Bunch of Awei headphones reviewed
TL;DR: buy the ES900i in the link below....
Found this thread useful, and i already had a pair of ES900i for the past 2 years. I found myself needing another pair (one for in the house on the treadmill) and for fun i thought I'd buy a few Awei models and see how they stack up.
I decided to post a review because there is no comparison info available about the Awei headphones - which model is best??? So I bought 3 new different models that seemed promising and sat down to compare them all….
Note - I have some hearing damage so I'm really sensitive to high treble in my right ear - I will review these as "normal" and not complain if the highs hurt my ears lol...
I tested using music I like, trust your ears and the music you know! Used my PC headphone output (no fancy headphone amps here), and windows media player with all the enhancements/eq turned OFF (wanted the natural sound of the headphones to come through as unfiltered as possible. I used a mix of Techno/Reggae/Rock cuz that’s what I likes.
$1 dollar store junk (Used as a control to compare the worst headphones I could find)
Sound quality : Sounds like AM radio played through a blown speaker.
BASS: none really.
MID: thin, tinny sounding but audible.
TREBLE: If a high pitched hiss counts as treble, I guess theres some.
General Comments: little to no stereo separation, low sensitivity - had to crank the volume to get a decent volume level. These were my temporary use pair when I forgot to bring mine on a trip - ok for podcasts and talk radio, and that’s it. 2/10 overall
Awei ES900i 8/10 overall $6.96 USD @aliexpress
(Seller STH co., LTD Store No.906320)
EDIT: Above link was a mistake...the original BETTER sounding units were ordered on dx.com. I can't post a link but just search on DX for SKU: 138629.
NOTE: THESE ARE SOLD IN USA as "Blue Piston Tune FREQS by LOGiiX" for $30 USD! Yes, the identical model in every way except the packaging and name. I don't think the Awei are a knockoff product.
Sound quality :
BASS: Pretty good, plays some surprisingly deep lows, found myself wishing for just a bit louder bass though..but theres more deep bass audible than most in ear phones are capable of)
MID: a bit quieter than the bass & treble, but vocals sound good.
TREBLE: clear, a little on the loud side though, listening to a lot of rock the guitars could be a bit too loud.
General Comments: High sensitivity - set volume controls lower than most headphones (a good thing if you like it loud!) ...Overall, these are very enjoyable sounding with any type of music I tested. With very good bass & treble, these would be especially suited to pop or techno music. nice sound staging, with slightly subdued mids It sounds like having loudness option turned on your stereo amplifier.
The ES900i even sounds better than my Sennheiser HD330 over ear headphones! 8/10 overall
Features to note: Flat cables (more durable than the cheaper units thin wires), gold plated pin.
NOTE TO RUNNERS: I don't recommend this model for running - as the drivers are heavier then most they have a tendency to fall out of your ear more than other models when running…
Pkge contains: Headphones, wire clip, small zippered padded case for transport/storage, multiple colored silicon ear pieces.
NOTE: I bought a second pair in april 2015 from aliexpress - they were different - this es900 pair had a different jack and the sound was not quite as good - tinnier highs and bass not as strong....wondering if there's now knockoff versions??? please buy from the dx.com link I provided...
Awei Q38i 6/10 overall $5.31 USD @aliexpress
Sound quality :
BASS: good, but not as good as the ES900i.
MID: Clear and balanced, not bad at all.
TREBLE: reasonably clear - a bit tinny/raspy though...
General Comments: Overall, very balanced, clear vocals - but some detail seemed to be missing when compared to the ES900i's in the upper mids & treble. IMHO, the Q38 is better than the S120i and sound almost as good as the ES900's.
Lost points for the plastic/chrome finish and thin wires, not likely to be as durable as the ES900i.
Pkge says "extra bass power high performance"
Pkge contains: Headphones, 3 sizes silicon ear pieces. Wire clip
Awei S120i 5/10 overall $7.70 USD @ aliexpress
Sound quality :
BASS: good, but not as good as the ES900i.
MID: "muddy" - vocals sounded muffled.
TREBLE: also seem affected by the muddy/muffled sound.
General Comments: Muffled sounding vocals made the S120i a disappointment. Too bad, with the thick flat cable and nicely turned aluminum cans, these looked attractive. Not as wide a sound stage or dynamic range when compared to the ES900i. The Q38i also sounded better and sells for less. .
Features to note: Flat cables (more durable than the cheaper units thin wires), gold plated pin.
Pkge says "detailed and immersive sound stage" - true? No I think not.
Pkge contains: Headphones, wire clip, small zippered padded case for transport/storage, multiple colored silicon ear pieces.
Awei Q3i $5.13 USD@aliexpress
Sound quality :
BASS: Weak
MID: weak & Tinny sounding
TREBLE: Tinny & loud…maybe due to the weak bass & mids….
General Comments: flat black finish, but still made of aluminum. Cheaper thin wires.
Pkge says "sound isolating technology" and "super bass" - true? Definitely not.
- these BARELY sounded any better than the dollar store junk pair I have. 3/10 overall
Pkge contains: Headphones, 3 sizes silicon ear pieces. Wire clip
hope this helps somebody trying to figure out which to get - THE ES900i is the bomb!!!