EB-50 earphones from Musical Fidelity – A real audio triumph

Renowned for their specialism in the hi-fi industry and their tip top audio engineering, the EB-50s are the brand`s maiden voyage into portable music devices.

Hearing that this top brand was moving into portable music both excited me and made me nervous. I was worried that some of the brand`s quality may be sacrificed in a smaller and more compact product, but I needn`t had been. The EB-50s deliver the highest quality musical experience and are a real success.

The look and feel

Starting with the look, the earphones are constructed from military-grade aluminium and have a rather simple, but smart appearance. Not overly pretentious, they have an understated and sophisticated aesthetic which we loved.

These aluminium barrels also have a feeling of high quality and durability – something you would hope for considering the high price tag Thanks to an in-line/mute control you can also keep your music player in your pocket and control your music on the go. For comfort there is also a selection of varying sized ear buds to make sure the EB-50s fit you perfectly and there are also ear hooks to keep them in place.

The sound

The sound has super high clarity and a truly natural feel, therefore making it a really fulfilling musical experience. You begin to notice sounds that other earphones fail to pronounce and experience the music as it should be experienced. They grant you access to the roots of the music and give it a new lease of life – it`s like sitting in the studio with the artist. The bass and trebles are also perfectly balanced giving a really well rounded sound. Also, there is almost no detectable distortion and the range of sounds produced is sublime.

The sound is everything you would expect from such an experienced audio brand, but to do this on your first attempt in portable technology is a real triumph. Musical Fidelity has obviously done its research into what the customer appreciates from these earphones and it`s really paid off. Now my headphones of choice, the EB 50s give you the complete musical experience on the go.

The verdict

We`ve been lucky enough to try some of the world`s best headphones and earphones throughout the years, but I think that the EB-50s stand up to all of them. The sound has a super high clarity, yet with a natural and non-artificial feel that is truly enjoyable. They really are some of the best in the business and the perfect gift for any music lover or tech aficionado.

The Techy Bits

• Sensitivity: 100dB SPL/mW (1kHz)
• Impedance: 26 Ohms @15%
• Max input power: 11mW (rated power 5mW)
• Frequency range: 10Hz-20kHz
• Distortion: <1% • Noise Isolation: better than 96% • Driver: 6mm balanced armature • Weight: 28g • Cable length: 1.2M • 3.5mm Gold plated Stereo jack plug • Microphone and answer button included All products are priced at £149 and are available from www.audioaffair.co.uk