Customer Reviews

Radius Atomic Bass Aluminum Earbuds (Silver)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The sky is still dark when I set out on my morning run, the streets slick and shiny from last night's rain. I stop to stretch, click through my iPod for my running soundtrack, make sure my earphones fit snugly into my ears, then take off. It takes a moment to get into rhythm, to where my feet move by themselves and my arms swing lightly but then I fall into the groove. I am in my element. Me, my music, and the road.

It is usually at about this point in my run, a mile or so down the road, that my left earphone works its way out of my ear and slips down to my shoulder, then dangles and bounces with every step I take. Time to stop, break my stride, and pant while I try to maneuver it back in, wedging it somehow into my ear canal so that maybe, just maybe, it won't fall out for a few more blocks. But somehow, after that first slip, it's all downhill. I've even been on runs where my earbuds fell out so much, I just gave up, yanked them out, and used the fuel of my frustration to power through the rest of the run, angry with every step I took at how much money I wasted on a music device I couldn't even hear. But not this morning. This morning, as I round a corner and catch a glimpse of the sky turning pink, the thumping, thudding, thrashing metal that pumps me up and powers my run still fills my ears. Mile for mile, even into the home stretch as my "triumph song" brings me back, panting, to my front steps, my new Atomic Bass earbuds haven't budged.

I found these earphones completely by accident. After an embarrassing incident where my white iPod earbuds slipped out of my ears in the middle of a run, almost tripped me, and ended up yanked to pieces (I swear it was an accident), I set out on a quest. There had to be some way to listen to music while working out without all the hassle. I tried huge Bose over-ear headphones that delivered awesome sound, but decided the last thing I needed was a pair of earmuffs when I ran in the scorching afternoon sunshine. I tried a pair of Sony earbuds, but when I turned my head too fast, they fell out. Just as I was about to give up try running with an old-school boombox balanced on my shoulder, I caught sight of a small black box at the end of the shelf. Radius Atomic Bass earphones.

At first glance, they certainly looked cooler than my sterile white earbuds, but not just the color was different. The earbuds were shaped more like capsules, twisted inward, as opposed to the dime-shape of regular earbuds. That made sense. The tiny silicon caps looked a lot more secure and comfortable than other earphones, so I decided to try them out. And that has made all the difference.

While I was mainly looking for an earbud that would stay put during my workouts, I found a whole lot more. Radius Atomic Bass headphones actually do deliver breathtaking bass, along with amazing sound clarity for any type of music I tried-- rap and metal for long runs, jazz and soul for riding on the bus, or soothing classical for falling asleep. I really appreciate how the design channels sound directly into your ears, instead of letting it drift outward. That way I can blast my tunes as loudly as I want without receiving disapproving glares from fellow commuters or treadmill trotters. My running shoes have black stripes, so I bought my first pair of Atomic Bass earbuds in black, but since I also listen to music on the subway, and have a silver nano, I bought a silver pair on amazon to match. And you know, I was always fond of green....

I've lived 61 years without knowing that I had small ears--but walking with my iPod Shuffle was so NEAR to a joy--but so FAR because of falling ear buds and discomfort. The frustration is over. These are a perfect solution for me--a great fit without any frustrations. And the sound is amazing. I listen to Bible readings that are set with the sounds that would have been around--sometimes I glance to the side while I'm walking, expecting to see the sheep or rooster I heard. I love it.

I bought these because the headphones that came with my iPod hurt after an hour of use. These headphones come with three different sized rubber surrounds so you can get the fit you need, and they are COMFORTABLE. I can wear them for hours with no problem - and I don't feel them when they're in. I highly recommend these for smaller women, teens, and anyone not in possession of a cavernous ear opening.

The earphones sound very good and I have no problem with that. My problem is that I didn't know that one wire was going to be shorter than the other one. I guess this is fine if you put your shuffle on your sleeve, but I clip my shuffle to my front pocket. I wish that the specifications would have told me of the different lengths of cable for the left and right ears. I am used to having both cables the same and I like it that way. If they had disclosed this in the advertisement, I would not have ordered.

Love these earbuds! These are the first pair I have found that stay in my ears when I am jumping or running around. They are so soft and comfortable that I hardly know I have them in. They block out all other sounds around me.

My ears are easily irritated because the canal is on the small side. These are the first earbuds I've owned that don't bother me and the sound is just fine. They're also really lightweight, which is nice compared to some of the noise canceling models. I would definitely buy them again.

The sound is good, they're very comfortable, the wires on the ones I have are the same length, they're great at blocking the noise of the wind on a run and fair on an airplane....BUT

They go into your ear canal and if you have to be very careful and remove them VERY slowly, or the soft silicone piece will separate from the speaker and you'll have a piece far enough in your ear canal that you need an instrument to remove it. For me, it's happened twice when someone tried to talk to me and I forgot to take them out slowly and carefully. It took forceps in both cases to get them out, so I've stopped using them.

Review addition: OK, I liked these so much that I wanted to fix them. I've posted a picture showing the heat shrink tubing I added. I couldn't think of an adhesive that would work on the silicone ear cups. The heat shrink works, makes the ear buds a little more troublesome to clean. If you try this yourself, be careful to minimize the heat applied. I made a little shield to try to deflect the heat from the heat gun away from the housing.

My 10 year old son and I both found the ear buds that came with our ipods too large for our ears. Keeping those bulky buds in place was difficult even when being sedentary, and who has time for that! I purchased 2 pair of the Radius Atomic Bass ear buds and couldn't be happier with the upgrade in comfort and sound quality. Fitting comfortably in your ear, these earbuds allow you to enjoy your music at length without your ear feeling bruised and abused. The proper fit also allows me to listen to music while mowing the lawn.

First off, the construction quality of this product is excellent and the sound quality is very good. I bought them based almost exclusively on the prior review (there was only one a the time) extolling their use while engaged in exercise, etc. I have small ear canals and have not had any success in finding earbuds that stayed put for more than a few minutes, especially while cycling or doing yard work. While these are better than others I've tried, they still do work loose, they just stay put for longer than any others I've ever had. If you have "normal" ears, I'd expect you'd love this product. I don't regret buying them.

ADDENDUM (07/05/2008): The left earbud stopped working on this product after less than a week's use, in the course of normal operation. Given the price of this product, it's hard to recommend them to anyone.

I love the sound quality and the fact that they don't kill my ears the way that every other ear bud has in the past. Sadly these are very expensive and I have to replace them every year or sooner because one or the other ear phone breaks after about a year of regular use. If you can afford to replace this product year after year, they are worth the money for the sound quality and pain free use. They get a 5 star rating for their sound and comfort, but a 1 star rating for longevity.