Nuforce NE-600X Quick Review

Nuforce NE-600X Quick Review

Thanks to Nuforce for the sample

Brief:  Fugly but oh so awesome!

Price:  US$24.95 or circa £15 (of course hard to get outside the US)

Specification:  Driver Size: 11mm, Impedance: 32 Ohm, Frequency Response: 20 to 20kHz, Rated Power: 1mW, Max. Input Power: 3mW, Sensitivity: 100dB+/-3dB, Connector: 3.5mm 4-pin iPhone compatible-plug

Accessories:  3 pairs of tips

Build Quality:  Looks alright, doesn’t scream posh but all seems sturdy enough.  Cable feels decent and the jack is rather sturdy.

Isolation:  Rather good.  It’s about the new norm for a dynamic, actually I’d have rathered a little less and no venting issues.  Still as is its quite enough for normal on the street, on a bus type stuff.  Not really stuff for a long flight.  Enough to get you run over though if you aren’t looking, so look.

Comfort/Fit:   With the stock tips I got a bit of air pressure issues with venting but Comply’s cured and it really was only a problem because when reviewing your always pulling things out instead of leaving them there.  Comfort was fine wearing up even with the flat cable.

Aesthetics:  Well, looks aren’t everything.  Most Nuforce stuff looks fantastic but these just don’t unless the option of a green or red cable float your boat. 

Sound:  So good I thought something had to be wrong.  The bass is waaaaay too big but otherwise these are just incredibly good for the price.  They are so much clearer and have vastly better tonality than their “competitors” I kept thinking there has to be a mistake.  These can’t be this good, they just can’t be!  So either I have some fluke set that’s incredible, I have gone mad or these are just outstandingly good.  At this point I don’t know which is true.  If you’re crazy you won’t know you’re crazy will you?  The bass here is vast, it’s easily its biggest fault and there is just so much of it.  EQ’ing the bass down helps but it’s still hugely bassy.  Quality wise though it’s stunning.  Quick, agile and punchy well beyond its price point.  I’d expect so much more bloom and softness given cost and gargantuan quantity.  Mids are excellent but rather pushed back.  Still then sound wonderfully natural, a touch warm but excellent and clear.  Guitars really twang and snap well.  Highs are almost crystal clear, very natural sounding, well for this money anyway.  They have just a hint of edge and decay really impressively well.  They are very clear too and stay clear very well even when stuff starts getting busy.  Of course they do get a bit lost but long after its competition does.  Instrument separation is superb, a clear step up on others.  It’s way better than its price tag suggests.

Value:  If you’re in the US, jaw dropping good, I suggest you buy a set.  Elsewhere, still excellent.

Pro’s:   Sound jaw droppingly good.

Con’s:  Waaaaay too much bass, a bit fugly.