yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[General Accessories] vectron:
Opasha, what's up bud! Indeed, long time no talking! Regarding phone, I'm still on Note 2, probably will switch to Note 4 when it's released, but honestly I would switch to S5 without a blink of an eye if I would have to make a decision now. Got S5 for my wife a month ago, slim, fast, 5.1" screen is perfect and not too far off from 5.5" of Note 2, but the phone is narrower and easier to handle. But I like to future proof my phone, so will wait to see what's new Sammy going to add to N4.

Regarding headphones, take your time, go through my reviews :) They might not be in a price range you are looking for since I see you were focusing on budget ones from your list. If you are still after a wireless headset for super intense workout that doesn't break under sweat, BlueAnt Pump I just reviewed might be the way to go (I think you can swim in those while listening to music); but their sound needs some EQ tweaking if you want more mids.

I have looked at a lot of premium audiophile multi-driver headsets, anything from $100 to $500, but then discovered a few gems from China that quite good. They can't be on the same level of full body detailed sound as some $350-$500 in-ear monitors, but at a price of $60-$70 they sound maybe a step below or so (Sidy DM2 is one example). Pistons for $25 are just awesome for their price. But keep in mind, while using those often on a call I need to bring up microphone closer to my mouse since y-splitter is actually an in-line remote and mic, and a little bit too low to pick up the voice. So, you need to use a shirt clip.

Once you get it, post a few pics and let us know your impressions. There are a lot of fake ones out there. Before it was easy to spot cause those were selling for $10-$15. Now, they raised a price on a fake ones to a "real" ones.
[General Accessories] opasha:
I actually went through all your headphone reviews after I randomly stumbled upon the Pistons first. I can see that the best seem to be the SIDY DM2 in the less than $100 price range. I also looked at the $100+ range, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't get myself to pull the trigger on any of the more expensive ones. I'm not hardcore audiophile, but I definitely notice treb/bass and overall highs, mids, and lows when it comes to clarity. I think this all began due to our cars and their speaker systems. I absolutely hate static and distortion at high volumes. I also don't like too much bass because that leads to headaches. I guess I'm the type that truly appreciates the clarity of voices and sounds mixing if that makes sense, lol.

I'll be sure to post pictures and my tiny review here once I get the headphones this week. They literally shipped out 30 minutes after I ordered that morning, so that is one plus.

I still have my Anker Bluetooth Sports Foldable Headset and it's running great without any issues even under rigorous cardio/sweating: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E13P87M/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It has long battery life, good sound, and no distortion issues. It's definitely not meant for bass lovers. The price was good and has a simple foldable design. It seems it might have been discontinued, but I'm not sure. The Blue Ant Pump definitely looks like a solid performer, but the construction seems a little bulky/awkward. I saw many reviews/videos after you told me about them. It does seem like the best bluetooth headset thus far.

Also, the S5 - great phone. I actually bought 3 (mom, dad, and younger brother) since they needed upgrades from the S3's. I'm definitely looking forward to the Note 4. Once a Note owner, it's so hard to go to anything less, lol.

Thanks for the helpful info! Hope all is well with you, my friend!
[General Accessories] IceTea7:
Today I have ordered a pair of Pistons from merimobiles.com. Can someone please tell me how to find out if it is the old or new version?
[General Accessories] vectron:
Once you get it, take a few pictures so I can tell you if you got a real one or fake (especially the headphone opening where the metal wire mesh screen is). Considering they are selling it at $19.98 which includes shipping, I don't have a good feeling it's real. I spoke to a few real sellers and they told me it cost $16-$17 to buy it from Xiaomi. If you add shipping and making some profit on top of it, the price for a real Piston should be realistically around $25+. So, anything under $20 with a free worldwide shipping doesn't sound too good. As I mentioned before, internationally you can't beat penonaudio.com and if you are in US, on amazon I trust zhengnan store.
[General Accessories] IceTea7:
Yes, I know that but they told me several times that they sell genuine Xiaomi articles. And normally they are a trusted seller. If not then I will try to get my money back through PayPal.
[General Accessories] chewlohseng:
In this world, to get money, humans will lie and claim that it's the best. Given the fact that just to get the Xiaomi Piston Earphones in Singapore through Xiaomi Singapore website already costs SGD 19.99 before shipping, I don't think it's genuine too. Even if it's the Mi Power bank (10.4Ah) I'm still wondering if it's real or not.
[General Accessories] IceTea7:
I have bought both. Pistons and Powerbank.
[General Accessories] chewlohseng:
Did you check if the batteries inside the Mi Powerbank is genuine?
[General Accessories] IceTea7:
I have ordered it yesterday so they haven't arrived.
[General Accessories] toge64:
Just received mine from Penonaudio.

