Pros: Good mid-bass, comfort
Cons: Isolation, mids, highs

Packaging & Accessories: 5/10
Build Quality: 7/10
Design & Look: 9/10
Microphonics (higher ratings means lower cable noise): 8/10
Isolation: 4/10
Comfort: 9/10
Audio Quality: 5/10
Value: 6/10
My final Rating: 7/10

Purchase Date: August 2008
Purchase Price: £20

This was my first ever IEM, back in 2008.
Feels so long ago…

The EX85’s were good, but when I got the EX500’s several months later, there wasn’t any comparison between the two.
The EX85’s had a very boomy mid-bass, not very accurate nor much sub-bass.
The mids were drowned out by the bass, and due to the heavy emphasis on the lows, the highs were rolled off.
That said, if you were a basshead (which I was, and now I am more than ever) the EX85’s were “smooth” and had a good punch in the lower region.

For the price I paid, back then – these were worth it. Granted I could have bought something better, but these were the ones that caught my eye.

The comfort of these was good, I always liked the angled nozzle – it means its comfortable, however isolation take a huge blow.
I found that these didn’t really isolate well – and did a worse job than the EX500’s -> which means more often than not I was turning up the volume to block out external noises.

Overall, these were my first IEM’s and for the price, they were well worth it.
These can’t be bought any more, but I’m sure they have been replaced since.

Sound Quality Ratings
Lows: 6/10
Mids: 4/10
Highs: 4/10
Soundstage: 5/10

–TotallydubbedHD