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.
The Verdict
