Like you, I’m an iPod lover.
I find that there are two main applications where I use my iPod with earphones: doing yard work or while working out at the gym. When I’m in my vehicle, I connect my iPod to an Alpine iDA-X001 head unit via a docking cable in the center console. When I’m at home my iPod is usually attached to one of a few speaker systems that I use.
That being said, I’ve been testing Atrio series (US$199) headphones from the gang at Future Sonics. You’ll recall that I’ve been a huge fan of their FS1s and especially their SoftWear custom fit sleeves, so expectations for the new ‘phones are high.
More than three years of R&D went into developing the Atrio and it shows in the sound quality. The tag line for the Atrios is “bigger sound at lower volume” and it’s true. The benefit with higher quality earphones is that they sound better at a lower volume than a cheaper earphone at a higher volume, which saves your hearing. You shouldn’t have to crank the volume all the way up to enjoy your music. It’s better to invest in a quality pair of earphones and listen to your music at a lower volume.
More after the jump…
Like you, I’m an iPod lover.
I find that there are two main applications where I use my iPod with earphones: doing yard work or while working out at the gym. When I’m in my vehicle, I connect my iPod to an Alpine iDA-X001 head unit via a docking cable in the center console. When I’m at home my iPod is usually attached to one of a few speaker systems that I use.
That being said, I’ve been testing Atrio series (US$199) headphones from the gang at Future Sonics. You’ll recall that I’ve been a huge fan of their FS1s and especially their SoftWear custom fit sleeves, so expectations for the new ‘phones are high.
More than three years of R&D went into developing the Atrio and it shows in the sound quality. The tag line for the Atrios is “bigger sound at lower volume” and it’s true. The benefit with higher quality earphones is that they sound better at a lower volume than a cheaper earphone at a higher volume, which saves your hearing. You shouldn’t have to crank the volume all the way up to enjoy your music. It’s better to invest in a quality pair of earphones and listen to your music at a lower volume.
The Atrio feature Future Sonics’ latest MG5Pro driver technology, TrueTimbre frequency response, crossover-free architecture and an armature-free design. You’ll really notice the improvement in the low end of the frequency spectrum, which is notoriously hard to reproduce on small earphones. The bass response on Atrios is great making that alone a great reason to pick up a pair.
Atrio features a contoured design that sits comfortably in the ear when worn with cabling hanging down in front of your chest. I had issues however running the cables over my shoulders and down my back, as I prefer to do when working out until I figured out that the cables should run up and over the top of the ear instead of down and over the shoulder. I prefer to run my earphone cables down my back to keep them out of my way, which is especially important when using power tools in the yard.
The physical shape of the earpiece is relatively comfortable although I will most likely switch to the custom molded earpieces (a worthwhile investment!) If you’re looking for high-quality earphones at under US$200 then you should check out the Atrio from Future Sonics.
Warning: Never listen to your music player on high volume levels for extended periods of time. Tinnitus is a very serious injury that cannot be repaired. Once your ears are damaged, they’re damaged for life. The PowerPage supports hearing preservation and education and products that offer bigger sound and lower volumes.
