Best In-Ear Earphones

A canalphone is a type of earphone that has a rubber, silicone, or some other soft plastic round pad that can be attached to the driver enclosure, thus allowing you to insert it into your ear canal. What is the use of this weird anatomical process? Better isolation, that’s for sure. Besides this, the acoustic resonance of the inner ear is more optimally used into giving you a thicker and bass-heavy sound. These days canal phone are gaining popularity among pros and consumer alike, what with the iPod generation and all that.

This feature actually started off as a review of a single product; that is, one of the products mentioned herein. But then I surfed the net finding more info on it, and found a dozen more brands, each cooler than the net. I inquired about their availability from our super-coordinator Rajesh, only to find that while some good brands are available here, some are not... here's hoping that brands like Ultimate Ears, Etymotic Research etc. come to India soon!

A few tantrums later, these nifty little in-ear headphones were at my desk, all in the span of one day. I checked them out, printed out the specs from their sites, and wrote the reviews. So here we go.

Audio Technica ATH CK5
Rating: 3.5/5
Price: Rs 950

Frequency response 14-24,000 Hz
Output sound level 104 db/mw
Impedance 20 Ω
Cable 0.5 m
Connector 3.5 mm mini stereo, gold-plated

I use the ATH Pro 5 for recording and synthesis work as it’s got the nicest sound, but no partialities here for these canalphone models that I got: the ATH CK5. It’s a popular piece that has been covered globally, in fact it is the only model we could readily get.

Available in white and black, and lots more colors actually, this little piece has something unique about its design; a semicircular plastic loop growing out of the driver case, which too is hard, yet light plastic. This is for relieving pressure, positioning the earpiece properly etc. basically it has ergonomic functions. I did not completely like the idea, if I get used to it after prolonged use I shall let you know.

The sound was very good, though the signal wasn't as sensitive in comparison to other models. So the volume had to be a few notches high to enjoy similar audio levels. The bass was tight and pronounced, but not in exceptional limits. The acoustic sealing was decent, while the best part was the clarity and upper end response – very clear and crisp vocals and highs. For the price it rocks.

KOSS Spark Plug
Rating: 3.5/5
Price: Rs 1200

Frequency Response: 10-20,000 Hz
Impedance: 16 Ω
Sensitivity: 112 dB SPL/1mW
Distortion: <0.3%
Cord: Straight, Dual Entry, 4 ft

Koss is no small brand, in case you are thinking otherwise; it’s just that their stuff is surprisingly cheap here. They have dozens of models, out of which we received the sparkplug in-ear model. It’s a fully white body comprising a silver ring around the driver enclosure, with the conspicuous brand name etched around.

The unique thing about it is the earbud, which is made of some urethane-based foam material that really deforms into the custom shape of ear. It makes funny sounds when you push against it once it's in place, but that's not the issue here.

Sound-wise the bass is awesome. It's probably as good as the expensive Bose, while the highs and mids are better than average, tending toward quite good. The clarity coupled with the acoustic sealing is a nice combination, and overall I think these earphones are quite good for the price.