I have irregularly shaped ears. Standard in-ear headphones do not fit correctly, and if I do manage to put them on, they hurt after a while. I have been intrigued by the design of the Urbanears Medis for some time now and recently bought a pair. There was an adjustment period, as the feel of the headphones is very different from other in-ear headphones. These headphones do not actually sit inside your ear canal as much as they rest inside your ear. The headphones come with adjustable pegs that attach inside the cartilage fold of your earlobe, securing the fit. I switched the medium size for the small and noticed immediately that the headphones were much more comfortable. Tugging on the nylon cord to simulate the constant snagging that pulls regular earbuds from my ears gave me a welcome surprise; these earbuds were still in my ears!
Using the headphones exposed some differences from every other in-ear headphone that I’ve ever worn:
1) These headphones are not noise canceling, and that is a good thing. Most earbuds go in your ears and form a seal that keeps sound out. Unfortunately, that can also make you vulnerable to becoming street pizza. I can wear the Medis when I’m walking my dog at night secure in the knowledge that I will not be hit by a car I did not hear because of the absence of ambient noise in the background.
2) Most in-ear headphones you have to turn the volume up to the max to hear the audio clearly. The Medis, have clear audio quality at a much lower decibel range, so I did not have to turn the volume up on my device. This also conserves battery life on my device.
3) The built in mic is well placed. When using the Medis for calls on an iPhone, the placement of the mic means that you do not have to hold the microphone up in order to be heard on the other end of the line.
These factors make the Urbanears Medis a unique offering for anyone’s headphone needs. At $49.99, they are at the price point that distinguishes the ordinary offerings of the headphone marketplace from quality, functional products that will make your auditory experience better and more fulfilling.