If these were made for young bassheads...and it appears so by all indications...then they did well.
 

Sub-bass

Present and elevated in un EQ'd sig response but doesn't seem to respond to eq and gain push
 

Bass

50+Hz responds well to minor and major eq and gain adjusting. These will slam very hard and not give off audible distortion or cues that it's coming. Their best arrow in the quiver....they are called PUMPS for God's sake...they had one job.
 

 
 
 
They nailed that part pretty well. Very hard hitting set. PUMP.....indeed
 
 
 

Mids

Relative to a boosted bass region these will be scooped in comparison.
That's pretty much part and parcel for items that pre tune bass to such heights
 

Treble

I can see this being an issue for folks who want more than Bassy IEM.
If you go beyond Hip hop and other bass centric genre' an odd dip, more likely bump in the early highs makes for a fatigue inducing experience.
 
 
 

Thoughts

As these are marketed towards the youth and to be more specific basshead youth (big economic demographic) I will not slam em' since  they did not claim to be anything other than Beats slayers and they killed em pretty good. If you like Beats and many many folks do these will hit harder and produce a similar sound.
 
 
 

 

 

Introduction:
 
These are really good! But perfection is subjective. In my personal opinion, it's better not to pitch one product head-on against another unless every aspect and test condition matches exactly. Same goes for the human factor. No two people are identical. We hear similar sounds differently. Then there's price-point, which must always be a key-consideration. However, against this and more, Adam Blair and the Team have done a very good job indeed. Pump Audio offer seriously proficient earphones!
 
Background:
 
I'll try to keep this review very simple and unbiased. I am not a specialist in the audio or electronics field; I just know when something sounds or looks right, and whether it feels like overall value.
 
I've been buying tech products for over 5 decades. Serious sites like Head-Fi are incredibly useful, bringing together collective knowledge and experience from experts and beginners alike. The views I express here are specific to me, but I hope they help add to the overall perspective, and do not offend or grater with anyone too much.
 
Expensive in my opinion does not always mean "best", and cheap does not always mean "nasty". What matters is overall cost/benefit. Earphones produce different results according to sound source, environment and fit. I fly a lot, and always carry a bespoke Media Player, or Tablet/Cellphone in flight mode. In an aircraft, isolation matters far more than it does in a studio, so something like my Bose MIE2i, for instance, offer the wrong type of fit.
 
It's relevant to remind the less technical that results from a specific sound source can also be influenced significantly by the selected equalizer/mode settings, and by software. The same device/track, for example, can sound quite different between a kit media application, and VLC, etc.. Inevitably, accurate comparison is further complicated by our personal condition at the time, mood, and objective recall. 
 
Adam Blair, Founder of Pump Audio, is one of a kind. I have been following him for years and have bought in to a number of his innovations. Pump Audio claims were ambitious (arrogant?) and intriguing. However, knowing how quality-driven he is, I bought in. I pre-ordered my Version 1, All-Blacks, pre-launch, and have been using them ever since. With due regard to caveats and budget, they are arguably the best earphones I have ever bought - and they just got better with the new Memory Foam Tips!
 
Audio Quality:  5 STARS
 
Performance is the ultimate leveler but in the final analysis opinions will always vary and be somewhat subjective to the individual. On a general assessment, for me, the Bass tones are incredible. They are solid, pleasant and engaging. There is no distortion, and the detail is full - unlike some at the lower end that are dull or even painful to the ear. Mid-Range is balanced. Detail is present and it's accurate. Treble is lovely. It is very crisp, if not quite as exceptional as the Bass. Anyone who has ever played with a graphic equalizer will now that there has to be compromise somewhere. Boost the lows or the highs and that influences the rest. Pump Audio seems to have focused on the lows, while retaining an excellent experience elsewhere. It works well. It surpasses expectation, and is extremely rewarding whether the genre is Classical, Folk, or Rock.
 
Comfort:  5 STARS
 
The kit Pump Audio IEMs come with a range of silicone tips in the usual sizes. I confess that the standard tips caused me a little irritation with prolonged use. I was regularly adjusting the fit, and they tended to slip out. I am not a big fan of silicone tips in general. I often find them hard, and intrusive. The effect was to impair the overall experience, although I hasten to add that others may disagree entirely. Then I obtained some of the company's new, soft, Memory Foam tips, available from their website. WOW. What a difference! My summary experience has changed dramatically. I can wear the Pumps for hours and forget they are in. Irritation has gone, and there is no more unwelcome distraction. Much more though is the improvement to sound. Previously, I would have marked the Pumps down slightly but for a meagre £7 a set the new Foam Tips have transformed my entire listening experience. 
 
