4.5 out of 5 stars

This is my third, and for now final review on a set of Ultimate Ears ear buds (at least until they send me more lol).  Today I’ll be talking about the Ultimate Ears 700 model, which is the most expensive model I’ve reviewed yet for them.  So does the extra cost mean stay away (as I’ve been notoriously picky when it comes to high cost ear buds), or do these actually make enough of a difference to justify the price hike?

When most people think about ear buds, they think that all that will fit in them before they start to look like some crazy Frankenstein creation is a single speaker.  Anything else would make them too bulky in your ears – but this isn’t the case at all.  Many companies out there offer ear buds with two mini speakers in them (Ultimate Ears also offers a model with three speakers in each), but I’ve yet to come across a pair that’s smaller than the Ultimate Ears 700.  These things literally rely on the tip you put on them to stay in place – there’s not enough there to give it any assistance (so make sure you use the right size).

One of the two speakers in each ear bud produces nothing but bass – and the bass has quite a punch.  The other speaker in each ear bud works on the highs and the mids, and the sound is really dynamic and exciting.  I tried a huge range of music on these, and all of them sounded equally as good (where as before on the 350s, hip hop or techno was the best, and on the 500vi’s classic rock was king).  It didn’t matter if I was listening to the latest episode of “My Brother, My Brother, and Me”, some Dethklok, an old Dead concert, or Dre (I did test country too – I just don’t like country much) it didn’t matter, they all sounded amazing.

The Ultimate Ears 700 model comes with the same silicone tips that the other models do, but they also come with two pairs of the Comply foam tips that I love so much.  Just like I said before, the Comply tips are the only tips I use anymore – having something that fits in your ear canal perfectly is great for walking, jogging, or any other kind of exercise that you’re doing.  Besides the comfort, the extra noise canceling that they offer is really nice as well.

Like the Ultimate ears 350 and 500vi models, the included case is a big negative here – while it’s bigger than the cases of the other two models, it is still quite bulky, ugly, and cheap looking.  The worst part is that even though it’s bulky, there’s still no place to easily store the extra tips.  I still think this could be remedied with a simple cloth bag – maybe made even fancier with the inclusion of the Ultimate Ears logo either stitched to it, or as a plastic piece attached to it.  They’ve taken so many pains to make sure the ear buds themselves are sleek and fashionable, I don’t understand why the came care wasn’t taken with the case.

Another complaint I have is the same I had for the 500vi’s as well – the right angle end on the plug is a good idea, but the implementation is just wrong.  When looking at the sleek form factor of the ear buds themselves, it’s silly to have the plug protrude a half an inch before the right angle; why not make it flush so it sits in your pocket easier?

At any rate, the Ultimate Ears 700 model is really nice for someone wanting a truly immersive sound experience without breaking the bank.  You might not get the full sound stage effect unless you use them with an amplified device, but the still sound quite nice on an iPhone or iPod.  I give the Ultimate Ears 700 a final score of four and a half stars out of five – if they want the max though, something NEEDS to be done about that case.

Pros:

• Dual speaker ear buds for under $200
• Sound is very good, better than some more expensive headsets.  Ultimate Ears does it again
• The Comply foam tips are some of the best tips for ear buds

Cons:

• Case is extremely cheap, doesn’t fit with the rest of the product
• The right angle plug sits up too high and gets caught in pockets
• For a full sound board experience, they need to be on an amplified device

You can pick up your own pair of the Ultimate Ears 700s from Amazon for $149.99

4.5 out of 5 stars

This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of tackling a pair of ear buds by Ultimate Ears, and while the first pair featured an experience driven by pounding bass, the 500vi’s looked like they would be a much more refined experience.  I had heard they were in a league far beyond what their price point would suggest, but I had to perform my own testing in order to see if that claim was valid.

I was hoping that Ultimate Ears would have updated the case that houses the ear buds so something better looking than the one that came with the 350s.  It’s a hard shell plastic case, and it looks like a miniature clam.  To get the ear buds to even fit properly, you need to wrap them around your finger, and then stuff them in as best as you can.  There are much better solutions that I’ve seen (even the cloth bag that the Astro ear buds come with was better), and while it’s a small gripe, if I’m going to be keeping them in my pocket I’d like for them to feel comfortable in there.

