The bass is “highly addictive” and its “resolution of fine detail is extraordinary”, with isolation so solid it’ll block screeching train cars. Of course, any headphones this high end require custom moulds from an audiologist, which adds another $US150 to the price. Steve says they’re worth $US1100, not just because they’re hand-built and designed Jerry Harvey, who founded Ultimate Ears, but because you’ll get 10 years of use out of them — which, looked at from that angle, isn’t so bad. Check out the full review here: [CNET]

We’re gonna be talking in-ear earbuds—canalphones, really, or in-ear monitors, if you’re snooty—since all the good stuff goes deep into your precious earholes. We aren’t talking about headphones because great headphones aren’t the most discrete things around — can’t defeat physics, children. Unless you derive some sick pleasure from jogging with a pair of giant cans bolted to your head, earbuds are the way to go.

It’s All About the Drivers — No, Not Those Kind

Whether you’re talking about headphones or earbuds, they work a lot like loudspeakers, just miniaturised. The key element in both are drivers, though earphone drivers are a lot smaller, and do a lot less work to make the same music.

There are two main types of drivers: The a dynamic driver works just like a traditional one in big ol’ speaker. The benefit of the dynamic driver is that it produces a nice bass response, though it can be hard to miniaturise.

A balanced armature driver is pretty common in serious in-ear monitors, since it’s easy to shrink down. Originally found in hearing aids, it houses a magnetic armature that moves when an electric current runs through the coil, putting pressure on the diaphragm, creating sound. It can be, and often is, paired with a dynamic driver.

Most earbuds just have the one driver, though more and more have multiple drivers. That costs more ’cause it’s harder to cram more than one into a tiny casing meant to rest gravity-free in your ear. With multiple drivers also comes a “crossover network”, circuitry meant to divide music into different frequencies and route them to the appropriate drivers, an additional payload to stuff into that tight space. Once all that is crammed in, however, multi-driver earbuds typically sound better than single-driver ones, because the woofer, tweeter and mid-range horn are more innately equipped to handle their own domains of sound — from boomy bass to sizzly treble.

Among the least expensive multiple-driver earbuds are Apple’s fancier AU$119 in-ear earbuds, which use two drivers, a tweeter for highs, and another for everything else. It gets more expensive as you creep up. Shure’s three-driver SE530 lists for $US500 (but can be found for much less). Ultimate Ears’ UE-11 Pro, which will run you a ridiculous $US1150, come with a correspondingly ridiculous four drivers. That’s one for mid-range and one for highs and two for bass.

Some companies opt for a single driver because they think it’s better, since there aren’t complications with crossover networks, trying to get all the drivers to work together to produce seamless sound. On the other hand, with a single driver, you’re asking one driver to do everything: highs, lows and mid-range, says Stereophile senior contributing editor Michael Fremer Fremer. (Yes, that Michael Fremer.) That’s why , FutureSonics, for instance, makers of pro monitoring gear, charges so much for their single-driver earbuds. “A really good single-driver can sound really good,” says Fremer.

What It’s Made Of, How It’s Made

Besides more drivers, what you get in pricier earbuds is (surprise, surprise) better materials, finer build quality and a more focused design. Michael Johns, headphones manager for Shure—known for earbuds with MSRP ranging from $US100 to $US500 but rarely double digits—told me that most of the really cheap ($US20) headphones on the market are basically rebranded crap from no-name factories, and that when you buy those with suggested retail pricing between $US50 and $US100, you’re mostly paying for style, not sound. The top-tier brands, of which there are many, tend to design and engineer their own headphones. The expense of that is, unfortunately, passed on to you.

The cost of raw ingredients is also passed to you — the cable material, the magnet behind the diaphragm, the diaphragm material itself, the overall quality of the driver, and the enclosure. (Again, all of the stuff that jacks up the price of higher quality loudspeakers too.) None of that stuff, when it’s well made, is cheap. Fremer says, for instance, that better headphones actually use stronger magnets than cheaper headphones. As you might guess, the more powerful the magnet, the higher the cost.

The Fit

With legit in-ear buds, fit matters a lot, because the seal is critical. Not only does a good seal mean less ambient noise infiltrates your ears—allowing you to keep your volume low while still catching the full dynamic range—but an airtight seal is how you get decent bass response. And you want something shoved deep down inside your ear to be comfortable, as well as fit, so there’s a lot of different kinds of tips earbud makers have come up with. Besides the standard rubber bulb, there’s squishy foam, and the Christmas tree-lookin’ triple-flange sleeves. What works best often comes down to your own ears and personal preference, which is why better earbuds come with a ton of tips.

What Do I Buy?

So, uh, what’s the sweet spot price for great headphones? If Shure and Fremer had their way, everybody would spend upwards of $US200 on their earbuds, but if you twist their arm, they’ll agree that $US100 is where buds start getting decent. The real trick, according to Fremer, is just getting people to “spend that first hundred bucks”.

