Spark headphones: Snappy look, solid sound
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Reviewed.com reviewed the id America Spark IDH 102 headphones.(Photo: Reviewed.com)
Who says you have to pay big bucks for excellent performance?
Luckily for value shoppers everywhere, excellence doesn't always come at a huge cost. Consider the ID America Spark IDH 102 in-ear headphones: For $59.95 (MSRP), buyers can enjoy sleek, pretty design, tastefully balanced sound, no audible distortion, and a very comfortable fit.
These headphones aren't the best we've seen so far this year, nor the cheapest, but this level of price-to-performance is nonetheless a winning combination. The Spark IDH 102 in-ears are a solid buy.
THE OUTFIT: A snappy look and a portable build
The headphones are essentially everything you need in a set of in-ears: portable, attractive and accentuated with helpful extras. I snagged a set in white and silver to test, but the company also offers them in a handsome black scheme.
RELATED: Looking for a more premium sound? Try these JBL Synchros.[1]
My one complaint is the remote: The one-button affair takes calls and moves forward and backwards through songs, but it won't adjust volume. If you rely on volume controls and you're on the move as much as I am, you may want to consider other options.
The rest is just as it should be. These headphones include removable sleeves in small, medium, and large measurements to suit ears of all sizes. While the sturdy rubber cable seems durable enough, users are also supplied with a petite hard carrying case. To round it out, ID America topped these in-ears with a gold-plated jack.
THE AUDIO: A detailed, well-balanced soundscape
Proper balance, low distortion, adequate isolation and detailed sound mean one thing: These Spark in-ears are great performers.
MORE: See all headphones ranked and rated[2]
Bass notes get a modest boost, delivering just enough bump, bump, bump in the low end. Too often, a boost in the bass range can come at the expense of middle and high notes, but not here: A raspy singing voice, a piping piccolo, twinkling percussion — these middle and high notes are perfectly audible, thanks to proper emphasis throughout. Whether it's pop, jazz or opera, this is a very detailed soundscape.
As an additional bonus, we found no audible distortion and proper balance in volume between the left and right speakers. Lastly, while we've certainly found better isolation on other in-ear headphones this year, these Sparks still block a fair measure of middle and high-pitched disturbances.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A worthy contender
The Spark IDH 102 headphones ($59.95) by ID America deliver excellent sound quality for a reasonable price. Extras such as the hard carrying case and small/medium/large speaker sleeves dress the package up quite a bit, and the pretty design sweetens the deal even more.
The one-button remote is a letdown for the multitaskers of the world, but if you can live with that, these are worth serious consideration. They aren't without some low-price competition, but the Spark IDH 102 in-ears are still an excellent, high-quality bet.
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References
- ^ http://headphones.reviewed.com/content/jbl-synchros-s200i-review?utm_source=spikes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=collab (headphones.reviewed.com)
- ^ http://headphones.reviewed.com/?utm_source=spikes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=collab (headphones.reviewed.com)