Superb tonal balance that trades some top end sparkle and overall neutrality for a very musical presentation that will never overwhelm. Cables are a suitable length and thickness. Provide an excellent seal once you are comfortable with them and learn how to properly insert them. Cheap for what they are capable of doing.

Cable management could be easier. Lacking some air on top and some neutrality in the midrange, which might bother listeners looking for the last word in detail reproduction. Slightly fragile.

If you desire a high-end in-ear-monitor, but don't want to spend the $900 required for the UE-10 Pro, the super-fi 5 Pro are one of the best earphones on the planet and likely to motivate you to listen more.

Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro In-Ear Monitors: The Great Gig in Your Ears

Like having the best aural sex you ever imagined with all of your clothing on. I'll die first before letting anyone take these back.

Your mother always warned you about sticking things up your nose and inside your ear canal, and for the most part, she was correct. She just never imagined the iPod or Pop Rocks.

Yes, some of us did actually do stuff that idiotic when we broke the joystick on the Atari.

Thanks to the enormous popularity of the iPod, the earphone market has exploded. The sheer number of quality headphones can be daunting to someone in the market for a new pair. It is not just the type of headphone you have to worry about, but the fifty models in each category to sort through. Just because something is expensive, does not make it good.

The super.fi 5 Pro earphones by Ultimate Ears are an exception to that rule.

Serious exception.

When the super.fi 5 Pro’s arrived, the first thing that we noticed was how much Ultimate Ears invested in the packaging. The metal case, which houses the headphones and the myriad of accessories; including a plethora of flanges and tips of varying sizes, is quite sturdy and something that you will want to hold onto. It is not something to carry around with you, but at least you know everything is going to be in one piece when you open the box.

The super.fi 5 Pro’s are similar to other in-ear monitors as they are an “around the ear” model, which loosely means that the cable runs around your ear. One thing I did like about the super.fi 5 Pro’s right away was how they fit in my ear canal. I have tried other models from competing companies such as Etymotic, Bose, Shure, and Sony, and not liked how they felt. There is a methodology to inserting the Ultimate Ears models, which involves inserting them and twisting. It looks strange, but once you experience the level of isolation from external noise having inserted them properly, you will never go back.

Ultimate Ears builds its products for demanding musicians, who have to rely on them to stay in place and work during performances. The build quality of all their products is excellent inspiring confidence from the get-go. Medium gauge wiring is used. The forty-eight inch length of wiring which terminates at the earpieces is reinforced, making it unlikely that you would tear the wiring from the earpiece. A "universal fit kit" is included with every set to ensure that each user will be able to find the quintessential flange for their optimal comfort. Each kit includes: 6 single flange silicone (2 small, 2 med, 2 large), 2 dual flange silicone and 2 standard foam. A 1/4" adapter also comes in the package so that you can listen to the super.fi 5 Pro's through a headphone amplifier, or plug them into the headphone jack on a receiver.

While everyone’s experience will differ, I preferred the foam to the silicone flanges and found that they offered the greatest comfort and level of sound isolation. Speaking of isolation; the super.fi 5 Pro’s offer a rather significant 26 dB of isolation, and while we did not confirm this, we can attest to the fact that we experienced a very significant drop in external noise (far greater than any headphone we have tried to date) while wearing them. I listened to them on the subway in Manhattan and rather enjoyed the decrease in both noise from the train and the people around me. One thing to remember when using in-ear monitors is that you should not wear them while riding a bike, running outdoors, or driving. The decrease in external noise is significant enough to become dangerous as you will not hear that bus coming until it is too late.

Amazingly, I have witnessed someone driving on the New Jersey Turnpike while wearing noise cancelling headphones. Scary and stupid to say the least.

I immediately reached for my iPod Nano, inserted the 1/8" gold plated mini jack, and cued up a medley of lossless rips. First out of the gate was a chesty, yet peanut buttery smooth track from Sam Cooke. The super.fi 5 Pro's dual drivers erupted with a creamy full sound that immediately put a smile on my face.

The super.fi 5 Pro’s are not the most neutral sounding headphone I have ever heard, and I was happier than hell to finally find an in-ear model that had some soul. The overall tonal balance is certainly warmer than some might like, but I found that it added much needed weight to hip-hop and rap. That being said, the super.fi 5 Pro’s do not mask detail in any way and nor is there a loss of midrange clarity or resolution. The human voice has great body and presence, making vocal reproduction a great strength of these headphones. The overall sound quality is quite impressive, crushing anything under $250 that I have had the chance to hear so far.

The super.fi 5 Pro’s have a quoted frequency range of 20 – 16,000 Hz, and a rather high 119 dB sensitivity rating. The impedance of 21 Ohms makes them an easier load than a pair of Sennheiser HD650s, which also explains why you can get away with driving them with an iPod.

There is much to like about these headphones; audiophile sound quality, superb fit and finish, excellent packaging, and a great warranty.

They are one of my favorite headphones at any price. If you are looking for a reference quality pair of headphones, and do not want a full size pair which are hard to lug around, then take these for a spin. I highly doubt they will be returned.

Technical Info

Brand: Ultimate Ears
Model: super.fi 5 Pro
Impedance: 21 ohms
Cord Length: 46 inches
Detachable Cable: Yes
Cord Type: Straight Y
Coupler Size: Small
Ear Coupler Type: IEM
Driver Type: Balanced Armature
Acoustic Seal: Sealed
Connector Type: 1/8"
Noise Isolation: 26 dB
Weight: .6 oz
Price: $249.99