The small G3 units claim to use direct sound technology which sounds good but what does it actually mean. It seems from our test that direct sound means stuffing the earphones deep into your ear canal in the same way that the Shure E2C's and E3C's work but that isn't all the G3's rely on. There are also 9mm NdFeB sound drivers which delivery a clean and crisp sound which is way beyond the small price tag.

The construction of the G3 earphones is a step above the other Soundwise units we have tested to date, the earphones themselves seem well built and the cable seems to be of better quality, the termination 3.5mm mini jack is also moulded at right angles making it more robust.

The soft silicone ear tips make the deep ear insertion more bearable and they are softer than those provided with the Shure E2C's. This means the earphones are very comfortable to wear for long periods of time and yet provide an amount of sound isolation when used in noisy environment like the London Tube.

With the Soundwise G3's hooked up to our 3G iPod we put them through their paces on a range of music. The first thoughts were that they sounded very good and more competent that we'd have expected for £25, there is a lack of hiss or extraneous noise and both bass and treble is reproduced well. Testing using the winter chill album by Hed Kandi proved that the G3's had more bass than both the Shure E2C and E3C's, while this is good news it does lead to a slightly muddy sound on tracks that are very rich in bass and the deeper bass sounds can overtake the rest of the audio range.

Testing on more general material proved the G3's had a more versatile sound managing to block out the background noise of the daily grind and reproduce music as well as earphones many time their price. Lengthy use during commuting proved their overall comfort and being very light the G3's do not tired you while listening as some headphones can.

Overall a week with the G3 earphones proved that they are worth more than the £25 price tag attached to them. Apart from being a little muddy on bass heavy tracks they proved to be a competent all rounder with a good level of isolation and powerful drivers. If you are looking for a great sounding set of earphones but don't want to shell out £75 or more the Soundwise G3 earphones are a good option.

Published - 18/06/2006

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