TDK EB900 Earphones

(3.0 star rating) Written by: Mikhail Lifshits

I remember a period of time in the 1990s when you couldn’t walk into an electronics store without seeing the TDK name on a substantial portion of the merchandise – video and audio tapes, recording equipment, media playback devices – TDK had a hold on much of the market. Things have changed since then – VHS tapes have been replaced by DVDs, 8-tracks and magnetic tapes have long since gone out the window, professional video equipment has turned all but fully digital, and TDK’s media business was acquired by Imation in 2007. The bold red logo of the Japanese electronics giant has faded from view.

Now, however, the company is back with the EB900 - a mid-range earphone priced to compete with the likes of the Klipsch S4 and Ultimate Ears MetroFi 220. Is TDK poised to become a household name yet again or is the iPod generation better off reveling in obliviousness? Let’s find out.

Packaging & Accessories

The TDK EB900 comes in a simple dark grey cardboard box. Opening the magnetic flap reveals a window showing off the earphones themselves and advertising the included Comply foam tips.

Inside the box you will find:

• TDK EB900 In-Ear Earphones
• 3 sets of single-flange silicone ear cushions in S/M/L sizes
• 1 set of Comply T400 foam tips in dark grey
• Soft synthetic carrying pouch

The accessory pack is rather average for a product priced at $70 with the exception of the included Comply foamies - despite the fact that they wear out rather quickly, Comply tips at the very least give the user a taste of what foam tips are like in both comfort and isolation. For more info on Comply tips and other aftermarket eartip options, I recommend reading our recent Eartip Shootout.

 

Specifications

• Driver Type: Dynamic Driver
• Diameter: 8.5mm
• Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
• Input sensitivity: 101.5 dB/mW
• Impedance: 16 Ohms
• Cable length: 47 inches (1.2 meters)
• Input connection: 3.5 mm plug

TDK EB900 Box

Box - Opened

Design
The curved-body design of the EB900 is quite unique in the realm of in-ear earphones. Though slightly odd-looking, it is convenient to use and certainly stands out in a sea of conventional straight-barrel earphones. The shells are made out of a matte plastic with a glossy finish over the TDK logo. Both the nozzles and rear vents of the earphones are protected by metal grilles. The cable exit points on the underside of the shells feature short rubber strain reliefs and the cabling itself is covered with a black-and-white striped nylon sheath. The cord is extremely light and terminates in a straight 3.5mm plug with a hard rubber strain relief. Overall, the build is quite solid, though not outstanding.

There is a possibility of the nylon cable sheath fraying due to the stress exerted by the hard rubber strain reliefs but only time will tell if that’s really an issue. In addition, the earphones exhibit mild driver flex, or crinkling of the driver membrane under pressure when inserting or removing the earphones. Driver flex is not unusual for dynamic-driver earphones but is usually minimal in sets priced above $50.

Overhead Closeup

Accessories

Fit, Comfort and Isolation

Though the body of the EB900 is tapered toward the rear, the fit is typical of lightweight in-ear earphones. The curved housings make them quite easy to grip for insertion and removal and the tapered rear end does mean that the body of the earphones never really touches the ear. Though the short strain reliefs mean that the EB900 can easily be worn either cord-down or with the cable looped over the wearer’s ears, the weight of the cable is not sufficient to keep it planted behind the ear during physical activity.

A shirt clip would have been a nice addition to the package for those who would like to wear the earphones while exercising. A shirt clip would also help reduce the amount of cord contact noise, or microphonics, that the earphones exhibit. The nylon-sheathed cable of the EB900 does carry a fair amount of microphonics up the cords – using the earphones while running is highly unpleasant unless they are worn with the cable draped around the listener’s ear and the sliding cord cinch drawn all the way up.

The isolation is also quite average for a dynamic set. Like the vast majority of dynamic-driver earphones, the EB900 is vented at the rear. The vents on the TDK earphones are much larger than average but isolation is not significantly affected - they isolate well enough to be used on a busy street without the need to raise volume.

