Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2 Earphones Black with Silver Trim Reviews

• They don't fit me well.

  
  By A2CFNZD74IY8ZP on 2007-09-11
  I'll preface this by saying that my ears are very hard to fit. They are on the large side, and most earbuds simply pop out of my ears each time I turn my head.
  I bought these Metro.fi 2's because of the good reviews. They are packaged extremely well, have great build quality, and the sound is very good.
  But for me, even with the largest of the 3 ear flanges, they are not big enough to fit my ears with a good seal. The largest rubber tip is just a bit too small.
  I tried all sizes of the included rubber ear tips. I tried the smaller ones, and tried jamming them deep into my ears. They popped out right out.
  I tried the large ones, and had the same problem. They dont stay in.
  I was very disappointed. I really wanted these to fit me. I love the quality and sound of these. The look is great and the cord is thick and long.
  They even come with a leather case.
  Too bad the dont stay in my ears.
  Earphone manufacturers need to include a larger variety of eartip sizes for us big folks.
  
  

• Sound is great for cost

  
  By A1D5Q399YU9PWQ on 2007-02-06
  They are a big improvement over the standard iPod earbuds. Bigger bass, treble without buzz, solid midrange. For true audio-freak, moving up to the "pro" line is your best bet. Assorted ear inserts for a variety of tastes. Not truely "isolating" but ok in that regard. In cold weather, the cords become much stiffer and that becomes annoying at times. Comes with a nice black carrying case.
  
  

• Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2 Earphones

  
  By A3LP4NHWS0R6H3 on 2007-01-06
  I just received my Metro.fi2 headphones through Amazon.com this morning and I'm very impressed with these headphones right out the box. I also own a pair of Ultimate Ears Super.fi5EB's and a pair of Sennheiser CX300's to which the Metro.fi's sound falls somewhere in between. The bass very deep and powerfull, tighter and more detailed than the CX300, but not that "make you wanna' smack your momma" kind of bass found in the super.fi5EB's. The midrange is somewhat distant, but can be boosted with ipod presets. The highs are very apparent and not as overpowerd by bass as the Super.fi5EB's nor as tinny as the CX300's. The chord is just the right legth for a tall person such as myself, and thicker than the chord supplied the CX300. I would recommend these headphones for listening to House, Hip Hop, Techno and Reggea.
  
  

• Excellent In-Ear Canalphones for Ipod (Used CX-300's, ER-6i's)

  
  By A2B4NOS4OC5X1D on 2007-02-28
  After breaking my CX-300's due to it's thin cord I decided to try out the ER-6i's. Those had the clearest treble I've heard, but was lacking seriously in the mids and bass regarding the music on my ipod. Putting it into a sound source back home had them sounding better, but they weren't good for what I would be using them for, on-the-go listening. So I decided to take a look at these. The bass in these are equivalent to the CX-300's or slightly better. Mids and treble is where these headphones have the head up on the CX-300's; much crisper, clearer, and sound more "alive". The thicker cord is a step up from the CX-300's, where you could hear everytime the cord rubbed against your shirt. The noise-cancelling is about the same as the CX-300's, maybe a few decebels more if any. And the case with 3 more pairs of buds is a nice addition compared to the CX-300's which only come with different fitting buds. I own a pair of QuietComfort 3's for at home, and I'd say these are a perfect compliment for on-the-go listening. My only hesitation from giving these 5 stars is the treble isn't as great as the ER-6i's (but the ER-6i's don't have the overall quality, at least for my ipod).
  
  Definately use the smallest buds that work for your ear. I've used the small buds for both the CX-300's and the Metro.fi 2's, and had great results with both. It allows the monitors to sit inside the canal, getting a better overall sound. I'd recommend these slightly above the CX-300's, but both are pretty good deals and give you great mobility while maintining audio quality. I'm still trying to break-in these headphones, but as of right now, they're sounding great.
  
