Puro IEM-100 have a big, rich sound in a very small package.
I love music. It’s a calming influence on my otherwise crazy life. And there is nothing like sitting down at the end of the day and turning on a soft piano station on Pandora to calm the nerves. Music is why I have such a strong interest on finding just the right pair of headphones. The Puro IEM-100 earbuds have a strong future ahead of them as stylish, brilliant sounding headphones.
To start, the Puro IEM-100 have a nice, solid box and packaging. It’s a great juxtaposition between the black details of the headphones, and the bright white of the background. The wrap of the box has some basic details of the headphones, which I would see as very helpful on a retail shelf. After removing the wrap, I found that the logo ‘Puro’ was just beneath it on the top of the box. Inside the box, the earbuds and their cable are wrapped around a hefty black foam that rests tightly inside the small box. After you pull the earbuds and the foam out, you will find a small instructional booklet, replacement ear gels, and a carrying pouch for the earbuds.
One of the first things I noticed about this set of earphones was that the earphones themselves are quite a bit smaller that most earbuds I’ve seen. They are clearly marked for the R and L ear and there is a control about 12 inches down the cable that allows you to turn volume up or down and you can lock in the volume level so that it is limited to 85 dB. Having this lock engaged literally makes it impossible for you to nudge the volume limit up on the lever. Disengaging the lock is a little cumbersome. You have to use the 3.5 mm stereo plug to push it out of the locked position. This is a little awkward in my opinion because if you are listening to something, you have to stop what you are doing and unplug the headphones to use them for this purpose.
The next step to my testing process was to of course try them on. If you’ve ever read any of my other reviews, I am not really a fan of the earbud style headphones. They just never seem to fit my ear canal correctly. They are either falling out constantly or provide such a tight connection that air is trapped and it feels like a vacuum in my ears. And yes, I have tried all sizes of ear gels in the past. Surprisingly enough, I found the Puro IEM-100s to be quite comfortable and secure in my ears, unless I accidentally tugged on the cord.
The sound quality was also very surprising to me. Once I found the proper fit inside my ear, the sound was full and bright. There was a very dynamic range between highs and lows. And even though I the volume up kind of high, I didn’t hear any distortion.
One of the nice features of these earbuds is the volume control. Puro prides itself on HEALTHY EARS, a sound investment in your future. Basically what they’ve done is provided the Puro Balanced Response curve and ambient noise attenuation to help provide you with a stronger sound so you don’t have to ‘crank up the volume’ giving you a better chance at healthier ears and better hearing throughout your life. That is why they include the lock and why it’s important to use it.
Overall, my experience with the Puro IEM-100 earbuds was very enjoyable. I love the simplicity of their design with the elegant, rich sound that they offer.
For more information, visit http://purosound.com/IEM100.
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