Ankit Stay True Headphones

The humble beginnings of the portable audio market in the 1970s necessitated a utilitarian approach to headphones. Until the late 1990s, headphones were usually considered little more than an ugly necessity. But the iPod generation, raised to think of the bundled white earbuds as a fashion accessory – a ticket to the ‘in’ crowd of sorts – made design-focused headphones and earphones viable. Companies like Skullcandy arose out of this shift, focusing on design as much as functionality.

For today’s youth headphones can make as much of a fashion statement as clothing or jewelry. Ankit aims to bridge the gap between earphone and accessory without losing focus of the main purpose of the former – sound. Could their line of in-ear earphones really appeal to both the hipster and the audiophile? Let’s find out.

Design

In the bronze ages of portable audio most headphones were chunks of black and grey plastic with design dictated almost entirely by functionality. Modern in-earphones are quite different. The placement of the driver enclosure almost completely inside the wearer’s ear gives designers the freedom to shape and mold the body of the earphone to their wildest fantasies. Taking advantage of this freedom, the entire Ankit range implements 3D metallic designs affixed to the earphones to achieve a unique look for each model. In addition, the sliding cord cinch on each model has a unique topical design to match the housings. Ankit claims that each unit is hand-assembled for the best fit-and-finish. And the earphones do look and feel like a quality product.

The 3D metallic skulls on my Stay True earphones give them a nice weight, the housings to which the designs are attached are made of a thick, sturdy plastic, and cabling is thicker than average and rubberized to reduce tangling. On the downside, the stems of the earpieces are extensions of the plastic housings and cannot be called ‘strain reliefs’ in any real sense. The same goes for the plastic sheath on the 3.5mm plug – it is far too hard to protect the cord in any significant way.

In the Box

The Ankit Stay True earphones are packaged in a colorful cardboard blister pack. Though Ankit’s packaging doesn’t go to the same great eco-friendly lengths as that of Thinksound earphones, the company itself promises to go one step further and plant a tree for each earphone they sell. There are a couple of other nice touches, such as the volume level warning label on the back of the packaging, the last line of which reads “going deaf is not cool”. That’s a statement everyone can agree with and something I wish other companies would take to heart – marketing headphones as the “loudest” encourages dangerous behavior in terms of listening volumes. On the whole I was very impressed with the simple and yet uniquely stylish presentation of the earphones, with various slogans and bits of humor scattered throughout. In terms of accessories, though, pickings are rather slim. Inside the packaging are:

• Ankit Stay True earphones
• Three sets of clear silicone tips (in Small, Medium, and Large sizes)

For the $50 retail price of the earphones I would expect at least a protective carrying case of some sort. Not including one makes a statement about the durability of the earphones. Though the packaging recommends handling the earphones “with love”, they are backed by a two-year limited warranty should your love prove too tough for the little guys.

Specifications

• Cable length: 46 inches (1.15 meters)
• Input connection: 3.5 mm gold-plated jack

The technical specifications of Ankit products are not published. Personally, I agree with this move as ‘better’ numbers do not necessarily correlate to better sound and what correlation does exist requires some training to interpret. There is no enforced testing method for earphone performance, either, so while some companies account for volume degradation at the extremes of an earphone’s frequency response, others do not. As a result, the $20 JVC Marshmallow earphones look better on paper than the $400 Audio-Technica CK10s. Ankit is not the only company that eschews technical specifications – Monster Cable takes a similar approach with their earphones.

Fit, Comfort and Isolation

All of Ankit’s earphones boast an ‘ergonomic design’, which boils down to a nozzle that is angled with respect to the housing. Since ear canals are not perpendicular to one’s ears, an angled-nozzle design makes a lot of sense, increasing comfort and insertion depth. Despite the moderate heft of the earpieces, I found them perfectly comfortable for very long stretches of time when out and about. The included silicone ear cushions are fairly standard and with the right choice of cushion size the Ankit Stay True earphones provide above-average isolation at their price point. They won’t mute an airplane engine but they will certainly push the noise of a city street far enough into the background to make music enjoyable.

A caveat of the angled-nozzle design is that the Ankit earphones cannot be worn readily with the cord looped over the ear. However, cord contact noise, a common issue with in-ear earphones, is nearly absent in the rubbery cable used on the Ankits, so wearing them over-the-ear is not critical.

Sound Quality Performance Testing

Testing was done in two parts. The first part, the ‘everyday use’ test, was done using choice test tracks from a wide array of genres in mp3 format encoded at 128-320 kbps. A Sandisk Sansa Fuze, my testing player of choice due to the transparency of the sound it produces, was used for this portion. The second ‘critical listening’ part was done at home using a similar selection of tracks in lossless (FLAC or WMA) formats and my optical-fed iBasso D10 digital-to-analog converter (DAC) as a source. A more high-end source than a portable audio player, the iBasso ensures that I don’t attribute the limitations of the Sansa Fuze or mp3 rips to the earphones. Naturally, no equalizer settings were used for either test.

Listening Impressions

The promotional materials for the Ankit Stay True focus on something called ‘G-Bass Technology’. Though the mode of action of the feature is not explained, it is said to reduce low-end clipping and provide deep, clear bass. Right out of the box the Ankit Stay True earphones certainly surprise with the well-controlled but impactful bass. Though sometimes slightly boomy, the low-end response is mostly taut and unaggressive. Sub-bass extension is very reasonable although there is a definite mid/upper-bass emphasis that gives a small amount of coloration to the midrange. The end result is vocals that are slightly on the warm side of neutral.

Clarity is good – the phones don’t sound muffled but also avoid the plasticky tonality that is often present in lower-priced earphones with exaggerated clarity. The mid-range is lush and thick-sounding. Some microdetail is glossed over, but there is nothing unexpectedly missing for a $50 earphone. Treble presentation is soft, almost timid. Not necessarily a bad thing as the Stay True earphones manage to steer far clear of sibilance, the exaggerated presentation of ‘S’ sounds in vocals. There are some peaks in the lower treble but definitely not enough to say that the Stay True sound harsh. I would personally prefer a more upfront presentation at the high end, but soft treble is the safer approach.

Soundstaging, or the positioning of sonic images in 3D space, is about average. Width and depth of the soundstage are both adequate, not really great enough for a real sense of openness but not so poor that instruments sound run-together. The Stay True sometimes bring drums a bit too far forward for my liking, but aside from that everything is positioned properly in the sonic stage. Overall, the sound is natural and fairly balanced, with good dynamics and a surprising amount of clarity. Those looking for reference-quality reproduction might want to look elsewhere. For those who are simply looking for an enjoyable and involving listening experience on the go, the Ankit Stay True are one of the finer choices to be made at this price point.

Ankit Stay True Headphones

Balancing looks, comfort, and sound is not an easy task for $50, but the Ankit Stay True earphones just about manage to pull it off, and do so with attitude. With fit that is inoffensive to most ears, above-average isolation, solid build quality, and four unique visual styles, the Ankit earphones should not be dismissed simply as bling for the tween crowd. There is nothing simplistic about the sound signature, either. Smooth, natural, and very enjoyable, the sound is refined enough to satisfy the audiophile on a budget and involving enough to keep the casual listener thoroughly entertained. If you are looking for a set of earphones that turns heads and still appeals to consumer sensibilities, the Ankit range should be near the top of the list.

Pros: Styling that will turn heads; ergonomic, angled-nozzle design; reasonable isolation; nearly no cord contact noise; engaging and natural sound.

Cons: Meager accessories; cord is not well-protected against stress.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

www.theankit.com