Even E1 review – personally calibrated earphones
Even E1 earphones
£99.95Pros
- Quality build
- Premium look
- Comfortable
- Enhanced sound quality
- Unique tech
Cons
- Controller is weighty
- Needs to be charged to work
The Even E1 earphones looked interesting. Perhaps not so much because of their design, but due to their claimed “EarPrint” technology. So, I asked to take them for a spin.
I do enjoy reviewing devices from brands I have never heard of. Whether they be new on the scene or just escaped my knowledge, ‘unknowns’ are great.
Why? Well, for a start, I have no preconceived ideas of what to expect. Are they going to be a quality item? Will they be overpriced or, conversely, will they punch above their weight?
It’s the not knowing until I’ve actually tried them that is exciting. That, and the company’s “Glasses for your ears” strap line got me more than a little intrigued.
So, enough of my jibba-jabber. Let’s get these stuck in my ears.
Even E1 design
The earphones look pretty slick and high-end.
The main cable is striped black and white, and all the cables are nylon-braided. Yup, I am still a sucker for braided cable. Furthermore, the braiding helps prevent tangles.
From the inline controller the cable to each earbud is either black or white. The white cable goes to the left, black to the right. The difference between left and right with these buds are even, or Even, more important. I’ll get to why later.
The earphones are light and relatively small.
I like the way they look and there is definitely a premium feel to them.
They also come with a neat little carrying case, microUSB cable, clip and tips.
Even E1 performance
Set up
Yup, they might look like regular wired earphones, but they need setting up if you’re to get the full Even benefits.
You may have already noticed that the controller is a little larger than most found on passive earphones.
Well, this is where the special tech is held. This is where the earphone’s assistant, Sarah, lives.
Firstly, turn on the earphones by hitting the ‘e’ button, then double tap that button to ‘speak’ with Sarah.
Sarah will now take you through a hear test to calibrate your earphones.
This test takes around 90 seconds. This basically consists of listening to about 10 pieces of music, with increasing volume, in each ear. When you hear the music, you press the ‘e’ button and the next piece of music begins.
The earphones learn which frequencies best suit you at specific volumes and mix them together to create a profile for you. It’s very easy and Sarah takes you through step by step. Moreover, Sarah is pretty friendly.
Even recommends that you recalibrate a couple of times a year as your hearing changes over time. I actually recalibrated depending when I was using them – at home, on the tube, etc.
Yup, and this is why differentiating between left and right is more important as these are now tailored to each ear.
Sound quality
Even has taken an unusual path to getting the best out of the earphones. Some audiophile IEMs will rely not only on quality components, but also custom moulded earpieces.
With the Even E1, you get pretty standard tips, albeit with a selection, but Sarah’s ear test is where they play their strongest hand.
I will admit to being impressed by what I heard.
Swapping between the E1s and some decent quality passive earphones the music played at the same volume through the Evens seemed more dynamic.
String arpeggios were clearer, vocal expressions more defined, drums more live.
The differences between the passive buds of a similar price and the Even E1 weren’t night and day, but large enough for me to choose the E1s each time I left the house.
The largest difference for me came when listening to music on the tube. Usually I’d have to ramp up the volume in order to hear everything but, with the E1s calibrated when on the tube, more details came through at usual volume. This is purely due to the less audible frequencies being boosted.
Even E1 review conclusion
The Even E1 earphones are a novel way of getting personalised audio. Sound reproduction is good and they look quality and feel comfortable.
Whilst the inline controller is large and heavier than you’d normally find on passive earphones, it doesn’t affect the comfort-factor. However, that controller does hold a battery that does need power.
The power is used for the clever audio tech, aka Sarah. There is only one drawback – no power, no audio. You cannot use the E1 as regular buds when the battery goes flat.
Yes, it’s another device to charge but I am sure we are all used to charging stuff.
That aside, the Even E1 allows you to play music at more healthy volume whilst still providing excellent dynamics and clarity.
Even E1 price and availability
You can buy the Even E1 now for £99.95 from Amazon.