  

• Extended high end, but lacking in bass

  
  By A1M24LVM6J1IYY on 2007-05-21
  The high end is clear and extended. But the bass is really lacking. There is no floor in the music, the bass extension is absent. There is a marked dropoff around 200 clycles. The low end is absent. I was very disappointed. The sound is thin. The human voice is reproduced with over emphasized highs, and the s sounds end up being annoying. For the price, you can do better with the much cheaper Sony brand either in the ear of out of the ear. I tried these and was disappointed, especially at the price.
  
  
• These are terrible, eventually
  By A1G881PT7HWFX9 on 2008-02-12
  This product seemed like a great buy at first. The quality of the sound was amazing and the different options for the ear piece sizes was great. However, I have had these for about three months now and one of the ear pieces suddenly cut out. These are over 60 bucks so you can be assured that I took quality care of them, putting them away neatly after every use, but the one ear phone just cut out. This is a TERRIBLE product and TERRIBLE quality.
  
  
• Some very strange design decisions
  By A1VA4DAKZG1HSC on 2007-10-06
  I just recently bought these to replace my Sony MDR-EX51LPs, which died after a couple years of almost daily use. I chose the Metro.fi 2's based on both price and the other customer reviews here.
  
  Honestly, I became concerned right after opening them. The rubberized cord that runs the length of the units is both shorter than I would have expected and unbelievably stiff: not only does it hold its shape but it's rigid enough for the earbuds to "stand at attention" if held from a few inches down the cord. This leads to a pretty awkward fit, as any nudging of the rigid cord travels straight to the rather heavy buds and yanks them from my ears. Additionally, due to the large size of the buds and the angle that the cord meets them at, the cords project out from my face rather than laying alongside my jaw or neck making them prone to being bumped or snagged by other objects.
  
  The silicone tips are fairly stiff and rigid as well, and while I appreciate the wider selection included with the Metro.fi most of them are far too large for my average-sized ears. Even using the tips with the best fit, use of the headphones becomes uncomfortable after an hour or so because of their rigidity. This isn't a problem I had with the Sony units.
  
  Sound quality is decent, though I find it to have less nuance than my old EX51's. These are still a step above what would be included with the average iPod or MP3 player, but I expected a lot more from them.
  
  All in all, I wouldn't recommend these to anyone. I'll probably end up tossing these in a drawer as backup headphones and buying another set of EX51's or 81's.
  
  
• awesome earphones
  By ATZFCQ8NMVF5C on 2007-05-04
  it took me a while to pick out a pair of earphones to use with my new ipod, which turned out to be the starting off point for a myriad of other associated costs such as protective sleeves, armband holsters for the gym, car integration docks, not to mention the $20 a week i seem to be spending on itunes now. I narrowed my choices to the ultimate ears metro.fis and the sony MDR-EX90LPs. Both are great earphones, sonys cost $95 and ultimate ears cost me $70. I like the Ultimate Ears better for a few reasons. First and formost, I thought the sound was richer and had deeper bass, its not a huge difference over the sonys, but it is noticeable. I am a car audio bass-head, so I definitely favor stronger low frequencies. Second, they don't have that silly asymetrical wiring design the sonys have, which are longer for the right ear than for the left, i think so you can put the cord behind ur head, im not sure. That design proved to be kind of annoying at the gym because if the cord got tugged the left ear would yank out. Third, the metro.fis cord is thicker and the overall construction seems more robust. At first I thought this was a bad thing because the cord is definitely stiffer than the sonys, but it turned out to be a good thing because it stops the cord from tangling so easily which was something that drove me crazy about the sonys. Lastly, the metro.fis look pretty sweet. They have a matte black finish with some silver parts and combined with the thicker cord they have a heavy-duty, industrial sortof look to them. The sonys also scored a lot of points in the looks department with their polished aluminum casing. Sound isolation was definitely better with the metro-fis. I definitely recomend these for great sound quality, they look sweet in ur ears, and at they come at a great price.
  
  Also another thing that is great about these is they have a little separator thing where the Y part of the cord comes together and at first i wasn't really sure what it was for, but when ur done using them, you can push it all the way up to the earphones to hold them together when your transporting them in your gym bag, which helps even more with the tangling issue.
  