The law of diminishing returns tends to kick in above that point: The difference between $US300 set of buds and a $US400 pair is nowhere near the jump from $US20 to $US100. Even smaller is the difference in models between generations. Although the best value on the market might be a previous-gen version of Shure’s 500 series buds at a cut rate ($290), but if you can find $US100 earbuds for $US70, it’s even better.

Whatever you do, for christ’s sake—and yours—ditch the iPod earbuds.

You don’t need to press any buttons, as the earphones use Sony Ericsson’s ‘SensMe’ technology to sense your body. They come in chrome and yellow/white, and will be available worldwide this week for about $US55. The one bummer: you’ll need a Sony Ericsson phone with a “Fast port” connector. You can check for compatibility here: [Sony Ericsson]

The HC55 headphones are actually in-ear headphones, meaning that even without the active noise cancellation, the do a pretty decent job of dulling down ambient noise anyway. But when you switch them on, that’s when the real magic happens.

Panasonic and Giz are giving away 10 pairs of their HC55 noise cancelling headphones, worth $149 each. To enter, simply click through to the original comp post here, then tell us in 25 words or less in the comments section: “What noise would you most want to cancel out?” Good luck!

[Panasonic HC55 comp on Giz]
[T&Cs]

There’ve been cheaper HD-branded models for years, and they’ve generally been pretty great. The $US100 price point, though, marks sort of a golden zone for headphones and earbuds—it’s the most a lot of people are willing to spend, and where the hardware starts to really shine. The HD 428, 438 (pictured left) and 448 sit in this $US30 sweet spot, and fall somewhere between portable headphones and giant home stereo alien ear bulbs.

The main differences between the headphones are sound signature—the cheaper 428 is bassier, while the 428 and 448 go for a more natural mix—and style—the 428 has a subdued cross pattern, the 448 a subtle brushed aluminium look, and the 438 has, er, hubcaps “reminiscent of the alloy wheels on luxury sports cars” by which Sennheiser presumably means 1984 Honda CRXs. Which is fine! [Sennheiser]

That’s right – for $45, you can have an in-ear headphone system that not only has a frequency range of 6Hz-23kHz, a gold-plated plug, and different sized silicon earpieces, but also a metallic black, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red, silver or yellow colour.

Huzzah!

[Panasonic]

Speaking of noise reduction, all three of their new models, including the AH-C710 and AH-C360 feature a Radial Cascade Damper that reduces noise from touched cables. The AH-NC600 is expected to be available in July for $US199 while the lower-end AH-C710 and AH-C360 will be available for $US149 and $US49 respectively starting in June.

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DENON INTRODUCES THREE NEW HIGH-PERFORMANCE HEADPHONES

— New Earbud Models Offer New Level of Comfort and Listening Luxury; Also the Company’s First In-Ear Noise-Cancelling Headphones —

Mahwah, NJ – May 11, 2009 – Denon Electronics, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of high-quality home entertainment components, today introduced three stylish and high-performance “earbud” in-ear headphone models, bringing the total number of headphones in the company’s line to 15. The new additions include the company’s first i

n-ear noise-cancelling headphones, Model AH-NC600 (SRP: $199), scheduled for July availability, as well as the AH-C710 (SRP: $149) and AH-C360 (SRP: $49), both scheduled for June availability.

Total Comfort and Style, With Optimum Audio Quality

As with all Denon headphones, the three new models are engineered for total comfort and style, with advanced audio technologies for optimum sound. The new models all feature an ergonomic design that isolates the ear more steadily and comfortably, and also decreases mechanical vibration. A newly developed Hybrid (metal and Elastomer) housing ensures clean sound, and a Radial Cascade Damper reduces noise from touched cables. In addition, all feature a specially designed Acoustic Optimizer that ensures dynamic sound and deep rich bass response, with optimum acoustical characteristics achieved by adjusting the sound pressure balance in front of and behind the diaphragm. For total flexibility, all models come with multiple sizes of comfortable ear tips, extension cables and ear clips to ensure perfect fit for every listener. The new AH-C710 headphones include not only three sizes of silicon ear tips, but also a special “soft-foam” earpiece for added comfort and luxury. They also come with a new specially designed carrying case that features cable management, as well as OFC (oxygen free copper) cables for enhanced sonic performance.
AH-NC600: Denon’s First Noise-Cancelling Earbud Headphone

The new luxury AH-NC600 earbud headphones offer music lovers an opportunity to enjoy the ultimate in private listening enjoyment, with a high-quality built-in amplifier and advanced noise-cancelling technologies that reduce

outside ambient noise by 99%. In addition, the sophisticated headphones feature Denon’s proprietary Compressed Audio Restorer circuitry. Previously only available in the company’s advanced audio/video receivers, this sophisticated circuitry improves the dynamic range and sound quality of compressed audio sources. Superior audio reproduction is further enhanced by high-quality 3.5mm drivers, as well as OFC cables with straight plug and an adjusting slider. An aeroplane adaptor and a specially designed hard carrying case add to their on-the-go convenience. The compact and ingeniously designed case allows users to carry their mobile phones, along with their headphones and all accessories, and lets them prop up their iPod Touch or iPhone devices for easy use while on-the-go. As with the AH-C710 headphones, the AH-NC600 provides three separately sized ear tips, as well as the new soft-foam earpads.
Denon’s Full Line of Advanced Headphones

