Customer Reviews

Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10vi Noise Isolating Earphones w/ Microphone

5 star:		(219)
4 star:		(77)
3 star:		(44)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

These Buds come with the full arsenal for a great listening experience. They come with four types of buds, one type a foam kind that fits to your ear perfectly, so they are what I use. And when you put them in, you can't hear anything outside or around you. Airplanes with crying babies are no match; the buds cancel ambient noise by design.

The main selling point for me was the iPhone compatibility, with the mic and play button. Works great, and the only complain from a realllly picky perspective would be that the button be right below the mic, instead of on the main chord, as the mic and button are separate on the chord. But it makes no difference.

Another thing I like is the wire that comes out of the bud end. There is a wire about 2 inches long inside the cord that you can bend so when you put them over your ear they stay in place, which is great when I run and move around. They are large, due to the three drivers in each bud, but are worth it. From low to high frequency, they play music back as accurately as possible.

I record my music in lossless formats on my computer, so playback comes at CD quality. After a couple weeks of listening, this is what I found: Bass is strong. Now I wouldn't use these phones for a DJ or anyone whose only concern is bass, but every low chord or beat comes out as if you were right there playing it yourself. But this is what got me. The best sound quality for these speakers comes in the mid-high to high frequencies. It doesn't matter how high the sound is, be it a trumpet blaring, guitar at high E with cymbal crashes, or a female soprano hitting the highs, the speakers won't crack or fuzz like cheap headphones, and when comparing them to the generic iPhone ones I regretfully was using before, the difference is extremely pleasant and refreshing. This is quite something, since the first thing I listen to is Bass quality, so for the crisp highs to take away my attention from Bass is saying something.

One last thing for the listening experience that is a great joy to listen to is their reproduction of the sound itself. Some speakers make you feel like you're in the studio, others make you feel like you're listening by the studio, and each headphone is different. This is called sound stage, and the UE's reproduce it very well. Unamped, they can put you there

The case is great (practical) and I use it all the time, as well as the extender when I need to. For Audiophiles such as me, pictures and specs are on their website at [...]. They show you how to wrap the cord around your ear like i explained earlier, which is nice.

I have many headphones, including AKG 701's, Sennheiser HD 650's, Sony MDR-F1's, Shure and those V-moda's, among mannnnyyy others. For an earbud, these rank among the top of the list, and I would reccommend them to anyone.

I use these on my commute- <2 hours a day and treat them gingerly, like the expensive, easily breakable items they are.

I'm now going on my 2nd pair and 3rd cable set.

In about 3-4 months you'll notice that one of your channels has lost all or most of its volume.

Then when you continue to use it, you'll notice that the sound completely cuts out between steps as you're walking.

Eventually, nothing brings the sound back and you pay $20 for a new cord. Disconnecting and then reconnecting the cable to the buds will not do anything.

The problem is that the area where the jack transitions to the cord (the strain-releaf) is VERY WEAK and eventually the wire breaks inside. On my next cable (currently awaiting its arrival), I'll use some heat-shrink in that area to try and bolster it, but for $400, why am I engineering a fix?

I also have a coworker whose first pair broke where the bud meets the shapeable wire that goes over your ears. I'm sure this will eventually happen to me and then I'll no longer buy anything from this company.
My $100 Shures Shure E2c Sound Isolating Earphones are just about as good, isolate about the same and I can buy 4 of them for the cost of one of these.

Also- if you want a GOOD seal, you need to get the replacement (or 3rd party) foam tips. The foam tips that came with both of my pairs was not the same, and inferior to, the replacements.

First, let me mention that i've tried earphones out in the past and found them to be extremely uncomfortable in most cases. The Bose earphones are comfortable, but they don't go very far in your ear. The Shure E3C didn't sound good and they hurt so much they were unusable. After that experience I skipped out on earphones for a long time.

For the past few years i've been trying and using many different headphones. My favorite of the last year has been the AKG 701. They're huge and really need a good headphone amp. Don't laugh, but my main source of audio is an ipod touch using a headphone amp and Lossless audio. WAV format or Apple Lossless. If it's MP3, it's 320kbps.

I wanted to downsize my setup a bit for some uses, so I needed something smaller that could work well without a headphone amp.

Did maybe two days of research and found these and was shocked at how many good reviews on Amazon there was for these (the old listing). That's not very common with earphones it seems. It was a hard decision to go with these over a similar Shure model. The size of these ALMOST made me not get them. Please don't let the size keep you from getting them. It's not a problem. The other Shure model also seemed to have more Bass (according to reviews). That's a negative for me. I don't like any extra bass usually. That's one reason I love the AKG 701's. They have a perfect balance of everything.

