PRODUCT REVIEW
A Treat for the Ears, a Torment for the Pocketbook

It started with round, foam-covered, over-the-head models packaged with the original Sony (NYSE: SNE) Walkman cassette player in the late 1970s. Nearly 30 years later, the white earbuds included with Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPod line have become a fashion statement on their own.

Fashion statements aside, packaging headphones along with the music player is more about convenience than anything else. And it's certainly not about sound.

The Urge to Upgrade

Picky listeners have long blamed Apple's earbuds for declining sound quality in commercial recordings. The main argument is that music is being "dumbed down" to sound good on the tiny speakers that have been sold along with 150 million iPods worldwide.

That may be an argument for another day, though. More important is finding an earbud alternative if you're in the anti-Apple camp, either for sound or shape (some people can't get them to fit in their ears).

The options are endless, starting at around US$15. In the low range, you'll probably end up with a similar sound, no matter the shape or brand.

But in the high range -- think $100-plus -- things change quite a bit.

Like many others, I just plugged in the included earbuds when I got my first iPod in 2003. I didn't know what I was missing.

Seals the Sound In

I spent about a week with the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 before the "a-ha!" moment. A lot of that had to do with the shape and design of the premium offering.

Unlike the Apple earbuds, which just sit in the ear, the super.fi goes into your ear canal. The soft silicon tip on each bud creates a seal and blocks out noise. But if you don't have them in far enough, the sound is airy and thin, with virtually no bass.

It took a few days of frustration before I figured that out. The key is choosing the proper size. They come in small, medium and large, as well as a foam-tipped option. Once the size is right, drive 'em into your ears (but not too far).

You'll notice things get very quiet. Noise isn't completely canceled, but it's close. From there, turn the volume down. Because of the noise-canceling features, you won't need to crank up the volume to compensate for background noise.

To get the same level of music with Apple earbuds, I had to turn the volume of my iPod Touch up to about halfway.

With the super.fi, the volume was set one notch above mute. Even in noisier settings than an office cubicle, it's not necessary to have it much louder.

Enriched Listening

Once I figured out the best fit and volume, evaluating sound was easy -- the super.fi 5 sounds great. Because of the near-total isolation of background noise, I heard new things in songs I've listened to hundreds of times.

The mid- and high-range notes were very clear and bright, with a solid bass response. One could say the same thing about standard iPod earbuds, though. For me, the advantage of the super.fi 5 was how all of those ranges came together with precision.

By comparison, Apple earbuds seem to give every range an equal part, rather than accentuating certain parts of a track.

Perhaps a more apt metaphor would be to a sound equalizer. The Apple model would have flat values for each range, while the super.fi 5 would be fine-tuned for a full audio experience.

Pricier Than the Nano

As good as the super.fi 5 sounds, it does have drawbacks. Not everybody will like the deep in-ear design.

One co-worker lasted only a few minutes, despite the promises of great sound. Also, I had to route the cord for each bud over the top of my ear, rather than running it down past my earlobe. Ultimate Ears suggests this method in the user guide, but it still took some getting used to.

And for active users, there are better choices. The super.fi 5 is about good sound, which doesn't mesh with running -- or even yardwork (I tried both). Those activities are more about having sound in general, rather than the precise delivery of the super.fi 5.

The last drawback for many will be the price. A pair of super.fi 5 earphones is $169.99. An 8 gigabyte iPod nano costs $149.99.

Is it worth it to buy headphones that cost more than the player powering them? They do sound pretty great, but the ultimate decision is up to your ears ... and pocketbook.