  
• Amazing bang for the buck
  By A2BJCK898NCPTI on 2007-06-23
  Before buying the Metro.fi 2s, I extensively researched the market and tried many competitor products. These included many Sonys, the CX3000, and Etymotic ER-6i. After purchasing the metro.fi 2s, I have absolutely no complaints. The ER-6is left me yearning for more bass. The treble was great but I needed more bottom end. The CX-3000s were better on bass, but now I wanted more treble. I then learned that Ultimate Ears had started making headphones for the normal consumer. The metro.fi 2s were exactly what I needed. The chord is long enough for my tall frame and the chord is thick enough so it doesnt get tangled like the ER-6is did. The sound quality is amazing. I listen to a lot of alternative punk and pop punk, such as Amber Pacific, All Time Low, Asteria, Just Surrender, etc... The high hats were audible but not overpowering, the vocals were fresh and crisp, and the low end was perfectly balanced. The metro.fi 2s make the music sound exactly like what the artist wanted. I am absolutely thrilled with these headphones and would recommend them to anyone.
  
  
• Excellent! Another great pair from UE!
  By A12BC2MOVMBWOW on 2007-07-23
  From my heavy use of the Sony Fantopia in Canals and test runs with the E2C Shures and using the Metro Fi. 2's.. i'm glad I bought these!
  
  The Highs are extremely clear and definately suprised me for it's price. The bass is very deep and is much better than that of the Sony Fantopias. The Overall sound is very crisp and the sound is perfect, i enjoy these much better than the sonys and I am glad i picked these over the shures becuase of price. 40 dollars for these badboys and they are very satisfying and the Shures are 60 dollars more and i'm definately glad i picked these.
  
  If you're looking for a good pair of headphones in a cheap price range, these are for you.. sound is crisp and clear and is relatively inexpensive.
  
  
• where's the low end?
  By A3Q0C4ZE0TBXUO on 2007-08-25
  I consider myself a bit of an audiophile and I was looking for a comfortable pair of earphones to use with my iPod at work that would be an upgrade from the earphones that come with the iPods. I was very disappointed in the low end output of the Metro.fi 2 and I'll be returning them.
  
  Some positives: The sound was very clear, very crisp. I did enjoy this part. You can make out more of the finer details of the music. Also, I found the earbuds to be comfortable. I can only take so much of the iPod buds before I have to take them out for a short while but these seemed like they sat well and wouldn't cause much fatigue. I can't comment on the insulation from outside noise because it's generally fairly quiet where I used them.
  
  But the positives aren't enough for me to justify holding on to these. The fullness of tone is, in my opinion, better with the standard iPod headphones. (I don't know why some people knock them; I think they're pretty good in quiet surroundings). Find me a pair like the Metro.fi 2's but with real low end and you've got a customer.
  
  
• High quality earphones
  By AW29YETGNMM8Q on 2007-10-25
  I got this as a replacement for the earbuds included with my iPod that were broken (my fault). I never use an "in ear" buds before, i mean, some that get fully IN your ears, so, when i use this for the first time i was a little bit uncomfortable but everything goes fine after a few days using it. I'm a music fan, not a sound expert so i won't speak about technnical specs, i just have to say that the Metro fi.2 have a very good sound quality, you can ear every little detail in music, even things that you doesn't note before (sincerily), there's no distortion at all, and the exterior noise reduction is very good (i use it in a flight and barely listen the engine noise). The iPod earphones are fine, but if you want to try something a little bit better for a reasonbale price this is a very good option.
  
  Pedro S.
  
  
• Great headphones for the money
  By A9M5BI3D1A1MM on 2007-07-24
  I love these headphones, period. I was considering a few other products in this price range and I'm glad I got these. The cord is solid and thick and doesnt look like it will break any time soon. It came with a number of ear cups to make sure a range of fits.
  
  Once i got them fitted, I was very impressed. The only other in-ear headphones I've had were the apple brand. These have superb bass response and an overall very balanced response all the way through, without the sharp highs from the apple cans. A tiny bit of EQ did wonders as well. Using these, I finally began to understand what people are talking about when they get a good set of headphones- I started hearing tiny little things that I had never noticed before in my music.
  
