Decentralized Sound
First things first: If you regularly use an iPod with the stock Apple earbuds, do yourself a favor and upgrade. Every iPod from the old Shuffle to the new Shuffle is capable of pumping out high-quality audio. The thing too many iPod owners don't realize is that the earbud 'phones that come in the box from Apple don't do the iPod's sound quality anything approaching justice. While the earbuds may be a little better than the average junk sold with other mp3 players, they're still nowhere near the quality you'll get by investing $50-150 in an upgrade.

The trend in "iPod headphones" right now is towards canalphones that push into the outer ear, effective sealing the ear canal off from external noise to promote a higher quality of sound from the desired source (i.e. your music). Canalphones have become popular both for their featherweight portability and natural noise-cancelling properties, both of which are nice when you're on the go in a public space or listening to tunes while exercising. Ultrasone's iCans are a bit of a throwback in that they eschew the canalphone design for the old over the ear "Cans" design, so named because they look like two cans that completely cover the listener's ears and are held together by a headband.

iCans are much smaller and lighter than the cans you might have, might have used to have, or might have seen a would-be DJ wearing on the street the other day. They feature a semi-open design that covers but doesn't fully enclose the ear and folds up for easy storage and transport in the included metal case. iCans' performance is based around Ultrasone's "S-Logic Natural Surround Sound" technology, which the company claims both creates a more natural soundfield akin to listening to music through speakers a few meters away (as opposed to the more immediate sound associated with conventional headphones). Ultrasone also says that the S-Logic technology allows the listener to reduce the decibel level of his or her music up to 40% while enjoying "the same loudness sensation." In other words, using iCans lets you play your music at lower volume levels without any perceived loss of volume, which could protect your hearing my reducing your exposure to excessive decible levels. Or so says Ultrasone.

I tested iCans with a range of music played from CDs and 128-192kbps AAC and MP3 files in a range of settings including the quietest room in my home, the semi-loud cafe where I often work, and lying in bed at night. I also tested the headphones with a 5g iPod, an iBook G4, and a Sony Ericsson w800i Walkman Phone - and both with and without a portable headphone amplifier. As a point of reference, I generally use either Etymotics ER-6i Isolators ($149 list) or Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro ($249 list) canalphones or Sennheiser eh-150 ($59 list) cans when listening through headphones. The Etys and UEs represent two of the best canalphones I've tried. The Sennheiser's are big, comfortable cans that produce pretty decent sound for the price, but certainly aren't the best cans out there.

In all situations with all kinds of music the iCans performed well, but true to Ultrasone's word they do provide a somewhat different listening experience than the other headphones I'm used to. While I'm not really sold on the whole "S-Logic Natural Surround Sound" thing, the iCans did reproduce a somewhat more airy feel than the Sennheisers and certainly sounded "further away" than either of the canalphones. Coupled with iCans' detailed reproduction and wide imaging, the net effect was a good listening experience. I don't know if I'd go so far as Ultrasone's marketing materials in saying that the iCans made it seem like I was listening to music coming through speakers on the other side of the room from me, but the effect definitely was a little different than I've heard from other headphones.

It's hard to say if the iCans sound "better" or "worse" than other headphones. For the money, I prefer the sound of a good canalphone like the Etymotics or Future Sonics EM3. That might just be because I'm used to that more direct sound. Or it might be because the iCans' sound seemed a bit unnaturally spaced to me. Honestly, I can't say. However, there were a few comfort issues that tipped the scales slightly against the iCans for me.

Fit and Function
iCans are finished in grey and silver plastic with white trim to compliment the iPod line. The ear cups are fitted with dark grey fabric backed by foam cups, and should more or less cover any user's ears entirely. Both ear cups adjust indepdently thanks to telescoping arms that slide into the light grey hard plastic headband that holds them together. The headband features a dual hinge folding mechanism that allows iCans to be folded up and tucked away in their storage box. While the ear cups swivel when in the "closed" position to allow for storage, they do not swivel while in use - too bad, as this could have allowed for a more precise and adjustable fit.

The instructions included with my set of iCans said to wear the phones with the headband tilted back to form a 45-degree angle relative to the top of my head. In other words, instead of wearing the iCans with the band straight up and down, I was supposed to push it back about halfway down the rear of my head. So I did. It felt funny. In all of my testing of the iCans, that funny feeling never quite went away. Again, it might just be that I'm used to a headband resting on top of my head (or no headband at all). But that's what I'm used to and these felt funny to me.

Additionally, the ear pads never felt totally comfortable on my ears. I have a larger than average head, though my ears seem to be pretty "normal" in size. I also wear glasses, which may have negatively affected the iCans' fit. The earcups on the iCans more or less covered my entire ear, but always felt like they were pressing too hard on the top front of my ears and not quite hard enough on the back and lower portion of them. So the iCans felt like they were simultaneously pinching the front of my ear and also about to slide down the back of my head. Taking my glasses off helped a little, but not all that much. But, of course, then I had trouble seeing.

I wonder if a swiveling earcup that moved independently of the headband might help me acheive a better fit? And I wonder if it might help other people find a more comfortable fit with iCans, too? For all of the effort UltraSone put into developing a "more comfortable sound," if you will, designed to promote longer listening with less ear fatigue, it's too bad that the physical fit of the iCans on my head was so much less than comfortable.

Conclusion

Ultrasone's iCans headphones deliver a high-quality, somewhat unique listening experience. Whether or not that experience will be to your liking I can't say - if you're interested in the iCans I strongly suggest auditioning a pair for yourself. Sonic reproduction is clear and true with respect to invidual instruments and elements, but the overall effect is definitely a little different than what your usual earphone delivers. If not for the fit and comfort issues I experienced, I might have been inclined to look at the iCans as an alternative listening experience that could really grow on me over time. As it is, though, I think I'll stick with my canalphones. They sound good and definitely feel good to me.

Ultrasone iCans headphones are available in white/silver/grey and retail for $129. They are available through Guitar Center and other outlets listed on the Ultrasone Website. Compare prices at PCPrices/Mac.