Gadgetoid

gadg-et-oid [gaj-it-oid]

-adjective

1. having the characteristics or form of a gadget;
resembling a mechanical contrivance or device.

Cygnett Groove Fusion Earphones Review

Before I start I should probably say that I’m not particularly a fan of earplug style earphones. I tend to find them somewhat intrusive, however I put this aside to write this review.

First off. How do the Cygnett Groove Fusion ‘phones look? They’re pretty much identical to every other earplug style earphone out there, however they have an attractive silver finish and feature an equal split cable and a plain zinc connector. They have nothing to differentiate themselves from any other earplug and are nothing to write home about.

So, how do they sound? When I first put them on I was seriously disappointed; they just seemed to lack punch. This was my inexperience with in-ear ‘phones in action, for I soon realised that pushing them into my ears a bit further made a massive difference with bass suddenly appearing.

Unfortunately the bass was punchy to the extent that it felt uncomfortable, but a further push resolved this and the earphones suddenly came alive. At this point I did feel like the ends were about to pierce my brain!

This demonstrates a small problem with the Groove Fusion in the hands of inexperienced in-ear earphone users, their design doesn’t include a typical right-angled cable connection which normally lets you know when to stop pushing. It’s, therefore, difficult to get the “fit” right from the off, but a little practise yields great results.

When seated correctly, the sound quality is good with a very rich bass and a crisp top end. There’s a distinct lack of mid range, though, which could be a problem with the fit, still, or simply a shortcoming of the Groove Fusion earphones.

The benefit of the earplug form factor is a significant reduction of ambient noise which can be good or bad depending on your personal tastes. If you’re keen on being alert, aware and hearing traffic noise on your walk to work then they’re not for you, if you like being lost in your music then they are perfect.

My tastes as I mentioned earlier are for the non-earplug designs, I prefer the sound quality and the less intrusive feel. Also, when walking to and from the office I prefer to have some idea of what’s going on around me. In the gym however, I think the earplug style would be an advantage as you’re unlikely to be run over and they’re less likely to work their way out of your ears or fall off your head than other types.

In conclusion these are definitely a thumbs up for a workout style earphone, they have plenty of bass to drive you along, put you in your own musical world and are not going to come dislodged.

Saturday, July 4th, 2009, iPhone, Personal Audio.