Four sets of headphones and one set of ears-sounds like fun. For this roundup, I put the Shure SE420, Future Sonics M5, Etymotic Research ETY 8 Bluetooth, and the Sennheiser CX 500 earphones through their paces.
As a composer/songwriter/producer, I spend every day sitting in front of unbelievable speakers or using high-end studio headphones, so these in-ear headphones have a lot to live up to. Although they're designed for MP3 players like iPods and will most probably play back MP3s or AAC files, I chose to test them in both worlds.
Listening In The Studio
In the studio, I created a piano track with really low notes on up to high notes to see which set had the best range. I used a Bosendorfer 10-foot grand piano from Ivory Pianos. There's always some high-end hiss on well-recorded samples, and the very hyped high-end really brings that out. I also played additional tracks I recorded here in the studio. Since I'm very familiar with these tracks, I know exactly what I should hear while auditioning these earphones.
Unfortunately, my studio has little need for Bluetooth capabilities, so I can't use the ETY 8's in this experiment. Keep in mind that I listened at 48k 24 bit, which is a long way from your standard iPod MP3 or AAC file. To be unbiased, I haven't looked at the retail prices of the headphones.
Shure se420 $350 includes:...
Shure se420 $350 includes:
Earpieces
Hard case
Double mono adapter jack
Extension cable
Volume knob add-on
Instruction booklet
Studio Results
The piano track produced a clear winner. The Shure SE420 was amazing. It had great low end, a really natural high end, and nothing fell out in the middle. It reproduced the piano the way I know it should sound.
The Future Sonics did a nice job but were stronger in the low-end department. They sported a comfortable set of highs but really favored the lows.
The Sennheiser proved to be the opposite of the Future Sonics-very hyped in the high end. The low end was there, but the highs overshadowed it for sure. They weren't wonderful in the midrange either.
Then, I went on to full tracks and received the exact same response. The Shure's were right on the money. The Future Sonics took hold of the bass, while the Sennheiser's were all over the triangle pattern in the track.
Listening To An Ipod
Sonically, none of these earphones were bad, but clearly some performed better than others. At this point I moved on to the iPod, where these puppies will more than likely get used. I tried a bunch of songs, but my main reference track was "Move Along" by the All American Rejects. It starts with a killer drum pattern and Chris Lord Algy mixed it, so you know its sonically amazing. Unless there's a good balance, the magic from the toms will disappear. I had the same findings with the iPod as I did in the studio. The Shures were great; Future Sonics, bass heavy; and Sennheisers, bright. At last I could try out the ETY 8 and its Bluetooth capabilities. To my surprise, it sounded pretty good. Overall, it was pretty nice, not too bass-heavy and not too bright. Sonically, however, I have to put the Shure headphones at the top of the heap.
Future sonics m5 $199 includes:...
Future sonics m5 $199 includes:
Earpieces
Soft case
Ergonomics
Now let's move on to another really important element that can make or break your purchase but often seems to slip by the wayside: ergonomics and ease of use. Of course, a good deal of how ergonomic each earphone is depends on the shape of your ears. Some fit well right out of the box for some people, but most of us will have to try out a variety of earpieces to find one that fits. Having instructions on hand helps guide you in the right direction, but as you'll read, not all manufacturers spell it out for you.
I opened the Future Sonics box to find a set of M5 headphones, a hard case, a big bag of different sized and shaped earpieces, and no instructions. I'm a professional musician and rely on my ears 24/7, but I have no idea what kind of ear canal I have. I'm sure many of you have no idea about your ears either. Without bothering with the mixed bag of earpieces, I pulled the phones out of the box, grabbed my iPod and ran off to the gym.