The three new models join Denon’s existing line of advanced headphones, including the high-end luxury Model AH-NC732 On-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones (SRP: $299); three state-of-the-art over-ear models, the AH-D7000 (SRP: $999), the AH-D5000 (SRP: $699) and AH-D2000 (SRP: $349); three on-ear models AH-D1001 (SRP: $149.99), AH-D501K (SRP: $69) and AH-301K (SRP: $49); the compact on-ear model AH-P372K (SRP: $59); and four “earbud” in-ear models, the AH-C751 (SRP: $199), AH-C551 (SRP: $99), AH-C452 (SRP: $69) and AH-C252 ($29).

[Denon]

The Price: As you saw above, these babies are brand new, and list for $US230.

The Verdict: $US230 is an awful lot to spend on earphones, but as we learned last week, sound matters, and the quality in the $US200 range really is twice as good as it is in the $US100 range. In fact, in sound testing, the UE700 gave Shure’s $US300 SE310 earphones a run for their money.

I’m not spoiled, earphone-wise, but I’m not slumming it either—I usually carry Shure SE110s. When the SE115s came out, I had to check them out, and sure enough, what Adrian mentioned about fuller bass is totally true. It’s not overpowering, and for the price, they’re brilliant, but like all headphones in that $US100 range, I still feel like there’s something missing, a kind of three dimensionality.

Last night I carefully listened to my favourite songs, spanning many genres—”Bullet and a Target” by Citizen Cope, “California” by Joni Mitchell, “Ms. Jackson” by OutKast, “All This Time” by Sting among others—constantly swapping headphones from UE700 to Shure SE115 to Shure SE310 to listen for the minutest changes in experience. The jump from the SE115 to both more expensive ones was clear, literally. Instruments were more defined, such as the bari sax in the Decemberists’ “16 Military Wives,” and you could hear more real life behind the recording, such as the buzzing and rustling in “Please Do Not Go” by Violent Femmes.

For a while, though, it was a deadlock between the $US230 Ultimate Ears and the $US300 Shures, especially since Amazon lists them for under $US180 (!). The real breakthrough came when I put on Prince’s “7.” It has so many layers of percussion and Eastern instrumentation, not to mention vocal harmonies, that it truly benefits from the three dimensionality that only higher-grade audio can manage, and lo, the most 3D experience came from the UE700s. I checked again and again, back and forth, with more songs still, and it was true. I was floored.

There are some downsides to this pair, particularly compared to the Shures. Fit matters when it comes to making the most of good earphones. Because of the way the speakers are arrayed inside the UE700s, they’re wider at the opening than the Shures, meaning they may not fit everyone. In addition, they only come with one size of memory-foam cushion (my favourite) and three different sizes of the rubber sealing kind. Shure SE310 comes with like a jillion different “sleeves,” and even the SE115s come with six options.

(They do come with a carrying case and an attenuator—pictured below—which limits high-volume bursts, so you can use it on an airplane’s sound system without fear of going deaf every time you change the channel or hear the captain come on.)

The other issue that some might care about is cable noise. That’s not a buzz or anything, it’s the sound you hear when you run your finger along the cable. I didn’t notice cable noise while listening to the UE700s, not even when I took a walk with them, but since they do make some noise when you intentionally rub your finger on them, they may be annoying for people who are using them while jogging or aerobically working out. Just a thought, really, but worth noting.

I didn’t pit these against every earphone known to man, and I’m interested in seeing how they stack up against our $US150 Headphone Battlemodo winner, the Etymotics hf5. But if the performance against Shure’s SE310s are any indication, it would handily beat them too. My final judgment is that these are sweet—and worthy of their elevated valuation—but you should wait until they start coming down in price, as all headphones do in time, before plunking down your hard-earned cash for them. [Product Page]

For those wondering why you would play £59 ($120) for a pair of these earphones when you could customise the equalizer on your own for free, the point to these earbuds are to give you an internally-built equalizer for its specific genre, without having to mess around with the equalizer—essentially, a plug and play:

So for Rock you get a big, warm but tightly controlled bass, with all the high end detail still present, with Jazz you get rhythm and pace, with a perfectly defined soundstage, our classical earphones faithfully reproduce every nuance of the performance, and with the pop earphones you’ll get a more dynamic, sharp listening experience with strong vocals and a great beat.

So if classical earphones “faithfully reproduce every nuance of the performance,” why don’t they just make all earphones like that? Also, I’m not exactly sure I want a pair of earphones that could control the rhythm, pace and beats of a song—it’s a little too magical for my liking.

Although these buds are custom tuned to only one genre, Radiopaq claims the earphones are simply optimised for that sound but also work with any other genres of music, just like how although an SUV was built for off-roading, you could still drive it around town. However, because the earbuds come with its genre written on its exterior, my ego’s going with the Rock pair no matter how much I secretly love Britney Spears. [Radiopaq via Engadget]