Future Sonics Atrio M5 Earphones

(Review) - Future Sonics is a name that many audiophiles should be familiar with. The company, similar to Shure and Ultimate Ears, is focused on the targeted audiophile market that’s really only interested in hardcore musicians and people who adore great sound. Future Sonics’ Atrio M5 earphones is a testament to that fact, and for only $199.99, it certainly has a winner on its hands.

As much as we love the audio quality of the Atrio M5, the earphones look terrible from all angles. From the tacky color to the cheap, shiny plastic exterior, the pair is a mess, to put it politely. As we excitedly took out the pair from its packaging, we were shocked and dumbfounded after getting a front row experience with the Atrio M5. What’s going on Future Sonics? As much as we understand the support behind audio quality, this is 2007. People demand their latest gadgets to look great.

We would be lying if we said we got over the utter ugliness of Atrio M5, but whatever. It’s time to move on. The earphones include 4x foam and 3x silicone flange sleeves, and trust us when we tell you that you will need to replace these sleeves quite often. Unlike Shure and Etymotic’s offerings, the Atrio M5 doesn’t come with a sleeve cleaning tool (also known as a wax removal tool), so there is no practical way of cleaning the earphones. After you have given the earphones a relatively good workout, be prepared to throw out the sleeves. Might we suggest that it would be in your best interest to deep clean those ears.

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The cord is long and sturdy enough to be reliable, but once again, it looks absolutely atrocious in terms of appearance.

The earphones are also larger than competitive earphones due to their unique driver. In essence, if you are after a product that looks and sounds good, you might as well skip on the Atrio M5.

However, for pure audio quality, these are some of the best earphones we’ve ever heard. Really, it’s quite a pity Future Sonics didn’t focus on design, or these earphones would’ve been a hands down winner. The bass is amazing at low volume levels, though mid level could use a bit more oomph. The audio quality was crisp and crystal clear. For $199.99, you can’t ask for much more in terms of audio quality.

All in all, if you are after affordable audio quality, get the Atrio M5, but get ready to be stared at.

Click here to get the latest pricing on Future Sonics earphones!