They sound worse than my crappy earphones! They sound hollow on my nexus 5, don't work on my ipod classic either! did i get a fake pair?
[General Accessories] Wam7:
Got mine today from Penonaudio. Took 11 days to get to the UK. It's been a good while since I've seen a parcel come secured with string, very quaint! ;)

Mine definitely don't sound like fakes. I can only compare them to my girlfriends SoundMagic E10M's which are very good headphones. These sound better. I used the same ear buds that are on the E10m's to just judge the sound quality. Ear buds can make all the difference. I'm still using the E10m's ear buds as they fit my ear better and give consistently good sound without me having to giggle them around a bit. (Hope the girlfriend doesn't notice ;))

Thanks once again.
[General Accessories] IceTea7:
Now I have seen that merimobiles.com has raised the price for the powerbank so maybe the prices have been for promotion and the Xiaomi products could be genuine.
[General Accessories] vectron:
What do you mean it doesn't work on iPod classic? No sound? To be honest, so many people (here on XDA and Head-fi) bought their stuff from penonaudio, and nobody ever mentioned about fake. As you know, people go to the forum to complain rather than to praise, so I'm sure I would have read at least one bad comment about their stuff. I dealt with them before, never an issue, though I got my Pistons from zhengnan on Amazon.

I really think the issue is with eartips. The sound will change drastically if you are not using a good eartip with a decent seal. I personally wasn't able to get any good sound with included Xiaomi eartips, and ended up using eartips from my other headphones. Try different eartips.
[General Accessories] toge64:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/xiaomi-pistons-2-0-mk301/reviews/10666

I have the same issue as this guy, so on my iPod classic/PC/fiio e6, I have pull the cable back slightly for the sound to be good.

on the nexus 5, the sound is hollow, like the bass is missing. i can't do the pull the cable back slightly trick as then I get no audio. so it is either no audio or audio with no bass :(

I'm wondering if I got unlucky and got faulty ones. is there anyone else using a nexus 5 with their pistons?
[General Accessories] vectron:
Uh, yeah, now I understand what you mean. Do this quick test, press a play button on in-line remote to hear if it sounds OK now. If it is, than you do need that adapter. Btw, I'm "twister6" on Head-Fi, post a lot in there too.
[General Accessories] toge64:
The mic trick didn't work :( I contacted Penon audio and they agreed to send me an adapter.

Any other things I could try?
[General Accessories] vectron:
If adapter doesn't work, and considering you already confirmed the issue with other phones and laptop - you gotta tell them it's a defective unit and they should send you a replacement!
[General Accessories] opasha:
Just an update: my Commemorative Edition Xiaomi Pistons 2 came today. I ordered on Amazon from Booolo Estore. I guess they only had one in stock seeing as they only carry a few items from China: http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A2G4ALMQGE8I9K. They just launched on Amazon along with a few others that sell the Commemorative Edition model. From the videos I have seen online, these definitely look to be real. They came with a special felt pouch. Inside that is a white premium looking box that has the official product id numbers etc. The regular versions come in a cardboard box. The fake versions don't have a box period and come in some plastic wrap. I'll post my review and pics by tonight or tomorrow. :)

REVIEW:

