Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio (white)

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Design : 7.0
  Features : 7.0
  Performance : 9.0
  Overall score: 7.7 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Tim Gideon
• Edited by:
  Jasmine France
• Reviewed on: 02/23/2006

Ultimate Ears, maker of the custom-molded professional earphones that you see bands such as U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers wearing onstage, decided a few years back to make commercial earphones, and the results have been overwhelming. Listeners with champagne taste but beer money (well, OK, premium beer money) will appreciate the Super.fi 3 Studio in-ear set. Unlike other similarly priced earphones on the market today, the Super.fi 3s do not offer extreme bass (another model from Ultimate Ears takes care of that--the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 EB). What they do offer is excellent, flat response with enough low end, as well as crisp mids and highs, not to mention ample sound isolation.

The design of the Ultimate Ears Super.fi earphone series is based in comfort and simplicity, though you do get a choice of three colors: white, black, or clear (the last is available exclusively at Guitar Center retail stores). The earpieces, after a bit of twisting, sit firmly and comfortably in the ear canal, and the different sizes of earpiece covers not only aid this process but also effectively block out most room noise, making them ideal for noisier environments, such as airplanes or subway trains. Like other Ultimate Ears 'buds, these have the flexible plastic ear loop that wraps over the top of your ear for a secure fit. These are helpful for active use but can be a pain when you're trying to put on the headphones in a hurry. Our common gripe about the Super.fi series holds true for the Super.fi 3 Studios: At 46 inches, the cable is simply too short for anyone above average height. If your sound source is not in your lap or your pocket, your head movement is quite limited.

Most of the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio's features reside in the design of the headphones, though the company also includes a decent smattering of accessories. Along with five sets of ear fittings, you get a soft leather case and a cleaner pick. One of the niftiest features of these earphones--and all the other Ultimate Ears sets we've tested--is the user-replaceable cable. The earpieces easily snap off so that if the cable wears out, you can easily swap in a new one. (Note that you'll be responsible for replacing the cable--only the earpieces are covered by the two-year warranty.) Inside each earpiece, there's a precision-balanced speaker and an audio filter that shapes the sound. Basically, what this equates to is excellent performance.

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Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 9 reviews
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• Showing 3 of 9 user reviews

• 3.0 stars

  "Nice Sound but Hard for me to use."

  by cryogenius on February 20, 2009

• 4.0 stars

  "Good qaulity for the price you pay."

  by yojoe1983 on August 6, 2008

• 3.0 stars

  "Incredible sound, shoddy Materials"

  by zunefan1 on December 2, 2007

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 84

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 510 reviews of Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 87/100 and users 77/100. Comparing these reviews to 131772 other Headphones reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 84/100 = Very Good.

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• the-gadgeteer.com

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• whathifi.com

  Editors' rating: 100

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• pocketnow.com

  Editors' rating: 70

  Summary: Whether the super.fi 3 Studio earphones are a good buy or not is a tough call. More than most products, reviewing audio products can be highly subjective even if the reviewer is a musical or audio professional (which I am not). Utimately (no pun ...

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• techpowerup.com

  Editors' rating: 95

  Summary: The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio is a very remarkable product offering performance that previously was only available to people willing to spend well in excess of $200. During the past week I have spent a lot of time listening to the Super.fi 3 ...

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• pcmag.com

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary: The Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Studio earphones provide good sound and isolation, stay securely in your ears, and are comfortable enough for extended listening.

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