iSkin Cerulean X1 earphones

Posted by Bill on November 22nd, 2009 at 10:10pm Comments

iSkin Cerulean X1 earphones
Reviewed by: Bill Henderson
CERULEAN X1 - Premier in-ear earphones
Price: $99.99

I’m beginning to think that its a rare thing when companies who make higher-end earphones spend as much time and energy on the eartips as they do on the earphone itself. Many times, I have listened to dynamite earphones using aftermarket tips. It shouldn’t be this way. Once again, that’s the case with the iSkin Cerulean X1 earphones.

I wish these earphones had a better selection of eartips. 3 sizes of round, fat tips is not much of a choice. I could not get a decent fit with the X1s supplied tips no matter how hard I tried. So, I pulled out a set of longer, tapered flanged tips from another brand which sealed perfectly and all of a sudden, the X1s were a different breed altogether. That’s what I’m going to talk about from here on.

Cerulean’s use of neodymium magnets instead of armatures produce a more bass friendly sound at the expense of high end accuracy. Its a preference as to what might appeal to you. Cerulean calls this “bass enhancing sound chamber technology”. Modern music is so bass heavy already, the X1s might sound better with classic rock and jazz. But if too much bass isn’t in your vocabulary, then you will like these. If you are partial to midranges and want a balanced sound that avoids the extremes at both ends, you, too, will be happy with the X1s.

Unusual bass-heavy songs like Brian Eno’s The Great Pretender from Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy), reveal a bottom end that can easily sound like mud on lesser earphones. Not here. The higher synth notes are balanced by the smooth bass. Johnny Mathis’ Maria greatly benefits from the added bass emphasis. I could make out the bass playing among the swirling violins. It’s quite a different listening experience.

The construction of the X1s is superb. These are no lightweights. The liberal use of metal makes for one pair of hefty earphones, which could limit their use while exercising. But lounging about in a comfy chair with your eyes closed, the X1s encourage you concentrate on the nuances of the music. And they look good, too. They look like jewelry with their shiny black metal housing with chrome accents. In fact they are packaged like an expensive pair of earrings… really! They’re fun to unwrap. No cheesy packaging here.

iSkin has done a good job of making substantial earphones at a reasonable price. They sound quite nice and are easy on the ears for extended listening. Please note again, all my listening was done with borrowed eartips. It’s not entirely fair, but I couldn’t hear the X1s potential unless I did that. My advice is if you like the looks and are a bass fan, plan on adding a few bucks to the price and spring for some aftermarket eartips. Then you can appreciate how good the Cerulean X1s can sound.

Score:
7/10

 

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