YSM1000

I have been searching for earplugs for a long time. Without taking out a fincial burden in the form of a mortgage, I have not found any that are (a) comfortable when worn for more than an hour, (b) respectful of others' around me by not being audible in close proximity (c) not reminiscent of 70s-era headphones with the associated inconvenience when wearing them and the hot ear discomfort. I was, therefore, interested when these Betron YSM1000 ear plugs popped up as part of a promotional activity on Amazon. Given the discounted price, I felt compelled to roll the dice once more and see if these were The Ones*. I have to say, I am very pleasantly surprised. *Spoiler alert: they may be, given what I can afford.They plugs come with a range of covers in different materials and sizes, to allow one to choose the most agreeable for one's ears. I was looking for covers that felt comfortable immediately and that did not irritate me after wearing for several hours; I am happy to say that my choice are snug and I have not had any cause to take the plugs out due to inconsiderate inetraction between them and my ears.Having chosen, I was keen to find out what the sound was like. I was and still am impressed. One could - and I have - pay far more and get much less clarity of sound, much less range whilst maintaining that clarity and far more distortion, even at low volume. I am using the plugs with my iPod Classic and I like the sound for my taste in music.Since it is my taste in music, I try to remain aware that it may not be to everyone's liking. I have asked a number of people next to me when I have been using the plugs if the sound is distrubing for them. In each case so far, I have been told that they were unable to hear anything at all. Given that I am known, from time to time, to increase the volume to drown out back ground noise or just to enjoy the music in my own splendid isolation, I believe that these plugs are indeed quieter to third parties than every other set I have owned.This was not a purchasing consideration over which I lingered but I do like the appearance. The gold metallic parts with the black cabling are not - as some are - bling, just simple and stylish. I have not had the plugs long but hope that the finish stays as good after longer term use.These are not Bang & Olufsen and I would not wish a prospective purchaser to think that the sound is anywhere near the cutting edge of technology with respect to digital sound reproduction - they are not. However, I do recommend that you consider these and even try them for yourself due ot the commercial reality: for the price, they are extremely high value for money.

Bought these as a replacement for my Sennheiser CX300IIs which gave up the ghost less than a month after the warranty expired. I was going to go with another pair of them but I really hated the asymmetrical length wires, so I decided to give these a go as they were cheaper (by £5 at time of writing).Firstly, these look really cool, way more interesting than your standard single-colour earphones that most companies provide. The main cable is see-through and has red and black wires intertwined along its length. They look premium and have a good weight to them, solid enough to feel expensive while not being too heavy as to be uncomfortable. I've actually received a few compliments and inquiries about them from friends while out and about.The packaging is great; these come in a cardboard case which is cool if you're into saving the planet but is also a billion times easier to get into than the plastic vacuum-packed affairs typical to other brands.They come with a fantastic amount of different sized ear pieces too in case the standard the default ones aren't the right size (I believe 4 extra pairs?). The default ones fitted me perfectly, however (with the Sennheisers I'd had to use the larger set that came with them), as well as a clip to attach them to your shirt and a rubber carry pouch, which I found to be a little small to fit them in properly but does the job fine.I initially found it difficult to work out which earpiece was which as while they do have 'L' and 'R' on each, it's written on the reflective shiny gold part just below the body of the earpiece which in daylight is impossible to see. Fortunately, there's also a coloured ring around each that can be used for identification as well (blue for left, red for right).Sound quality wise, these are outstanding. Perhaps it's because they fit my ears better than previous 'phones, but I found I was able to hear detail in songs at much lower volumes than before (e.g. echoes and reverb effects): excellent external noise reduction.Contrary to what other reviews have said, I did not notice a significant increase in bass presence than with Sennheisers, if anything they seem to have a better EQ mix (I listen to mostly blues and rock and similar genres, though I have tried dubstep and heavier music to check). Having used them mainly for walking to/from uni every day, I find the 'cable noise' caused by the wire bumping and rubbing across clothing to be very reduced, so much so that combined with the snug fit, I can listen to music at a volume only 3 or 4 notches above 0 (Android phone, Google Play Music app). I expect in the long run that this will be good for my hearing.Downsides? The only thing I've come across in my month or so of use is the straight connector end, I find it digs into my pocket and could get damaged more easily than a right angled jack. However, it's still a robust unit and I imagine it'll survive for plenty long enough.In summary, I would highly recommend these headphones as an affordable, high quality product that easily matches its more expensive brand name rivals. Definite buy.