That out of the way, I can talk about the more important things, like how they sound.  The Ultimate Ears 500vi have a richer, fuller sound than the 350s did – yes, the bass does take a hit in the 500vi model, but it sounds more like a regular headset now rather than having a sub woofer strapped to your skull.  With these, the bass is much more refined – however that could be said about all of the sounds.  The highs are crisp and clear, the mids are right there, and there is no distortion that comes from the lows.

I’ve listened through Klipsch and Creative ear buds that don’t deliver on the richness of the sound from the 500vis, but cost a good deal more.  If you’re just looking for a pair of ear buds for your iPhone however, and don’t plan on listening to much music, these will work equally as good.  The mic doesn’t have a hard time picking up your voice, however it doesn’t end up picking up background noises (unless they’re overly loud).  The voices coming through the other end are also quite easy to hear; I never once got any sort of distortion through voice calls.

A very nice feature of the 500vi model, is that the cord is a flat cord – I ended up just tossing these ear buds in my pocket because of my feelings towards the case, and not once did they get tangled up.  The in-line controls are really nice and responsive as well – one of the biggest issues I have with my Astros is that when I lean on something, I have a tendency to pause my music because of where the controls are.  Not so with the 500vis, the controls are designed so that’s not going to happen.

The 500vi ear buds come with five sizes of tips for various ear sizes, but they also come with a pair of Comply Foam Tips.  Just like putting in a pair of industrial ear plugs, the Comply tips expand to fit the inside of your ear – the result is a fit that won’t fall out, and really doesn’t let any sound in.  The 350s I reviewed only had a noise canceling rating of 22dB, but the 500vis have a rating of 26dB.  while 4dB might not seem like a lot to an average person, ask a construction worker just how big of a difference those 4 dB can translate into!

When all is said and done, I think I have found a replacement pair of ear buds to use with my iPhone.  They’re equally good for listening to music and for taking a call, and because of that I give the 500vi by Ultimate Ears a solid rating of four and a half stars out of five.

Pros:

• Tangle-free cord
• Comply tips offer a perfect fit for any ear
• Sounds better than more expensive models from other brands

Cons:

• Poor design for the case
• Plastic feel – the faux metal look feels cheap
• The L-shaped connector sits higher than I would have liked

You can pick up the Ultimate Ears 500vi from Amazon for $76.88

4 out of 5 stars

The Ultimate Ears line by Logitech is known far and wide by professional audiophiles and average consumers alike.  They have a number of products ranging in price from $20, all the way to over $1000 – so there’s something for just about anyone.  This is going to be the first of three reviews on the ear buds they sent me – to be followed by a “Good, Better, Best” comparison.  Today’s review is on the 350 model which are “Noise-Isolating Earphones” – so just how well did they work?

The box of the Ultimate Ears 350 ear buds say that they are “tuned for extra bass”, which I assumed would just be like someone pushing a “bass boost” button on a stereo.  I also assumed that because these ear buds only cost $50, that they would sound cheap and flat.  Well you know what they say about assuming…

I enjoy various musical tastes, so I gave the 350′s a good run to see what sounded the best on them, and while an old live Dead show from ’74 sounded really nice, it was when I was listening to some hip hop and techno that I was able to truly appreciate them.  The bass came through quite crisp, however it didn’t distort or drown out the rest of the spectrum of sounds.

The fact that the design is sweat resistant is quite nice as well, because generally when I’m working out or running I sweat profusely.  I’ve had an extreme time with my A-Stars (the ear buds I used to use) falling out of my ears after about thirty minutes of use, and then about every five minutes after that because I sweat.  With the 350′s, I can honestly say that I haven’t had a single issue with them leaving my ear when I didn’t want them to.

As I said at first, the 350′s are branded as noise isolating ear buds which they do quite well, however there’s a small problem with this.  Now I don’t know about you, but when I’m listening to something on ear buds I generally keep the audio source (iPhone, mp3, player, etc) in my pocket.  When I want to hear what someone is saying, it’s a real pain to have to dig it out and manually mute the volume – for some reason there’s no in-line mute or volume control on these things.  I know they’re not an expensive model, but I would have really appreciated that feature.

