Of course when you’re reviewing a portable headphone like the Tracks, you can’t apply the same benchmark like you do when you review a full size, but overall the Tracks manage to captivates me with a fun, musical sound, and one of the best upper midrange-treble I’ve heard in a portable. I find that the biggest fault with most portables in the same class is that they try too hard to impress with treble and bass areas (because that’s the areas that most people notice, I suppose), and they always result in a harsh treble, overly boomy bass, or a combination of both.The Tracks headphone doesn’t fall into this tuning mistake. Like the bigger sized Sony MDR-570LP , the Tracks headphone doesn’t try too hard, but it carefully applies a little tuning here and there to come out with a natural and musically pleasing sound.
Let’s talk about the treble. Any good headphone has to be able to grab you with the treble. With the PX100-II, I find that Sennheiser boost the upper treble areas, and it comes out fairly noticeably as an unnatural treble spike. Treble spikes can often result in a false impression of detail, but to my ears, they sound unnatural and unpleasing. Instead of boosting the upper treble, AIAIAI instead worked with the lower treble and upper midrange, giving it one of the best lower treble – upper midrange combination I’ve heard from portable headphones. It’s very clean sounding, non fatiquing because the upper treble is fairly relaxed, and yet the lower treble-upper midrange region really captivates you, in almost any music genre that I’ve tried it with. It works well for vocal, accoustic guitars, and other instruments.
Moving down from the treble, the midrange areas are fairly full bodied and warm sounding. Really, while it won’t compete with a proper full-size set up midrange, it’s one of the best midrange implementation in a portable. Now when you’re down to the bass region, you’re met with a nice full bass, although slightly boosted, but overall the effect is very nice. The bass may not have a very low extension, but it has plenty of bass quantity to make casual listening very enjoyable.
The Tracks is a closed design, as opposed to the open design PX-100. But this is one of the rare cases where I prefer the close design headphone over the open design. The housing size is approximately the same as the PX100, although if you want to be precise, the Tracks is slightly smaller but thicker. Okay one drawback of the Tracks is that you can’t fold it, but as a result, you get a sturdier one piece all-metal frame, as opposed to the plastic frame that you find on foldable cans. Fit and comfort is approximately the same as the PX100. I have to admit that for this kind of duties, I prefer the more practical, single entry cable of the PX100-II, but looking at the design of the Tracks, that wouldn’t be practical to implement (as you’ll have cable running over the sleek metal frame).
The driver housing doesn’t come with any left or right markers, and I thought, “No, this is not good”, until I figured out that the Y-Splitter carries the markings. Okay, but that’s still impractical, as it’s not very clearly marked (for good reasons though, to maintain clean aesthetics). Finally I was able to figure out how to leave a good mark on the sides, by applying different color button on one side (The Tracks come with 3 sets of buttons of different colors). The overall size is small enough though, and leaving it hanging on my neck, I almost doesn’t feel that I have a headphone hanging. Very light indeed. You can adjust the fit by sliding the button up and down the metal frame.
What else is nice? You can buy a version of the Tracks that has built in microphone. I’ve been enjoying using the Tracks almost everywhere. On my workdesk with the Audinst HUD-MX1, portable direct from my Ipod. Unless something else very nice comes out, I think I’m gonna get another Tracks, this time with the mic so I can use it with my phone.
System used for review:
Headphones: AIAIAI Tracks, Sony MDR-570LP, Sennheiser PX100, PX100-II
Source: Ipod Classic 120GB, Audinst HUD-MX1
Amplifier: Audinst HUD-MX1
Noir
interesting review, anyway where can i find this headphone to buy? especially in indonesia?
Mike
There is a store in Mangga2 Mall that sells a lot of Skullcandies that has the AIAIAI. I got mine from Stereo @ Plaza Singapure in Singapore.
Cheers.
Noir
what i didn't know that there's a store in mangga2 mall that sell those audio stuff.
mind to give the store name? isn't kantong kresek or le galeria right?