Sound Quality
Testing note: 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.

Out of the box, the sound of the TDK EB900 exhibits boomy bass and a generally veiled character typical of low-end dynamic-driver earphones. Give the earphones some time to settle in, however, and they make major gains in control and clarity. Their core sound signature is retained, with enough bass to rattle loose teeth and a small dip in the upper midrange that results in a lack of the artificial clarity usually brought about by bright treble. As with most earphones, the frequency response of the EB900 is specified to have a lower limit of 20Hz. However, unlike most of the competition, the EB900 reaches the nether-frequencies without significant roll-off, a side effect of the huge mid-bass boost of the earphones. The response curve of the EB900 sounds ‘enhanced’ by 12-15 decibels in the 50-100Hz range – a gargantuan four-fold increase in volume (I can only assume that the letters EB in the model name stand for ‘Enhanced Bass’).

Front and Rear Grilles

Overhead Closeup - Rear View

The bass-heavy sound is not necessarily a bad thing for listeners in search of the maximum possible bass response and works quite well with hip-hop, pop, and soft rock tracks. For complex orchestral music, big-band jazz, and some rock and metal recordings, the heavy low end just isn’t resolving enough, resulting in a slightly veiled sound. The veil extends over to the midrange, which otherwise exhibits good clarity (when the bass is dropped by 10-12 dB on the equalizer). Despite the huge mid-bass boost, the upper bass of the EB900 is fairly tame and doesn’t intrude on the midrange much. It does, however, impart a fairly dark character on the sound. Luckily, the midrange isn’t particularly recessed and generally sounds full and pleasant, if a bit dry. The pleasantness extends in to the upper midrange, which exhibits a small dip in response, likely meant to reduce harshness and/or sibilance, which gives the EB900 a very smooth sound all the way up. Compared to the voluminous bass, the treble of the EB900 is notably deemphasized but boasts decent, though not class-leading, extension and detail.

The way in which the EB900 presents music is quite interesting as well. Despite the lack of treble emphasis and narrow soundstage, the earphones sound rather airy. The fullness of the midrange and heavy bass notes give the earphones a sense of dimensionality that is often lacking in low-end products. They don’t position sonic cues with particular precision but give a good sense of the general location in the sonic stage and seem to do so with evenness and consistency. There are earphones out there that have a wide soundstage but never seem to take advantage of it. The TDK EB900 has a narrow stage but manages to fill in every nook and cranny with sound, making them quite enveloping and well-suited for music that benefits from the intimate but dimensional presentation.

TDK Life on Record EB900 Earphones

At the $70 suggested retail price, the TDK EB900 is slated to compete with the likes of the Klipsch Image S4 and Ultimate Ears MetroFi 220. My overarching impression of the EB900 is that it’s quite good for an earphone with such heavy bass. On the other hand I consider the Klipsch S4 quite bass-heavy for such a good earphone. The difference stems from the expected sacrifices in clarity and detail that result from manufacturers boosting the bass of their products by a handful of decibels. And that’s exactly how the EB900 sounds - as if TDK started with a fairly balanced and natural-sounding mid-range earphone and cranked up the bass.

The TDK EB900 undoubtedly remains a nice option for lovers of deep and impactful bass but fans of more analytical sound may be disappointed with the hefty low end and lack of resolution. The earphones sound dark and a bit dry but quite full and convey a nice, if slightly undersized, 3-dimensional sonic image. From a usability standpoint, too, the EB900 are competent but not outstanding. Isolation, build quality, and microphonics are all average, with extra comfort points earned for the light weight of the earpieces and included Comply eartips. For those in search of a light and comfortable in-ear with lots of bass, the TDK EB900 is a solid option. As a high-fidelity solution or an earphone for active use, however, the TDK EB900 yields to the competition.

Pros: Light and comfortable; ships with Comply foam eartips; bass-heavy but generally competent sound.

Cons: Loses out in balance, clarity, and detail to some of the competition; carries a good amount of cable noise.

Rating: 3.0 out of 5

www.tdk-media.com