ATOMIC FLOYD- IF CARLSBERG MADE EARPHONES…

Posted January 2, 2012 by Gavin in LIFESTYLE

When a pair of Atomic Floyd HiDef Drum earphones landed on my desk, my immediate reaction was ‘These look a bit special’. The box unashamedly fires alliterative superlatives such as ‘Spectacular Sound- Made in Metal’ & ‘Gut Grabbing deep bass’- and I challenge any person not to let out a little yelp of delight when confronted by such vivid language.

I pull on a little red tab to unlock the secrets of this majestic box and find the headphones displayed behind a plastic covering, which wouldn’t look out of place in a museum, with a polite notice reminding patrons ‘Look but don’t Touch’. I ignore all thoughts of museums and without hast; I remove the casing and set eyes upon the steel ear buds, which look all the more striking next to the deep red wires, which have become a trademark of Atomic Floyd.

Thanks to the metal frames, these headphones are heavier than usual and I was concerned that they may be able to stay in my ears due to the weight- but the HiDef Drum’s have a slanted in ear design for a comfortable fit. I take another glance at the box and in bold type it states ‘BUILT FOR LIFE’, and having checked the build quality, I have no gripe with such a statement. They also come with a generous 2 year warranty; such is the confidence in the brand.

I use my iPhone 4S to test the quality of the sound, and I am not disappointed. I expected a thumping bass, and this usually comes at the expense of music clarity, but the HiDef Drum’s have got a great balance. There is also great sound isolation and ‘leakage’ is minimal, so no need to fret if you are listening to the latest Jedward release on a crowded train. The only mark down for these headphones is that you have to turn the volume up to near maximum to get the best results. The HiDef Drum also has an iPod remote control with inbuilt microphone, which works well, even in noisy conditions. Accessories included are 3 different sized silicon ear buds, airplane adapter, 6.3mm stereo plug adapter, and rubber carry pouch.

If you are unfamiliar with the Atomic Floyd brand, they were founded in 2009 and exclusively make in ear headphones, with 5 products in the range. They are designed specifically for iPods and sell almost exclusively through Apple- so fans of Apple products will be hard pressed to find a better designed accessory for their needs.

With an RRP of £149.95, the HiDef Drums are competing with the very best in ear headphones in the market- and are definitely a worthy contender for the crown. Having reviewed the Beats and Bose headphones in this space, the Atomic Floyd’s blow both out the water in terms of performance, which is no mean feat. If you are willing to spend 3 figures of a pair of headphones, then a pair of Atomic Floyd’s should certainly be in your shortlist.

For more information, visit www.atomicfloyd.com