Macworld | iPod Product Guide: Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio

Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio

Basic Information

Price as Reviewed:	$100
Company:	Ultimate Ears
Rating:

Review

From the Playlist book:

In-ear-canal headphones--also known as canalphones--are all the rage among iPod owners, and for good reason: When you stick these earplug-like headphones down into your ear canals, the noise of the outside world is blissfully blocked--you get better noise isolation than even the best noise-canceling headphones can provide. At the same time, the sound quality produced by these miniature marvels is nothing short of amazing. You'll hear things in your music that you never even knew were there. This combination of isolation and sound quality has made canalphones the accessory of choice for many a frequent flyer and urban commuter. (Although, for obvious reasons, we don't recommend wearing them while walking down a dark alley, alone, at night.)

Ultimate Ears, long known for high-end, custom-fit canalphones, has recently entered this crowded market with two standout models: the inexpensive ($100) super.fi 3 Studio and the higher-end super.fi 5 Pro. The 3 Studio are easily the best canalphones we've heard for around $100, and give Etymotic's popular ER-6 and ER-6i (which retail for around $130) a run for their money -- the Etymotic models provide better treble detail, but the 3 Studio will give you better bass.--Dan Frakes