Ok, so these headphones are solid! They are definitely real. Upon opening the package, there is a weird (almost chocolate like) smell from the pouch/the rubber that holds the headphones/the silicone earbud tips. I'm sure this will go away eventually. I tried, all the earbud tips that were included and the ones that worked the best were the standard ones that come on it, which I show in my pictures. The largest one created too much bass for me while the smaller ones lost sound the smaller I went, so obviously fitment is a must. The treble/mids are quite good, and the bass is not overpowering. It can be heard in the background, but thankfully doesn't overpower the vocals. I tested other earbud tips including my Sony MDR ones: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007BY3OU6/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and my SoundMagic ES18 ones: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00789JJEE/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1. The Sony earbuds made the bass go away and made the vocals more apparent. They have a smaller hole closest to the ear side, so that's a given. The ES18 earbuds were the best out of them because the vocals became clearer (like the Sony), but you could still hear the bass in a good way - it wasn't gone nor was it overpowering - just perfect for me because I like clarity for vocals/high to mid ranges to be heard with enough background thump when it's needed for movies, dubstep remixes, etc. The reason I stuck with the ES18s is because they are closer to the ear and the material is much softer/feels better inside the ear as well. I also read a review in the head-fi forums where someone took his girlfriends ES10M earbud tips and put them on the Xiaomi Pistons 2 and was very happy with this setup. Overall, these are the real deal for such a low budget IEM, and I'm very satisfied. Thanks vectron for pointing me to these. The special edition looks very nice, has a soft cord from the MIC down, and rubber cord from the mic to the headphones. I've never seen this setup, but that's also because my headphone knowledge/experience is no where near vectron's or other audiophiles'.

Pictures: The last two pictures are of the ES18 earbud tips.
[General Accessories] vectron:
And I assume all the controls work well with your Note 3? Isn't it awesome to be able to change volume remotely? As you put more hours listening to these, they do go through burn in period and the sound will get even better.

Btw, great pictures!
[General Accessories] Fabry1998:
Where can I buy these earphones? I live in Italy, so Amazon doesn't have that :(
[General Accessories] vectron:
www.penonaudio.com - they have real stuff. Be careful, a lot of fakes out there.
[General Accessories] sasa_gm:
Has anyone got these earphones with Nexus 4? Are the buttons working?
[General Accessories] Fabry1998:
I'm watching that site now, but there are 4 different models: the Piston black, the Pistons white, the Pistons 2 and the Pistons 2 IF. What are the differences from each one? And do they ship in Italy?

Inviato dal mio Nexus 4 utilizzando Tapatalk
[General Accessories] chewlohseng:
Heard before Nexus 4 doesn't support the volume controls, just like HTC One (M7), HTC One M8, Asus Padfone Infinity etc with stock firmware. MIUI ROMs for these devices may support volume controls though.

Typical Apple, almost everything is proprietary, this means all iDevices doesn't support volume controls...

Most Sony Mobile devices, Samsung Electronics devices and Xiaomi devices support all these functions with stock firmwares.
[General Accessories] opasha:
Yes, they do. Yes, it is indeed convenient. You're right, much like car audio speakers, all good headphones/sound systems need a break in period...almost like turbo engines :).

You're very welcome for the pictures!
[General Accessories] DrGrozozo:
Will this earphones work with Moto G?
[General Accessories] chewlohseng:
It should work fine, but volume keys may not work. :)
[General Accessories] Safe0716:
Hi guys !

