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These little canalphones, nicknamed by some "Blower.Fi" for their resemblance to tiny hairdryers, have a fun, dynamic sound that is quite appealing as a buddy for the iPod or other DAP. They're hardly the last word in audiophile sound qualities, but I doubt that was the intent.

The bass is the best aspect of the Metro.fi's; it is quite deep and punchy, yet manages not to overwhelm the rest of the sound spectrum with muddiness. The bass presence helps cut through ambient noise, or the natural sounds present when using canalphones and walking. It's definitely a fun bass that goes well with most modern music, and can rock as well.

The midrange is a slightly overshadowed by the bass, and some voices can sound a bit grainy or harsh from time to time. It's not a major flaw, but at the same time, these are not the headphones I'd pick for critical listening.

The high end has the kind of limitations in extension and detail that one should expect from a lower-end, dynamic-driver IEM. That said, the highs are not overly bright or offensive, nor do they disappear into the bass, so considering the package, the treble is done pretty well. The issues of treble extension and detail of course also limit the soundstaging which is relatively lackluster, as one would expect in this form factor.

An amp does help give the bass better definition, but is a bit silly to use with a headphone of this price class.

Portability is quite good, with a very convenient cable length, although the cable can be a bit microphonic (nowhere near as bad as the Etymotics, though). Because the Metro.fi's don't go too deep into the ear, isolation is hardly exceptional for an IEM, but still better than most any closed headphone. The relatively shallow insertion does make them more comfortable than some IEM's, but the casing is not completely without areas that can irritate the ears after enough time.

The Metro.fi is a good entry into the realm of lower-end canalphones, and utterly destroys the only competitor which I've heard at length (the Shure E2). They would not be my pick for critical listening at home or in the studio, nor for use on a long plane ride, but for walking around town or other active uses I think they fit the bill quite nicely.


My Ratings:
Bass Extension: 7
Bass Impact: 6
Bass Quality: 4
Mids Quality: 4
Highs Quality: 4
Soundstage: 2
Detail: 4
Portability: 8
Isolation: 8
Comfort: 5
Durability: 6
Improvement with Amplification: 4
Value for the Money: 6