Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 3 Studio Review

[Tommifier]

So I recently bought these UE headphones, and I have to say, I'm enjoying them a lot so far. Note that I am NOT an audiophile, but I do like to enjoy music!

So to start, here are some pictures (not mine):


These headphones are single armature drivers. What really shocked me though was the 13 Ohms impedance - these things require no power to drive! It's insane.

So onto the sound quality. The sound is very nice, an even response with no frequencies overpowering each other too much. Clarity is very acceptable, if not the best I've ever heard.

Highs
The highs are very pleasurable, up front and forward, but not annoyingly so. They are full, not tinny, and I found no fatigue to come when listening for prolonged periods. Overall, I find the highs very acceptable, and even enjoyable to listen to.

Mids
Now this is where my judgment may be a little skewed; I was as of late using a pair of Shure headphones, and the mids were really nothing short of amazing. The mids of the Ultimate Ears are slightly recessed, not coming in front of the highs or bass into prominance too much. Also, the mids seem a little lifeless and cold to me, but they are very prescise. Overall, there is room for improvement, but nothing to die over.

Lows
The lows on the Ultimate Ears are tight and fast, with more life and prominance than the mids. It isn't the strongest bass you'll find anywhere, for that you'll have to go to the Super.Fi 5 EB, but I think the bass will be fine with a little EQ boosting for most. I'm fine with it as is.

Comfort
I'll admit it: these are not the most comfortable headphones I've ever used. They stick out of your ears the opposite way you'd expect, and they are a little hard to put in, but once in, they haven't given me too much trouble. They have slipped out a couple of times, and they can put a little pressure on your ears, but it's overall a fit that I think works, even if it isn't the most comfortable. The memory wire is a nice feature, keeping the headphones in place.

Some other things to mention:
I love the removable cable design. If you look at the pictures, you may be able to tell that the cables can come out of the earbuds themselves. That's very helpful to me because I can be rough on cables....

The metal case included is nice, and I think I'll be using it more often to try and prevent cable trouble....though the cables do seem very sturdy and seem like they can stand the test of time.

The headphones seem very durable, and I don't think they will break easily at all. I would feel okay giving these to a young'in (okay, maybe not that comfortable....)

Overall, I would DEFINATELY reccomend these headphones to people, no questions asked. I had high hopes for these, and they most certainly delivered. I am very happy, and I think that in the 60-80 dollar price range, these headphones are definately worth consideration.