The boxed contents are: the earphones, foam sleeves of 2 different sizes (2 large sets, 1 small set) to obtain a snug fit for your ear size, and a faux leather pouch to carry them in. Oh, and not forgetting, the obligatory ‘product manual’ as well.

The first thing you’ll notice from the images here is that these inner-earphones (so called since they sit into the ear canal unlike the ones provided with the iPod/ generic MP3 player) do not look like the typical designs you may be familiar with. Their colour is a sort of imitation skin tone - not black, not white, nor even clear, as most other replacement earphones tend to be.

The reason for that is simply due to the fact that these are first, and foremost, Professional in-ear monitors. In other words, professional musicians and singers use these instead of floor monitors to hear a mix of all the instruments and vocals of themselves and the band members, as they are more accurate and produce no feedback from microphones. They also reduce outside noise, so enabling a higher quality of monitoring.

Equally, Newsreaders and TV presenters use them for getting feedback/directions from the producer/director in the gallery/OB (outside broadcast) truck. So, in this environment, the colour has been chosen such that it blends with the skin and becomes invisible (or as near as possible) under the lights the performer/presenter finds themselves.

Some people might balk at the thought of using such ‘plain or unappealing’ coloured earphones, and that’s a fair point, but since the white earphones provided by Apple are so distinctive and have resulted in people being targeted for theft of their iPod, then the colour could be viewed as a positive aspect rather than a negative one. If colour or aesthetic designs are your priorities, then you may as well stop reading now. If however, sound quality reigns supreme, then keep reading.

 Sonics

The Future Sonics EM3’s characteristics are good bass depth (providing it’s in the music to begin with), accurate midrange tonality (the most sensitive part of our hearing response), and a mild but noticeable tail-off on the upper frequencies. The chances are that what I’m hearing here is a result of the compression used to downgrade CD quality to mp3/AAC format, where part of the algorithm design is to cut off the upper frequencies at a certain point. The higher the bit rate used, the more of the HF (high frequencies) remain – hence my own personal reluctance to use anything less than 192 kb/s. 128 kb/s music with cymbals sounds dreadful. Anyway, the point being that with the iPod (and others, I’m sure) you can enable a HF boost preset under the Equaliser sub-menu to counteract this tail-off.

The other beauty about inner-earphones in general, and the EM3’s are no exception is that with their isolation properties and the actual opening where the sound exits the ‘phones, you can keep the volume on your music player dialled back (aiding battery life and your hearing) and benefit from a more even response in the playback. No longer are the bass notes not being heard or only heard at a reduced level compared to the rest of the spectrum. Hearing the bass, which is the music’s foundation from which everything else builds on top of, is thoroughly enjoyable and most welcomed. I can now take my hands away from my ears, as is the case with using the standard earphones to cup my ears and push the earphones in, to hear the bass. I can walk around normally, without getting weird looks from passers-by – although that could be a separate issue entirely!

 Usage

Using the Future Sonics EM3 in-ear monitors is very easily accomplished. When you first receive the inner-earphones, you’ll need to decide which size of foam sleeve to use. This is purely guesswork initially, until you’ve tried the two sizes available. Slip the sleeve over the protruding nozzle of the EM3’s, and compress the foam between your fingers.

Insert (I found) at an upward angle into your ear – yes it will fit! You can use the other hand to pull back on the upper part of your ear to make things slightly easier. If the size chosen makes a good fit, you’ll notice an immediate drop in ambient noise. Do the same with the other one, and again, if correctly located, there’ll be a dramatic difference in sound levels. There should be no pain or pressure resulting – just a slight weirdness until you become accustomed to the inner-earphones method of use.

Now, plug the 3.5mm stereo jack into the iPod directly (or generic MP3 player) or the remote control module, if you have one. Before playing any songs, turn the volume down to the ¼ or 1/3 position of the indicator (if your player uses numbers, then start at 25 or 35, assuming the scale is 0-99 or 0-100). Doing so will ensure no nasty shock or possible hearing damage from too high a level.