Ok, with that out of the way I bought these and immediately found that even the smallest ear piece was too large and hurt my ears after just a few minutes of use. I'm not really a small person, but I was surprised that the small ear piece was a tight fit. Sony earbuds come with a small sized one that would work perfect, but I didn't want to risk it.

I tried the (old, not Comply) foam piece and it was defective! The foam was not glued on properly to the plastic insert. Imagine if I did not notice this! I'd be prying that thing out with tweezers perhaps. UPDATE: Ultimate Ears now includes Comply Foam inserts. Those things are the best! ZERO pain at all EVER. Not once in a year. Previously they were a separate purchase.

Be sure that when you use these to make sure the wire goes on TOP and back around the ear! It's a bit different than other earphones. They have a video on their website of how to insert them properly. It actually helps! Bring them from back behind the ear FIRST.

The nice thing about these is that they feel like an earbud with the ear clip. The wire that goes above and around your ear is really stiff and kind of keeps the earbuds in your ear.

I'm not good at describing the sound, but with earphones or headphones it's best to pick something that sounds good to YOU. Many times i've picked up headphones based on suggestions and they just didn't have my preferred sound. They either had too much bass or were too bright or had too much coloration. To me the sound from these just sounds perfect. Not to sound corny, but the sound is pleasing to the ears and there's not too much of anything at all. Perfect everything. To me, the sound is almost similar to that of the AKG 701, which is probably around the same price. With these those you really feel like your right there in the studio. I can't say that about any other headphone/earphone. Not even Grado stuff.

If your wondering what else i've tried before getting these. I've owned Sennheiser HD-555's, 580s and 650's. Beyerdynamic DT-990s, Grado SR-60, Grado 325i, AKG 701 and lots of other's.

For portable use SR-60's are good for some types of music, but I don't like the design, although it was my preferred headphone for portable players maybe.

AKG 701 was without a doubt my favorite headphone. Some may not like them, but it's my preferred type of sound. Second favorite were the Beyers of course.

Purchased the Grado 325i two months before the Ultimate Ears and thought they were good on some music, but terrible on others. They stress my ears out too much and I can't wear them for more than an hour. I think there can be such a thing as too much detail!

So now these are my new current main earphone/headphone. Believe it or not they can be used on an Ipod or Sansa View without a headphone amp. Of course they will sound better with an amp, but it's not always needed. Thanks to these new earphones i've now converted some of my old CDs that were ripped to mp3 back to WAV or Lossless.

Is the price too high? I don't think so at all. Never once felt like they were too expensive after using them for a week. I've compared them to many other headphones/earphones and they sound just as good as any other similar priced model.

Had the foam insert defect and that isn't enough to knock off a point. I've used these since July of 2008 and the build quality has been perfect. Only a month ago did I realize that the cable is user replaceable. I did not even realize this until I pulled it apart myself and plugged it back in. I seriously think if these ever die, i'll just replace them with the exact same thing. I like them that much. All music sounds good with these, but i'd like to try a similar Shure model just to compare them. On my new Ipod Touch they sound fine without a headphone amp. Using an amp makes them sound ever better, but it's not needed. Just a note, if you use a headphone amp with these, don't use rechargeable batteries. It degrades the sound quality. No lie!

I'm sorry, but as much as i'd like to come up with some more negatives, I can't. These are very good! Best i've tried yet. After hearing these I doubt i'll ever go back to regular headphones.
UPDATE: After a year i've now finally come up with one extremely minor negative. They are a somewhat big. Maybe in a few years UE can do a redesign and find a way to make them smaller. It's not a big deal.

I upgraded to these from a pair of $100 Shure earbuds. The sound quality improvement was amazing, they sound awesome. The clarity is amazing, and it brings to light many musical details that I had never heard before. I immediately re-listened to many of my favorite albums and heard them in a whole new light.

However, it takes a few swaps of the included eartips to find the right fit, and they have never given me quite as good of a fit as the Shures did. They also stick straight outwards from your ears, whereas the Shures fit up into your ears. This means that they can be a bit uncomfortable when trying to rest the side of your head against something.

I've owned these for approximately two years now, and use them almost every day, whether while at the gym, at work, or while traveling (make sure to look for cars before crossing the street, you can't hear them coming!). They have broken twice in that time, once due to getting caught on something, and once with the buds themselves splitting apart and the wires snapping, but both times UE's customer service was extremely helpful and replaced them under warranty very quickly.

If I were to break these again now that the warranty period has expired, I would definietly miss them, but I would also take a very hard look at the comparably priced Shures before replacing them.

I have been an Ultimate Ears user for a few years. Since Logitech bought the company the construction quality has plummeted. I will not be purchasing another set of Ultimate Ears.

I had a pair of Super Fi 5 Pros that I purchased before the company was bought out by Logitech that lasted for years with only one cord replacement. I loved the sound and when the housing on one of the IEMs broke I decided to get a pair of Metro Fis for use while being active and a pair of Triple Fis for use the rest of the time. Both pairs were purchased after Logitech bought them out.

