Acoustic Research ARE05 Noise Isolating Earphones with Case

Category: CE

New starting at $22.40

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Product Description

Includes Acoustic Research ARE05 Acoustic Research in-Ear Noise-Cancelling Headphones.

Product Details

Publisher Acoustic Research
Operating System N/A
Features
  • Provides detailed accurate high-perfromance sound clearly and accurately
  • Detailed accurate mix wiihout distortion for lifelike detailed sound
  • Lightweight sleek and comfortable construction and custom in ear design reduces outside noise naturally
  • Custom sleeves provide a comfortable secure fit for any wearer
  • Rugged carrying case with cord management
EAN 0044476046285
Color Black
Brand Acoustic Research
Format
  • Electronics
  • CD
Legal Disclaimer Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
UPC 044476046285
Label Acoustic Research
MPN ARE05
Studio Acoustic Research
Title Acoustic Research ARE05 Noise Isolating Earphones with Case
Model ARE05
Manufacturer Acoustic Research

Customer Reviews

Great sound for a reasonable price (updated 3/2/2010)

Review by Weldon Berger, 2009-07-24

Getting the most from these earphones in terms of sound and noise isolation requires finding the perfect fit for your ear from among the various sizes and shapes of sleeves. Seven pairs are provided including the stock ones--four foam and three silicon. It's a bit of a pain switching out the sleeves until you find the best fit, which is the only reason I gave them a 4-star rating instead of 5.

Once you find the right fit, though, you're in for a real treat. For the price, you get a combination of fidelity and comfort that's hard to beat. Most earbuds in this price range offer decent mid-range and highs but fall short on the bass, producing either too little or too much or too muddy. These are nicely balanced across the spectrum, with satisfyingly crisp bass even on absurdly bass-heavy stuff like my favorite Country-Acid-House band, Alabama 3. They handle jazz and classical with equal facility.

The noise isolation isn't miraculous but I get around Los Angeles mostly by bus and they kill enough of the noise to make the rides considerably more comfortable, and they make listening to music with a wide dynamic range more practical--I can play me some Bach without constantly adjusting the volume to overcome the bus noise without blowing my eardrums as the music ebbs and flows.

The cord is almost four feet long, sufficient for most applications, and the package includes a carrying case that's handy for keeping the cord untangled and out of the way when not in use.

The bottom line is that you get a very good sound for a price that you don't have to feel guilty about spending.

UPDATE 3/2/2010: The sound is still great, the included extra sleeves have come in really handy, but the speaker cord began separating from the jack about a month ago (late January 2010), exposing the wire, and I don't think it's going to last much longer. I haven't been any harder on it than on previous sets that held up with no problem. At the moment I'm using electricians tape to hold the exposed wire in place, which is effective so far but isn't the most attractive look and shouldn't be necessary at all.

I bought these in June of 2009 and I'm going to be surprised if I don't have to replace them before June of 2010. It's still by far the best sound I've heard in this price range, the noise isolation is very good once you find the best fit for you among the included sleeves, and because of those things I'll probably buy another pair to replace this one. I'll still recommend it, but if you buy them then you'll have to be more than usually cautious about that connection between the cord and the jack. It's an unfortunate and annoying drawback to an otherwise excellent product.

Great sound, comfortable and a Little outside noise

Review by Stuart Floyd, 2008-07-09

I happen to see these by some special offer email. I like Acoustic Research and think they make a great quality product and usually they cater to the higher end of the audiophile.

I figured I would do a little research and found them for less than $20 and free shipping so I ordered them.

I am extremely pleased with them and they are better than any other ear buds I have owned or tested. I have tested $200 Shure and Ultimate Ears Pro earbuds. Neither of these overpriced buds were that good. Those high end products had loud thump in their chords so forget about running, biking, exercising with them and they weren't nearly as comfy and tight fitting as the Acoustic Research buds.

NO thump in the ARE05's and they fit so well and they provide 4 additional pairs of varying size covers to fit each persons various ear sizes.

I sat next to my loud HDTV and had these on at a low to medium volume and virtually heard nothing but the music I was listening too. I thought they had good highs and was surprised they had solid bass to me and at times with certain types of music I wanted to lower the bass. On my iPod Touch I can lessen the bass as well as on my laptop or desktop to compensate. Everyone has varying tastes in the bass/treble elements.

I wore them on the New York City subway system which gets very loud at times with train noise as well as people. I could hear outside sounds but very little and that is ok to me. They clearly state that they help to limit noise not cancel it out. Getting the correct fit will also determine the level of outside noise that is kept out of your music.

Like with any electronics I suggest you test it whether at a store or from a friend and do comparisons. I used 5 different styles of music and used old and new recordings to test. I am more then pleased with these inexpensive buds. Shop around as I paid $15 with shipping and they are listed on some sites at $79 and $89 respectively.

This product is new to market as of late March 08' and the ones I have are NOT refurbished. I see currently you can get them in the $35 range on amazon. I would have paid $50-60 for them without question.

-No chord thump at all, would be great for the gym, running, biking etc
-They fit snug and keep out allot or diminish outside noise quite allot
-Chord is ok length but I always want the chords to be longer
-Semi-hard round zipper carrying case
-The L-left and R-right are on the inside of the earbuds under the cone for which ear they go in. On the outside is their usual AR for product advertising when it is in your ear.
-Inexpensive compared to other brands and much better sound than many of the high cost buds.

Test them out, compare and if you don't like, return them in the time allotted and make sure you keep all your packaging materials.

One last note, everyone has different hearing, different sound like and dislikes so read reviews with a grain of salt. Including this one as this was my person take and yes I have tested a dozen varieties but it comes down to personal likes and what you think, feel or knowing what sounds great to you personally.