Group test: iPod upgrade earphones pt2

Overview Price: £130 More info: Etymotic Accessories: Silicon and foam ear tips (all one size), carry pouch, 1/4" stereo phone adaptor, filter changing tool, shirt clip, storage box Etymotic ER-4P Sticking out in price and indeed, from the ears, the ER-4P earphones are more a testament to precision engineering than statement-making style. Together with a ton of accessories comes the option of silicon or foam ear tips, though considering the cost we'd have liked to have seen a choice of sizes too. Nonetheless after swapping from the silicon tips to the foam ones we managed to get an excellent seal that pretty much removes pesky background noise entirely. Sonically the ER-4P performed as we've come to expect from Etymotic, which is to say fantastic; only Jay's q-Jays came anywhere close. High and mids are beautifully crisp, and overall, music feels markedly more detailed and accurate than its rivals. Bass junkies might find low-end frequencies a little too subtle, but as long as you burrow in the ear buds correctly we found the balance to be pretty much perfect. All in all the ER-4P is an excellent choice for the audio aficionado. Verdict Plus points Great sounding, effective noise blocking, generous range of accessories Minus points Tricky to fit properly, bass might be insufficient for some

Overview Price: £125 More info: Jays Accessories: Silicon ear tips (varying sizes), carry pouch, extension lead, stereo splitter, airplane adaptor Jays q-Jays The brainchild of little-known Swedish manufacturer Jays, these iPod-friendly white 'phones (black also available) tick all the boxes even before you turn on your tunes. The ear buds are amazingly comfortable yet stylishly discreet; a range of ear tip sizes means even the oddest-shaped lobes are catered for; plus there are a few travel adaptors supplied. And despite their miniature size, they offer cracking sound isolation. Audio performance is similarly impressive, with an engaging listen that is particularly responsive to high frequencies which are crisp and bright. And as there's a woofer and tweeter in each bud, separation is fantastic. Like the Etymotic ER-4P, bass is subtle rather than overbearing, but this makes for a more pleasurable listen when cranking up the volume. All in all it's really hard to fault the q-Jays; though granted the audio cable is a bit flimsy but that doesn't detract from the audio quality, which is what really counts.

Verdict Plus points Beautifully balanced sound, amazingly comfortable, discreet design Minus points Flimsy cable

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