The Metro Fis lasted all of 1 week. In that time the housing for one of the IEMs opened twice, and then the sound started cutting in and out of the other IEM. The reason for the sound cutting in and out was due to the stress relief on the 3.5mm plug starting to pull away, causing the connection to open. Finally, I went to remove the plug from my iPod and the stress relief ripped off completely. The cables on the Metro Fis are not replacable, so they were trashed.

I figured I had just gotten a bad pair so a few months later I went ahead and ordered the Triple Fis anyways. On the second day of using them I had issues with the cable. The sheathing on one of the flex cables (that you bend around your ear) started to come off. I figured it was only cosmetic so no big deal. But that same day the sound started to cut in and out of one of the IEMs. It was caused by the stress relief starting to separate from the 3.5mm plug. I'm not waiting for it to separate completely and am returning them to Amazon.

Two pairs of IEMs from the company have had build quality issues, and both had them with the connection between the 3.5mm plug and the surrounding stress relief. It seems that since Logitech took over the company the quality control has gone downhill. The warranty period is also reduced, when UE was independent it was 2 years, now it is 1 year. It seems like in order to cut costs Logitech has reduced the quality of the cables. Although the cables are replacable, they should not have to be replaced on a regular basis. The original cable on my Super Fis lasted almost 2 years and traveled around the world. The cable on my Metro Fis lasted a week in the city, the one with my Triple Fis lasted 2 days in my home.

It is too bad because the IEMs sound wonderful. Richer, deeper bass than the Super Fis (as long as you get a good seal). Smooth mids, crisp highs. They are very comfortable with the included Comply foam tips. Isolation is good. If you do the flip flop mod they don't stick out too far.

Based on sound quality alone I would rate them 5 stars, especially at their current price. But the terrible quality of the cable knocks them down to 1 star. Perhaps I just got 2 dud cables, but I know others who have said the same thing happened to them, and I'm not willing to risk needing to constantly replace cables.

I think these are as great as the other reviews are saying, so I won't wax on with more glowing remarks about the incredible sound quality, the comfort, the ability to block noise, the changeable tip for the buds or all the other things great about them (though all of those things are true).

I do have a tip for the frugal though: if you're looking at the vi model (the one for iPhones), compare the price to the non-iPhone version. The two versions are identical except for the cord so you can save some bucks by buying the regular version and then buying a replacement cord for the iPhone version for about $30 from Logitech's store (Logitech bought the company that makes these). Swap in the vi's cord and your regular ones become the vi model!

I purchased these in December and was only able to use them around 10 times before the connection plug and the cable to the earbuds went bad, leading to the sound going on and off. Would never buy these again.

Amended May 13,2010: Had to amend because I called the manufacturer and they were incredibly responsive and sent a replacement cable immediately. The earbuds are detachable from the cable so it is easily fixed. Great customer service! Still a bit concerned about the durability of the item due to its breaking so quickly without hard use. I love using the headphones, particularly the fact that they wrap over the ears so stay put when I run. And the sound is great.

Amended Oct 21, 2010: Cable went back yet again and costs around $40+shipping to replace. Unless you think paying for a replacement cable every 4-6 months is worth it, do not buy this item. I am going to try replacing the cable with one from a different company to see if that is of higher quality: [...] which I have read will work with these headphones. Will update after I get them.

The headphones are pretty decent. I don't usually listen to all the hype when it comes to headphones so don't expect this review to persuade you to buy or not buy these headphones. This is merely to help inform you as the purchaser what to look for and what to expect.

With that said...Let's Begin!

Pros:
1.) Construction ~ I have used better and worse
2.) Sound
3.) Accessories
4.) Design

Cons:
1.) Price
2.) Ease of use

Overall that is my bullet checklist of what I look for in headphones. Now to explain:

The headphones are decently assembled. I feel that they are not brittle by any means. But, by no cercumstances are these going to stand constant abuse. I am an Apple user and my recommendation is to treat these like you would your iPod, iPhone, or MacBook Pro. For the price you wouldn't go throwing these around and not use the case that came with them.

The sound response when listening to my TV, Computer or iPod is quite good. The three drivers hit the entire spectrum well. Electric & Acoustic guitars, vocals, and drums sound excellent. The capabilities of these headphones exceed those $20 Sony's, $60 Skull Candy's or $100 Sure's you can get at Best Buy or Fry's. Granted you can probably get a better value per dollar ratio from other headphones out there.

Now, if you are looking for big bass headphones these aren't the pair to buy. But, you DON'T BUY EAR BUD HEADPHONES FOR BIG BASS!!! Ear bud headphones are not constructed for huge bass. You want bass go to a club or buy big honken over the ear headphones. I get tired of reading reviews stating that these are horrible for bass, yatta yatta yatta, etc. I mean think of the physical size of the drivers or the air chamber inside, to expect some amazing bass is not realistic.

