It’s impossible to forget about the Yamaha EPH100 earphones. They’re our best selling headphones ever, and they’re our most favourably reviewed ones too (in-house and by our loyal customers!) but while it’s nice to know that they’re still there and still selling very well, sometimes it’s nice to remind ourselves exactly what makes these headphones exactly as special as they are
Why give just one reason… when you can have five? Let’s start with the most important bit…
1. The Sound
They sound fantastic. It is no exaggeration when I say they’re still the best sounding IEMs we’ve heard under £100 (and far beyond in some instances!) and there is some pretty stiff competition within the price range (and most certainly beyond!) No matter what amazing, award winning earphones appear at this price point, they never quite match the dynamic, intense and clear sound of the EPHs! This sound can mostly be owed to the unqiue driver design which directs sound straight down the ear canal. Most drivers bounce sound inside the walls of the ear canal, which makes for a less coherent sound. These guys, do not.
2. The Build
They’re incredibly well made and exude quality and style – they may be small, but they look pretty mighty (and feel the same as they looks!) How many other IEMs are quite so stylishly machined with metal housings? If you stick around this price point, the best you can expect elsewhere is plastic!
Which might be what lends itself so well to the…
3. The Robustness
Style and substance aside, they’re actually extremely rugged!The 2 year warranty is a testament to that, but in an informal setting we’ve heard about a few pairs that have survived going through the washing machine! These were always complete accidents of customers (and we certainly would NOT recommend trying this it home just to be safe) but it’s certainly a testament to an item which, traditionally, doesn’t survive much! Durability is the key to a happy customer.
4. The Value
We talk about “within the £100 price bracket” but with us they are only £69.95 (and we include free UK delivery in that price too!). Also, it’s worth mentioning that they became completely exclusive to us in 2013, so we brought the price down from the RRP of £99.99 and we are able to include a 2 year warranty. There have been a few dodgy (i.e. non genuine “fakes”) pairs popping up online for slightly less money, but when you consider for our price you’re getting the real deal why waste all of your money on fakes, made from substandard parts and potentially damaging to your hearing? What we have is real, and will stay that way.
Also worth noting: our price includes a 2m extension cable, a jack adaptor and a carry case. Win!
5. The Feel
Despite being as robust and hardwearing as they are, they’re actually very comfortable. There are 4 sizes of ear tips are included (like many other IEMs) but it’s the size of the unit and in particular its weight that makes them very comfortable indeed. We’ve had customers use these for hours (as have a few of our staff) and said that they are not in any way fatiguing, making them a great choice for holidays, flights and train journeys, as well as less elongated use.