Maxell EB-95 Stereo Earbuds Review

As an avid gamer and audiophile, having a good set of headphones is of paramount importance. Being able to hear subtle noises could mean the difference between life and death in a video game. Listening to music through poor quality headphones robs you of your musical experience to an extent, as certain tones aren't rendered to their full potential. When the headphones on my gaming headset stopped working a few months ago, it was no big deal - I had a pair of backup earbuds that I use for audio transcriptions and other small, non-music tasks. When those finally broke about 2 weeks ago, I began a quest for the perfect headphones.

Maxell's EB-95 stereo earbuds seemed at first like the perfect fit. Unlike standard earbuds, these have the larger "showerhead" shape sported by the headphones that come with an iPod. I've always found these kinds of headphones especially comfortable, so this seemed like a plus. Secondly, I've had good experiences buying Maxell products in the past. From cassette tapes to a boombox and some other purchases, Maxell had never let me down. Third - the price seemed unbeatable. Over at Amazon, these headphones cost less than $5. Not a whole lot to lose if they didn't work out.

They didn't work out, unfortunately. I've since returned the Maxell EB-95 stereo earbuds, for a few key reasons:
The sound was too low. Even with my computer (and I tried out my mp3 player too to make sure it wasn't a computer issue) volume cranked way up, the headphones still sounded "soft". Music wasn't really resonant, it sounded vaguely like it was being played through a seashell.

No bass. I'm definitely what you might call a "basshead". I need good "thump" to be satisfied with a pair of headphones, and these didn't cut it. I could have withstood the low volume if the bass equalization had been up to par, but no such luck.

Nicked cord. This may be the reason why I had such difficulties with the Maxell EB-95 stereo earbuds to begin with. The headphone cord had a nick in it, which had left a piece of the inner wiring uncovered. Had these been headphones I'd had and been happy with for some time, I might have tried to repair it - but on brand new headphones? Come on.

It's like the saying goes - if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. I had high hopes for these earbuds, but in the end they just weren't worth it. Thankfully Amazon has a great returns policy and I've already got a new pair of headphones that I'm satisfied with. Maybe next time, Maxell.