» Price: $49.90 » Available: From IT retail stores including Challenger
IMAGINE earphones that are the equivalent of Adam Lambert, the American Idol runner up - loud and proud.
Pop the SonicGear Earpump Pro in your ears to enjoy bright, exuberant vocals and a vivid musical performance that pumps the volume up to 11 - in other words, over the top.
This iPhone-compatible earphone drags the lead vocals in any song out into the spotlight, though not at the expense of the backup vocals or instruments.
Aurals seem as if they are coming from a wide soundstage, and you can make clear distinction between cymbals and acoustic guitars, for instance.
For folk who love being able to distinguish the plucks of a cello and the twinkling of the ivories, the Earpump Pro is, well, music to the ears.
Another plus: the strong and punchy bass, which is best experienced in tracks such as the dance remix of Elvis Presley's A Little Less Conversation.
It is hard not to break into gyrations with the pulse-pounding beats.
In fact - though this is really a small quibble - I found myself needing a break after an hour or so with this sound mate: Its performance becomes a tad too overwhelming.
What is a constant welcome, though, is the noise-isolation feature, which works like a wonder under the most trying of conditions: I could clearly hear the complex layers of instrumentation of U2 and Radiohead tracks over the roar of the moving train on a 45-minute journey during rush hour, standing by the doors.
Like Adam Lambert, these earphones are versatile too.
They do justice to the explosive sound effects of PlayStation Portable action games like Gundam Battle Universe.
You can enjoy your music with a partner, as the Travel Pack includes a handy adaptor to plug in two earphones at the same time.
Final say
This sonic kit gives a lot of bang for the buck.
Well worth the money if you want aural domination.
This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.
