With the ever-increasing popularity of portable audio devices, more and more aftermarket earphones are popping up every day, making it increasingly difficult to keep tabs on what’s out there and, more importantly, to tell the good apart from the mediocre. At the same time, companies are having more and more trouble differentiating themselves - and their products - from the competition. Earjax, for example, tries to do this by donating a portion of their revenue to the Starkey Hearing Foundation – a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing hearing aids to children across the globe. I stumbled on their website by accident and the Lyrics model immediately caught my eye with its distinctive cabling and ergonomic form factor. I asked for a sample of the Lyrics and Earjax complied, throwing in a complementary Tonic for me to try. This review explores the capabilities of these two new (to Head-Fi) earphones.
Packaging & Accessories
Earjax Tonic (MSRP: $37.95)
The Tonic comes in handsome, albeit not too finger-friendly, plastic packaging. The bundled accessories include:
-4 sets of clear single-flange silicone tips (S/M/M/L sizes)
-3 sets of white single-flange silicone tips (S/M/L sizes)
-1 set of white triple-flange silicone tips
-Shirt clip
-Metal capsule carrying case with detachable lanyard
Aside from the unique carrying case, the accessories are pretty standard. The duplicate tips are quite welcome for those who tend to lose them (more can be purchased from the Earjax website, too) and the cable clip helps tame the cable noise. The metal capsule carrying case features a twist-off lid and is bulletproof but not very pocket-friendly (which explains the included lanyard).
Earjax Lyrics (MSRP: $119.95)
The higher-end Lyrics are packaged in a more standard but also much more elegant cardboard box chock-full of accessories. Inside you will find:
-3 sets of clear single-flange silicone tips (S/M/L sizes)
-3 sets of black single-flange silicone tips (S/M/L sizes)
-2 sets of black triple-flange silicone tips (S/M sizes)
-1 set of heat-activated foam tips
-Shirt clip
-Carabiner
-Nylon-sheathed 3’ extension cord
-Hard clamshell carrying case with removable cord winder
The accessories bundled with the Lyrics are impressive both in quantity and quality. The carrying case is little large for my pockets but the removable cord winder is quite convenient and reminds me of the excellent case that comes with the Radius DDM. The generous selection of silicone tips is always welcome, too, but I’m especially impressed with the heat-activated foams, which are very similar to the exorbitantly-pricy Audio-Technica foam tips (the ones included with the $450 CK100).
Design & Build Quality
Earjax Tonic
The construction of the Tonic is generic but generally well-rounded. The shells of the earphones, which are also available in black & silver in place of green, are made entirely of metal. The cable is slightly rubbery and strain relief is sufficient all-around. Conventional Left/Right earpiece markers are missing; instead, the Tonic uses different-color nozzle filters – red for right, black for left. After a short acclimatization period telling the earpieces apart becomes pretty convenient, especially when using clear tips. A bit of driver flex can be coerced from the earphones but not so much that it can be bothersome.
Earjax Lyrics
Unlike the all-metal Tonic, the Lyrics are made of a matte, rubberized plastic and very thin paper nozzle filters are used in place of the colored mesh screens of the Tonic. Some molding artifacts are evident on the plastics but generally the shells feel quite sturdy. Strain relief is similar between the two earphones but the Lyrics use a very distinctive cable. Above the y-split, the cable is sheathed in smooth, clear plastic so that the internal black & copper strands are visible. It’s a bit thinner than the cords found on Meelec earphones but should hold up well nonetheless. Below the y-split the cord is sheathed in woven nylon. The casing on the 3.5mm plug is metal but a flexible rubber grommet protects the cord from its sharp edges.
Fit & Comfort
Earjax Tonic
The fit of the Tonic is pretty standard fare for a conventional in-ear earphone. The nozzles are fairly long and the shells are rounded at the front so I don’t really foresee any fitting issues as long as the correct tip size is used. The strain reliefs are short enough that the earphones can be worn over-the-ear comfortably and the shells aren’t too heavy despite being metal.
Earjax Lyrics
The Lyrics originally caught my eye with their rounded shells and ergonomic, angled-nozzle design. Upon closer inspections it turns out that the shells (housing large 13mm drivers) are fairly bulbous and not quite flush with the ear when worn in the intended, cable-down manner. They aren’t uncomfortable but they don’t just disappear, either. Worn cable-up, one the other hand, the Lyrics fit great, can be inserted quite deeply, and stay comfortable much longer. The aesthetic appeal of the spherical shells is questionable but the earphones are hardly attention-grabbing even in the white configuration.
Isolation & Microphonics
The Tonic is vented at the rear and its isolation is quite average. Cable noise is average as well, with the rubber cords bouncing around a bit when the included shirt clip is not used. Wearing them over-the-ear solves the problem.
The Lyrics are better on both counts. Though also vented, they can be inserted deeper (when worn over-the-ear) and definitely cut out more noise. Microphonics are fairly low in the smooth plastic cable but wearing them over-the-ear is desirable anyway due to the fit and isolation so cable noise isn’t really an issue.