  The seal is very good, the sound is superb... I really couldn't ask for a whole lot more. I use it with my laptop and my iPod and they're great! I can't wait to step up to a higher model from UE.
  
  
• good sound for these earphones
  By ASU5D1HPRXWD9 on 2007-08-09
  The sound is definitely better than the Sony MDR-EX71, and the quality of plastic used for the cables is good.
  
  
  
  
• Best price performer
  By A6ZN1FPTXVSO4 on 2007-08-27
  I got my pair of Metro.fi 2's for $45 which is just over half of the retail price of $80. Add to that the fact that Ultimate Ears is a renowned maker of professional quality in-ear monitors for musicians and you've got the best deal that money can buy. Before I found these I tried a pair of Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones (White) which were uncomfortable and the sound was less than impressive as well as a pair of Sennheiser CX300-B Earbuds (Black), which were again very uncomfortable, twice the price, but had sound more comparable to the Metro.fi 2's. The Metro.fi 2's have better construction, better accessories, and better sound than any other earphone in this price range by far. I also found the range of silicon tips that come with the earphones is superior to the others I mentioned, providing higher probability that you'll find a fit that will give great extraneous noise reduction. If you are in the market for some $50-$100 ear buds you'll be more than happy with these.
  
  
• sounded good but stopped working; replacement did too!!
  By A1BP165N3IEQOZ on 2007-09-21
  I bought these earphones after reading lots of reviews and because of an excellent price on Amazon. I really liked the sound quality and the substantial wires didn't tangle. After two months the left ear plug stopped working - no sound. I contacted Ultimate Ears as they are still under warranty. They have a pretty simple process for returns which I am in the process of doing. We'll see how it goes. Hoping that some new ones will last considerably longer.ack the
  
  Update December 2007. My second pair just failed. The first pair failed in about 2 months and was replaced (without any trouble) by Ultimate Ears. I am about to send back the replacement set - again after less than 3 months of light use. Both times one of the earbuds just stopped producing any sound!!! I am 50+ years old and use these lighly and sporadically - they aren't used every day or abused. This time I am asking for a refund so I can purchase something a bit more durable!!
  
  
• Great headphones, not the most versatile
  By AZNFGW1NAPK6X on 2007-11-10
  Pros-
  Excellent sound quality, Great looks, Appropriate length cord, very comfortable, Fairly inexpensive (Great value), Sturdy cords, Sound isolation works to some degree
  
  Cons-
  Cord may be too long for some, Earphones do not stay in during activity very well (not appropriate for running/working out), Cord is very noisy, if you tap it or rub it against a zipper while wearing the earphones you will hear it very clearly, Cord molds somewhat when it is stored wrapped up (Not as flexible as say, ipod earbuds), Passive sound isolation only Really works while you're actually listening to something
  
  I've had these for about a month now, and I would definitely recommend them. Just keep in mind as you're considering them that they're for listening to music, and that they are not the best for working out to music, traveling to music, skateboarding to music etc. I often sleep with them on, which works well but can be uncomfortable if you lay on your side. They work very well as computer headphones, the cord is long enough to comfortably reach the jack and allow motion (this is not possible with many computer set ups aside from laptops for people with ipod earbuds etc). They improve gaming experience a lot as you feel like you're in the room with whatever is happening. The soft covers are easy to change with a little twist and quite comfortable. The mediums fit me best, and they come with a larger pair, a smaller pair, and a third two-piece pair that I don't like at all, but some might. I'm not an audiophile, but the sound quality is so much better than cheap headphones that these are definitely worth it for the price. They have a full range with good bass presence that isn't overbearing. They also have the potential to get Extremely loud should you desire that.
  
  If you're looking for something that will let you enjoy your audio more without completely breaking your budget, I recommend these. If you just want something to jog or run with, I'd look elsewhere.
  
  
• Going Back - NO Bass
  By A1R0A6PNXYK7NF on 2007-12-25
  Just got a pair for Christmas from my daughter who spent $50 of her hard-earned dollars on these "high-end" earphones. Tried them out with an iPod Shuffle and MacBook Pro. THERE'S NO BASS!!!
  
