![]() ![]() Though the supplied ear tips are adequate, you might have to experiment with third-party foam tips to get a perfect seal. The earbud weight is manageable, and the shape makes it comfortable to wear, even for long walks. The aluminum-alloy earpieces are well machined, with no plastic to be found, and the design incorporates two balanced armatures and two dynamic drivers into each earpiece. The affordable BQEYZ KC2 set is surprisingly well made for earbuds that usually cost only $60. If you’d like more perspective, Wirecutter senior staff writer Brent Butterworth previously wrote about the Satsuma earbuds at length for SoundStage. If Campfire offered a sonic option between the Satsuma set and the more bass-intense Honeydew pair, we would surely make it a pick here. The Satsuma’s 3D-printed earbud chassis also fit us well: The earbuds are lightweight without feeling flimsy and are shaped in an ergonomic fashion that slips effortlessly into place in the ears. It wasn’t until a tuba bleated or a bassline kicked in that we really noticed the lack of low end to buttress the overall tuning. Strings, voices, and acoustic instruments really shone. (We like a more Harman-curve style of sound, with more bass presence than the Satsuma provides.) Although we would’ve preferred more low-end support, we thought that the amount of delicacy, detail, and clarity in the upper ranges of this pair’s sound was delightful. If you prefer a sound profile that puts detailed, delicate high frequencies in the foreground: Take a look at the Campfire Audio Satsuma, which is set to the type of flat-response “audiophile” tuning that isn’t our favorite but is preferred by many headphone enthusiasts. Sometimes a pair of tips with a different material or shape that better suits your anatomy can make all the difference. If you find that the included tip options are uncomfortable, try replacement tips before spending the money on new earbuds. We look for earbuds that come with a variety of tip sizes to help ensure a good fit. Not only does the fit affect the comfort of your earbuds, but it also can affect how they sound. Fit: A good fit is of utmost importance with in-ear headphones. ![]() The best earbuds replicate a sense of space and dimension, where the instruments seem to come from a point in space rather than feeling like a flat wall of sound. Bass notes should have pitch and form, not just sound like “whump whump whump.” Rapid successions of notes should be individually audible and shouldn’t smear together. For example, the bassline shouldn’t overpower the lead guitar, and the vocals shouldn’t have consonants that are painfully, piercingly loud.
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