While some may balk at earphones that cost more

than nearly every iPod, true audio snobs know that

high-quality ’phones are worth the price of admission

for producing crisp, detailed sound that lets you fully

appreciate every nuance of your music. Both the

professional-quality M-Audio IE-30 and the wireless

Etymotic Research ety8 In-the-Ear Bluetooth earphones

deliver quality construction and stellar sound.

The IE-30s use two high-definition armature drivers

in each earbud. The audio crossover network routes

each frequency of your music to either the low-range

or high-range driver, and each driver’s output is sent

though a separate acoustic channel to maximize detail

in the sound field. This is pro-level quality—dozens

of touring bands use this Ultimate Ears technology to

closely monitor their sound onstage or in the studio.

The IE-30 earbuds provide 26 decibels of noise isolation

to block out the outside world, and the 46-inch cable

bends at the top to wrap securely around your ears. The

sturdy cable is also detachable, so if it’s ever damaged,

you can replace it (price TBD at press time, but M-Audio

estimated about $25) instead of replacing the earbuds.

Simply put, the IE-30s sounded incredible. Music

from all genres reproduced clearly, and we could

hear every detail, even subtle effects that we’d never

noticed before. In fact, for listening

through an iPod, reproduction this

faithful could even be a slight

drawback—if your music

is encoded in lossy MP3

or AAC at relatively low

bit rates, you may be

able to hear the effects

of that compression,

especially in the high

end. We noticed some

muddying of cymbals

in 160Kbps MP3 files

and to a lesser extent

in 128Kbps AAC files,

but high-bit-rate AAC

and Apple Lossless

files sounded full and

clear, and music from

>>>72 M|L MAY•07

a stereo (a 1/4-inch stereo plug adapter is included) was

reproduced perfectly.

M-Audio includes four sets of tips (three rubber and

one foam), but the earbuds themselves are quite big.

Even using the smallest rubber tips, we felt like we

were stuffing about six Q-tips into our ears at once. We

got used to the fit after a couple of days of frequent

use (and the sound quality more than made up for the

temporary discomfort), but if you have small ears, you

may find them too large.

Etymotic Research’s ety8 earphones include an

8Mate adapter that attaches to your iPod’s dock

connector and uses Bluetooth to send audio to the

earphones. The adapter worked perfectly within a

25-foot range, and the right earphone sports tiny

buttons for play/pause, volume, and track forward and

back. After charging the earphones via USB (a full

charge took 2 hours), we got 10.2 hours of playback

at half volume—not bad, but USB is the only way to

charge the ety8 ’phones, so they may not be ideal for

notebook-less road warriors. Noise isolation ranging

from 35 to 40 decibels (using the plastic flange tips

and foam tips, respectively) effectively blocked all

outside commotion, and the balanced armature drivers

produced full, accurate sound.

The ety8s made our music sound great, especially on

the low end, but didn’t impress us sonically as much as

the IE-30s. When using an iPod nano or a fifth-gen iPod,

you can adjust the volume with the iPod’s clickwheel or

the controls on the right earphone, but if you’re using

a fourth-gen iPod or an iPod mini, you can only change

the volume with the earphone controls, not on the iPod

itself. Not a big deal since the controls are easy to use

even though you can’t see them, but we felt a little

silly tapping tiny buttons on our right ear. The ety8s

are comfortable (although the tips do extend pretty far

into your ear canal) but not exactly stylish, resembling

rectangular plastic earrings.

The bottom line. Both sets of earbuds sound great,

and the noise isolation lets you listen at lower volumes

and still hear everything. If you want to go wireless,

the ety8s work well, but you’ll look a little Star Trek. If

sound quality is paramount, the IE-30s will satisfy even

the pickiest audiophiles.—Susie Ochs

M - au d i o i e - 3 0 a n d e t y M o t i c r e s e a r c h e t y 8

HI-FI HEADPHONES

The high-def IE-30s sound like a concert hall inside your head.

The wireless ety8 earphones do have one string attached—to keep them together.

))) Listen All things audio

M-Audiowww.m-audio.comPrice: $299.95Requirements: Any device with a headphone jack

Dual drivers for excellent sound. Replaceable cables.

Large earbuds may be uncomfortable for some.

IE-30

Mac|Life R A T E D

A W E S O M E

Etymotic Researchwww.etymotic.comPrice: $299 Requirements: 4G or 5G iPod, 1G or 2G iPod nano, or iPod mini

Wireless. Good sound. Comfortable. On-ear controls are easy to use.

People might look at you a little funny. Requires USB charge.

ETY8

Mac|Life R A T E D

G R E A T