Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro February 20th, 2007 | by Brandon King
Full Review - Testing and Conclusion
We tested the Super.fi 5 Pros with a full assortment of musical tastes, including techno, rock, jazz, pop, and classical. Out test setup is listed below:
Nearly every aspect of the listening experience exceeded our expectations. Highs, mids, and lows are balanced and clear. Bass is tight, but still has boom without sounding muddy, and highs are bright, but not screeching. Overall, the general tone of the Super.fi 5 Pros was energetic and accurate. The sound stage was satisfactorily wide and distant, without showing separation or the feeling of far-off sounds. The sound wasn’t harsh or warm, but somewhere in between. Spatial cues were somewhat limited, since canalphones in general lack the ability to convey 3D virtualization accurately.
If there was one “weak” category for the Super.fi 5 Pro, it was classical music. The tight tonal qualities caused atmospheric crescendos to sound slightly sparse, but still very satisfactory. Jazz and techno shone through with exceptional quality, and the Super.fi 5 Pros had no trouble keeping up with the highly mixed profile of Bjork. We also found these headphones extremely easy to drive with portable music players.
For movies, the Super.fi 5 Pros performed admirably. Though this is not a highly touted category of use, action sequences and dialogue were clear and exciting. Atmospheric music seemed set back further than with other headphones we’ve tested. Again, the lack of accurate 3D virtualization did slightly detract from the experience, but again, this is not an intended use for these cans.
Conclusion
The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro headphones are the best canalphones we have had the chance to audition to date. However, they are also the most expensive. Are they worth the price? Emphatically, we say, “Yes!” The dual driver design pumps out some of the cleanest audio we’ve heard across the broadest range of genres possible.
Pros:
• Amazing sound quality
• Solid construction
• Dual drivers
Cons:
• Thin cords
• Expensive price
by WeirdNeville on November 8, 2009:
“Comfort: It's easy to find the right sized silicone plugs in the batch provided. I find the best seal is got when you suck the plug (yuck!) before "insertion" and after that you have a good seal that lasts. However, you can' eat whilst wearing them, they...” More...