The Super.fi 5 Pro, which incorporates two drivers (one handles low frequencies, the other middle and high frequencies) into each earpiece, delivers first-class performance. On notoriously noisy New York City subways, the 'phones blanketed us in music while the in-ear drivers sealed out environmental background noise. When we conducted an informal A-B listening test with the Super.fi 5 Pro and a few larger home-audio headphone models, including AKG K100s and Sony MDR-V700DJs, the Super.fi 5 Pro more than held its own, delivering the most revealing, detailed sound of the bunch. During Shannon McNally's "The Worst Part of a Broken Heart," the acoustic guitar's overtones and texture were more pronounced with the Super.fi 5 Pro than through the other 'phones, and every instrument occupied its own sonic space in the mix. Bass performance was agile and well defined, but not overemphasized. But if artificially big bass is your thing, the Super.fi 5 Pro can do that too. When we cranked up our EQ's bass and fired up OutKast's "Love Hater," the 'phones dished out surprisingly formidable low end without distorting or getting sloppy. The high-sensitivity (119dB) 'phones could play extremely loud even when paired with portable audio players such as Gateway's 6GB MP3 Photo Jukebox and Oregon Scientific's MP-210. The Super.fi 5 Pro's sonic character can be summed up as balanced or perhaps slightly skewed toward brightness; in that sense, the Super.fi 5 Pro is to headphones what studio monitors are to speakers.
Ultimate Ears also offers the similarly styled Super.fi 3 Studio ($99) and the Super.fi 5EB ($199), which is specifically designed to emphasize bass frequencies. You might also want to check out Shure's highly regarded E4c ($299).
What You'll Pay
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