Rockford Fosgate Punch Plugs Earphones
Submitted by jwhitakr on Mon, 05/10/2010 - 16:34
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The Rockford Fosgate name should undoubtedly invoke some hi-fi connotations in anyone familiar in the slightest with aftermarket car audio. Today, however, we are taking a closer look at their new Punch Plugs in-ear earphones. We’ve already reviewed an earphone released by one car audio firm, the Digital Designs DXB-01, and walked away mostly impressed. Rockford Fosgate’s Punch Plugs target the vast and fast-paced market of portable audio accessories and are tasked with introducing the Rockford Fosgate name to an entirely new demographic. Do the Punch Plugs have a chance of making a Rockford Fosgate fan out of the average music lover? Let’s find out.
Design
At the core of the Rockford Fosgate Punch Plugs is a pair of 15-mm dynamic transducers. For comparison, the vast majority of earphones utilize 9-11mm transducers with a few boasting 12mm units and only a select handful going above 13mm. The large, ergonomically-designed housings are made completely out of plastic with the exception of the Rockford Fosgate badges and the metal-mesh filters in the nozzle. While not exactly high-rent, the housings do feel solid enough for everyday use. The distinctive flat cable is soft, flexible, and feels rather sturdy. However, the cord lacks strain relief on housing entry as well as at the Y-split. The 3.5mm plug is iPhone-friendly and features a short rubber strain relief.
The earphones do feature Left/Right markings stamped in the plastic on the front of the shells. However, the housings are also asymmetric and differentiating them by feel should become second nature after a week or so of use.
Specifications
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Driver Diameter: 15mm
- Frequency response: 10 to 18,000 Hz
- Input sensitivity: 105 dB/mW
- Impedance: 24 Ohms
- Cable length: 48 inches (1.2 meters)
- Input connection: 3.5 mm jack
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| Box | Accessories | Closeup with 3.5mm plug |
Packaging & Accessories
The Punch Plugs are packaged in a black cardboard box. Opening the flap reveals the all-black earphones contrasted with a crimson background – a simple yet striking presentation. Among the marketing claims on the box one in particular caught my eye: 115dB SPL, juxtaposed with the claim that the Punch Plugs are the loudest earphones in the industry. Knowing that a lot of the teenagers that buy earphones do indeed max out the volume on their Zunes and iPods, this claim seems downright dangerous – 115dB is ear-splittingly loud. An hour of exposure to such levels of sound pressure can seriously damage one’s hearing. The standard “listen responsibly” warning is printed in the user manual but of course if it were up to me, the warning would be on the box and the SPL figure – buried deep in the paperwork.
In terms of accessories, the Punch Plugs are well-rounded, boasting a variety of silicone ear cushions and an excellent carrying case. Aside from the earphones themselves, in the box you will find:
- Three sizes of single flange silicone tips
- Two sizes of dual-flange silicone tips
- Rectangular hard clamshell carrying case
The hard carrying case is a very welcome addition, allowing the user to safely transport the earphones and several sizes of ear cushions. Those with diminutively-sized mp3 players - such as the iPod Shuffle - will be able to fit them in the carrying case alongside the earphones.
Fit, Comfort and Isolation
The body of the Punch Plugs is designed around the sizable bulge that contains the gargantuan drivers. Ideally, the bulge itself rests inside the wearer’s ear the way a conventional earbud would and the long, plastic nozzle is inserted into the ear canal. The nozzle is angled with respect to the driver, making it clear that the folks at Rockford Fosgate did their homework with regard to the anatomy of the human ear. If anything I would prefer the cable exit point to be moved closer to the front of the earphone, as it tends to chafe on my ear in its present state. Make no mistake, however – the housings of the Punch Plugs are huge and could easily swallow a few of the smaller conventional in-ears whole. Those with small ears or ear canals will likely want to give the Punch Plugs a pass if long-term comfort is a priority. Additionally, the Punch Plugs cannot be worn with the cord looped over the ear unless the Left/Right earpieces are reversed. However, the flat cable isn’t particularly conducive to such use anyway.
