Today, PaulTech brings you a review of the Maximo iMetal Earphones series; specifically, model iM-390. First, a bit of setting and history: Maximo is a consumer electronics company, probably best known for its line of specialized accessories built for the e200/c200/c100 series of Sansa MP3 players. With offerings from FM transmitters to the iMetal Earphones to the MountMaster, a Flat-panel TV wall mount; Maximo has a wide range of products and experience. This experience shows in the iM-390, as it is an impressive headphones (or earphones) solution.

First off, some specs from Maximo’s product website:

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When I first opened the package, I was surprised to see all of the accessories Maximo sent along with the iM-390. Included in the package was a 2 foot extension cord, an airline adapter plug-in, a 2.5 mm adapter, and 3 sets of eartips for varying sizes of…ears. One I got past the accessories, I took a look at the earphones and the carrying case. One word describes them best: Solid. Heavy-duty stitching and a sturdy plastic core on the inside of the case ensures that everything short of a cinder block falling on your case won’t damage your earphones. The earphones themselves are impressive; if merely for the fact that they are really shiny. Built out of an aluminum alloy, these are very strong for their size and very light in a weight comparison. The eartips themselves are much softer than I anticipated; other products’ eartips, in my experience, have been rough on insertion and have had trouble remaining comfortable inside the ear. These are softer, but still fit in your ear just fine.

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Sound quality and noise cancellation on the iM-390 was tested with a 4GB iPod Mini and on an Audigy 2 PC sound card. Songs tested were: Last Train Home by Lostprophets; Davy Jones by Hans Zimmer; and The Wonders of You by Andy Hunter.
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A note on earphones: any initial lack of quality could probably be attributed to the earphones not sitting correctly in your ear. With other earphones, the tips would be very uncomfortable and would prompt a change in position; with the iM-390s, I had to hear the sound quality before I could tell if I had them in right. Upon starting testing, I immediately focused in on the bass ranges, as that’s where the good separate from the great. “Deep, powerful bass” might be a bit of an overstatement, but there was enough to shake my eardrums at times. Everything else was delivered in excellent quality. One other note about the sound: these headphones delivered the music at a much higher volume level; I can’t stand headphones that are softer than their cousins, it’s just too much hassle to constantly adjust for. Noise cancellation was excellent. In the course of my testing I would simultaneously turn my PC speaker volume up all the way and listen to music on the iPod with the earphones; only at the transition in between songs where there is the noticeable silence could I hear the music playing on the PC. I suspect the high-grade aluminum and it’s sturdy construction helps to block out the outside sound, so props to Maximo for a good fabrication decision.

In conclusion, these are solid. Solid sound delivery, solid construction, and excellent noise cancellation make this a great set of earphones. They’re comfortable in your ear and you must WORK to damage them. Pricing hovers around the mid $30s, though I saw a pair for $20.99 from one of the online retailers Maximo set up. Personally, I like them a lot. I haven’t had many good experiences with earphones in the past, but these are, at least for me, the exception to the rule. If you’re an audiophile, I can’t see you going wrong with picking up a pair. Normally, the bass’ less-than-great showing would cause me to knock off at least a half-star from the rating, but the iM-390 has done so well everywhere else that I can’t justify it. The iM-390 is, as they say, a great choice for air travel, Mp3 players of all kinds, and music aficionados. These reasons are why the Maximo iM-390 Earphones have earned a 5-star rating from PaulTech. Happy jamming!

Picture courtesy of: Maximo

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EDIT: I’ve talked to the Marketing Manager for Maximo, and apparently neodymium earphone drivers actually have a “burn in” timespan after which they perform better, especially in the bass ranges. This is new for me, at least, as this is the first neodymium set of earphones I’ve ever reviewed, but it can’t be helped I guess. Looks like I’ll have to put these new earphones to some serious “testing” now!

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