Another thing I would have asked for in this model, would be the black memory foam tips that are provided with the other two models they sent me.  It’s just an aesthetic choice, but I don’t like the look of the clear tips – they feel too medical to me – besides that, black would have looked better on the rest of the design.  Something else I noticed while reviewing these (and maybe it’s just from getting a good seal on my ears, maybe it’s because the 6.8mm drivers are so highly tuned), is that for the first time I’ve had to turn down my iPhone while listening to music.  Normally I listen at 100% volume, but anything over 50% was way louder than I’m used to.

Overall, I think the 350′s are a bass-head’s wet dream.  They’re cheap in cost, and extremely effective.  Maybe not so great for classical rock listeners or if you’re listening to pod-casts all day long, but if you want to feel like there’s a sub-woofer strapped to your head then these are for you.  I give the Ultimate Ears 350 by Logitech 4 out of 5 stars.

Pros:

• Bass is loud and clear
• Comfortable ear fit
• Sweat resistant

Cons:

• No in-line volume control, or pause/play button
• Not as sophisticated as the rest of the Ultimate Ears line
• White on black color scheme is tired

You can pick up the Ultimate Ears 350 from Amazon for $44.99.

Amazon is offering a HUGE discount on these Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4 Noise Isolating Headphones!

Listen to your portable devices with style and quality without the need for emptying your wallet! These Ultimate Ears Super-Fi Headphones feature a super slim IEM (Inner Ear Module) design to bring all of your audio closer to you then ever! They easily fit into your ears with adjustable silicone tips that will isolate all background noise and keep you enthralled in your listening experience. With studio quality packed into the small drivers you will hear sounds and details you never heard before and make even the most familiar music new and exciting. This kit comes with 3 different sized sets of silicone tips as well as a foam set for increased comfort and a compact carrying case to take it all with you.

The deal comes to $129.99 – $100 Instant Discount + Free Shipping = $29.99

It’s $39.99 + $1.99 S&H = $41.98!

Amazon has them for a few dollars more

Alternatively, Amazon has them for $169.99 – $105 instant off + free S&h = $64.99!

Dented box means the product is brand new but the box is scratched, torn or dented.

They’ve got them for $189.99 – $130 instant discount + free S&H = $59.99!

Sick deal alert!  Buy.com, via Amazon has the Ultimate Ears MetroFi 200 Noise Isolating Earphones for $79.99 – $55 instant savings + $0 S&H = $24.99 shipped! These headphones offer superior sound quality, a noise isolating design, three ear tips and carrying case.

Amazon has the Ultimate Ears (IP-P2VSB0001-02) MetroFi 200v Noise Isolating Earphones w/ Microphone for $99.99 – $36.37 instant savings + free shipping = $63.62 shipped! These headphones have an inline mic, isolating design and 3 sizes of ear plugs.

This deal ends 10/17

This deal ends 10/17

Ultimate Ears by Logitech unveiled their latest in ear headphones today.  The MetroFi 170 and MetroFi 220 are reported to create ‘a magic seal between your ear and the outside world’, significantly reducing outside ambient noise by as much as 16dBs.  They achieve this feat by using silicone ear-cushions that conform to your ears’ canal.  To add a little more pizazz to the press release, the MetroFi’s include titanium-coated speakers, which Logitech claims produces ‘more detail in the higher-frequency range for deeper bass and clear treble’.  Also available are the MetroFi 170vi and 220vi, which include an inline mic and answer button specifically built for iPhone and Blackberry users.

The MetroFi 170 and the MetroFi 220 will hit stores this February for $50 and $80 respectively.  Tack on $10 if you want the VI version.

Full release here

Picture courtesy of iLounge

Ultimate Ears introduced a new set of ear buds today called the Triple.Fi 10vi.  Apparently, they sport similar high end features as the company’s studio and concert monitors, such a triple drivers, but lack the customization and hence the lower cost.  The Triple.Fi 10vi in ear headphones achieve a 10Hz – 17Khz frequency range and reduce outside noise as much as 26dB.  Additionally, the headphones include an in-line microphone and button for answering calls on compatible phones.

The 10vi earbuds are available here for $420

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