This week I'll be speaking to the music lovers out there like myself. Folks, have you ever found those special headphones that make music come alive? Well, I have, but since mine got busted by a malfunction, I'm back on the hunt.

There are two potential candidates - the Zenex on-the-move, five-in-one wireless headphone; and the UE (Ultimate Ears) MetroFi 170.

See comparison on Page A9.

The Zenex

Let's start with the big guy. The Zenex wireless headphones pretty much do all except make you coffee on a cold, rainy day. Let's look at the features these headphones have to offer.

Wireless headphones

Wired headphones

Wireless Net chat

Monitoring

FM radio

If you read what's on the box, you'll be immediately sucked in and it would be an instant purchase. Well, I was just as excited until I opened the box.

The first thing that left an unpleasant taste in my mouth was the fact that this device uses four AAA batteries. I thought these things came with rechargeable batteries!

Anyway, the second thing that got me enraged was the size of the darn headphones themselves. What was the manufacturer thinking making headphones for Dumbo? After getting over those two obstacles, it was time to test the product itself.

I have to admit that it does what it says on the box, but how well it does is a whole other topic. The wireless capabilities of these headphones are seriously hampered by feedback. You'll try to listen your favourite songs and be greeted by feedback overlain by music. I never had a pleasant experience with the Zenex wireless headphones, so I guess I'll have to continue my search for that perfect 'soundmate'.

UE (Ultimate Ears) MetroFi 170

That brings me to this beauty, the UE (Ultimate Ears) MetroFi 170. Just the craftsmanship on the ear buds alone is a selling point. These ear buds don't offer as many features as the Zenex wireless headphones but I hoped it would get one thing right - the sound.

To my surprise, the ear buds were amazing! They are great for noise isolation, exorcising the sound demons that pester you and thus maintaining smoothness on your ears.

These ear buds have near-perfect sound quality, with the right balance of bass, mid-range, and tweeter modulation. Also included in the package is a hard case to carry around the ear buds, as well as interchangeable silicon cushions to fit different size ears.

Ahhhhhh! I think my search has ended and I'm happy.

Final Thoughts

Mess with my music and you mess with my life, so it's a given that I'll go to the ends of the Earth to get the best-sounding equipment. If you are anything like me, you can't stop till you get the right sound.

The products mentioned in this article were provided courtesy of Royale Computers and Accessories; telephone 906-1067, 906-1068, and 754-5048. Email feedback to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.