Ode to a couple of friends
January 05, 2010 in hardware by Dan Gravell
I lost a couple of dear friends last Friday: my pair of Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio Earphones.They were the best in-ear headphones I ever owned.
When I'm on the move I need in-ear earphones to listen to music and podcasts. Primarily I wear them each morning and evening, walking to and from work in London.
Over the years I've tried numerous headsets/earbuds. I tried expensive Sennheiser and Sony earphones where one earbud would just stop working (and clumsy attempts with a soldering iron didn't improve things). I tried earbuds that come free with other equipment; but they all sound tinny and don't block out road noise. I tried a Bluetooth set for a while; the things kept disconnecting, treating everyone around to a sample of my music (for some reason it always seemed to be something embarrassing playing at the time).
I needed a pair of earphones robust enough to withstand my walking and that sound good enough so I can enjoy what I am listening to.
I found that in the Ultimate Ears earphones. The buds themselves are very robust.
A 5cm or so length of wire where the cable connects to the buds is mouldable to the shape of your ear, so the wire goes up and over the ear. This lessens the impact on the wire when walking. The earbuds themselves are removable and replaceable, lest they stop working (they never did). Musically they sound good. Not as rich in bass as some Sennheiser 'phones I used, but then at least they worked longer than a couple of months.The last time I saw my earphones was when I was returning a hire car. For all I know, they're lying in a car hire car park in King's Cross right now. Fair well, old friends.
If you are looking for a pair of tough, robust, long lived earphones, I strongly recommend the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio Earphones. Don't tell the old pair, but a replacement pair are already on order.
