Snugs Original S10

If you struggle with in-ear headphones that are uncomfortable and keep falling out, then Snugs’ custom-fit S10 could be the answer.

Scanning

Buying a pair of Snugs headphones is different to purchasing a regular set since they’re custom made for your ears. Fortunately, long gone are the days of filling your ears with putty in order to create an impression of your ear canal. If you live in or near London, you can visit one of the firm’s fitting centres and have the inside of your ears digitally scanned. For the rest of the UK, a physical impression is still taken. The digital scan is a quick and easy process. You’ll need to wear a headband while the engineer carefully makes a digital impression of the ear canal (see the image below). You’ll receive the headphones by post.

Design

They come with a small logo with your name printed on the side in different colours, so you’ll be able to tell which is left and which is right. If that’s too subtle, you can get each ear in a different colour – there are 10 to choose from.

The cable is 1.2m in length and you get a compact hard carry case, too. There’s an in-line control that sits at chin level offering a mic for calls and a play/pause button.

Comfort

If you haven’t worn custom-moulded headphones before they will take a little getting used to. The first thing to do is get the ear buds facing the correct way in relation to the mould – the wires need to point down. Getting them into position is tricky at first, but we got the hang of it within a week – hint, the tip faces far more vertically than you might expect. If, however, you’re struggling, the headphones are supplied with a small tube of cream to help.

You’ll soon find that the S10 are exceptionally comfortable. We typically find ourselves adjusting in-ear headphones, but these stay in place. As a reviewer who has struggled to find a pair that are well-fitting and don’t fall out every few minutes, the Snugs are a revelation. During testing they stayed in place even when we were doing something energetic and remained comfortable after hours of constant use.

Audio

The moulded fit brings audio-related bonuses, too – you get natural noise isolation and minimal leakage, so you won’t need to pump up the volume to hear adequately.

The earphones have 8mm titanium composite drivers with a frequency response of 20- to 20,000Hz. You can also opt for the firm’s Flare R2 drivers if you’re happy to pay an additional £100. It’s important to note that the moulds make a big impact on the sound quality here, so we’re writing about the package as a whole, not just the headphones inserted into the tip.

The audio is excellent. The cosy fit helps with the bass and you’ll feel more immersed because of it. It’s not the best we’ve heard from in-ear headphones, but it’s decent for everything from both dance music, to the kick drum of rock or the double bass of a folk band.

The mid-range is impressive too, with bags of presence and clarity. This means vocals sound intimate and you can hear every pluck of a guitar string as if you were playing it. One downside is the high-end, which isn’t as pronounced compared to the mid and low end. It’s not a huge problem but can, at times, make the mix sound a bit muddy.

Verdict

If you have trouble with in-ear headphones, Snugs Original S10 are an excellent solution. The new scanning tech is quick and easy, and you’ll find it hard to go back once you get used to the feel of a custom tip.