Anyone knows if theses are v2 or v2.1 ? Thank's in advance

http://www.amazon.de/brandneuen-In-...HMFNE/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=AJM5Z422XJJOE
[General Accessories] hamlettime:
These phones look great, and I love budget kings that live up to the hype. I'm going to have to jump on these, and hopefully the price do not inflate like on the Sony MHC-1s.
[General Accessories] chewlohseng:
Get it early then! :)
[General Accessories] tyagi:
I have just bought some Xiaomi Pistons and the start/pause/answer button works OK, and the Mic works OK, but the volume controls do not work with my Moto G. Why is this, do we know?
[General Accessories] vectron:
Moto G implemented wired volume control in a different way :( I have no idea why they don't want to follow a standard set by Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, etc...
[General Accessories] tyagi:
Well that's...... disappointing.
[General Accessories] aumkarpraja:
Any idea on where I can find the Xiaomi 2.1 Commemorative in Canada?
[General Accessories] n2xt19:
Based off of your pictures (and links provided) the color doesn't really suit the headphones. Are there different colors?
[General Accessories] segag:
Do these work with the nexus5.. Just went through the entire thread.. One person mentioned that they sounded "tinny" with the nexus 5.. can anyone try them out with the nexus5? Do all the buttons work with it? Thanks in advance.
[General Accessories] IceTea7:
Today I have received my Piston. Can someone please tell me if they look genuine?
[General Accessories] vectron:
The reference to "tinny" sound is most likely due to a bad seal using included eartips. Everybody got different ears, different earcanal size. Proper eartip selection will either make it or break it. The sound is by no way tinny :)
[General Accessories] vectron:
Where did you get yours from? If not Amazon (zhengnan seller), how much did you pay? Also, can you take eartips off and take a close up of the grill covering the nozzle opening? If its too recessed, that's a dead giveaway of a fake one.
[General Accessories] IceTea7:
I have ordered them at merimobiles.com. Here are three more pictures without the tips.
[General Accessories] vectron:
^ looks real!!!
[General Accessories] Fabry1998:
I saw that the Pistons are present in amazon.de. Are they real or fake? And does amazon.de send in Italy?

Inviato dal mio Nexus 4 utilizzando Tapatalk
[General Accessories] Aegyo:
since they're 3rd party sellers, I'd be weary of their authenticity
[General Accessories] vectron:
With their popularity, I would say more than a half of Pistons are fake :)

For international orders I would suggest ordering from penonaudio.com, a very trusted on-line source.

Regular version: http://penonaudio.com/Xiaomi-Piston-2.0-Earphones

Special edition IF version: http://penonaudio.com/Xiaomi-Piston-IF-Commemorative-Edition
[General Accessories] sasa_gm:
I've got my pair of Piston 2 earphones a few days ago. I can say that I'm immpersed. Very loud and clear sound with deep bass. I'm using them on my nexus 4, and the only pitty is that the volume up/down buttons don't work, although I heard that they work just fine on nexus 5.
[General Accessories] sasa_gm:
They should be origina, judging by reviews. The picture doesn't tell much. Although, I got them from here. That is the official site for Xiaomi products. I've got them for about 20 days (free airmail). I'm from central Europe.
[General Accessories] nijunhiju:
I'm from the US, does anyone know where can I buy these earphones? And is there a difference between the regular version and limited version?
[General Accessories] chewlohseng:
Buy from US there are some posts regarding that already in this tread check them out. No difference in sound quality, just that you *may* get some extras. :)
[General Accessories] ttabbal:
For a US source, I got them from here..

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Xiao...d=1402998862&sr=8-1&keywords=Xiaomi+Pistons+2

Seller is "Boat2014" and they are fulfilled by Amazon, so Amazon ships them to you from a US warehouse. I got them today, and comparing to the pics in the thread, they look to be authentic. I played with the tips, and found some with good fit. They sound quite good, particularly considering the price. Volume and transport buttons work well, overall I'm quite satisfied. As mentioned, try the different sizes. The right fit makes a big difference.
[General Accessories] khanmein:
the box already shown is fake. no words in front of the box.
[General Accessories] Stealyourface:
That's irrelevant. It matters who you buy it from under the sellers.

Zhengnan'shop is in that list, and he provides genuine pairs. I bought 3 pairs from him (2 rose, 1 iF), all legit. No words on the front of the box.

Now looking at that list a new seller popped up copying that name zhengnan810401. DO NOT BUY FROM THAT PERSON! Beware people, if they can't even have the confidence to get a name for themselves, there is no way they are selling legit products. But rather trying to piggyback off of a reputable seller.
[General Accessories] vectron:
I was just Contacted by Zhengnan'shop with an explanation of what happened with seller name and the listing. Apparently, there was so many FAKE listings added under his original amazon listing, they created a new listing on Amazon where they now sell new Pistons (metal gold housing) and basic cheaper version in white and black. To eliminate the confusion, the original Zhengnan'shop created "zhengnan810401" seller name. The link to that listing is: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L92CU24/ as well as on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=321443604850 - I put both of the links in my original review. Those are LEGIT version from the same seller. He originally made some mistake adding his new seller name under an old listing with a wrong price. Everything has been corrected and that listing was deleted.

