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Entered CNET Catalog: 01/23/2008
SKU: 689076867184
Manufacturer: Sleek Audio
Manufacturer description
The SA6 is the first completely adjustable in-ear earphone system. Pick the bass you like and the treble you desire, sit back and marvel at the music. These hi-fi earphones are more than just a pair of in-ear headphones; these are the finishing touch on your amazing audio and video collection. Close your eyes and you will believe you are actually at the concert. Comfort and ergonomics create a great listening experience. If the headphones you wear hurt, than the experience is limited. The Sleek Audio have various size tips, and the ability to wear the Sleek Audio’s unit 3 different ways; cord up over the ear or down. If you have small ears wear the unit upside down with the cable lying comfortably at the cheek while looking just as stylish and inconspicuous.Product summary
The good: The Sleek Audio SA6 in-ear headphones offer rich detail in the low frequency range and a unique modular design that lets users tune the character of the sound quality to suit their tastes.
The bad: The modular design of the Sleek Audio SA6 means there are a lot of little parts to lose. For the price, we were hoping for better high-frequency clarity.
The bottom line: The Sleek Audio SA6 earphones deliver above-average sound quality and an unprecedented modular design, but there are better earphones available in this price range.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 01/24/2008
Headphone newcomer Sleek Audio has introduced a new twist on high-end earphones. Their debut product, the SA6 in-ear headphones ($249) are the first set of earphones we've seen that allow you to customize treble and bass responsiveness by swapping interchangeable parts.
Design
The Sleek Audio SA6 earphones are lightweight and attractive, with a black-and-chrome aesthetic. Each set of SA6 earphones comes with a selection of three sizes of flanged silicone ear fittings and a detachable 4-foot cable that terminates in a gold-plated 3.5mm jack. Also included is a plastic clamshell case for storing the SA6 earphones, which we found to be more attractive than functional.
Features
If the Sleek Audio SA6 earphones have a claim to fame, it's their modular approach to tuning the treble and bass response to your taste. While the Sleek Audio SA6 earphones work great right out of the box, three pairs of interchangeable Treble Tips and Bass Ports are included with the package, allowing you to increase or decrease the perceived amount of low end or high end for each ear. Be warned, you do have to be fairly nimble-fingered to swap out these tiny parts, but once you've configured your perfect recipe for audio bliss, you probably won't need to revisit the tiny parts again.
Another distinguishing feature found on the Sleek Audio SA6 earphones is their detachable cable design. The included headphone cable connects to the SA6 earpieces using a miniature, gold-plated coaxial jack found in the back or the earpiece. This detachable cable design not only makes it easy to replace broken cables, but the use of a rotatable coaxial connection makes it easier to position the cable around the ear. The downside to all these detachable parts, of course, is that there's approximately nine little parts to lose at any given moment.
Performance
We listened to a variety of music using the Sleek Audio SA6 earphones configured in multiple ways, and the overarching sonic character was a dip in the high-mid range. Vocals felt a little buried in the mix of songs such as Sia's live performance of "Blow it All Away" and such instruments as pianos, horns, and strings generally felt a little muted. On the low-end, the Sleek Audio SA6 earphones really shined. Low frequency instruments such as bass, keyboard and kick drum really punched through, especially in classic studio recordings such as Stevie Wonder's "Too High."
For a single balanced-armature driver housed in an extremely small and lightweight earpiece, we thought that the sound quality of the Sleek Audio SA6 earphones was impressive. For $250, however, we have a short list earphones in this price range that we prefer, including Shure's SE310, Ultimate Ears' Super.fi 5 Pro, and the ugly duckling Future Sonic Atrio M5. While we applaud Sleek Audio for creating an innovative design that gives users better control over customizing their experience, the final results were sonically mediocre when held up to the competition. Also, all the tiny, fragile, detachable components involved in the SA6 earphones didn't inspire the confidence we wanted in a road-worthy product.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3out of 3 user reviews
Awesome Full Sound
Pros: Comfortable and Portable. The rotating cord is a great design!
Cons: Ummmm... the parts are small?
The low end is simply amazing, if I could feel the speakers vibrating my pant legs I would swear I was standing on stage. The high end is bright and clear and if it is too bright I can change it. How great is that?
out of 3 user reviews
'Create' the sound you want with earphones from the future!
Pros: Great sound, tangle-free cable, very comfortable
Cons: None so far
The absolute genius of the SA6 is the fact you can 'make' your own sound. Not enough treble? Use the + treble tube. Too much treble? Use the = treble tube (neutral.) Same thing with the bass. There are enough combinations that it would be almost impossible not to find one you liked. There's always a risk buying earphones without trying them first - but with the SA6, you get multiple earphones in one package!
I prefer the SA6 to the (much more expensive) triple-driver Shure E500. It's more involving and sounds great at lower volumes (unlike the E500s.) The SA6 are a work of art. They look classy, the cable is sturdy, and all the bits and pieces are top quality. The only reason I've knocked off one point is because I'd like a little more bass. But even that isn't really a problem as the guys who made them may make an extra bass port in the future if enough people want one. These can be 'upgraded' without having to go elsewhere and start that awful journey of 'looking' for headphones again. I love that idea!
So for anyone who read the cnet review, wander over to Head-Fi and search for 'SA6' to read some real user opinions. People love them. And most of them have different listening preferences, yet are all happy with the same pair of earphones. How often does that happen?
Go treat yourself and buy a pair. There's a 2-year warranty, replaceable cables etc etc. And go read the Head-Fi reviews!
out of 3 user reviews
Search is over!
Pros: Sound, comfort, sound
Cons: None I can find right now
Anyway, anyone looking for a real audiophile pair of IEMs, look at these. Admittedly, I have only used them a few hours, and build quality/durability is also important. But SQ-wise, these babies kick butt.
Paying $250 for a pair of IEMs is high, but these are well worth it if they are durable as well. I've owned a dozen pair of in-ear phones, and these are in another league.