  Tried my original iPod earphones as well as Sony MDR W08 for comparison and both blew away this junk. These sound tinny and should be selling for about $1 not $50.
  
  The five-star reviews are obviously by company shills.
  
  Going back to Amazon tomorrow.
  
  
• Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2
  By A30TL1U2HBTNHC on 2007-06-01
  These earphones rock. I love them. I also own the super.fi 3's which sound amazing but are lacking a little in the bass area. So thats why i bought the fi 2's. Im glad i did. They have amazing bass response. Very low and deep sounding. The mids and highs are excellent too. I would recomend these to anyone. For around $70 they cant be beat. Use them all the time. For normal listening they have replaced my Super.fi 3's.
  
  
• Cord not very practical
  By A3U489KECQQOWF on 2007-08-23
  Despite the advertisement, the cord had a lot of spring and memory to it unlike the stock iPod headphones. Coil it up, set it down, and boing! there it goes. When wearing them, the cord did not fall flat down, but had bends in it. Unimpressive, compared to the stock headphones. As for sound, did not rate them, as I was not pleased with them out of the box and returned them.
  
  
• Great In-Ear Phones
  By A2PFFGHRTQ08VZ on 2007-09-19
  The earphones are amazing in terms of sound quality. I'm not a huge audiophile so for me they are wonderous. The only drawbacks I found: when the cord hits my jacket or shirt while I walk or run you can hear the thumping in the ears, however this is an issue I've found with ALL In-Ear phones. Also since they are in ear phones, they block out almost all outside noise which is good/bad depending on your situation. All in All I highly recommend these phones they are a bang for your buck--even more for me since I had a -$25 Amazon Gift Certificate!
  
  
• Ultimate Ears Review 9-21-07
  By A2K3PKIH2S4NCT on 2007-09-21
  Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2 Earphones Black with Silver Trim
  
  They worked, they have a decent amount of bass and the sound isolators help out a lot since they are not that overall powerful. My sony MDR-EX90 (i believe) are A LOT stronger. they do the job for me while im cleaning the yard, so I'm happy with them.
  
  
• Nice noise blockers!
  By A2VFU7PWEU6SGL on 2007-09-24
  I bought these to wear while mowing the yard, and they do a great job! With the stock iPod headphones, I had to turn my iPod up almost all the way in order to hear the music over the mower. That can't be good for my ears, so I looked for some to block out the sound. When I first put these in, I was surprised at how much they blocked. I could barely hear the mower at all with the volume less than half way up. The earphones are comfy, and fit fairly well. I run the cable behind me, so they come loose every once in awhile. The sound quality is great, too, but that wasn't my main concern when buying them. Bottom line, for passive noise cancellation, these are great!
  
  
• Great earphones
  By A13HH3A3A2JTJ4 on 2007-12-12
  They replace shure e3c earphones and I'm very happy with these.
  Quality of the product is better than the shure and they sound as good for half the price. I specially appreciate that the wire is not as noisy when walking or when the wire hits something.
  I just wish they came with foam sleeves like the shure.
  
  
  
• Sound great, terrible fit!
  By AB8R8P4RBQPNQ on 2007-12-28
  These sound great. But there are two major issues that were deal breakers for me. First, the cord is way too thick and stiff. The stiffness causes the ear buds to easily lift out of your ears during normal use. Second, although four different sizes of ear bud are included, none of them fit my average ears well. Also, the ear bud material is somewhat rigid and becomes uncomfortable after a while.
  
  
• Wanted Something Nice
  By A251278PBTLFT8 on 2008-02-08
  After using a cheap set of Koss Sparkplugs for sometime I wanted to treat myself to something nicer. The Metro.fi 2 would seem to be a nice step up from what I had and they were. Sure there was the breakin time and the time it took to get use to putting the product in my ears. I liked the sound that the Metro.fi 2 provided from my MP3 player.
  