Design:  5 STARS ​
 
Not everyone likes orange! My launch-original V1s are all-black, and that might be a preferred option for some. It's all down to choices. I have to admit that I DO like it, and with the replacement tips in "trademark-Orange" the Pumps look rather striking. I like the thought that went into size and weight; they fit well. They are snug in my outer ear, and the (new) tips are subtle when inserted. The cable is generous; it is flat, and rubbery. It doesn't tangle, and it suppresses cable noise well. It features a Remote. There is clear evidence of the thought that has been given to overall impressions. I wish there was a Lapel-Clip to help avoid tugging, but that is hardly a deal-breaker. I have been using my Pumps for a year, almost to the day, and they stand up well to respectful treatment. Packaging is also really good. It is solid, tasteful and clearly identifiable.
 
Isolation:  5 STARS
 
With the standard silicone tips, sound quality was above par, with just moderate intrusion. Yes, I could hear aircraft noise and muted conversation, though well suppressed, but that is normal. The Memory Foam tips improve that significantly. The foam is very soft indeed, so it adapts to the ear beautifully. The seal is complete and isolation is probably as good as it's going to get. Although foam does have a lesser shelf-life than silicone, and is harder to keep sanitized, I would suggest that periodic renewal/replacement is money well spent, and would recommend the many Pump Audio users out there to order a couple of sets. They are nicely made, fit easily, and they stay on. Comfort is first-class, and the overall experience is highly commendable. I have scored this section based on Memory Foam fitted.
 
Value:  5 STARS
 
This puts it all into perspective. I bought mine pre-launch, as part of a very short 2014 "Black-Friday" promotion to Adam Blair clients. At £29 plus postage they were nothing less than utterly incredible value, although they remain so even at normal retail price. Are they better than Beats? I don't know. It doesn't really matter, anyway. I think it would have been preferable not to throw down the gauntlet, but that's just me. Beats are Beats, and they are superb. These are superb, but they are Pump Audio. They are different and they have their separate appeal. All I can say is that they are by far the best value earphones I have ever bought. I could go out and spend £500 or £1,000, but to what purpose? I like what I hear from Pump Audio, and that's what counts. Would I but another set at normal retail price? Definitely! If I did, it would be in Orange; it would feature Memory Foam tips, a spare set to keep in reserve, and a matching Clam-Case. I've been asked numerous times about the V1s and friends who have tried them have been pleasantly surprised. I'm as curious now as I was at launch - if mine are THIS good, what will the V2s be like, with their even wider Frequency Range? 
 
SUMMARY - OVERALL 5 STARS
 
I recommend Pump Audio unreservedly. I cannot wait to try the new Pump Zeus headphones due out soon. Give Pump Audio a chance. For the money, these IEMs will not break the bank for most people, and they might surprise many. They have some outstanding qualities and deserve the overall high rating, especially with Memory Foam tips. Rather like the on-ear Sennheiser PX100s or Kos PortaPros they shouldn't be this good for the money, but they are. Let's hope they are just as enduring over time. Which brings me to the replacement warranty should they go wrong. If you order direct from Pump Audio, you have 5 years in which to send them back.
 
I have tried to be as objective as I can be, and I hope my review has been of value. Thank you for reading.

Intro
I first saw Pump Audio on Kickstarter, "The greatest headphone in the world?" and "Better than Beats" lay across the banner. One bold statement, and one not so bold. All jokes aside, I sent the owner of the Kickstarter campaign a private message, and he provided me with a free pair for review. The following opinion is my own and, as always, your mileage may vary. I have had the headphones for a few months and have spent a lot of time with them. This review will be beefy and cover all bases. There will be a summary at the end for those who want to save some time.
 
Packaging
Who cares, right? It seems that was Pump Audio's approach anyway. It's not bad. Thin, printed cardboard encases thin plastic that surrounded everything in a clamshell fashion. In this case everything means three pairs of tips (two sizes only), and the IEMs themselves. Nothing to write home to your mom about, but Pump Audio asks $150 for these, I expected something better. Will this story of mixed expectations continue?
 
Build
The build to me is nothing spectacular. Maybe it's the designer in me that sees the whole thing as a disconnected mess. The orange is a different color on the shell and the cord, and it doesn't look purposeful. The strain relief has slits cut at the connector, but not by the housing. Those housings themselves are nice enough. Anodized aluminum which is light and looks pretty, however there is an unsightly seam right in the middle of the unit that runs around it. Pump could have (and should have) aligned this seam with the silver colored accent ring, in order to better camouflage it. Or they could have aligned it along the edge where it narrows to the nozzle.
 
