Ultimate Ears intros Triple.Fi 10vi headphones with built-in mic

We've always drooled after the top end of the Ultimate Ears headphone line, and it looks like we've got a new lust-magnet -- the company just introduced the Triple.Fi 10vi in-ear buds with an iPhone and Blackberry-compatible mic / button. The triple-driver 'phones are said to have the same essential guts as UE's far more expensive custom monitors, and they'll kick out frequencies as low as 10Hz and top out at 17kHz. Yes, we want them. No, we can't justify spending $420 on them. Yes, we're totally thinking about it anyway.

[Via iPodNN]

[birthday is 1990 @ Dec 11th 2008 8:36PM]

This thing is worth more than it's weight in gold.

[schmitty338 @ Dec 11th 2008 8:38PM]

...one of the very rare occasions where that cliche applies literally...

[Omega @ Dec 11th 2008 8:49PM]

Those headphones would, in that case, weigh less than a half an ounce. Nice try, though.

[KRIS_C_123 @ Dec 11th 2008 8:56PM]

omega, you clearly dont understand

[austin @ Dec 11th 2008 9:18PM]

hes actually right.
gold is ~ $800 an ounce right now

[32ndnote @ Dec 11th 2008 9:32PM]

Actually, it only weighs .6 oz with the cable included. Take off the cable, and I'd say those babies are worth more than their weight in gold.

[derX @ Dec 11th 2008 9:38PM]

Priced at $420.


420 seems to have had quite the pervasive role in the pricing of these headphones in this economic climate, indeed.

[Alexandre Emond @ Dec 11th 2008 10:01PM]

I would prefer to own those headphones than their gold equivalent (in weigh or in cash value).

[Dominick @ Dec 11th 2008 10:52PM]

These cost more than my iPhone.... but of course I'll get them.

[who? @ Dec 11th 2008 11:11PM]

Cue: someone who rambles untruthfully about iPhone sound quality.

[Eruh @ Dec 12th 2008 1:54AM]

yea, and isn't 5000 the human noticeable audible limit, unless you're a dog. O wait, celebrity's dogs need headphones too.

[SupremeBeing @ Dec 12th 2008 6:05AM]

20,000 Hz is the human limit, you tard. Unless you're mostly deaf, and even then you can probably hear frequencies above 5,000 Hz, just not very well.

[solarpos @ Dec 11th 2008 8:40PM]

Wonder why they're listed at $420?


It's because you'd have to be STONED to spend more on your budz than your player. Ricockulous.

[zioncat @ Dec 11th 2008 9:14PM]

Jigga what I really didn't even read the article. The only part I read that these puppies were worth 400 bucks then I lost all interest in reading.

[Sean @ Dec 11th 2008 9:25PM]

"Ricockulous"????
Thats pretty homo

[32ndnote @ Dec 11th 2008 8:43PM]

Umm... once again, nowhere near as awesome as the Westone 3!!! No IEMs can compare. I'm not making this up.

[an-ts @ Dec 12th 2008 1:09AM]

agreed. after the 30% cb thing on ebay the westones have triple drivers but for only $266.

[technolawyer @ Dec 11th 2008 8:47PM]

Engadget, these earphones shipped in September, not this week. Read our review -- published on October 9th.
http://blog.technolawyer.com/2008/10/technoeditorial.html

[Adam @ Dec 11th 2008 8:48PM]

Are you kidding me? This has been out for at least 5 months or so.

Also, 32ndnote is correct...nothing can compete with the new Westone 3s. They are seriously an orgy in your ears!

[scott @ Dec 11th 2008 9:56PM]

that would be really messy...

[KRIS_C_123 @ Dec 11th 2008 8:53PM]

pfft i have the stock earphones for the samsung p2, ultimate ears aint got shit on those


$420 ha during this credit crunch i dont think so

[Anirudh @ Dec 11th 2008 8:53PM]

I have been looking for a good pair of headphones no more than $200, but can't decide which ones are the best. I need noise cancellation, as well as very good sound and should be compatible for the iphone. Any good suggestions? What models?

[Nitin Mehra @ Dec 11th 2008 9:08PM]

Go for the Shure SE420 K you can easily snag them for 220 odd on ebay. Or if you want I can sell you a used pair for 150 :) My e-mail: [e-mail]

[tiger08 @ Dec 11th 2008 9:23PM]

Any other good suggestions? What about the V moda II?

[tiger08 @ Dec 11th 2008 9:26PM]

is it compatible with the iphone?

[theshooter @ Dec 12th 2008 7:59AM]

KOSS PORTAPRO. Best cans under $100. Better then some that cost over $100. Try them and you will understand. There is a reason why they have been out for 20+ years.

[Andrew Nikoly @ Dec 12th 2008 7:52PM]

Sleek Audio SA6, you can go wireless with them and change the tuning to what sounds best to your ears and they have iPhone cable. I got mine for $200. Just look around the web.

[HunterXI @ Dec 11th 2008 8:58PM]

You'd have to be positively *out of your mind* to spend $420 on a pair of headphones that UGLY.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Dec 11th 2008 9:09PM]

Either that, or you'd have to be one of those INSANE people who care more about performance than looks.

... then again, I drive an ugly fast car...

[Bryan @ Dec 11th 2008 9:28PM]

Darnit. I guess I should admit myself to a psych ward...

