Audiofly AF78

Audiofly is a relatively new name on the earphone scene, and the AF78 represents the company's top-of-the-line offering. At $209.95 (direct), it includes a microphone and single button remote (a $199.95 mic-free version is also available), and is positioned against a crowded field of stiff competition. The earphones use a combination of dynamic and balanced armature drivers, which is quite unique, but there are some distortion issues on deep bass tracks at top volumes, which shouldn't occur in this price range. At moderate volumes, though, the audio is clean, with a lack of exaggeration that purists might appreciate. And you get a nice selection of accessories.

Design
The AF78 is unique in that its in-canal earpieces employ both dynamic and balanced armature drivers?not simply one or the other. The overall design of the earphones is not particularly eye-catching?black and metallic plastic earpieces with the Audiofly logo on each ear?but the braided, Kevlar-reinforced cable has a nice look. Both left and right earpieces are well-labeled, and the right earpiece even has a Braille marking, useful regardless of whether your vision is impaired.

The left earpiece's cable houses the microphone, and further along at the intersection where the cables join into one, there's a single-button control for making calls and controlling playback on most smartphones. The AF78 lacks an inline volume control, however, which is a bit of a bummer given the price.

The lack of volume control, however, is offset by the excellent accessories included with the earphones. A compact, circular carrying case is hard enough to protect the AF78 and small enough to stow easily. Two adapters are included?one for turning a single 3.5mm jack into two so you and a friend can listen to the same sound source; the other is a standard airplane jack adapter. There are six pairs of eartips, in various sizes and materials, and an ear wax cleaning tool?an oft-overlooked accessory that may not be sexy, but is undeniable useful?is also included.

Performance
The overall frequency response of the AF78 offers a disciplined approach to the two areas of the frequency range that manufacturers are most often temtped to tinker with. Neither the deep low frequencies nor the mid-highs-to-highs seem to be particularly tweaked here. As a result, it's tempting to say that the AF78 has a flat response of the sort audiophiles seek out, though occasionally, things can also sound a bit muffled. There's not a lack of bass response, but there is certainly no booming low end, and the highs are articulate and clean, but "bright" is not an adjective you'd use to describe the AF78's sound signature.

The AF78's downfall, if it has one, is its performance at near-top to maximum volumes. There's noticeable distortion on deep bass tracks, enough that it can't be considered negligible. This is by no means a deal breaker?no one should be listening at such volumes, but it is a legitimate test of what the drivers can stand up to. Ironically, it's not the usual suspects (the sub-bass frequencies) that distort on our bass test track, the Knife's "Silent Shout," it's the lows and low-mids that accompany the sub-bass drum percussion in the early moments of the song.

On instrumental and classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," the lower register strings, brass, and percussion are presented with less low-end resonance than you typically hear from a modern earphone pair?but this is not a bad thing. The overall performance on tracks like this feels quite balanced. When deeper drum hits occur, they're neither brushed aside nor overwhelming, as they often are on earphones that enhance the low frequencies too much. Some listeners, even on instrumental tracks, might wish the AF78 offered a bit more brightness that would allow the higher wooden percussion or strings to stand out a bit more from the mix. But the overall response is clear, if not particularly crisp.

The Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones , in comparison, have a little more sub-bass frequency response, and a high frequency output that's also a bit more boosted. This serves to make modern mixes, which often include deep bass frequencies, sound a bit more intense?deeper thuds on the kicks, and a bit more crackle in the vocals and brightness on percussion, but it's not necessarily more accurate.

The AF78 does a respectable job of keeping its fingerprints off the mix, in general. It's not quite as clinically accurate as the Etymotic ER-4PT , but it does feel measured and subtle in comparison to the B&W C5, and far less sculpted than much of the current in-ear competition, like the overwhelmingly bass heavy Denon Urban Raver AH-C300 In-Ear Headphones .

The combination of dynamic and balanced armature drivers would feel more like a gimmick if it was something most people paid attention to; here, it just seems like a way for Audiofly to separate itself from a widening field of boutique-level earphones. The AF78's fairly flat response does achieve a separation from the field by simply being less bass-heavy and bright. So it's a shame that it distorts at top volumes on bass-heavy tracks, but as we mention earlier, at moderate levels, this is not a problem. Mainly, it just makes the price for the AF78 seem a bit inflated.

Also worth noting: Microphone quality was somewhat distorted in my tests. Things weren't so bad, though, that I couldn't understand voicemail messages I recorded using the AF78 with an iPhone.?

At $210, the AF78 offers an articulate sound signature?some will find it a little muffled, but audiophiles seeking flat response might enjoy what the AF78 has to offer. Distortion at top volumes aside, it's a well-constructed pair of earphones designed to compete with the Etymotics of the world more so than Beats by Dr. Dre. If the $200 range is not really in your budget, but you're still looking for earphones with great value that don't wildly boost the bass, the Shure SE215 ?is a standout in its relatively affordable realm.

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