Let me take some time out to talk about how bad this cable is. This cable is the same cable that was on the free pair of in-ears that I received with my HTC One M7. Not similar, but identical in everything except color. It is flat, so points for that, but it is cheap. It is a touch thicker than a business card and has the same rubber used on phone cases. This thing creases and grabs onto everything it touches and tangles poorly despite being flat. I would have liked to see the cable be a bit thicker, not as wide, and not have so much friction on the outside. Cable noise in subpar too.
 
Fit
The light housing does wonders for the fit. The flat cable all but necessitates straight down wear, but as long as you're not running and you can call these Tom Cruise. They'll never come out!
 
Oddly enough, the housing where the silicone tip latches on is smaller than normal. It uses standard tip sizes, but the housing just isn't large enough for the tip to grip housing. The tip won't fall off, but it does rotate freely. Thus, when it is in the ear, the earphones will spin when leaning your head in any direction. This left me with an odd sensation and a squeaky fart noise in my ear, every single time I moved my head. Shame.
 
Sound
Bass
Oh my bass! Good bass! Heck, great bass! And gobs of that tight awesomeness! The only thing I can compare it to is the Sony MDR-Z7 which I hear has nearly identical bass to the Fostex TH-900. It is loud, it slams, it goes deep, the mid-bass isn't inflated at all. It starts to dip around 15 Hz but the rest of it is still there all the way down to 5 Hz. This is the best bass that I've heard on an in-ear headphone. It bests my Sennheiser IE7, it beats my Ostry KC06, it wipes the floor with my Zero Audio Carbo Tenore. It sounded better in the bass department than the Fidue A73 and A83 that Hisoundfi let me demo at ChiUniFi this year. The bass sits roughly 2 dB less than what you get from the Beats by Dre line, but that doesn't mean they are wooly. There is just a lot of bass. If I had to find one gripe about the bass it would be that in complex passages you hear that it isn't notably fast. That said, I'd still say it has the best bass among any IEM under $200 that I've heard.
 
That is, of course, unless they don't seal. In which case you are left with an airy, tinny, thin mess. The housing issue I mentioned earlier makes this a very common problem with almost all aftermarket tips. So you are stuck with the S or M/L basic tips that they offer. Thank goodness they are decent.
 
Mids
Nothing special here. At all.
 
Treble
This is where the Pump's fall very far. I know what you're thinking. Don't think it. This is not another hip-hop only headphone with such little treble that Meghan Trainor is throwing herself a party. It is present, it sparkles, it is detailed. Not Beyerdynamic sparkly and not HD800 detailed, but pleasing and present nonetheless. These tied my Ostry KC06 in the detail department and those things are no slouch. I'd say the treble presentation is very similar to my Ostry KC06, but I much, much prefer the Ostry's for treble alone. They both are right where I'd say neutral is, maybe touch less around 4kHz to reduce fatigue. But the Pump's are a peaky mess. It took me a while to figure out why one guitar note was so much louder than another. And why every once in a why Taylor Swift's voice would gain and lose it's sparkle from word to word. I've come to the conclusion that there are multiple resonances and anti-resonances within the housing that result in this awkwardness. It isn't colored or unbalanced here, it is just wrong. It is something that you could miss, but when you notice it (and you will), and you will hate it as much as I do. Which is a lot. I hate it a lot.
 
Soundstage
Average for a good earbud. Some width, no height, little depth.
 
Isolation
Awful.
 
Conclusion Time
So basically Pump Audio made a killer driver with a ton of awesome bass and nice highs and mids too (in that order). Then they hacked together a housing and cable with little regard for basic sound principles and/or for the laws of design. Then they slapped a price tag on it and it simply cannot compete with anything near it's price range given the bad design, cheap feel, and messed up treble. I see these in-ears pop up on deals sites quite a bit and they sell for about $100 on there. Still not worth it.
 
Basically it's a prototype. A darn good prototype, but it is not ready for mass market. It cannot compete with in the already oversaturated IEM market and it needs to be revisited and revised. It won't be hard. Make it look like a finished product, add a better cable, dampen the inside of the housing and you've got a fantastic IEM. And I mean that sincerely. This could be the kingpin of basshead IEMs, but it isn't. Every time I use them I think the same thing. If they spent another 1-3 months on this, this prototype could be a killer IEM. But they didn't. And it isn't. Do not buy this, I'd recommend Beats before these because at least the newer ones are well built.




Edit: They broke. After months of gentle use they worked fine. I gave them to my brother, who used them over his Beats Urbeats (if that says anything). He says he pulled them out of his pocket and they were broken, right at the Y-split. No drops, no yanks, nothing. I don't doubt it. The housing just slid together, that means any tension was put directly onto the soldered joints.