- Joined
- Mar 1, 2013
The Xiaomi Piston 3 seems to be hyped as being the "best headphones under $100" despite going for about $25 on well trusted sites like Amazon. At that price, why not give them a try?
I have had them for about 2 weeks and I would definitely recommend them for a low cost audio upgrade.
I tested them with my OpenDAC HD ( https://github.com/NiHaoMike/OpenDAC-HD ), the onboard audio of my (then) high end DX79SI motherboard, and my TF101 tablet. They are intended to represent the audiophile, casual PC user, and mobile use cases. The comparison was against the Klipsch S3.
Pros:
* Great sound on all three sources, with the OpenDAC doing the best for obvious reasons. The DX79SI and TF101 are about tied in quality when using the Xiaomi, as opposed to the Klipsch that sounded notably poor in comparison on the DX79SI. In other words, while the Xiaomi do not demand much from the output amplifier, they will take good advantage of a good DAC/amp. (And Intel did quite poor considering they were the ones to bring HD audio to the mainstream, but that's another story...)
* Unlike the Klipsch, the built in microphone is pretty decent. Definitely more than good enough for VoIP and podcast recording.
* Notably less wind induced noise than the Klipsch.
* Much less cable handing noise than the Klipsch.
* The low price is hard to beat.
Cons:
* Cable feels flimsier than that of the Klipsch. Only time will tell if that's actually an issue.
* Cable is short for desktop use, but that's true of nearly all headphones designed for mobile use. Also needs an adapter to use the built in microphone with a PC. Both of those are easily solved with a DIY splitter cable.
* Metal barrel of Y point is uncomfortable against bare skin.
* Noise isolation slightly worse than that of the Klipsch. As with all in ear headphones, there's the option of wearing earmuffs over them for particularly noisy environments.
* There seems to be a problem with fakes or factory rejects being sold as new. Just buy from a reputable source like direct from Amazon.
* Often goes out of stock on Amazon, not surprising given their great value.
In summary, the Xiaomi Piston 3 lives up to the hype. That's especially true for those using onboard audio.
I have had them for about 2 weeks and I would definitely recommend them for a low cost audio upgrade.
I tested them with my OpenDAC HD ( https://github.com/NiHaoMike/OpenDAC-HD ), the onboard audio of my (then) high end DX79SI motherboard, and my TF101 tablet. They are intended to represent the audiophile, casual PC user, and mobile use cases. The comparison was against the Klipsch S3.
Pros:
* Great sound on all three sources, with the OpenDAC doing the best for obvious reasons. The DX79SI and TF101 are about tied in quality when using the Xiaomi, as opposed to the Klipsch that sounded notably poor in comparison on the DX79SI. In other words, while the Xiaomi do not demand much from the output amplifier, they will take good advantage of a good DAC/amp. (And Intel did quite poor considering they were the ones to bring HD audio to the mainstream, but that's another story...)
* Unlike the Klipsch, the built in microphone is pretty decent. Definitely more than good enough for VoIP and podcast recording.
* Notably less wind induced noise than the Klipsch.
* Much less cable handing noise than the Klipsch.
* The low price is hard to beat.
Cons:
* Cable feels flimsier than that of the Klipsch. Only time will tell if that's actually an issue.
* Cable is short for desktop use, but that's true of nearly all headphones designed for mobile use. Also needs an adapter to use the built in microphone with a PC. Both of those are easily solved with a DIY splitter cable.
* Metal barrel of Y point is uncomfortable against bare skin.
* Noise isolation slightly worse than that of the Klipsch. As with all in ear headphones, there's the option of wearing earmuffs over them for particularly noisy environments.
* There seems to be a problem with fakes or factory rejects being sold as new. Just buy from a reputable source like direct from Amazon.
* Often goes out of stock on Amazon, not surprising given their great value.
In summary, the Xiaomi Piston 3 lives up to the hype. That's especially true for those using onboard audio.