Sound quality
Tonic
Specifications
Driver Diameter: 10mm
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20k Hz
Sensitivity: 102 dB @ 1 mW
Impedance: 32 Ω
With a street price just below $30, the Tonic is a mid-range earphone with a popular, fun sound signature. Its bass is deep and thumping, with decent extension and a fair amount of mid-bass emphasis. At the very bottom the bass stays strong up to around 45Hz and is still audible at 30. Granted, the higher-end Lyrics is more resolving and textured at the bottom, but the Tonic is an enjoyable listen for those who prefer ‘thumping’ bass. It is not the most controlled earphone and the bass can definitely step out of line on occasion but the aggressive low end works well for a lot of modern music. The earphones also exhibit slightly forward mids, which keeps vocals and other instruments relatively free of bass bleed. Midrange clarity is quite impressive and with the bass equalized down a bit the Tonic can match the Meelec M9 and Hippo Boom – the two bass-heavy earphones I used for comparative listening – in clarity. The midrange is warm, full, and very easy to listen to. The Tonic stays smooth into the upper midrange and lower treble, introducing no harshness or sibilance and even masking some that may be present on the track. Indeed, the Tonic lacks just enough resolution to make my 192kbps mp3s sound great.
The treble is recessed slightly in comparison to the bass and mids, making the Tonic a dark-sounding earphone, and rolls off a bit earlier than with the M9. There really isn’t much sparkle to be had and the more balanced Lyrics easily beats the Tonic when it comes to treble quantity but at the very least the treble is inoffensive and portrays what’s on the track. The vented earphones possess a decent soundstage, too, both in width and depth, but the aggressive presentation tends to center things rather than spread them out in the sonic space. On busy tracks the bass-heavy nature of the earphones can act as a detriment to separation and positioning but for an entry-level set the Tonic performs well enough on both counts. Listening to the Tonic I can’t help but be reminded of my old Sennheiser CX300 – it really has a similar overall sound signature, albeit with less mud at the bottom end, more prominent mids, and a more airy presentation.
Lyrics
Specifications
Driver Diameter: 13mm
Frequency Response: 15 Hz. - 25k Hz
Sensitivity: 105 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 24 Ω
The flagship of Earjax’s product line, the Lyrics is easily the better earphone of the two but does the sound quality difference justify the three-fold price jump? In the context of Head-Fi this is probably a silly question – diminishing returns come with the territory. However, at $80 (street) the Lyrics still falls in the price range of typical ‘consumer’ earphones, including extremely popular ones such as the Klipsch S4. The general sound of the Lyrics is ‘pleasant’ – slightly bassy, a bit warm, and quite spacious. Signature-wise the Lyrics sound like a slightly more laid-back JAYS t-JAYS Three.
The first and foremost thing noticeable when comparing the Lyrics to the lower-end Tonic is how much tighter and cleaner the bass is – the Tonic performs well for a $30 earphone but ‘Hi-Fi’ is not what I would call it. The Lyrics has far less mid-bass bloat as well as better sub-bass extension. Naturally, more bass detail is revealed by the Lyrics. The bass remains punchy and tactile but never becomes overwhelming, reminding me of the Brainwavz M2 and M3, both in impact and tone.
The midrange of the Lyrics is free of bass bleed and quite clear. It is laid-back almost to the point of sounding veiled, in stark contrast to the Brainwavz earphones, but still carries good detail. The clarity is compromised slightly by the veil but the smoothness and fullness of the mids are impressive. It should be no surprise, then, that the smoothness of the Lyrics makes even the Tonic sound a little grainy in the upper mids. Treble extension is similar between the two Earjax earphones but the superior balance of the Lyrics makes the high end seem more prominent. Again, the sound of the Lyrics is ‘safe’ more than anything.
Perhaps the biggest strength of the Lyrics is the ambient presentation – it’s an earphone with ‘big’ sound – the soundstage has good width, depth, and even height. The soundstage depth of the mid-forward Brainwavz M2 is clearly inferior and even the higher-end M3 is given a run for its money. Positioning and imaging are good as well, though the laid-back presentation does mean that you won’t get the ‘intimate’ moments with the performer that you may get with more forward sets. Ironically, the sound signature of the Lyrics is a good one for music that doesn’t hinge on vocals and benefits from a spacious presentation.
Value & Conclusion
The Earjax Tonic and Lyrics are two well-packaged, handsome, comfortable, and user-friendly earphones competing in two different price tiers. Good looks and (very) impressive accessory packs aside, are the Earjax earphones really worth introducing to Head-Fi? In my opinion - yes. Though the Tonic is fairly typical of a budget earphone when it comes to sound quality, it is a solid all-around performer and will appeal to those who like deep, thumping bass. The higher-end Lyrics model offers a more refined sound signature but is outclassed by high-end competitors such as the Panasonic HJE900 and Brainwavz M3 at the $120 MSRP. The street price is lower, however, making the Lyrics a better deal than the MSRP would indicate. It is a good earphone for those in search of a smooth, balanced, and spacious sound but in my opinion it is the Tonic that is the better deal at around 1/3 the price of the Lyrics. Those in the market for a budget earphone and worried that Head-Fi’s favourite Meelectronics M9 may be too rough around the edges would do well to check out the Tonic.
Edited by ljokerl - 11/21/10 at 6:31pm
