Today in TechReview: Munitio Nines premium earphones
If you're a seasoned audiophile, typical run-of-the-mill earbuds probably leave you wanting more out of your music. Sure, the earphones that come with your iPhone are fine in a pinch but they fall short when it comes to audio quality, not to mention they are near useless if you plan to enjoying your tunes while exercising, or really doing anything other than sitting on the couch. Munitio makes premium earphones for consumers who have outgrown the cheap-o store brands, and I recently had a chance to put the company's top-of-the-line Nines buds through some serious testing.
Audio gold
For starters, the audio quality is simply unmatched by any in-ear phones I've had the pleasure of trying. The most impressive thing about the sound range is the bass that the tiny buds manage to produce. It's deep and heavy, without any distortion even at high volume and manages to rival some of the pricier over-ear headphones I own. Three pairs of included silicone tips ensure that you'll get a snug fit, which is crucial to enjoying the deeper notes in your music.
The Nines' cylindrical design works great as far as keeping the buds in place, and after many miles of biking and running, I've never had them slip out. Of course, if you're going to be doing some super intense activity, you can always snap on the included earhooks — though I've honestly never needed them.
The built-in, inline microphone is great for taking calls without having to remove your phone from your pocket, and a simple click returns you back to your music — but that's not all the cables have to offer. For me, the Kevlar-wrapped cords are the best thing about these high-quality earphones. I've wrapped the Nines into a ball and tossed them into my workout bag or shoved them into my pocket more times than I can count, and they have never had a serious tangle. If you're used to rubber cables that create ridiculous knots that take minutes of tedious untangling you simply won't find that with these.
"Rugged" is an understatement
Even after countless trips from my office to my bike, then back into my gym bag and the return home, the cords are still as perfect as they day I took the phones out of the box. And as an added bonus, my cats — who like to chew on and destroy any cords I leave out after dark — haven't made a dent in these. They may very well be cat-proof. After using these, I don't think I'll ever be able to return to using standard rubber cables again.
The Munitio Nines come in three flavors: gold, silver, and black. Each pair comes with a trio of the "Hollow Point" silicone tips, a carrying case, earhooks, and even a shirt clip. At $179 per pair, there's no denying that these earphones are an investment, but with fantastic sounds quality and bulletproof design, you're probably going to make your money back simply by not having to re-purchase low-quality store brand buds each time they fail.
This article was written by Mike Wehner and originally appeared on Tecca
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