Comfort levels (especially with prolonged use) are very high with the EM3’s, but a couple of times I felt a pressure in my left ear when the bass was more pronounced on certain tracks. It wasn’t overly discomforting, more of an awareness, which disappeared at some point, and was never troublesome nor worrying as it didn’t last long. There was no lasting effect, either no lasting effect, at either the time, or any time afterwards when the EM3’s had been removed. Nevertheless, whatever the reason or cause, it never got in the way of enjoying the music. Oddly though, using other in-ear monitors (look out for in upcoming reviews) didn’t produce the same effect.

Whilst the EM3’s claim to have a transducer that doesn’t alter it’s bass response at lower voltage levels (sound levels), I don’t wholeheartedly agree. There is a drop in audible output when the volume on my iPod Photo is at the ¼ mark. As the volume is raised though, the bass starts producing its full heft and weight, and truth be told, sounding glorious as a result.

Since switching to the EM3’s, I’ve put the Apple-provided iPod earphones back in their box and now enjoy my music much more, as I feel more engaged with it. The sounds are inside your head, and to conjure a mental image for you, as if the musicians are actually playing somewhere in amongst the grey matter. Other regular earphones always let you know they are merely playing sounds from a device.

That’s the difference the Future Sonics in-ear monitors have made to my musical enjoyment, the result of which I’m not going to be giving up anytime soon.

As with other inner-earphones, the Future Sonics EM3’s make listening to your bodily functions a new experience. Every swallow, chew, and click of jawbone is heard from a different perspective, and at first, provides amusement as you get used to it. After a short while, it’s overlooked having lost its novelty factor, and becomes nothing more than a second thought. Like many things in life, you learn to adapt to them.

Only one small issue or complaint I have with the EM3’s, and that is the use of foam sleeves. If you don’t keep your ears scrupulously clean, then after a few wash and dries of the sleeves, you’ll need to get replacements, as the originals won’t come back to their initial fullness and shape – the front is likely to be angled instead of perpendicular. So, when you buy the EM3’s, be sure to add on a few (10/pk) replacement sleeves at the same time.

I would like to see a reusable/washable sleeve in similar vein to that which the Shure in-ear monitors provide. However, in saying that, the Future Sonics sleeves when used on the Shure E3c’s Lordpercy kindly loaned me for comparison, the bass was dramatically improved over the silicon sleeves. Therefore, maybe foam is the best sleeve after all, and the ‘hassle’ of replacing sleeves periodically is just something I/we will have to just accept.

Of course, if you so wish, you can avail yourself of the custom fit model from Future Sonics – ear impressions plus a hefty investment, being the requirements needed to get you those. These use the MG4 transducer for higher quality and accuracy. Nice if you can afford to play at that level – for some, myself included, we will just have to maintain our status quo in life, and make do with the EM3’s, unless that lottery win comes up this week! Equally, there is a SofterWear™ option - $135 plus ear impressions, which attach to the EM3s to create a custom-fit sleeve. This is the next best option before spending a lot for full custom in-ear monitors. 

Conclusion

Given the Future Sonics EM3’s retail for £69.90 + P&P, they are not expensive – other “recognised” brand name inner-earphones start at £45 or more, and wouldn’t come close to matching the EM3’s sound. The EM3 Ear Monitors® are extremely good value for the money, with virtuous sonic attribute's. If you can overlook or forgive the colour aspect, then they will reward with more than adequate bass response at low listening levels, and a natural and smooth midrange and upper frequency reproduction.

Crank the volume and the private audition inside your head will be well and truly underway, with only you invited – those around you will be blissfully unaware as there’ll be less sound leakage than typical earphones. Just be sure to not go too loud or for prolonged periods – permanent hearing damage can set in very quickly.

So, don’t delay – go to Hand Held Audio and get yours now!

Specs:
Sensitivity: 118 dB
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Impedance: 32 Ω
Isolation: 25 dB
Connector: Gold Plated 3.5mm (right angled) Stereo Plug, with cable length of 45”.

Review by - PJ Skelton

Published - 20/05/2005

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