The isolation provided by the Punch Plugs is reasonable but far from class-leading. The 15-mm drivers can move quite a lot of air and thus necessitate a vented design. Naturally, outside noise enters the earphones through the vents. The resulting isolation is sufficient for a busy city street but expect fine details to be drowned out by intruding noise. The vents on the housings also lead to another issue – wind noise. In breezy conditions, gusts of wind can actually enter the earphones, creating a distinctive ‘whistling’ noise. As far as wind noise goes, the problem with the Punch Plugs is a mild one but something to be aware of nonetheless. On the upside, the rubberized flat cable found on the Punch Plugs doesn’t have a strong tendency to bounce around and cord contact noise is quite low.
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| Closeup | View In Case |
Sound Quality Performance Testing
Testing process: All on-the-go listening was done via an unamped Sansa Fuze using a wide range of tracks in mp3 (bitrates ranging from 128 to 320kbps) formats. Critical listening was done via an optical-fed iBasso D10 using only WMA and Flac lossless files.
The advertising materials for the Punch Plugs claim that the earphones transport the “Power, Clarity, and Ground Shaking Bass” of Rockford Fosgate subwoofers directly into the listener’s ear. While I cannot compare the Punch Plugs directly to a Rockford Fosgate sub, the 15mm drivers certainly do have the potential to justify such lofty marketing claims. The bass produced by the Punch Plugs is indeed very powerful and yet surprisingly accurate and controlled. They aren’t the bassiest earphones out there but they are some of the hardest-hitting, especially at higher volumes. Still, the low end of the Punch Plugs carries quite a lot of information and always sounds well-integrated into the music. Some sub-bass rolloff and midrange bleed do occur, which is not surprising for the quantity of bass the Punch Plugs have to rein in.
Next to the powerful and aggressive low end, the midrange of the Punch Plugs sounds slightly veiled but still very dynamic and involving. Though the earphones do tend to gloss over fine detail, they impart a very unique grungy texture on the midrange, making it sound raw and slightly rough. This tendency is related to the fact that the gigantic drivers of the Punch Plugs have a rather small dynamic range, meaning they don’t relay subtlety very well. Musical elements that are supposed to be quiet are loud; elements that are supposed to be loud are very loud.
Despite the raw-sounding midrange, the treble produced by the Punch Plugs is never harsh. Upper-end presentation is slightly recessed but crisp and accurate, rolling off gradually and a bit too early for my liking. Because of the recessed treble and powerful, forward, and aggressive bass, the Punch Plugs take on a very dark tone. In fact, the Punch Plugs may be the least bright earphones I own – a title previously held by my FutureSonics Atrio M8. Can the dark tone be a negative? Certainly, but it depends on personal preference more than anything else. For listeners who favor bright and sparkly sound, the Punch Plugs will require some heavy equalizer work to bump up the mids and treble. Luckily, the massive drivers do respond well to such tuning.
When it comes to presentation, the Punch Plugs have decent soundstage width and depth. The peculiar sound signature does blur the sonic image a bit, contributing to the ‘raw’ feel of the earphones but resulting in a less separated and more blended sound. To bring out more detail, the Punch Plugs need a good amount of volume – those who like to keep the volume minimal will likely find them a touch boring. At higher volumes they have a very immediate and in-your-face sound but at the same time become more balanced, with the midrange and treble stepping forward a bit. Of course by ‘higher volumes’ I still mean reasonable listening levels – 80-85dB at most. All in all the signature of the Punch Plugs is very unique and, while not technically perfect, is sure to find its fans.
Rockford Fosgate Punch Plugs
Priced at $99.99, the Rockford Fosgate Punch Plugs compete well with other earphones in their price bracket, providing that the listener enjoys the particular flavor they bestow on music tracks. The sound signature of the Punch Plugs lacks compromise – it is dark, raw, and powerful. Low notes hit very hard, the midrange is grungy and thick, and the treble is crisp but recessed. The Punch Plugs are neither audiophile earphones nor studio monitors – they are tuned purely for rocking out. In the same vein, the build of the Punch Plugs utilizes no exotic materials or flashy design elements. As a total package the Punch Plugs make a lot of sense – but before taking the plunge, just be aware of the take-it-or-leave-it design philosophy behind them.
Pros: Ergonomic design, unique and coherent sound presentation.
Cons: Lack of strain relief on cable entry; fit is problematic for those with small ears; slightly prone to wind noise; love-it-or-hate-it sound signature
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
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