[Robster1958]

http://www.futuresonics.com/


click on the "Ears"

non-custom version of stage performers' earpieces.


i thought i recall some threads on these, but can't find them.

read a review on an iPod forum that liked them.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Hmm...

With the short foam section and the large driver section behind it, somehow I don't see these things fitting into anybody's ears for a proper seal

 

[Robster1958]

here's the link to that iPod forum review:

http://www.ipodlounge.com/ar0030_020709.asp

 

[BDA_ABAT]

Did anyone else read that review??? I'm curious why they chose the products that they did... two very low cost products vs one very high cost product. Does this seem like a reasonable comparison???

OK, the review included two earphone products (Plugh and "Ears"). That's fine, considering the test requirements. Why she chose to review a headphone (Sony) that didn't meet one of the stated basic requirements is beyond me... unless the Sony model was one that was given to her for demo. Donno.

This review was not helpful for most of the folks that would likely peruse this site... her main requirements for the review seemed to be related more to physical issues (does it fit into a specific space) rather than the sound that the cans provide.

Would be really interesting to see a review of the "Ears" compared to Ety ER6 or ER4.

Bruce

 

[MacDEF]

You have to remember that the people doing "reviews" on most of these sites aren't really... um, how can I say this... "educated" in the field.

It's like taking someone who's been driving an Yugo all his life, giving him a Chevy Cavialier, and asking him to do a review. He's going to be amazed by the handling, comfort, and attention to detail

I'm continually surprised by the stuff that gets recommended in "reviews" when they're done by people who just don't have much knowledge and experience in the field of product being reviewed.

 

[elnero]

*thinks back to his 2 '86 cavaliers*

lol A Crapalier! Attention to detail! lol

 

[Robster1958]

You have to remember that the people doing "reviews" on most of these sites aren't really... um, how can I say this... "educated" in the field.

--------------------------------------------------------


that's exactly why i asked here....that review was kinda a joke. on the other hand, there is a thread here about "ladies phones"

except for being ugly as sin..and flesh-colored....and having a 50 inch cord...maybe they are good <????>.

still surprised no one has ever seen/used these.

i'm gonna call the company and get so more info.

Rob

 

[HighwayStar]

Quote:

Originally posted by elnero *thinks back to his 2 '86 cavaliers* lol A Crapalier! Attention to detail! lol

But having TWO made you feel better...

 

[elnero]

Actually the first one was written off by a loader running a stop sign. I ran right into and over the bucket. Screwed the whole front end. Found a second one and thought great I'll have the old one for parts. Three days after I got it I totalled it. Swerved to avoid a car coming out of an intersection, hit a patch of ice and couldn't get back on the road before I hit the back end of a truck.
I eventually had to piece the two cars together to make one.

 

[Robster1958]

back on track...........

i just spoke to Mr. Marty Garcia, President of Futuresonics. First of all, let me state that this guy knows his stuff....engineering-wise and competition-wise (Ety's). He also seems very willing to tap into this forum for intelligence and feedback.

His company is the world leader for live performers' earpieces...as evidenced by numerous industry awards. His product is designed to provide flat response from 20 to 20k, isolation, accuracy, and wide dyanamic range. His earphones are music devices, not hearing aids.

Anyhow, imo, this is worth pursuing. Yes there can be cosmetic improvements....on the other hand they could be great. The company has a trial return policy with a 15% restocking fee (which will =$27 on the $180 price)...I may go for it!

 

[elnero]

Sorry, didn't mean to inadvertantly highjack your thread...

 

[RuizWave]

I've been curious about these for awhile. They could potentially be competition to our beloved etys.

This thread is the last straw, I think I'm going to give them a shot. I have a pair of Etymotic ER-4S's and a Sennheiser HD600 to compare them to. I know I'm a newbie, but its about time someone on this forum compared the Future Sonics head to head with the Etymotics.

 

[Tim D]

http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/....earphones.php

You can glean a little more information from that webpage...things like

Quote:

The Future Sonics Ears were originally developed for a professional stage environment. The original intent of the company's was to help singers reduce vocal and hearing fatigue with proper use.

You also get some comments at the end of the article, one person seems to state that the Ety's are better, or other headphones are better for the price, but there is not exactly enough information in the post itself to make you entirely confident of wheter or not the person has tried them or not, or that the product was not good enough to be really comparable...perhaps a followup e-mail would be a good idea.

I would hate to discourage anyone to "take it for the team" and do a good review of them. It would take someone with good Ety experience to review them, but given the bar set by Ety's not many veteran Ety users walk around looking at all other in-ear models (and there are many) and would easily consider any new kid on the block to be true rivals without much more information. I mean if you have just an awesome set of full-size headphones, you also tend not to pay too much attention to the many new comers unless you get substantial evidence showing they are worth the review. For example the Panasonic DVD-A phones, one of the newest phones with ridiculous technical boasts that no one in the headphone community took seriously...and for good reason. As far as Future Ears go, unfortunately being used by popular artists (on-stage) is not a good qualifier statement for me, nor its new-founded secondary role as good ipod companions(when compared to much more lowly headphones than Etys). Also Ety vets just don't tend to call Sony Streetstyles as "fairly good" or koss plugs as even "decent" in sound unless they are feeling exceptionally generous all of the sudden. There also just seems to be more audio R&D into Ety's compared to the more utilitarian in-ear pro-audio monitors whose goals often differ, but do overlap. And there are indeed A LOT of very expensive pro-audio on-stage monitors out there, but the costs and design typically go towards that particular function. There is a pro-audio Ety version as well that goes for 2x the cost regardless of being the same as far as sound quality goes.

 

[williamgoody]

I think the fact that in that Macworld article it states that they "just happen to make hi-quality mp3's sound far better than any standard headphone or earphone might" may be a key point. Do they alter the sound of the mp3's to make them better? How do they make not as high mp3's sound?
I wonder what Don Wilson thinks about them?

 

[williamgoody]

Robester, Keep in mind that there's always the chance that Marty, not questioning his integrity, may or may not be "shilling" for his company.
According to the Macworld article it was stated that pairs were sent to some music industry magazines. I wonder who? Generally name dropping is done when one gets such favorable responses for his/her product.
Forgive me but I almost never buy into hype dished out about something by someone who happens to be the company president.