Mike
Sorry I don't remember the store name, just go over there and look around. 🙂
Tri Nguyen
Hi Mike,
I used to have a Px100, I didn't like strong bass of Px100, but the build quality is really good. How about sound and build quality of AIAIAI compare to Px100
Mike
Hi Tri,
I haven't compared the PX100 directly to the AIAIAI. I've talked about the AIAIAI and the PX100-II here: http://www.headfonia.com/v-jays-and-c-jays/
And Hadi has written an in depth comparison of the PX100 to the PX100-II here: http://www.headfonia.com/sennheiser-px100-ii-vs-p…
I hope that can help.
kernelpanic
Hi Mike,
Damn good site you have! Really good reviews you make! I have a question to you: Can you compare the Tracks to the AKG 518 oor 530 shortly? I'm looking for a portable headphone that isn't so much noise reducing like the 518. I simply can't hear the traffic. Is the Tracks much bader in sound quality? Could you recommend some ohter cans? Like I said, the should be portable and discret and have accectable soundquality (I use a iPod nano, so the amps aren't so good anyway). Do you think a cmoy amp could make them sound a bit more better? By the way, my music style is electro, house, techno and stuff like that but pop or indie as well.
Thanks for your help man!
Mike
Kernelpanic! Damn flattering comments you said there man! 🙂 Thanks for the kind words.
Tracks to the K518 or 530? Sorry I don't have them around. But here is the deal, in headphones, a bigger sized driver almost always produce a superior sound than the smaller drivers. So, in that sense, I don't think the Tracks would be able to compete in terms of technicalities with the 513 and 530. It will, however, let you hear outside noises better than the two bigger AKGs. The Tracks is generally a fun sounding headphone, and it's hard not to like it. I think it will go well with the electro, house, techno, pop, or indie. The bass is quite punchy, while the midrange is also pretty engaging — so that should cover your music pretty well.
I don't think you need to worry about the Cmoy. The Tracks sounds good just as it is.
If you want to look around, I'll recommend you to look at the V-Jays. It's been our favorite portable headphone for a while now. Here is a portable headphone shootout that includes the Tracks and the V-Jays: http://www.headfonia.com/ultra-portable-shootout-…
🙂
kernelpanic
Thanks, I’ve read that too.
I think the V Jays are too open an they are more expensive as well. The question was just like “The tracks or go on with your 518”. An I think the tracks don’t have much bigger drivers? Well, I’m going to make me a cmoy anyway, because the bass with the iPod and the 518 sounds acceptable if the volume is at max, maybe it could help getting more base into the low volumes.
Thanks anyway! If you want I can share a test K518 – Tracks as soon as I get them.
Mike
I have a chance to listen to the 518LE yesterday. Rule of thumb is that the bigger the driver, the more powerful bass you get. This was indeed the case with the 518LE, much more powerful bass than the Tracks. Obviously the two are tuned for different sound.
On the other hand, I’ve listened to a lot of CMOYs and they don’t help with adding bass punch (I assume that’s what you want). You can tune them to add bass quantity, but not bass punch.
I suggest you look into the AKG181DJ. It has very punchy bass. Likewise the Senn HD25-1 also has very punchy bass.
kernelpanic
Ok, so much to the cmoy. But I’m not looking for a can with more bass punch, but more portable an not so much noisereducing ones.
Mike
Okay, let us know how you like the Tracks.
cyberg00se
Ok, I couldn't resist these little buggers, and I've put in my order over at AIAIAI. 🙂
I have one question while I wait – how well do they keep sound from leaking out? It's the bane of all portable headphones, especially the open ones.
I've got the Portapro LEs, and the VJays, and from reading your impressions, we agree on their sound. Who couldn't love the VJays? But they're open, and if these Tracks can keep everyone around me from knowing my musical guilty pleasures, they could be a handy headphone to have around. 🙂
Mike
Oh, that is a difficult question. I’ve always feel that sound leaks are inevitable with these ultra portables, so I never really tested which leaks more than the other. Why don’t you try it and let me know? 🙂
Come to think of it, I do have the AIAIAI and the V-Jays. I’ll try it tomorrow and get back to you.
