TDK BA100 earphones

Balanced armatures, anyone?

Accessory of the Week While these boys from TDK may look like a typical pair of in-ear 'phones, they actually take a different approach to most earphones in the way they deliver sound. They used balanced armature technology rather than dynamic drivers.

These micro drivers fit a woofer, mid-range driver and a tweeter into each earpiece. The result is a full, balanced sound that should knock dynamic-driver earbuds into the proverbial cocked hat.

The BA100s come with four pairs of silicone tips and one pair of foam tips, so you should find a fit that’s comfortable. There are no fancy extra features here: no microphone and no remote control.

There is, however a pack of accessories which comprises cable clip, jack adaptor, cleaning tool and spare filters. There’s also an additional cable to extend the 52cm lead by another 75cm. Both cables are flat rather than rounded so didn’t tangle.

I found the BA100s very comfortable to wear. Audio fidelity was excellent. The balance erred a little to much on the side of bass for my liking, but there was plenty of detail in the treble and mid-ranges.

The strings in Rodrigo y Gabriela’s Tamacun snapped crisply, while Plan B’s falsetto soared over bass on She Said. And external noise was very well isolated.

Worth £130? If audio fidelity is important to you, and if you need shielding from external noise, say on a busy train, I’d say definitely. ®

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