Ultimate Ears MetroFi 170vi

Logitech recently acquired Ultimate ears, a very well known and respected professional brand that manufactures earphones and in ear monitors. New in India, we have received one of their in-ears to review, called the MetroFi 170Vi—a plug that can be used for MP3 players and phones too. It’s got an inbuilt microphone for that; basically anything that has a 3.5 mm jack. It’s the absolute entry level option in UE, so let’s see what they got.

Easily one of the best looking earphones we have encountered, this little device has white silicone earbuds, whose translucent, firm body exudes class. The earbuds are gloss black on the exterior, and run into normal sized cords with a small mic inserted on the length of the right cord. They terminate into a regular 3 way, 3.5 mm jack. The right bud has a small red accent at its tip. I’m assuming it’s there to signify that this is the channel with the mic.

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There are 3 sizes of silicone sleeves, small, medium and large. Included in the package is a small oval hard carrying case for protection and lugging around. It’s pocket sized and not bulky at all.

The sleeves being perfectly round, did not fit in as snug as we would like, plus it can slip a little sometimes, not all the way out, but in your ear canal itself they displace a bit. This does make a difference to the sound in the case of in-earphones. It’s not too major an issue, as one can just tuck it back in for a firm fit.

Once in perfectly we realized that the earphones are definitely loud, and meant for outside commutes. The mid frequencies are a little forward and spikey, which is good for phone conversation but not good for music listeners, at least for audiophiles. The bass is in normal amounts, but should have been more as the mids are clearly the dominant factor here. Highs come as the best response - they are sparkling and precise.

For Rs. 3995 the earphones are a bit expensive, if only the bass would have been a little more pronounced and the fit would have been absolutely snug, the UE MetroFi 170vi would be a killer buy for music lovers on the move. It can still be considered for anyone into a stylish looking, very clear sounding headset for mobile phones.