So, just use those two links above to get the legit Pistons version. I know, it's confusing, but that's the problem where now there are more fake versions floating around internet than a real ones :(

Also, I already been told by a few people that boat2014 is not legit because of a cheaper price, and mix of people with some who claim it was real and others who mentioned it wasn't. I really have no idea what's going on with that seller, and if they have a mixed stock (since they are from China but I guess sent a bunch of those to Amazon warehouse to be sold from US). Since I received a few PMs asking me if it's a legit or not seller, I honestly don't know.
[General Accessories] Stealyourface:
Glad everything is settled. And now people have more options. I was always under the impression that the black and white pistons were version 1. But I guess not.
[General Accessories] SpyKnife:
Just ordered a pair of these earbuds! Very excited!

Just one question for you owners: Are the eartips made out of rubber, silicon or sponge?
[General Accessories] vectron:
Silicone, but you might be better off borrowing eartips from another set of headphones :) I mean, it's all a matter of personal preference. To get the best sound, you need to get the best seal. We all have different ear anatomy and the same eartip will not fit everybody the same.
[General Accessories] IVS IVRIS:
I just went to check these on eBay, and there's quite a few options to buy them with free shipping for only €5 to €7. Anyone got experience with one of these guys on eBay? Check it out yourself: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=xiaomi+piston+2&rt=nc&LH_FS=1
[General Accessories] vectron:
Anything below $24 shipped from China is FAKE. It's not really saving but rather wasting money since they will sound like crap.
[General Accessories] DrGrozozo:
I got mine yesterday from

http://www.ibuygou.com/p-original_xiaomi_piston_earphone_updated_version_brown-5708-usd.html they look great, smell nice, and the sound is excellent :D Vol keys dont work with moto g, but answering and play/pause button work just fine.
[General Accessories] BeigeCat555:
Wondering if they are genuine

Hi, I recieved the Xiaomi Piston headphones today. I bought them from Merimobiles for 20 $. Although it came in original one-piece box, and everything looks genuine; even the chocolate smell, but the sound isn't very good. The sound is very shallow, there are no traces of bass at all. It gets even worse when connect it to a Nokia phone, instead of Android. Do you know what causes this bad sound issue?
[General Accessories] sasa_gm:
Be sure that they fit you well. Try every pair of eartips and see which one is the best for you. These earphones should have very powerful bass. Maybe you got fake ones.
[General Accessories] darkangl33:
how about http://www.xiaomiworld.com/ are they legit shop?

Thanks
[General Accessories] vectron:
Kind of weird that a store which calls themselves "xiaomiworld" sells other cheap accessories for iphone and samsung and other phones. It could be legit, but doesn't look like an official xiaomi shop or a shop associated directly with xiaomi brand.
[General Accessories] chewlohseng:
C4ETech (YouTube) said they are legit. In fact some of their review Xiaomi devices are from Xiaomi World.

It's not associated with Xiaomi, but a reseller. To maximize their earnings they have to sell non-XM items isn't it? :)
[General Accessories] cereal86:
Yes it is. I've just received mine and it is 100% genuine. Just order another for my co-worker!
[General Accessories] BeigeCat555:
Eartips make a huge difference

Thank you very much, I tried using another earbuds and now I am getting a much more powerful sound. ;)
[General Accessories] - - - Cheaper- - -:
Thanks

Thank you so much your looking for a bit
[General Accessories] hackerpower:
This is the original store http://store.mi.com/sg/item/3141400002 but it only sells to Singapore :crying:
[General Accessories] Orbettino:
not sure

[MENTION=3996566]vectron[/MENTION]

i'm not sure it's original product.. i think the original has a qr code in place of the cardboard with the arrow drawn

but i'm not sure i'm searching for buying bu is full of copy everywhere
[General Accessories] vectron:
I have 3 pairs of pistons, they are 100% original. No question about that ;)
[General Accessories] cshadow:
Sticker with QR

Guys, have you tried scanning the QR code from the small sticker on the cord?

From the embedded link opened a web page with a happy mi bunny. Unfortunately all the text was in pictures, I took a screenshot and tried translating it via OCR but I'm getting only garbage. I suppose it is some online authenticity verification?