If you're in the market for a pair of high-end earphones, don't discount the Atrios just because they only cost half as much as everything else you're finding. These are an interesting product, indeed. The sound is full of sparkling highs and warm, round bass that you can feel. The midrange is slightly understated, but definitely present. The result is a full sound that's not at all boxy, and really delivers you close to the music. If you were someone who liked to curl up right next to the stereo speaker as a kid, these earphones bring you right back there... you're *at* the source, not listening to it.

atrio m5 series

I listened to all sorts of music with these as part of my testing, and though everything sounded good -- including classical, jazz, soft piano concertos, and more -- the best was thick and dense music like rock and fusion. The Atrios were clearly built for electric guitar and drums. The warmth of each instrument -- or the amp, in the case of an electric guitar -- really shines here and, again, makes you feel like you're right *there*. You're not just listening to music from afar, you're right in the studio, experiencing it. The only complaint I would have is that horns -- trumpets in particular -- also sound like they are right *there* next to your ear, and having a trumpet aimed directly at his ear is not necessarily something this listener would regularly choose to do. To be clear, saxophones and other horns were fairly warm. Trumpets just blared a little, likely due to the same EQ pattern that brings all the extra life to guitars and drums.

It's clear, however, that Future Sonics didn't stop when they got the sound the way they wanted. With the Atrios, ergonomics and logistics factored into the equation as an equal priority to the sound. Little things count just as much. For example, the 1/8th inch stereo connector's housing is angled, but long and thin. Unlike a lot of earphones I've tried, I was able to plug the Atrios into my iPod through any case I could find, no matter how thick or tight the plastic/rubber/metal grommet was.

As for the earpieces themselves, the cable on them looks almost backwards. Once you realize which earphone is meant for which ear (as evidenced by an R and L on opposite casings), it's obvious that these were designed to be used either over the ear (wrapped around the back) or just hung down the front, and the backwards-looking angle actually works perfectly for either situation. Just make sure you read the earphone casings to know which earpiece is for which ear, otherwise you'll likely insert them into opposite ears.

The Atrios are available in two models -- the m5 and m8 -- and the only difference is the color. While the m5 is simply black, the m8 is a blue-ish sapphire/cobalt color. The sound, however, is the same regardless, as is the fit kit, which includes Future Sonics' double-flanged sleeves (pictured) in 3 sizes, as well as more standard foam-type sleeves, suiting the individual listener's preference. Custom-fitted sleeves are available from Future Sonics for US$135 for Atrio users (regularly $150).

Again, at US$199 MSRP, these earphones are an amazing value, and may just be the best-sounding universal-fit earphones you can find at any price. Only your ears can tell, of course, but these are worth checking out, especially if you're someone who listens to a lot of guitar and drum-filled music.