Public Transport Zombies. I’m sure you’ve seen them. I know that I saw plenty of them during the six weeks I was on jury duty recently. I would get on the bus or train and see a sea of people connected to phones or personal music devices. I’m sure that something was being pumped through their earphones but all I could see was blank faces. Thankfully I’ve discovered how to change all that.
Unfortunately, a lot of people are still using the earphones that came with their music players. That’s why they can listen to music without registering anything resembling emotion. You can be hearing the greatest music ever produced but without an effective way to get that music to your ears, you’re likely to be missing the nuances that the musicians worked so hard to record.
Nothing beats a live performance, but if you’re serious about music, you’ll want earphones that get you closer to what was originally intended in the recording process. Ultimate Ears 200 Noise-Isolating Earphones are a great place to start. I reckon that if I stood at the local train station handing out some UE 200s I’d cure the public transport zombies instantly.
A pair of Ultimate Ears earphones will change the way you listen to music.
Ultimate Ears 200 Noise-Isolating Earphones (UE 200) block out all the background noise you don’t want to deliver pure music to your ears. I was recently sent a pair of UE 200s as a Logitech Product Tester. They’ve become an instant favourite.
The cute, hard plastic case they arrived in ensured that they got to me in excellent condition. The first thing I noticed about the UE 200s was the simple, rounded shape. I sometimes take a while to feel comfortable with some earphones but the design on the UE 200s made them fit comfortably from the first time I used them. The great thing is, if you don’t feel immedately comfortable with UE 200s, you can try any of the five soft ear cushions included.
A lot of sound for a little price.
Before I used the earphones I had a quick look online to see what they’re worth. I spotted them at a couple of places for under $40. At that price I expected them to be good, but nothing earth shattering. I must say that I was very surprised at the quality of audio they delivered. Having worked in radio for over 23 years I’ve spent more time than most piping music directly to my ears through various kinds of headphones. I know what good quality audio is all about and these deliver remarkably well for the price.
To say that my musical tastes are eclectic would be an understatement. If I put my iPod on shuffle I’m likely to hear anything from Alicia Keys to Slade, Train, David Bowie, Killing Heidi, Bing Crosby, Amy Winehouse, Regina Spektor, Duffy and I’m a huge Diana Krall fan. I’ll hear screaming guitars, thrashing drums, breathy jazz vocals, subtle orchestral movements, soft acoustic guitars and so much more. I need earphones that can handle it all. The UE 200s do the job well.
I’ve used the UE 200s everywhere from on public transport to while cycling. As far as the cycling goes, I’m glad they have a sweat-resistant design. I’m tired of earphones with cables that become hard and brittle after being exposed to a little effort on the bike.
Who did that?
A few days ago I was wearing the UE 200s and heard someone clap. I jerked my head around to see who it was. It was only then that I registered that it was part of the song I was listening to at the time. That tells me two things. Firstly, they deliver sound so true to life that I really believed that someone near me had just clapped. Secondly, I was noticing elements of the recorded music that I hadn’t noticed before with inferior earphones.
My only complaint.
I don’t know how many people insist on ensuring they have the correct earphone in the correct ear to get the intended left/right stereo split, but I certainly do. That’s probably my only complaint with the UE 200s. Maybe it’s just my failing eyesight but I found the tiny ‘L’ and ‘R’ on the earphones a bit too small to see at a glance. A bit of permanent marker on the left bud has now solved that issue for me.
Do your ears a favour.
With more and more people spending more and more time plugged in to their favourite music it just makes good sense to be able to experience that music as it was intended. Logitech UE 200s deliver better audio quality than many of the earphones that come with portable music players. Do your ears a favour and grab some for a better music experience.
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Hi Rodney,
great write up. I’m looking for a new set of earphones + mic for my iPhone, and was wondering how these compared to the t-Jays you’ve reviewed earlier? (I’m hoping to get the AJay 4s, that have the mic built into the strap)
Phil
G’day Phil
I find the UE 200s more comfortable but it’s hard to compare the audio quality between the t-Jays which have a RRP of $119 and the UE 200s with a RRP of $39.95. having said that, I was surprised at how well the UE 200s performed in comparison. I’d be very interested in how the higher end Ultimate Ears perform.
I’ll be using both sets for different applications. Both excellent products.
Not wanting to get into a debate about listening to music whilst cycling (I do it sometimes) but I am curious about your experience using noise isolating earphones on the bike. That is something I wouldn’t be keen on. Do they isolate noise very effectively; too effectively for the bike?
I reckon one of the keys is making sure that you use the right silicon ear cushions. You can certainly select some that would block too much sound to be used on the bike.
With the volume I prefer and the right choice of ear cushion I can still hear enough of the traffic for what I need. I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone but it works for me.
Okay thanks for that. I have used when I can be bothered on the bike a Adidas Sennheiser PMX 680i which the manufacturer describes as being “acoustically more open – blocks less outside noise and lets you be more aware of your immediate environment.” It sits “outside” of the air carnal. Lot more expensive but unless you buy it ex the USA.
Great piece of technology information.
I do have a question, though. Do you find the ear plug style falls out of your ears? I have the Sony ones that wrap around the back of your ear and never fall off. I’ve never had much luck with the ear plug types.
The Logitechs come with fives sizes of silicon ear cushions so you can ensure that you have the right fit to stay put. I have found that the earbuds that just sit inside your ear sometimes fall out but the isolation style that push into your ear seem to work a lot better for me.