Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 EBâ„¢ Professional Headphones

Pros: Big bass, crisp sound, comfortable, replaceable chord
Cons: Bass heavy sound is not for everyone, ear placement can be tricky

The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 EBs are a good choice if you want a bass-laden sound experience.  With its strong bass, it works well with devices that typically lack bass - such as the Ipod and other MP3 players. I have to admit, as much as I ...

Pros: Very comfortable, mucho bass, efficient, good mids/highs
Cons: Bass can be overwhelming, don't fit in metal case

(Not to be confused with the Bass-O-Matic advertise don SNL.) I'm quite sure that the guys at Ultimate Ears were getting feedback from customers about "weak bass" if the Super.Fi 5 Pro earphones are not inserted all the way into the ear canal to make ...

Pros: None Other Than They're Comfortable
Cons: Horrible Sound Quality

Canalphones are this in a nut shell -- good sound in a small size. I've tried some Shure models and have been impressed with theirs, but Ultimate Ears I'm not so. Especially this superfi.5EB model. The sound quality is absoultely horrible, overbassed, ridiculously recessed mids, and bright treble with no clarity to speak of. Absoulte garbage sound. I'd even say a good pair of Sennheiser HD202s or Koss UR21s are way sonically better than these in sound quality. They are comfortable and small, and they are also much too expensive. I'd never pay $200 for a set like this. Absoultely disgusting sound quality. I'd recommend almost any canalphone than this, the Shure E2C completely blows this away.

Pros: They work as advertised, isolate sound well, and are worth the money.
Cons: It takes time to get the fit just right each time you put them on.

If you want bass, then these are great. I do, and my 5 EB's do not disappoint. A big part of the trick with any quality ear bud is to get the best possible fit. If fit is really good, then noise-cancelling isn't necessary, and the manufacturer is free to enhance the tonal qualities however they see fit. The key to these is to use the "foam" type plugs (don't even bother with any of the other plug options) and wear them correctly, which is not difficult, although it can be time consuming if you're in a rush (don't try for a good fit if you're getting off the subway). With this set-up, you get great sound isolation. Next, they have a two portion driver in the head with one driver dedicated to bass reproduction, and it works really well. In fact, for some bass-heavy tunes, you might find yourself de-selecting the bass-enhancement feature on your iPod or other listening device if it has this feature. These are great, they don't distort, and are well worth the money. I've had no problems after 6 months.

Pros: Thumping bass, shorter cord, replaceable cord, nice accoutrements.
Cons: Overpowering Bass-y sound, large for buds, thin cheap feeling cord.

I love some bass now don't get me wrong but these things take it a bit too far in my opinion. The bass is definitely strong reminding me of my cousin's Lexus with a couple subs in the trunk but that type of bass has always been overdone to me. It's hollow sounding and thumping but it tends to overpower the music. I would only recommend these canal phones to someone who listens solely to hip hop or rap.