pocketnow - "Future Sonics' Ears EM3"

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=421' target='_blank'>http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=421</a><br /><br /></div>"It is a commonality these days to see people turning their backs on their portable CD players and adopting a digital audio player or Pocket PC device to play their digital music. These devices offer mega-huge capacities, dynamic audio control, and a graphical user interface. Often times, though, they come with inadequate ear-bud headphones that have a range of frequencies limited to those blaring from the tweeters in your car. In my quest for an ultimate ear-bud headphone, I came across Future Sonics (notorious for their monitoring products, used by almost every news agency and dozens of recording artists.) Their Ears headphones promise "Superior Low Frequencies" and "Full Dynamic Range." Being a very discriminate audiophile, I was naturally skeptical. And this is what I found...<br /><br />The Ears use different sized sleeves to fit the canal of your ear. The sleeves are made of a similar material comparable to "memory foam," a material often touted in late-night infomercials for use on beds. This material, when made smaller and inserted into your ear canal, expands to create a tight fit, canceling out noise around you. This alone improves the dynamics of the audio, because it makes each frequency more true without outside interference. "<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/Future-Sonics.jpg" /> <br /><br />Looks like they really work, but to be honest I can't get beyond the fact they look like $150 retro airline headphones. 8O

[foldedspace]

Yup. Looks like something I'd find in my grandmother's house next to something bakelite.

[Tim Williamson]

When I first saw the picture of them I thought they were literally straight from the 70's...I thought the article was going to be a review of some old but excellent sounding earbuds. It's hard to believe they wouldn't make a model in black, these things look like crap...

[Brandon Miniman]

You guys are right about the color and look of these headphones - they lack any modern cues.

I actually got a response from Future Sonics regarding the color of their products:

"...in terms of the color, our products were never designed aesthetically for consumers and the hue is designed to be absorbed by stage lighting."

Well then....they seem to be aware of the fact. :D

[James Fee]

"...in terms of the color, our products were never designed aesthetically for consumers and the hue is designed to be absorbed by stage lighting."

Please tell me they have ideas for black or at least grey. :)

[Jason Dunn]

"...in terms of the color, our products were never designed aesthetically for consumers and the hue is designed to be absorbed by stage lighting."

It's one thing to not want to go after the consumer market, but what's the comment about stage lighting I wonder? These aren't in-ear monitors, they're headphones with a 3.5mm jack - what would someone use them for on stage I wonder?

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I thought they are in ears?

[Gary Sheynkman]

If you think those will look funny on you, I was able to convince a stewardess that my E5Cs from Shure were actually a hearing aid (she kept telling me to turn my cd player off) :lol:

[sheik]

The sleeves are made of a similar material comparable to "memory foam," [...] This material, when made smaller and inserted into your ear canal, expands to create a tight fit

Right... so just like normal foam then.
Don't you just hate marketoid-speak? :roll:

/\dam

[Jason Dunn]

I thought they are in ears?

They are, but an in-ear monitor is a completely different beast - they're not just headphones.