Maximo iM-490S iMetal Earphones Review

[Wildfire788]

Got mine a couple days ago and I've been using them ever since. They sound great, a hell of a lot better than the cheapo $9 earbuds I was using before. The bass is great and I love how everything sounds clear and detailed. I also played a few games with this, I'd say these are good for gaming too. I can hear every little detail now, including sounds I never knew existed in games I've been playing for years.

Best headphones I've ever used, but I guess that's not saying much since I've only used cheap crap up until now. But I think they sound great so overall I'm really happy with these.


I'm still a little shaky on this whole inside-your-ear headphones thing though, maybe you guys can help me out. Is there any particular way I should insert them in my ear? How far should they go in, are they supposed to fit really snug so they won't fall out if I shake my head really hard? Or is it okay for them to be loose enough to fall out if I shake as long as they are sealed and everything? I've noticed when inserting them they make this crinkling noise, is that normal or will it damage them if that happens a lot?

[Alathald]

I'm still a little shaky on this whole inside-your-ear headphones thing though, maybe you guys can help me out.
Is there any particular way I should insert them in my ear? How far should they go in, are they supposed to fit really snug so they won't fall out if I shake my head really hard? Or is it okay for them to be loose enough to fall out if I shake as long as they are sealed and everything? I've noticed when inserting them they make this crinkling noise, is that normal or will it damage them if that happens a lot?

With IEMs (In-Ear Monitors), they should be sitting inside your ear, not hanging on the outside like earbuds. You should have a nice seal all the way around and they should work a bit like earplugs, blocking all outside noise.

As long as they have a good seal you'll get good sound, just put them in as far as needed to be comfortable and they shouldn't fall out. Just be reasonable, don't JAM them in as far as you can, if you can't get a good fit try some different plugs, those came with 3 if I remember right. Heck, you can even get custom plugs made and it will feel like there's nothing there.

[martini161]

never was a big fan of any kind of headphones, they fall out, break easily, have bad sound (relativly of course, for most people the sound they provide is fine), and the bass is terrible even if you get the dj style headphones. for my listining, the folling holds true:
studio moniter > in ear moniter
in fact, studio moniter > in ear moniter ^2
but not many people spend that much money on speakers and amps/equalizers/recivers

[Alathald]

Totally agree with you martini, but studio monitors are a wee bit heavier than headphones If you're not mobile, that's a different story though...

[Andrew H]

I'm still a little shaky on this whole inside-your-ear headphones thing though, maybe you guys can help me out. Is there any particular way I should insert them in my ear? How far should they go in, are they supposed to fit really snug so they won't fall out if I shake my head really hard? Or is it okay for them to be loose enough to fall out if I shake as long as they are sealed and everything? I've noticed when inserting them they make this crinkling noise, is that normal or will it damage them if that happens a lot?

Yes, they should fit pretty snugly, and not fall out with moderate shaking. I'm able to run with them on with no problem (ok, so maybe it's only on a treadmill, and only once a week, but it's still actual running!). Another test for a good fit/seal is to play some bass-heavy music, then move your head around, open and close your mouth, lightly press on your ears from underneath, etc, to see if the sound changes noticeably. If it doesn't, you should be in good shape. If it does, perhaps try going to the bigger (or possibly even smaller) eartip.

As far as "how far in", it shouldn't take a lot. Just to whatever feels comfortable and sounds right.

For the "crinkle", it's pretty normal, and doesn't seem to be any long-term issue. (And if it were, you'll always have the warranty.) Seems to be related to the high sensitivity of these. We're looking at lowering it, but one thing is that higher sensitivity = longer battery life, so it's a little tradeoff.

[Andrew H]

in fact, studio moniter > in ear moniter ^2

Definitely. We headphone mfr's have our work cut out, to bring the goosebump-inducing experience of a well-done DVD-A, playing thru a decent 5.1 speaker setup, in a good sounding room, to the portable audio market.

However...

For the kind of sound one can get out of, just for example, our earphones and a Sansa Clip, how much audio equipment (plus rent/mortgage, plus furniture, plus wall & floor treatments) could they get for that $80 cost of said portable rig?

[top]

Yes, they should fit pretty snugly, and not fall out with moderate shaking. I'm able to run with them on with no problem (ok, so maybe it's only on a treadmill, and only once a week, but it's still actual running!). Another test for a good fit/seal is to play some bass-heavy music, then move your head around, open and close your mouth, lightly press on your ears from underneath, etc, to see if the sound changes noticeably. If it doesn't, you should be in good shape. If it does, perhaps try going to the bigger (or possibly even smaller) eartip.

As far as "how far in", it shouldn't take a lot. Just to whatever feels comfortable and sounds right.

