Ultimate Ears has been, until this point, a company that caters to musicians and professionals. Their web site states in the product description:

From the makers of Ultimate Ears ® professional ear monitor products comes the super.fi 5 Pro™ , earphones. Join stars like U2, Linkin Park, Madonna, Metallica, Rod Stewart, Big and Rich, Seal and many others in using Ultimate Ears' premiere earphone technology.

Retail Package Contents

• super.fi 5 Pro™ Earphones - includes 46" cable, cable adjustor and gold plated 1/8" input plug
• Metallic Storage Case with cable management system
• Stylish Soft Leather Travel Case
• 1/4" adaptor jack
• Sound Level Attenuator
• Cleaning Tool
• Universal Fit Kit- includes 6 single flange silicone (2 small, 2 med, 2 large), 2 dual flange silicone and 2 standard foam eartips
• User Guide/Warranty Card

Description:

High Frequency Driver
Precision balanced armature delivers clear, crisp high tonal range

Low Frequency Driver
For deep, rich bass without distortion

Audio Filters
Shapes the sound for maximum detail

Passive Crossover
Directs music to high and low range speakers for precise audio reproduction

Product Specifications:

Now that we have the specs, let’s take a closer look at how these earphones distinguish themselves from the pack.

Design: The Super.fi 5 Pro’s are in-the-ear headphones – similar to the Shure’s. While the Shure’s are designed to fit much deeper into the ear canal, the Super.fi. 5 pro’s don’t go quite as deep. That means that they protrude outward a bit more than other in-the-ear headphones.

The Super.fi 5 Pro’s are made of a very durable feeling plastic (mine came in black but white and gray are available as well) and are quite sturdy and secure. There are six possible tips to place on ends of the Earphones – just like the Shures. There were silicon tips as well as foam inserts.

The actual Ear tip is slightly larger on the Super.fi 5’s (we’ll talk about that more in the “comfort” section of this review.)

What distinguishes the Ultimate Ear’s from any of the competitors is the use of Dual Driver technology. When you look at the graphic, you can see that there are actually separate low and high frequency drivers in this little technological wonder.

Comfort: The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro’s are a mixed bag when it comes to comfort. They were no where near as comfortable, for me (and this is a very subjective thing) as the Audio-Technica ATH EC7 GM’s. Initially, I had a bit of trouble getting these Earphones into my ears. They did not slip in nearly as easily as the Shures did. Then, being the wise man that I am, I decided to read the directions and visit the web site again. I found that I was putting them in incorrectly and they were really supposed to protrude straight out. While this felt a little weird at first, eventually it became comfortable. Given some restrictions on my right ear canal – I still have trouble getting the Super.fi 5 pro’s in all the way. The good news is that these earphones are not designed to go in nearly as far into the ear canal as the Shures do.

Once inserted, there is plastic coating on the wire closest to the actual earphones which guides the wire easily behind the ears. I found that prolonged listening with the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro’s was actually easier on my ears than with the Shures.

Sound Quality: For many readers, this is the be all and end all of any Headphone review. Well, as my 16 year old son said so aptly, “These blow the doors off of everything else.” He was right. While I still love the balanced sound of the Audio-Technica’s, there is no comparison to the sound quality of the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro’s – none whatsoever. In side by side comparisons (using a Monster Cable Splitter in my iPod Video) the Super.fi 5’s just blew away the competition. Even the Shure E4g’s with their bass enhancement technology sounded thin when compared to the Super.fi Pros.

The Bass was unbelievable (in a good way). It was the first time I could actually “feel” the bass in a canal-type earphone. The highs were beyond crisp – they were as clear as the Altec’s. Separation was amazing – it sounded like the music was coming from inside my brain. Vocals were realistic and detailed as well. Musical solos sounded like they were meant to sound. In short, these earphones actually sounded better than my very expensive Home Theater System.

Conclusions: The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro Earphones are simply amazing. Their slightly bigger size might make them uncomfortable in your ears. If you have a chance to debut them somewhere to make sure they fit – do it. Even if they are a bit uncomfortable for you, as they were for me – the sound quality will soon make you forget any discomfort. Incredible bass, detailed high’s, dual drivers in a little earpiece – these things are the standard by which any Earphone should be judged. They retail for US$249.00 and I found them for under $200 at a few web sites – at that price there is nothing that can compare.

Overall Grade : A+ (read final thoughts as to how to decide between these and the ATH EC7 GM’s)

Pros: Incredible sound, sturdy build quality, reasonable price

Cons: Tricky to get into the ear canal, bigger than other in-canal Earphones, wires felt a bit cheap