Reviewed May 2010
Details: Dimestore wooden IEM seemingly related to the Kanen KM92
Current Price: N/A (discontinued) (MSRP: $9)
Specs: Driver: Dynamic | Imp: 16 Ω | Sens: 110 dB | Freq: 20-20k Hz | Cable: 4′ L-plug
Nozzle Size: 5.5mm | Preferred tips: Stock single-flanges
Wear Style: Over-the-ear or straight down
Accessories (1/5) – Silicone single-flange tips (3 sizes)
Build Quality (2.5/5) – Wooden housings with plastic nozzles feel very cheaply made, though metal mesh filters are present in the nozzles. Wood has a tendency to splinter. The cable is slightly rubberized and not too thin, with proper strain reliefs all around
Isolation (2/5) – Massive rear vents severely limit isolation
Microphonics (3/5) – Bothersome when worn cord-down; unobtrusive otherwise
Comfort (3.5/5) – Very lightweight but otherwise perfectly generic straight-barrel fit
Sound (2.7/10) – The signature of the HO470 reminds me of the pricier Meelectronics R1 Woodees. Both earphones are bass cannons, with the HO470 appearing to be even bassier due to the veiled mids and recessed treble. Both earphones are quite warm and exercise disappointingly poor bass control, causing them to sound muddy and lack texture and detail. The bass of the Sentries is overwhelming and seems to come at the listener from all directions. The low end and midrange of the HO470 are extremely smooth but the top end exhibits some harshness despite being severely rolled off.
Value (5/10) – I really cannot recommend the HO470 for listening to music without some serious equalization in the midrange and treble. For a basshead on a (tiny) budget and with an excellent equalizer, the HO470 might be a viable option. There’s a chance that some of the other cheap earphones out there can be equalized to match the HO470s in bass quantity with fewer sacrifices in the mids and treble, but I would expect them to distort the bass at that point. Either way, the $5 wooden sentries have some value but I would not recommend them as general-purpose IEMs next to the similarly-priced Kanen KM-948.
Pros: Extremely lightweight and quite comfortable
Cons: Lots and lots of mediocre bass, the rest of the signature drowns in the bass, $5 build quality
