Music goes with the outdoors like vanilla ice cream goes with bourbon. Seems these things were just made for each other. I’d bet that very few of you don’t enjoy cranking the tunes in nature when the time is right; but, that’s the catch- it’s not always the perfect time to rock the park out. When you want to groove but keep it low-key, the audio-technica SonicFuel earbuds could be your stairway to heaven. I’ve been testing a pair of these sleek sound delivery systems for a couple of months now, and have some thoughts on their performance.
The most important aspect of any earbud is the the sound. Duh! I’m happy to report that the SonicFuel earbuds deliver a high quality sound for such a small package. I tested the ATH-CKX5iS model, and had zero complaints about the auditory experience. In fact, I have a lot of love for the sound that these earbuds produce. Vocals and midrange instruments were clear and crips, while the headphones also were able to deliver a low bass that almost produces a rumble in your ear. From Outkast to Eric Clapton, the audio-technica earbuds had me singing along and swaying to the beats.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to cringe at the sound of my own voice. I found that the SonicFuel earbuds did a great job of filtering outside sound. No, these are not noise-canceling earbuds, nor do they claim to be. However, even during my day job as a videographer, I used these headphones to filter out external noise and focus on listening to the audio on my interview subjects’ microphones. And because they come with a handy storage sack, I was always able to have them stashed in my pocket, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. The in-line mic and volume controls are also quite handy. One touch of the main button paused my tunes, while the slider bar did a great job of fine tuning the volume. As for phone calls, the call quality is decent, and my friends told me I sounded crystal clear on their end.
The interesting design on these earbuds is quite effective. They come packaged with several sizes of eartips so you can fit yourself perfectly. The C-tip design keeps them secure in your ear for outdoor activities. I had no issues with the audio-technica buds falling out or jostling when doing a number of activities: walking the dog, hiking, working out, or riding my bike (yes, I’m one of those idiots). In fact my only complaint about these things is that the design is too bulky for use with a helmet. Bummer. I like to snowboard with music when I’m not with the crew, so it was a downer not being able to use the SonicFuels for those adventures. Despite this drawback, I can still bob my head confidently that these are solid earbuds.
The Good: interesting/functional design, great sound and good for most outdoor adventures.
The Bad: Can’t use them with a helmet…not cool!
The Verdict: If you’re looking for a small package that packs a good musical punch, and can deal with the fact that they won’t fit under your helmet, then the audio-technica SonicFuel earbuds are for you.
The Giveaway: Okay, you’ve made it this far…now reap your reward. Audio-technica has given us a pair of the SonicFuel earbuds to hand over to one lucky reader. Here’s how you win them:
Go to our Facebook page and post your best outdoor photo. That’s it! Summer or winter, activity or landscape shots…just show us your best, and we’ll show you the earbuds! Winner will be chosen at the end of the month, so get posting!