  Here's what I didn't like about the product, the latter causing me to return them. When walking in cold weather, the thick wires are very stiff and get in the way of everything. Yeah, I know that they are thick for a reason, still not all of us live in a warm climate 365 days a year. After about a week of using them, the left channel became muffled. I first thought that maybe it was 'ear by-product' (wax), but after a good cleaning of both ear and product the issue remained. I even waited a day or so and tried it again, still no joy. So, I choose to return the product for a refund because Amazon had none in stock the trade out.
  
  
• Disappointing
  By A18KNLJR1GBQ21 on 2008-04-29
  Got these as a replacement for the Sony Fontopias (when the left earbud broke on my third pair of Fontopias in a year, I've decided to move up to bigger and better). Was initially pleased with the sound isolation and the audio quality. Then the problems started to pile on: the earbuds won't stay on unless you are sitting perfectly still and not moving your head. I had to hold them in my ears at the gym! Whenever the cord bounces off your body, you hear it over the music, like a hollow noise. The earbud covers started to come lose and come off the drivers, which had me in a constant state of paranoia of losing them. The very stiff cord makes it impossible to keep the earbuds in your ears, they get yanked out every time you turn your head. The cord also does not lie flat against your body, which makes it easier for others to accidentally yank the buds out when they walk past you. Long story short - I seem to have lost them on a recent trip, and I am not getting a replacement pair.
  
  
• Too Much Treble - Sounds Tinny
  By A1YZVVO0PDCMLI on 2007-08-24
  I was disappointed in the sound of these earphones which seemed tinny as a result of too much treble. My $14 Koss phones have a much better sound so I returned the Ultimate Ears.
  
  
• Excellent Sound Quality
  By A1JP9RS2BROBRH on 2007-11-29
  These Earbuds are amazing, Great for an ipod. They sound great as long as you keep them clean. Over time ear wax will clog up the filters. Simple just dip the end in a little rubbing alcohol and dry GENTLY with a napkin. Repeat until both earbuds are of equal sound quality and strength. If one is louder than the other after cleaning, repeat the cleaning process and dry throughly.
  
  Besides that, these things are amazing, the sound quality is awseome. Also these things go Loud!
  
  Other Thoughts: These sound twice as good on a Sound Blaster X-FI soundcard. Set the X-FI crystallizer to 60%. Also select CMSS-3D Headphone and set it to 60% also. I'm sure you will enjoy the results.
  
  Over all I give these headphones 5 stars even with the issue of keeping them clean. They are just that damn good.
  
  
• Good Replacement For Stock iPod Earbuds
  By A1BN9NIRCXVSL9 on 2008-01-14
  Let me start right off by saying you will be disappointed with these if you don't take the time to try the various sizes of tips that come with these earphones. After you find the good "airtight" fit then you will start to smile! I got these to replace the stock iPod earbuds, and I must say the sound is so much better it is amazing to hear what I'd been missing. Finally found the lows I had been missing, midrange good and clean, nice presence, and the highs were very nice and clean, not tinny but nice and controlled. How do these compare to the more expensive models? I don't care, I simple wanted a better sounding replacement for my worn-out stock iPod earbuds and these babies deliver. The sound blocking once these fit is disconcerting at first but then when you get used to it, is very nice and helps the sound seem so much more loud and clean. As a note of reference I listen to trance, podcasts, 80s music and ambient on my iPod, for which were purchased.
  So, I like them and the sound quality is a major upgrade but there is one negative I must tell you about: while the cord is long enough but not too long, and the cord is good and heavy duty feeling, it is a little too stiff for my liking. If they could make the cord more supple, this would be my perfect replacement everyday iPod earphones.
  Hope this helps, good luck.
  
  

• Sport Series Headphones Black
• Rivet Stereo Earphones - Black
• Philips HL150 Lightweight Stereo Headphones
• Able Planet Clear Harmony Over the Head Stereo Headphones
• Creative Aurvana In-Ear Headphones

• Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio Earphones (Black)
• Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro Earphones (Black)
• Shure E2c Sound Isolating Earphones
• Sennheiser CX300-B Earbuds (Black)
• Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (Black)