MartinLogan makes expensive speakers. They’re the kinds only the most anal-retentive audiophile would consider buying. The company’s Motion Vision Soundbar costs $US1500, and forget about the $US25,000 top-end CLX speakers. At $US150, the new Mikros 70 in-ear headphones aren’t a bargain either — but if they sound good enough, your average joe might actually consider them.
On specs alone, the Mikros 70 headphones might look like others on the market: they’re aluminium with 6.6mm drivers, so they should deliver a nice mix of tones. The Mikros 70 are in-ear buds, so the little gel tips seal sound into your ear canal, making the low-end sound better and blocking outside ambient noise. The headphones are definitely designed to be used with a phone, as they come with an inline remote and microphone. The headphones have a sensitivity of 98dB (@ 1kHz), which is high enough that the output from a phone is plenty to drive the headphones.
So if these headphones are better than the rest, it’s because of superior engineering that doesn’t show on specs alone. MartinLogan is a company with quite a pedigree, so hopes are high. They may or may not be worth the money, but one thing’s for sure: they’re freaking gorgeous. [MartinLogan]