Mike
Tried it out just now.
They do leak sound. I compared it to the PX100-II and the V-Jays, and while the V-Jays leaked the most, the three were not so far behind from each other, with the PX100 being second, and the AIAIAI being the least leaky.
Cyberg00se
I always take the ultra scientific approach of putting my hands where the ears would go, and try to equal the clamping force. Or ask my husband if he can hear anything. The latter is a worse test because he's a deaf bass player. I remember my old px200s were pretty good at hiding your show tunes from the world. I wouldn't expect the performance of a big boy closed headphone, but if they didn't leak sound like a saggy diaper, that could br pretty awesome.
cyberg00se
Well that was fast shipping from Aiaiai! DHL got here before they sent the noticed that they shipped. So ordered Monday, got here Wednesday. 🙂
The funny thing is that everything about their cute factor just screams that they’ll be awful. I’m such a headphone racist. But fresh out of the box, they sound as fun as fun can be. Very close to the V-Jays, but darker, more muffled. Not a HUGE difference though. They’re everything I like in a portable headphone.
Except they leak like an open headphone. Grrrr. Oh well. I always forgive these things if it sounds good.
So score good for the “looks and sounds good” group of headphones.
soonkiong
thanks for the review! i was searching high and low for a reasonable ultraportable as well and had settled down on a pair of Marshall Majors at 1st. they were ok but the clamping force on my ears was a bit uncomfortable after a few hours of wear. ordered myself a pair of AIAIAI tracks now hoping for the best.
Anonymous
Hope the tracks fits you well.
Cieran Brown
Hi Mike, I have another question for you 🙂
I see you mention the Sony MDR-570LP’S in comparisson to the Tracks and I was wondering which do you consider having the better sound, ignoring isolation?
I am particularly interested in bass performance and the size of sound.
Thanks for any help!
Mike
The Sony is warmer and has a softer, more intimate sound with good mids. The Tracks has more bass and is generally a more fun sounding headphone.
stereodog
Hi Mike,
I’ve just found your sight and as a headphone lover it is manna from heaven. Your comparison between these and the Sony MDR-570s is interesting because I’ve owned both pairs the other way round.
I picked up the AIAIAIs cheap at TK Maxx a while ago but returned them quickly.
Everything you say about the wonderful sound is true but for me portables like this simply must have good noise isolation. I use these kinds of headphones on the bus to work and I need something to block out other people’s tinny thumpings and not add to them myself.
After trying many different models (incidentally you might want to check out the ultra cheap JVC Flats, surprisingly good sound but little isolation) I’ve finally settled on the Sony MDR-570s because they are superb at blocking outside noise. I find the sound on my mainly classical tracks a little muffled compared to the AIAIAIs but I’m willing to forgo that in order to avoid competing with someone else’s Dr Dre concerto played on the Apple ear-bud.
Once again many thanks for a superb website.
P. J.
If you read the manual it says that the mic is on the right wire so you don’t need those buttons to colour code the left or right headphone.
George Lai
Mike, 3 and a half years later, and this is now USD75. Worth a punt for exactly the same reasons you’ve stated in this review? Portability, decent sound, non-absolute isolation, etc. Looks like a slimmed down Momentum On Ear too.
Mike
Yes.
But check out the AKG K420. Lots of people prefer the AKG to the Tracks. Despite the AKG selling for a little more than the Tracks here. For me, I’m all for the PX100-II heeyah — but mainstream opinion, K420 seems to be the modern PortaPro sound.
George Lai
Heeyah? Glad I got the PX200 “pardnuh”.
Mike
That’s why you ask before you buy. 🙂
Don’t worry just made the same mistake buying tubes.. bought a pair only to have L diss it as “average”.
George Lai
Sell to him cheap. Then he’ll say it’s good value! He lurves tubes.