralow price. Anyone looking for cheap replacement earbuds should consider these.
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CNET editors' review
MEElectronics M9 Hi-Fi (Black) price range: $16.95
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 04/07/2010
- Released on: 02/05/2010
The good: The MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones are very inexpensive and offer decent sound and good construction. The package includes handy extras such as a cable wrap and case.
The bad: The MeElectronics M9 earphones may not be comfortable for extended wear, and they suffer from noticeable microphonics from cable movement. The low end can be overpowering for some songs.
The bottom line: The MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones are an exceptional value, offering solid audio, a good design, and nice extras for an ultralow price. Anyone looking for cheap replacement earbuds should consider these.
Cheap earphones are not hard to come by, but finding a pair that also offers decent construction and solid sound quality can be a bit more of a challenge--especially if you only want to spend about 20 bucks. For this reason, we're always pleasantly surprised to come across a pair like the MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones. This set sells online for $19.99, and though it doesn't offer the cleanest or richest sound we've come across, the combination of good design, useful extras, and passable audio make it a top choice in this price range.
The MeElectronics M9 earphones are easy on the eyes but not in your face in terms of style. You can choose from two color options, silver or black, both of which are fairly low-key but offer a bit of jewelry-like appeal thanks to the slightly shimmery cables coated in clear plastic. The earpieces are a little shiny and are compact overall, though the apertures are on the large side and may cause a bit of discomfort for some users. We found them to be comfortable for an hour or so before the pressure began to cause some cartilage pain.
On the plus side, we achieved a secure fit and good seal with the ear using one of the four sets of silicone tips (three standard sizes and one double-flanged model are included). However, it's worth noting that the noise from the cable moving across the body is noticeable. The nice thing is that the cord of the M9 sound-isolating earphones is reasonably thick and flexible, which bodes well for long-term durability--a rarity in headphones at this price. Also, cable connections at the earpieces and the angled, gold-plated plug are reinforced and there's a slider at the Y junction to prevent tangles, all of which should help the earphones last longer.
Another surprise for earbuds at this price: MeElectronics includes a fair amount of handy extras. In addition to the aforementioned tips, there's a cable wrap, a shirt clip, and a dual-pronged airplane adapter. Plus, you get a nice, zippered carrying case with an internal pocket. The only thing that's missing is an earwax cleaning tool.
If there is but one thing of which we can assure you, it's that the MeElectronics M9 earphones will blow your stock MP3 player earbuds out of the water in terms of sound quality. Not that that's much of a challenge. Still, the M9s provide impressive audio for the money. Lows tend to be a bit muddy at times, but there is plenty of oomph for the bass addicted among us. The mids are warm and encompassing, though not as smooth as what you would get from a pricier pair. The high-end comes in last, which means classical fans won't be impressed--but then if that's you, you should be spending a lot more than $20 on headphones. Highs here are at least not brittle or overly sharp, and there is noticeable detail representation. All in all, you're getting a great value with the M9 sound-isolating earphones.
User reviews
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Absolutely essential for those on a budget.
by swordknight on April 16, 2011
Pros: -Sparkly highs
-Sound is extremely full
-Bass is punchy and tight
-Sound is very 'airy'
-Cord is extremely durable
-Well built
-Large amount of accessories and tipsCons: -Sound is very fit-dependent
-Bass MAY be overpowering for some
-Can get messy on busier tracks
-Not freeSummary: These earphones absolutely blow OEM's out of the water, and pretty much every single retail earphone for the price too (Skullcandy, Panasonic, etc). The bass is full and articulate, ...
Summary: These earphones absolutely blow OEM's out of the water, and pretty much every single retail earphone for the price too (Skullcandy, Panasonic, etc). The bass is full and articulate, the highs are sparkly and detailed, as well as having a very airy sound. Mids are slightly recessed, but I personally like that. They're perfect for rock music because of how full the sound is, and also for rap and techno. They're pretty much great for every genre to be honest, because the bass has very minimal bleeding to mid/highs, unlike Beats Tours or Skullcandy's. I would personally go as far and say I'd pay a retail price of 40$ for them. The customer service is great as well! There's really no reason not to buy these if you're on a budget. The only nitpick is that the sound can get quite messy on tracks with many instruments and a lot of layering, but to be honest you can't find any better for the price.
Get them now!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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For the price these are better than OEM
by Eat_a_Phukhole on January 17, 2011
Pros: Considering these may be the lowest price OEM replacement buds you can buy, they kick butt over my $50 Skulls. So if you are not requiring audiophile quality (like at the gym), save your coins and buy these!
Cons: Well, they are $20. So there are some bass and noise cancelling features that are not there. I do enjoy having these features.
