From Joe Shambro,
Your Guide to Home Recording.
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Future Sonics strives to deliver great products on a very simple mission: offer the best sound reproduction they can, backed by years of practical industry experience and top-notch customer service.

Bringing that idea to life in an affordable, attractive, and functional package has been a labor of love for the team at Future Sonics over the past couple years, and the Atrio Series is definitely a product to be proud of. The FS1 was a pretty impressive earphone (as is it's predecessor, the EM3, which delivered great audio quality with, admittedly, less than stellar aesthetics), but the Atrio Series simply tops both.

Meet Atrio

Atrio is offered in two models - the M5, for live performance monitoring, and the M8, for recording studio & broadcast work. However, the M5 and M8 are identical on the component side, and the only fundamental difference between the two is the color, and included accessories. It's up to you what suits your needs best, as sound quality is the same on both variations.

Atrio will be available for $199 through Future Sonics' online store, as well as through professional channels via Hear Technologies.

Sound Quality

The most important aspect of Atrio is the sound quality.

Built upon Future Sonics' dynamic driver technology, the Atrio's sound quality is fantastic. Robust, natural bass with texture and detail is, to my ears, the Atrio's biggest strength. Listening at low volumes is a pleasure, since you don't need to push the volume to enjoy the full range of sound. Remember, time + exposure = loss, and anything you can do to listen to your preferred audio at lower volumes while still getting the same quality will help keep your ears healthy.

The Atrio features smooth and accurate mids (which resonate with a pleasing warmth, giving acoustic guitar and vocals a rich tone), and accurate highs. Soundstage is also equally impressive, and vastly improved on the previous FS1 design. That being said, if you prefer a more analytical sound (for critical listening or pinpoint-accurate mixing), you might not find the Atrio to be what you need. But for listening to music - on stage as a monitor, in the recording studio, or with your favorite mp3 player, you'll be very pleased, especially at the $199 price point.

Build & Fit Quality

While offering superior sound quality, the Atrio is exceptionally built. Compared to the previous FS1 offering, the Atrio shows off vastly reduced microphonics, as well as better quality build on the casing and stem that goes into the ear. Also, there's memory wire coming out of the actual earpieces, allowing you to quickly go from under- to over-the-ear fit. Missing? I'd like to have seen some detachable cable options, simply to allow easier expansion to longer cords, or maybe a special cord for over or under the ear. But that being said, there's nothing to complain about with the Atrio's construction.

Fit quality is another area that's of utmost importance. The Atrio comes with several options for fit; their ComfortFit foam sleeves are my personal favorite option, for both isolation and comfort. You'll also find their EarFills dual-flange sleeves in various sizes (which are also comfortable and effective, but for my ears, the foam worked better). You can also upgrade to custom-molded sleeves, called the SofterWear, for an additional fee, plus your audiologist's fees for shooting impressions. That option offers the best comfort and isolation, and can offer the ability to get into a custom product with great sound quality for a low price.

Overall Impressions

The Future Sonics mission is pretty clear: the best quality sound they can offer. The Atrio series certainly champions their mission, and according to Future Sonics' Director of Worldwide Marketing, Dan East, the Atrio represents the tip of the iceberg in regards to new technologies and product offerings from Future Sonics. At an affordable, accessible price point of $199, the Atrio offers an easy way to get into both on-stage monitoring and robust sound reproduction for studio or personal listening at a great price. And backed by Future Sonics' years of practical industry experience, you can be confident your purchase is of the highest quality.

The Atrio Series will be available starting in April, 2007 direct from Future Sonics, as well as Hear Technologies. Check www.futuresonics.com for updates on the availability.