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Monday, February 22, 2016

We had a chance to review a Gorsun branded Sports earphone, model C1. Packaging is decent, easy to open (no scissors needed). I bought these because I frequently have conference calls for work, and my work supplied over-the-ear headset can hurt my ears after a half-hour. Also you should be aware the microphone feature only works for smartphones - it won't work on a PC or Mac unless you use an adapter to split the audio into L/R stereo and mic.

Pros:
  • 102 dB sensitivity, easy to drive, can get very loud if you need it.
  • The bass is decent for earbuds (better than most earbuds that come with smartphones). The Panasonic RPHJE120 have better bass, but not a 1:1 comparison because the Gorsun C1 has a mic.
  • Treble (highs) are clear and crisp, maybe a tad bright.
  • Microphone quality is good. I tried with the Skype Echo/Sound Test service and my voice played back to me clearly. I did not have to hold the mic up to my mouth, though it would've been nice if there was a lapel clip or something included (if you are on the move, the other party might hear the mic brushing against your clothing).
  • The adjustable loop is low tech, but it does seem to keep the earbuds in place when you are exercising (I tried a light jog and jumping jacks).

Cons:
  • Instruction sheet is only in Chinese, with no pictures or diagrams! Not a huge deal as these are pretty self-explanatory.
  • Earpiece is hard plastic. Other mfrs have silicone or rubberized tips that are more comfortable in the ear.
  • The "adjustable" cord is hard to pull out initially. You can carefully push the cord "up" from the bottom slack of the cord in order to get the ear loop to appear.
  • The overall length of the cord is reasonable at 4 feet (1.2 m). However, unless you have a small face, you have to gently pull apart the Left and Right sides of the cord on your first use.
  • Microphone works for Android and iOS devices (I only tried it with an Android). There is a switch to select which kind of device you have. Oddly, I had to use the iOS "I" side of the switch because when I selected the Android "N" switch, there was a pulsing/clicking noise whether or not I was dialed into a call.

Disclosure: I paid for this product using a discounted coupon code, in exchange for an honest review.