For the "crinkle", it's pretty normal, and doesn't seem to be any long-term issue. (And if it were, you'll always have the warranty.) Seems to be related to the high sensitivity of these. We're looking at lowering it, but one thing is that higher sensitivity = longer battery life, so it's a little tradeoff.

It's been so long since I've tried out these headphones that I forgot the other half of why I didn't like them: The fitting. The rubber earbuds are extremely thin and light weight. That's probably why I could never get a good fit with any of the earbud sets. And if you ask me, the crinkling is NOT normal. Maybe this goes for all $30 earphones.

Not only that, I really shouldn't have to adjust the EQ. It wouldn't change the faded effect of the earphones anyway.

[martini161]

in fact, studio moniter > in ear moniter ^2

Definitely. We headphone mfr's have our work cut out, to bring the goosebump-inducing experience of a well-done DVD-A, playing thru a decent 5.1 speaker setup, in a good sounding room, to the portable audio market.

However...

For the kind of sound one can get out of, just for example, our earphones and a Sansa Clip, how much audio equipment (plus rent/mortgage, plus furniture, plus wall & floor treatments) could they get for that $80 cost of said portable rig?

well most headphones are pretty good for what they do, which is give you mobility. i listen to music on headphones only when its completly impossible not to. aka walking or running, or when i have company over

[Andrew H]

It's been so long since I've tried out these headphones that I forgot the other half of why I didn't like them: The fitting. The rubber earbuds are extremely thin and light weight. That's probably why I could never get a good fit with any of the earbud sets. And if you ask me, the crinkling is NOT normal. Maybe this goes for all $30 earphones.

Not only that, I really shouldn't have to adjust the EQ. It wouldn't change the faded effect of the earphones anyway.

For the eartips, these are actually somewhat of a standard size, ie interchangeable with Ultimate Ears, V-Moda, and others. Some of our customers have used those (such as the $10 UE Unversal Fit Kit) with good results. Personally, I get the best sound and comfort using the standard ones we supply. But we do recognize it may not be the case for everyone, so we're looking at adding more options.

For the "crinkle", I meant that it was standard for these, due to the high sensitivity. Again, we're looking at adjusting that very slightly, if any.

For EQ, I'm not suggesting that any should be required. Was saying that with proper fit and burn-in, ours should not be bass-shy by any means. And that personally, I prefer to tune down the bass slightly, although other user certainly have the option to boost it up and get as crazy as they want. The main thing is that EQ is a powerful and useful tool that people should not be afraid of, or think there's something inherently wrong with in using. I have yet to try a <$200 portable earphone that I couldn't improve (to my own ears) with some careful tuning on a 7-band. (Perhaps the biggest reason for rockboxing an iPod.)

[Wildfire788]

Well, the right side on my pair just died out. I was hoping these would last a lot longer than a couple months.

[Digital Puppy]

Well, the right side on my pair just died out. I was hoping these would last a lot longer than a couple months.

Doh! Well, I've been using mine since November and haven't had any problem - although you probably use yours more than me. Maximo has a pretty good service, so I'd give em a call or drop a note and see what they have to say.

Let us know what they say.

[Andrew H]

Well, the right side on my pair just died out. I was hoping these would last a lot longer than a couple months.

Sorry to hear that!

Go to http://www.maximoproducts.com then click on Support then click on the Return Merchandise Authorization form. We'll take care of it right away.

[Wildfire788]

Got my RMA # and will be mailing them tomorrow. Hopefully everything goes well and the replacements last longer.

[Wildfire788]

I got my replacements a few days ago but I'm having some problems with it, the left side just doesn't seem to work all the time. I know there aren't any problems with my setup because I get the same problem on my Zune while other headphones work just fine.

Not sure what to do now, these headphones sound great but I just wish they would work.

[Digital Puppy]

That just seems weird. I would've told you to check the headsets with a different source, but you already did that....does the problem happen all the time or just at certain times? Can it be some sort of interference?

Did Maximo send you a brand new set or just fix the old ones you sent in? What did they say they were going to do and did they diagnose the problem?

Very strange.

[Wildfire788]

These look brand new and the sheet that came with them says they are Replacements so I assume they are new.

It's really wierd, the ones I sent in the right speaker just died, but the new ones have a different problem. Its like it only works if it's adjusted in your ear a certain way, if you try to move it then it stops working. I'm not really sure how to describe it... If you put it in your ear the rubber thing is supposed to be like an earplug right? Well that sort of changes the air pressure inside your ear and if it isn't just right the speaker stops working. This problem is only with the left side, the right side works fine.

[DMB2000uk]

Do you need to use a bigger rubber insert around the earbud?
(Do they come with those?)

Dan