[Will @ Dec 11th 2008 9:06PM]

You do realize that you'd have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars for a comparable speaker system, right? This is really top-end stuff.

Also, it's not so crazy to spend more on headphones than a player. How long will the headphones last? Probably decades (I still have some Senn's from the 80's that are now over 20 years old and still work great). An iPod? Maybe 4 years. If you're lucky.

[Aguiluz @ Dec 11th 2008 9:11PM]

$420!!!!1

MY GOODNESS!!!!1!

[Tmacfan4321 @ Dec 11th 2008 9:14PM]

Guess how much a 16GB iPod touch costs? $300.

These cost $420.

Guess how long you'll have that iPod for? Less than five years.

Guess how long you'll have those headphones for? More than ten, most likely.

[Metamorphic @ Dec 11th 2008 9:42PM]

Sadly, an iPod Touch (which I own) or an iPhone wouldn't produce the sound quality that these need in order for you to take full advantage of.

[Tmacfan4321 @ Dec 12th 2008 6:19AM]

Have you ever heard of a Line-Out Dock and Amp setup? That will make it sound much, much better.

[danieln @ Dec 11th 2008 9:16PM]

I would probably spend money on these if the economy was better and if I already didn't have the Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 Pro's.

[yourface131 @ Dec 11th 2008 9:17PM]

hmm...looks like a good hanukkah present to myself...

[iKurt @ Dec 11th 2008 9:19PM]

Apple in-ear headphones FTW

[Rogan josh @ Dec 11th 2008 9:19PM]

$400+ earphones?

Yeah, go get 'em Generation X marketing patsies; they'l go well with your Nike nose plugs and Paul Franke eye shades

[pouet @ Dec 11th 2008 9:29PM]

realeased (at least in Asia) 2 month ago

[Metamorphic @ Dec 11th 2008 9:31PM]

I've upgraded from the Ultimate Ears 4 vi to the Ultimate Ears 5 pro. I've had them for 4-5 days now and its been eargasm to eargasm... these would probably give you a spiritualgasm or something.

I'm just saying how good the 5 pro are imagine these. I bet $840 these are worth $420... heheheh.

NOTE: You'll need something that produces excellent sound in order to take advantage of these, if you buy them. You will notice how bad and awesome 320 kbps are compared to lossless.

[Colin Jones @ Dec 11th 2008 9:36PM]

If I had the money, I might buy it but trying to fit most UE earphones into my ear is like trying to shove a carrot down a rabbit's nostrils. Yes... I have small ear canals.

[andy @ Dec 11th 2008 9:53PM]

I own a pair but it doesn't have a build in mic. Sound pretty good, but their customs sounds better.

[Anthony @ Dec 11th 2008 10:01PM]

whats with all the weed jokes today on engadget ? yall blazin it and not sharing?!??!

$420.00
hemp wiidmote

cant think of the rest but ey hahah

[thomasdill @ Dec 11th 2008 10:04PM]

I have these. they are literally, the sickest shit in the world.

[Travis @ Dec 11th 2008 11:13PM]

No use for a built-in mic, but the regular Triple-Fi 10's are worth every single penny. I love them just as much as my AKG 701's. The Triple Fi's are huge, but why does anyone really care how they look? They go in your ear. If you want some headphones to just look cool, get a pair of Bose Triports. While hauling around an Ipod and Headphone amp, I'm not going to look cool no matter what! Of course if any of your REALLY wanted to look cool (and rich) get a custom pair of Ultimate Ears earbuds!

BTW if you hate earbuds, try these with the Comply Foam inserts. I think they're now included.

[vajrakilaya @ Dec 11th 2008 11:19PM]

Too ugly? The M-Audio IE40 is a rebadged triple.fi, except it's chrome instead of (shudder) teal. I have them and they are worth every penny. You will hear every single detail. I use the third-party Comply memory foam ear foam thingys because those give me the best seal, and the better the seal the better the sound.

Mine don't have the built-in mic, so I use mine with the Shure iphone adapter. That clips at my collar. The headphone connects there and I wrap the cable under my left armpit and out the back of my neck. There's a slider thing to pull the cable tight at the back of my head. It's a very comfortable way to wear them, plus, when they're not in use they just lay on either side of your neck. It's the safest way to carry them, short of taking them off.

These headphones have user-replaceable cables! UE/Logitech could easily sell the replacement cables with built-in mics, so you could upgrade your regular triple.fi's to this "vi" model. But no. They think they can suck another $400 out of our pockets by refusing. Great, great product, but they're going to lose me as a customer if they keep it up.

[Bryan @ Dec 11th 2008 11:20PM]

But if you're an audiophile, you're not using an iPod/iPhone to listen to music.

[Travis @ Dec 12th 2008 12:05AM]

Ever heard of Apple Lossless or WAV format? All ipods support these formats. A lot of audophiles also need a setup for portable use as well. Of course with the Iphones/ipod touch it's sometimes a waste to use WAV and any other lossless format unless you love only keeping a few albums on the device. I myself love to waste space and use WAV. 320kbps mp3 is also good enough for portable use at times.

[Bryan @ Dec 12th 2008 12:28AM]

Do you believe Apple fits iPods and iPhones with high-end DAT processors and amps? Running even lossless files through the sub-par components in these iPlayers, you're still getting some quality loss.

I use Apple lossless and I own an iPhone. I do also realize I don't need $400 earbuds to go with my mediocre player.