Summary: Fact: Best I have heard for OEM replacement and the price is the best also. Since I am tired of losing $80-150 buds monthly, I use these for all activities (...
Summary: Fact: Best I have heard for OEM replacement and the price is the best also. Since I am tired of losing $80-150 buds monthly, I use these for all activities (gym, snowboarding etc.). Gifts - even better, I know my friends and family will like the sound and it does not break the bank.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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In short, these are pretty amazing for the price.
by noyp on January 14, 2011
Pros: Pretty much everything, for the price. They have a V-curve, which most consumers love nowadays.
Cons: Because of the V-curve, the mids are a bit recessed. Bass a bit loose and flabby, but that's in comparison to top tier IEM's
Summary: This is an excerpt from my review posted at MEElectronic's website: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/508061/my-late-review-of-the-meelectronics-m9#post_6866541
Review:
I'll be using my Sony A726 as ...Summary: This is an excerpt from my review posted at MEElectronic's website: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/508061/my-late-review-of-the-meelectronics-m9#post_6866541
Hey, I accidentally clicked 4 stars. Can you guys change that to 5? 4 stars doesn't really do them justice and kinda unjustly lowers their rating.
Review:
I'll be using my Sony A726 as a source, unamped. I talked to Joe about amping and he said it tended to add more bass, which I didn't really want. I'll try to make the review short and sweet by merely outlining the sound instead of specific albums. It was just too time consuming and probably didn't really help too much. If you have any questions, just ask me. I'd be glad to help.
Albums used (average of 256kbps):
Resistance - Muse
Falling Into Infinity - Dream Theater
He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace The Corners of Our Rooms - A Silver Mt. Zion (long album name ftw!)
Shudder - Bayside (had to do some kind of tween band!)
Fever - Bullet For My Valentine
The Eventually Home - Right Away Great Captain!
Hope - Non Prophets
Monkeys For Nothing and Chimps For Free - Reel Big Fish
Hot - Squirrel Nut Zippers
Somethin' Else - Cannonball Adderley
The Fall - Norah Jones (Ick. Clippy, but that's why I chose this album)
Lateralus - Tool
Discovery - Daft Punk
Catch 33 - Meshuggah
From the Yellow Room - Yiruma
Mkay, so a lot of albums right? Onto the review!
Bass: Okay, I'll do this section first. If you're looking at these, you like bass. Not really any way around that. Bass on these is pretty substantial. It does have good detail and decent depth though. Decay is decent too. It doesn't have the boomboom "3P1K" bass that just gives you headaches. In Discovery's Something About Us, there is a nice amount of impact, not too much, not too little, and decay was quick. It went as deep as the bass went without faltering. In Falling Into Infinity's Lines in the Sand, the low end rumble is pretty prominent--almost headache inducing. Non-Prophets' Hope's Any Port's (triple possessives!!!!) bass was pretty overpowering and overshadowed a bit of the mids. The bass in Somethin' Else is rather subdued and blurred. Lateralus's Schism's bassline is rather subdued and faded too, yet prominent. Yeah, basically, these are more bass-centric than anything else. Although they don't really take control of the rest of the spectrum. It's good bassy bass.
Highs: They are, put simply, kinda harsh, yet smooth. They're also detailed. I've never been great at describing treble, so I'm gonna spitball stuff. The Fall's Light as a Feather shows, beneath all that clipping, a smooth voice, but at times, sounds a bit peaky and harsh. From the Yellow Room's Kiss the Rain beautifully conveys the high notes of the piano, but seem somewhat veiled. Very pleasing to listen to though. Somethin' Else's One for Daddy-O features Cannonball's wonderful alto (A King Super 20 with a Meyer 5?) playing. The highest notes seem to have a bit of grain in them, and sound a teeny bit off in general. Still pretty impressive. Basically, pretty good treble, especially at the price. It can be harsh at times, but never upsettingly so. To my ears.
Mids: Why did I put the highs before mids? No clue. Too lazy to move this though. The mids here are a bit too subdued to my liking, but this is a tradeoff for having bass as big and meaty as the M9 has. I hesitate to call it recessed. They certainly aren't recessed (to a huge extent.), but they're a tiny bit overpowered by the bass and treble. If anything, they have a very slight V curve. In certain songs, well a lot of metal (BFMV, Meshuggah, Tool, NIN (Yes, they aren't in the list of albums. I cheated. Sawwie) for example, sound congested and slow. The more complex, the more congested, obviously. Not really a metal IEM in my view. Ska performs a bit better. Brass sounds decent on the M9s. Not really "realistic" to a T, but acceptable. They retain nice tone and have nice bite. Strings also sound pretty decent. Sound real enough, and retain emotion. You can't really complain about the sound at all for the amazing price that these sell for.
