In a world full of iPods, CD Players, handheld video games, MP3 players, Portable Media Players, music / video capable Mobile Phones, and a wide range of other audio mobile technologies, there is one thing that always amazes me.  No matter how much you pay for that product, $30 or $800, you will find included with the instruction manual and AC Adapter, a pair of earphones that probably cost the manufacturer $5 or less.

While the quality of the sound output will vary depending on the source material and the device used to play it, the most critical part of the listening experience is where the audio comes out to your ears.  The earphone, headphone, or speaker is also where the listener has the greatest level of choice when it comes to deciding on the quality of the audio reproduction.  So if you are interested in getting more than $5 of quality from your $300 iPod, then you should consider upgrading your “stock” earphones.

In this series of reviews, I will be taking a look at a few mid to high range earphones and headphones from some of the most popular and respected headphone manufacturers.  With a focus on mobile use, all of the models reviewed are small, compact, and portable.

For my listening experience, a number of different devices were used including 3 different MP3 players, CD and DVD audio from my notebook computer, the Mobinote DVX-POD personal media player, and a Sony PSP.  All source materials were either optical or digital and in the case of MP3s, were encoded at a variety of bit rates from 128 to 320 kbps.  The material included DVD movies, PSP Games, and music.  Music genres that were used included Rock, Jazz, Pop, and Classical.  The same EQ levels were used for listening to all earphones.

In 1995, veteran sound engineer Jerry Harvey was working with Van Halen when drummer Alex Van Halen complained about the earphone he was using.  A few months later, Jerry and his former wife Mindy started Ultimate Ears to produce earphones for professional, live performance use.  Today, Jerry and Mindy still run Ultimate Ears and design and manufacture a range of earphones for professionals and high-end consumers.  Used by many top musicians and sound engineers, the Ultimate Ear products range from the UE-10 Pro (3 drivers in each ear with a custom molded earpiece, $900) to the UE-5c ( 2 drivers in each ear with a custom molded earpiece, $550).  The six different models of customized earphones allow professionals and high-end consumers to choose an audio experience that fits their needs.  There are also 3 professional grade earplugs in the Ultimate Ear catalog.  Unlike many of the other companies that make earphones, Ultimate Ears produces only earphones.  It is their primary and sole focus.  In 2004, the company decided to enter the market with an affordable earphone that offers high performance, but in a standard design that does not require a custom molded earpiece.  Starting with the super.fi 3 Studio, the latest model is the super.fi 5 Pro.

Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro
Price: $249.99

After reviewing a large number of earphones, my ears were looking forward to a rest until I heard about a small company that specialized in making earphones for professional musicians and engineers.  The comments I heard were so good, that I had to check them out.  The high-end, custom Ultimate Ear products are used by an impressive list of the top musicians and engineers in the music industry.  The super.fi 5 Pro is the latest consumer model from Ultimate Ears and they have done an amazing job of bringing their high-end technology to the consumer market at a reasonable price.  The super.fi 5 Pro is stylish, easy to use, comfortable, and sounds amazing.  Simply select the appropriate size ear tip, install the tip, insert the earphone into the ear canal, and wrap the flexible ear loop over your ears.  Now you are ready to listen to your music the way it was meant to be heard.  The design of the earphone is comfortable and very secure, so I never felt like the earphone was going to fall out even during excessive head motion.

The design of the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro is impressive.  With features like interchangeable ear tips, lightweight (0.6 oz.) construction, dual drivers in each ear (one for low frequencies and one for high frequencies), white or black finish, and flexible ear loops with a low friction (48") cable., the super.fi 5 Pro is easy to use, comfortable, stylish, and has amazing performance.  With dual drivers, 119 dB/mW input sensitivity, 21 Ohms impedance, 26 dB noise isolation, and a 20-16,000 Hz frequency range, the super.fi 5 Pro sounds far better than you would expect for the price.  I loved this earphone the first time I heard them.  The sound isolation is very good and the sound reproduction is excellent at low, mid, and high frequencies.  The bass is deep and rich with a very powerful sound.  Mid range is very natural and strong while the high range is very precise and responsive.  The sound qualities of the supier.fi 5 Pro works very well for all type of music.  And the sound isolation will keep the external noses from disturbing your music.

1. High Frequency Driver
2. Low Frequency Driver
3. Audio Filters
4. Passive Crossover


The Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro comes with the best accessory kit I have seen for an earphone.  The accessories include a set of five pairs of ear tips (small, medium, large, foam, and dual flange), cleaning tool, a 1/4” Gold-Plated Adapter Jack, Sound Level Attenuator, Leather Travel Case, and Metallic Storage Case.  The Metallic Storage Case is a really nice design.  Pull off the metal shell on top and you will find the earphone storage compartment with a cable management spool.  Pull of the bottom shell and there is a rubber form for holding the cleaning tool, Sound Level Attenuator, and 1/4” Gold-Plated Adapter Jack.

A complete range of accessories and replacement parts are available from Ultimate Ears.  The cable can even be detached from the super.fi 5 Pro earphones and replaced.  This is the first time I have found a high-performance earphone that has a replaceable cable.  The cable is very lightweight and easy to manage, but it does seem very “delicate”, so I worry that the first time it get caught in my car door I will cut it in half.  So the ability to replace the cable at a reasonable price helped remove any concerns about damaging it.  Even the audio plug on the cable, which is gold-plated on a low profile right-angle, is a nice design element.  The low profile design fits well with the Apple iPod.

I have been very impressed with the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro.  This is a great “professional grade” earphone for the general consumer market.  With the design and performance of the super.fi 5 pro, I can only imagine what the music experience is like with the custom, professional models from Ultimate Ears.  Hopefully I will be able to try them someday, but until that happens I can enjoy the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro.  If you are looking for great design with great sound, I recommend you check them out.

Reviewed by Harvey Lee,
Senior Technology Editor

Product:  Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro
Manufacturer:  Ultimate Ears
Web Site:  http://www.ultimateears.com
Category:  Mobile / Audio Hardware