The accessories included and the design of these headphones have the music enthusiast in mind. The case keeps them well protected, the adapters and earpiece assortment is a nice variety to see. The actual size of the headphones aren't really obsene, but may be slightly big for some people's taste but compared to over the ear headphones these are great in size.

If you can get over the price tag on these puppies they are great headphones. But, don't buy them if all you listen to is rap & hip hop and expect some crazy bass. You won't get it and need to go find another product.

My recommendations:
1.) Get the Tx500 Comply ear pieces that protect against wax getting inside the headphones. I mean you paid this much for a set of headphones, spend a little extra to keep them clean. The ones on Amazon.com are only Medium. Go to Comply's website to get Small or Large or the Assortment.
2.) Shape the wire that is design to hang over and behind the ear. This helps them stay in place. You have to get used to using a set of headphones like these. Be patient.

The music I listen to that I use these for:
1.) Rock
2.) Alternative
3.) Jazz
4.) Blues

My quest for the perfect set of headphones had me read endless reviews from consumers, audiophiles, gadget blogs, and anyone else who wanted to weigh in. In short I never found one set of headphones to rule them all. Since I was looking at an investment of several hundred dollars such ambiguity left me a bit unsettled. Sure there were some moments of clarity:

* multiple drivers had the potential for more accurate reproduction
* balance armature drivers are among the best for headphones
* multiple ear cushion options offer the best bet for a good fit

These factors led me to this set of headphones, and despite quite a few complaints of cord damage being too frequent (sadly it seems many competitors also suffer these issues), I took the plunge. Granted a Gold Box price of $99 made it more of an informed impulse buy.

When you first get the headphones, you'll get an immediate satisfaction that you've purchased something of supreme quality. Packaging is top notch, the included case is both attractive and functional, and there are numerous accommodations for fit. Once I tried out the headphones I was a bit underwhelmed however. First off getting the right fit was difficult, which was made a bit more awkward due to the fact I've never worn earbuds that want to wrap the cable over the ear. After multiple tries, I was able to focus on the music, which also was disappointing. Sure it sounded good, but it wasn't great. Not having fully addressed the fit, I was losing low end punch to a poor seal, and the mids and highs weren't much better than $35 headphones. Did I just blow $99? Not at all, as the mids and highs improved with use (I left my iPod running all evening at a moderate volume, and an significant improvement was evident). The lows also improved greatly due to finding a better fit, and now I'm enjoying high fidelity audio wherever I am.

Overall the sound quality is highly transparent and clean. Things just sound how they should. I can actually hear the difference between 192kps and 320kps MP3s, and I imagine I can finally appreciate lossless files enough to justify their storage demands. In short, you will hear things again for the first time. This is why I give these 5 stars despite some of my issues with fitting and numerous reports of cable failures. Sometimes greatness comes with a price that goes beyond the financial, and if you're willing to take that on, these may be the headphones for you.

Other observations:

* cable length is just about perfect for personal use
* not only do you get four types of silicone cushions and foam ones, you get a second set of foam ones
* replacement cushions seem readily available
* while I love my headphones, if someone offered me $300 for them, I'd probably go for it

I got these because they're the best you can get and still also have a Microphone for use with the iPhone. I'm usually not into listening to recorded classical music because it lacks the punch, power and complexity of listening to a live orchestra. However, with the Triple.fi 10vi cranked up to about 75% to 80% max volume you really start to feel like you're in a live orchestra. You don't usually think about bass in classical music, but it's there even in the strings and when it's missing the performance feels flat. With the Triple.fi 10vi's and a high quality recording you get to hear huge dynamic range with sounds going from soft pin drops with detail to almost overwhelming crescendos with all instruments blasting but clear.

It takes time getting used to the earbuds because they're not as small and casual in fit as say the regular iPhone earbuds. These are meant to be fit over the ear by bending the wire to fit your ears. But once you get used to them they take no longer to insert than regular iPhone earbuds. What's always important is to have a good seal in your ears otherwise you'll lose the bass.

Using these for phone calls is wierd because that same tight seal that allows for great bass and sound isolation prevents you from hearing yourself when you speak. You hear your caller great and clear, but when you talk it sounds wierd. This is a problem you'll encounter with any high end earplug that isolates outside sounds. The solution is to slightly crack the seal of one of the earplugs so that some external sound can leak in and you can hear your own voice naturally.

A more expensive solution and clunky solution is to get an external sound microphone option from Sure that has a switch that allows external sounds to leak in.

Here I wish Apple made their phone application feed back some of the sound of the microphone into your ears, kind of like they do with traditional landline telephones.