Conclusion:
Put simply, these are pretty amazing for $30. They do most genres (metal's a tossup.) really well, have a fun and somewhat engaging sound signature. Bass is big and rather enveloping, while staying in its place more often than not. Mids are a tiny bit turned down, but that's a consequence of the big bass. Treble is smooth for most songs. Rarely harsh. Detail is very impressive for the price. Soundstage is pretty (have you noticed I like the word pretty?) big for an IEM. Yup. I think that's pretty much it. BUY ONE. NOW. Seriously, it's common to find these for under $20, and I think it's insane how that's possible. These should be on everyone's shortlist for a gateway to this hobby, and a cheap gift to corrupt friends with. If it were $50, I'd be more hesitant with so much new competition, but these aren't anywhere near it. Yeah. Thanks for reading! Baiiiizzz!
Updated on Jan 14, 2011 -
Wow, these are great!
by ToughAsNails on November 17, 2010
Pros: Great bass and these don't lack treble like so many ear buds at this price. They are sturdy and have lasted longer than 4 pairs of Skullcandy earphones (I hate those things). Great clamshell case that also fits my Clip.
Cons: The treble was a little harsh out of the box but settled in after some time. Really, nothing else for the price!
Summary: I hadn't heard of this company but found them in a google search and they had a lot of great reviews. I am glad spent the time.
Summary: I hadn't heard of this company but found them in a google search and they had a lot of great reviews. I am glad spent the time.
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Best In-Ears I've Owned
by anthonyedwa on July 5, 2010
Pros: Extremely good clarity, solid construction, best cord I've experienced in a pair of earbuds, low distortion at high volumes
Cons: The only con I can see with these is that the design may not be for everyone. These are over-the ear earbuds, so they may take some getting used to if you're not familiar with this style.
Summary: If you're looking for a solid set of earbuds on a budget, I would recommend these above all others. I'm not an audiophile, but these blow away the ...
Summary: If you're looking for a solid set of earbuds on a budget, I would recommend these above all others. I'm not an audiophile, but these blow away the other sony and shure models I've owned that cost 4-5 times as much. These have excellent detail, and I feel that I have to listen to my music collection again to catch everything with these on. The ME's come with a good set of accessories including a case, earbuds of different sizes and a cord manager. For the price, I really don't think these can be beat. I'm taking a half point off only because I prefer earbuds with the cord that has a longer right cord to wrap around the neck. Just my personal preference.
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Best Bang for Your Buck
by audiosoundguy on June 16, 2010
Pros: These have excellent bass that isn't bloated like the competition in the price range and I am hearing detail I have not heard before in my music. Also, the way the music is presented makes it seem spacious. These are really fun to listen to!
Cons: The midrange isn't as loud as the mids and treble, but it isn't bad. It isn't free!
Summary: For the price, I haven't heard anything that comes close to these. The first time I heard them I was blown away, now when I try other earphones in ...
Summary: For the price, I haven't heard anything that comes close to these. The first time I heard them I was blown away, now when I try other earphones in the price range I am elt down. Grab these if you care about sound quality. Oh, and the build quality rocks also!
Specifications
- Manufacturer: MEElectronics
- Part number: EARPHONE-M9-MEE
- Description: The award winning MEE M9 offers unrivaled sound quality and durability for the price with a good balance across the frequency spectrum and a refined sound usually costing 4 times as much or more. The 2nd generation M9 has a cable and redesigned housing greatly reducing cable noise and durability while maintaining the crowd pleasing sound quality.
General
- Product Type Headphones
- Width 1.0 in
- Depth 0.5 in
- Height 0.5 in
- Recommended Use Cellular phone,
Portable audio system,
PC multimedia - Additional Features Gold-plated plug
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor In-ear ear-bud
- Headphones Technology Dynamic
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Response Bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Impedance 16 Ohm
- Diaphragm 0.4 in
- Magnet Material Neodymium
Remote Control
- Type None
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x Headphones cable - Integrated - 4 ft
- Included Accessories Cable organizer,
4 pairs of ear tips,
Airplane adapter,
Carrying pouch Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Product series
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MEElectronics M9 Hi-Fi (Black)
Manufacturer: MEElectronics
Specs: Headphones - Binaural,
Headphones,
In-ear ear-bud,
Stereo,
Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm,
Gold-plated plug,
Limited warranty - 1 year -
MEElectronics Hi-Fi Sound-Isolating In-Ear Headphones (Silver)
Manufacturer: MEElectronics
Specs: Headphones - Binaural,
Headphones,
In-ear ear-bud,
Silver,
Stereo,
Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm,
Gold-plated plug,
Limited warranty - 1 year
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse MEElectronics products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:MEElectronics
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