The battle for my ears is over
As many of you know, I recently challenged the country of Denmark – via their gadget-maker and cool-purveyor, AIAIAI – to delight my ears and wallet with their $54 Pipe Headset CMYK. Well, the Danish artists’ collective has taken up the gauntlet and won! And I couldn’t be happier.
The Pipe Headset is a resoundingly great product, from the cool tube packaging to the lack of a useless owners’ manual (instead opting for a printed web address on the container) to the awesome design in coordinating neons. After two full days of listening at my desk, on the couch and out in the wind/road noise of town, I’m thrilled with the sound quality and sound isolation. As advertised, music trends towards warmth, with noticeable emphasis on low end sounds. That being said, I’ve been able to hear higher end sounds like the usually-muffled vocals in The Sounds’ “Crossing the Rubicon” better than I recall hearing them before.
The untimely death of my Vibe Duo earbuds makes a direct comparison impossible, but I can say that these blow Apple’s pack-ins right out of the water sonically and I do know for certain that the fit is far superior to the Duos. Whether the durability is also a step ahead will be revealed over the next few weeks and months, but all signs point to “yes” at this early stage.
So, Denmark and AIAIAI, you’ve got yourself a winner. And probably another purchase, since Kate wants a Pipe Headset White/Purple for Xmas.