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In-Ear Headphones<br />
Stock earbuds make 320-Kbps Radiohead rips sound like AM. For a C-note, you can upgrade to some<br />
phones that restore the subtlety of your favorite tunes. Fasten your tympanic membranes. —S.C.<br />
$100 AND LESS<br />
MORE THAN $100<br />
A B C D E F G<br />
Model Price Drivers Included Tips Wired Tired Rating<br />
Creative Zen<br />
Aurvana (A)<br />
creative.com<br />
Portable Media<br />
Harman/Kardon<br />
EP 710 (B)<br />
harmankardon.com<br />
Ultimate Ears<br />
Metro.fi 2 (C)<br />
ultimateears.com<br />
Etymotic ety8 (D)<br />
etymotic.com<br />
Jays q-Jays (E)<br />
jays.se<br />
Shure SE420 (F)<br />
shure.com<br />
Ultimate Ears<br />
Super.fi 5 Pro (G)<br />
ultimateears.com<br />
$100 Single<br />
armature<br />
$100 Single<br />
moving<br />
coil<br />
$80 Single<br />
diaphragm<br />
$199 Single<br />
armature<br />
$179 Dual micro<br />
armatures<br />
$400 Dual<br />
armatures<br />
$250 Dual<br />
armatures<br />
6 silicone Bitty earpieces. Ultrathin cord is well<br />
shielded, with no annoying microphonics.<br />
Luxe molded carrying case cradles<br />
phones when not in use. Cord cinch<br />
reduces bud yank.<br />
1 silicone,<br />
1 foam<br />
4 silicone,<br />
1 foam<br />
4 soft plastic,<br />
1 foam<br />
Warm sound with above-average<br />
detail. Solid construction, svelte design.<br />
Included case is roomy enough to store<br />
iPod or other music player.<br />
Vivid separation and fat, round bass<br />
—incredible all-around sound for such<br />
a bargain-hunter price. Attractive matte<br />
finish on monitors. Cord cinch. Sturdy<br />
carrying case.<br />
Bluetooth connectivity lets you stow<br />
player out of sight. Solid sound, comparable<br />
to similarly priced wired earphones.<br />
Volume and Track Select buttons on right<br />
earpiece. Works with A2DP and AVRCP<br />
Bluetooth phones and audio players.<br />
6 silicone Wee earpieces produce astonishingly<br />
full, balanced audio and excellent bass.<br />
Sound matches models costing twice as<br />
much. Two-piece cord can be shortened<br />
for use with lapel-clipped players,<br />
eliminating wire dangle.<br />
4 silicone,<br />
3 foam<br />
4 silicone,<br />
1 foam<br />
Incredibly accurate sound, with almost<br />
no tonal coloration. Rich bass. Earpieces<br />
are sturdy and attractively designed.<br />
Best variety of ear-tip options. Shuffle<br />
fans note: Segmented cord ideal for<br />
lapel-clippers.<br />
Pro audio sound at a consumer<br />
price. Treble, bass, and mids are crisp,<br />
bright, and balanced. Subtle tone<br />
coloration is musical without being<br />
obtrusive. Ear hooks and cord cinch<br />
make for close, tight fit.<br />
Sound is flatter and more trebly than<br />
comparably priced models. Little separation<br />
between instruments on dense<br />
tunes. Despite <strong>sm</strong>all earpiece size, eartip<br />
barrels are wide and uncomfortable.<br />
Thin high end, with cymbals and vocals<br />
edging out meatier bass tones. Long,<br />
tube-shaped monitors jut out of ears.<br />
Cord lacks cinch and swooshes audibly<br />
when jostled.<br />
Ear-tip barrels are large, so folks with<br />
<strong>sm</strong>all ear canals may be out of luck.<br />
Frequent adjustment necessary to<br />
maintain optimal sound.<br />
Ridiculous Lieutenant Uhura styling.<br />
Boxy slab monitors protrude awkwardly<br />
from ears. iPod adapter kit, necessary for<br />
Apple’s Bluetoothless players, costs $100<br />
more and won’t work with the shuffle.<br />
A little quiet. Poorly shielded wires<br />
produce audible tapping and scuffing<br />
when they rub against clothing. Buds<br />
are too <strong>sm</strong>all to seat easily. Fit options<br />
limited to stiff silicone sleeves.<br />
Expensive. Slight fidelity gains<br />
don’t justify exorbitant markup<br />
over comparable alternatives. Best<br />
results require pushing headphones<br />
uncomfortably deep into ear canals.<br />
Chunky earpieces take some effort<br />
to seat properly and may be too large<br />
for petite passages.<br />
5<br />
6<br />
8<br />
7<br />
8<br />
7<br />
8
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