MEElectronics M6 review

Although they cost a very reasonable £20, MEElectronics’ M6 earphones aren’t short of extra features. They have a rigid case to keep them safe when not in use, and come with two different styles of ear tips in small, medium and large sizes. These include standard dome-shaped silicone tips and noise-isolating flanged tips, neither of which is quite as good at blocking out external noise as foam sound-isolating tips, but they are more durable and still provide a decent sense of isolation from the ambient noise around. If you prefer foam tips, the earphones are compatible with Comply’s T-500 range, which cost around £12 for a pack of three.

The M6 earphones are very comfortably shaped, with large bodies that fit snugly into most ears and tips that go securely into the ear canal. To make them more secure, there are also flexible ear hooks built into the cables. The cable measures 1.4m and has the usual 3.5mm stereo plug on the end.

The earphones exhibited rounded mid-tones and a crisp treble in our tests, with a strong bass emphasis that lends itself to drum and bass, dubstep and other electronic dance genres. We found that the sound became a little more balanced when we switched from standard ear tips to rubber flanges, but the bass was still a little too intense for our taste, slightly drowning the mid-range. We were happy with the earphones’ sound when it came to many of our classical and folk instrumental tracks, but they’re not well suited to busier tracks with layers of distorted guitar.

For £20, the M6s are a great buy if you like bass and want comfortable, secure and close-fitting earphones with plenty of options for sound isolation. However, we prefer the flatter sound of the cheaper Maxell Metallics, while for a little more money you can buy the astonishing Soundmagic E10 set.