Performa nce
When you press play, which earphones are music to your ears?
Clear treble adds snap and detail to drum beats, and vocals are focused
The Earin’s two sizes of silicone tips ensure a tight fit inside the ear canal, which is crucial. They deliver tight, well-integrated bass, but the lean approach lacks the necessary depth and punch to get your head nodding. The Bass Boost mode offers an audible low-frequency bump, but feels forced. The crisp, natural treble doesn’t harden up at high volumes, while the solid mid-range gives vocals presence, but this only serves to draw attention to the lack of bass.
The Bluetooth connection was troublesome, too. At first, it only played through the left earbud; when the right bud finally joined in, it intermittently dropped out. The problem is compounded when someone calls – the music stops and you have to manually sever the Bluetooth connection to speak. Not great considering they’re the priciest of our trio.
The AirPods’ connection is resolutely stable, and iPhone interaction is flawless thanks to that talented W1 chip. But their sound quality lets the side down. Because we didn’t get the snug, close-to-the-eardrum fit, they were quieter than expected and bass lacked impact, even with the iPhone at maximum volume. Push them into the ear and you get a better idea of their solid bass response and smooth treble, but they still don’t hit the spot, lacking subtlety, depth and detail. It’s a pleasant sound, but unlikely to send shivers down audiophile spines.
As for the Bragis, it took a little while for the left bud to join in the party, but once connected The Headphones deliver terrific balance across the bass, mids and treble. It’s a more satisfying listen than both the AirPods and M-1s, with a louder, beefier sound. The secure ear tips keep the bass frequencies nice and full. Clear treble reproduction adds snap and detail to drum beats, while vocals are focused. Such pleasing richness and detail to the sound make them best in test performance-wise but, even so, they lack the outright depth and finesse that separates good earphones from great ones.