I really enjoy the sound of the Future Sonics Atrio series, as previously reviewed. They offer a unique sound signature and great value for anyone looking for stellar sound quality on a budget.
The SofterWear sleeves take the Atrio series from a high-quality universal-fit earphone to a much more comfortable, custom-fit earphone, eliminating the need for the foam plugs or silicone flanges usually used.
The price is great, too -- only $149 plus audiologist fees.
The SofterWear sleeves take the Atrio series from a high-quality universal-fit earphone to a much more comfortable, custom-fit earphone, eliminating the need for the foam plugs or silicone flanges usually used.
The price is great, too -- only $149 plus audiologist fees.
What is SofterWear?
The Future Sonics SofterWear sleeves are a great addition to the brand new Atrio Series earphones, as well as their previously-sold EM3 and FS1 models. Future Sonics' flagship Ear Monitors brand are fully custom-molded, for both comfort and isolation; but with a pricetag of $898, they're not within everyone's price range. That's where the SofterWear sleeves come in.
With the Future Sonics Atrio Series alongside the SofterWear sleeves, you can have the benefits of a custom-fit product alongside Future Sonics' signature quality sound reproduction for a fraction of the price. At $149 plus shipping and audiologist fees, you can be using a comfortable, custom-fit product for a fraction of the cost of a fully-custom set.
With the Future Sonics Atrio Series alongside the SofterWear sleeves, you can have the benefits of a custom-fit product alongside Future Sonics' signature quality sound reproduction for a fraction of the price. At $149 plus shipping and audiologist fees, you can be using a comfortable, custom-fit product for a fraction of the cost of a fully-custom set.
The Fitting Process
Remember, the quality of your custom sleeves is directly tied to the quality of your impressions, so make sure your impressions are done by an audiologist you trust.
If you need an audiologist referral, Future Sonics will provide you the names of their network audiologists in your area. Future Sonics also partners with HearUSA, a national audiology chain who's specially trained on fitting Future Sonics products.
These audiologists are trusted partners who Future Sonics knows will do a good job and offer a fair price on their work. Your cost for the impressions is an additional cost aside from the cost of your sleeves; it'll most likely be between $15 to as much as $50, depending on how much your audiologist charges. Remember, when calling an audiologist, make sure they understand you only need the impressions, not the actual molds. Some will misunderstand and quote you a higher price, including molds.
One tip: If you've got a medical school in the area, it's worth calling to see if they have an audiology program; many times, they'll shoot your impressions for a very small fee (or free); I usually visit the Washington University CID Clinic in St. Louis, who does a hearing screening, exam, and impressions for $25. It's worth checking in your area what your options are.
If you need an audiologist referral, Future Sonics will provide you the names of their network audiologists in your area. Future Sonics also partners with HearUSA, a national audiology chain who's specially trained on fitting Future Sonics products.
These audiologists are trusted partners who Future Sonics knows will do a good job and offer a fair price on their work. Your cost for the impressions is an additional cost aside from the cost of your sleeves; it'll most likely be between $15 to as much as $50, depending on how much your audiologist charges. Remember, when calling an audiologist, make sure they understand you only need the impressions, not the actual molds. Some will misunderstand and quote you a higher price, including molds.
One tip: If you've got a medical school in the area, it's worth calling to see if they have an audiology program; many times, they'll shoot your impressions for a very small fee (or free); I usually visit the Washington University CID Clinic in St. Louis, who does a hearing screening, exam, and impressions for $25. It's worth checking in your area what your options are.
Fit & Build Quality
An improvement over the previous version, the updated SofterWear sleeves are built of a soft silicone which feels extremely light in the ear but very durable while handling.
Instead of written "L" and "R" markings, Future Sonics' lab has added a unique feature to the new SofterWear -- frosted red and blue markings on the ear canals, offering easier visualization of which earpiece goes in which ear.
Comfort is a huge part of the SofterWear experience; when placed in my ears, the SofterWear feel almost invisible. Again, your fit experience will have everything to do with having good impressions; Kathy Peck from HEAR in San Francisco took my impressions, and they fit great the first time out.
When compared to the stock sleeves, the SofterWear makes such a difference in both comfort and sound quality. There's also a huge financial advantage to having SofterWear -- at $149, you don't have to buy additional sleeves when the generic ones wear out, as they tend to do.
Instead of written "L" and "R" markings, Future Sonics' lab has added a unique feature to the new SofterWear -- frosted red and blue markings on the ear canals, offering easier visualization of which earpiece goes in which ear.
Comfort is a huge part of the SofterWear experience; when placed in my ears, the SofterWear feel almost invisible. Again, your fit experience will have everything to do with having good impressions; Kathy Peck from HEAR in San Francisco took my impressions, and they fit great the first time out.
When compared to the stock sleeves, the SofterWear makes such a difference in both comfort and sound quality. There's also a huge financial advantage to having SofterWear -- at $149, you don't have to buy additional sleeves when the generic ones wear out, as they tend to do.
Sound Quality
The first noted improvement on the new SofterWear sleeves is sound quality.
On the previous version, I noted a distinct drop in the high-end frequency response when using the sleeves; while it wasn't enough to be hugely distracting, it was very noticeable to trained ears.
The new SofterWear sleeves addressed and corrected this issue.
The sound quality of the Atrio with SofterWear is stellar; firm bass, lush midrange, and silky highs. There's a little bit of midrange bump noticeable when using the SofterWear over stock sleeves, especially in the 1-3kHz range, but it's not overbearing nor unpleasant in any way.
One aspect of sound quality is consistency -- with SofterWear, you'll notice that you always get consistently good sound quality, which can go back and forth depending on the fit of your universal-fit sleeves. SofterWear makes the solid sound quality much more consistent.
Overall, the new SofterWear sleeves extend the value of the Atrio package above and beyond what you pay. For around $350, you can have a custom-fitted, high-quality professional earphone, which is around half of what a comparable product would cost. While the Atrio and SofterWear system isn't a 100% substitute for a fully custom system -- and if you've got the money, that's a great option -- it gets you way closer than many competitive products.
Whether you're using Atrio on stage, in the studio, or with your favorite mp3 player, the new SofterWear sleeves will take your listening experience to the next level, not only in sound quality, but long-term comfort as well.
On the previous version, I noted a distinct drop in the high-end frequency response when using the sleeves; while it wasn't enough to be hugely distracting, it was very noticeable to trained ears.
The new SofterWear sleeves addressed and corrected this issue.
The sound quality of the Atrio with SofterWear is stellar; firm bass, lush midrange, and silky highs. There's a little bit of midrange bump noticeable when using the SofterWear over stock sleeves, especially in the 1-3kHz range, but it's not overbearing nor unpleasant in any way.
One aspect of sound quality is consistency -- with SofterWear, you'll notice that you always get consistently good sound quality, which can go back and forth depending on the fit of your universal-fit sleeves. SofterWear makes the solid sound quality much more consistent.
Overall, the new SofterWear sleeves extend the value of the Atrio package above and beyond what you pay. For around $350, you can have a custom-fitted, high-quality professional earphone, which is around half of what a comparable product would cost. While the Atrio and SofterWear system isn't a 100% substitute for a fully custom system -- and if you've got the money, that's a great option -- it gets you way closer than many competitive products.
Whether you're using Atrio on stage, in the studio, or with your favorite mp3 player, the new SofterWear sleeves will take your listening experience to the next level, not only in sound quality, but long-term comfort as well.