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(More customer reviews)Note: I received this pair of Rockford Fosgate Punch Plugs gratis as a review pair.
As an experienced in-ear phone user, I was not expecting much from the Rockford Fosgate Punch Plugs. After all, I have owned/heard several of the so-called top-tier IEMs, including those from Westone (UM3X, W2, W2), Ety (ER4P), Sennheiser (IE8/IE7), Klipsch (X10), Future Sonics (Atrio M5), Audio-Technica (CK10), Ultimate Ears (TF10) and a couple dozen less expensive in-ear phones, ranging from $30 to $100. I recently bought the Monster Turbine Pro models (Gold and Copper) as well (kept the Gold, sold the Copper). So I do have some experience with in-ear phones. I do not claim, however, to be an audiophile. Just someone in search of the best sound I can get from portable phones.
The Rockford Fosgate Punch Plugs were a pleasant surprise on a number of counts. Of course, with a 15mm driver, I expected the bass to be the dominant part of the sound spectrum, and it is. But the mids and highs, while not on par with more expensive IEMs, are certainly no slouch either.
After 50 or so hours of burn-in (they sounded pretty good out of the box), and new tips (I used the Sony Hybrid large, more on that later), I listened to the Punch Plugs with a few mainstream DAPs, mainly the Sansa Clip+, Zune80 and Sony X (1061), and I have to say, the PPs didn't disappoint on balance. The bass is clean and both bass and sub-bass are tight, not flabby or bloated, as you might expect for a first-time, bass oriented dynamic driver canal phone. My only real reservation, and it may not be a problem for others (and it really isn't for me) is that I needed to EQ the mids and highs one click on the Sony X and Clip+ with the PPs. Otherwise, I felt those two frequencies were somewhat veiled. Not that the bass overshadowed or bled into the mids and highs. It was more that to me, the crispness I prefer in an IEM was missing; they were a bit too warm. Now, not everyone likes to EQ their phones, but I have no problem with it, especially with a machine like the Sony X, which has a fantastic EQ (especially compared to an iPod or Clip/Fuze). So if you have a Sony player, the PPs are an excellent match. Of course, with extended listening, that sound signature may be preferable, because it will cut down on things like listening fatigue. But that's how I like to hear music, so the EQing didn't bother me. I will say that compared to the Monster Gold/Copper, the mid/high range in the PPs is a bit grainy, but again, when you consider price, it's understandable. The MTPGold's mids and highs are very smooth, in fact, so for $100, the PPs can't compete to my ears. On the flipside, the PPs were not abrasive, and after awhile, your ears will acclimate to their sound.
I ran through my usual headphone audition tracks - Space Cowboy (Steve Miller Band), Allman Brothers (Hot Lanta, Live at the Fillmore), Hotel California (Eagles' Hell Freezes Over Tour), Ode to Billy Jo (Patricia Barber), Don't Let Go (Pacha Massive), Take Five (Brubeck), Fake is the New Real (Alice Smith), I And Love and You (The Avett Brothers), In Public (Kelis), Lonestar (Norah Jones), What I Got (Sublime), Gimme Shelter (Angelique Kidjo's cover) and a few other tracks from several musical genres. The PPs responded, and I didn't feel they fell short with any of those challenges. No harshness from the vocals, the mids were front and center, not recessed. Transients were nice and smooth, for the most part. All in all, a very nice listening experience.
Can they compete with higher-priced in-ear phones? Perhaps, but not with the the more expensive phones I currently own. The MTP Gold and CK10 outperform the PPs, albeit for different reasons (they are very different IEMs, after all). But those phones have MSRPs of $279 and $349 respectively, so that's not a very fair comparison.
Against more equally priced phones, including the Klipsch S4 (which I once owned) and the Apple In-Ear Dual Drivers, which both retail for $79, I'd say the Punch Plugs are on balance worth the extra $20 (the PPs retail for $99, and I have not seen them discounted anywhere yet). In fact, I don't see them for sale many places, outside of Amazon. That will no doubt change.Leaving sound, the PPs are an ergonomic joy, again with a couple of small complaints. The flat cable is great, never microphonic. The PPs have a very long sound tube, and their form factor is akin to some Sony phones with bass modules that rest in the outer ear, much like the EX90 or EX85. But comfort-wise, they are fantastic. Very light. My only complaint is I am a major believer in shirt clips, and the PPs don't come with one and it's pretty much impossible to use an aftermarket clip with the flat cable. No matter how light a cable may be, gravity is in play (and the Y joint on the PPs does have some weight). So I like the small relief a shirt clip can bring. Small quibble, I know. But something RF should consider for upcoming models.
On the tip front, I am also a devotee of the Sony Hybrid silicone tips, the ones with the color-coded sound tubes. I find the large size (light blue tube) work with almost all of my canal phones (the in-ear phones with the large diameter sound tubes, like Sony, Sennheiser, etc.). It's not that I didn't like any of the OEM tips (the mediums worked best), but I just prefer the Hybrids, as they are soft and provide an excellent seal. The Sony tips may change the sound sig somewhat, because the sound tube hole is smaller than the PP stock tips, but it didn't bother me at all.
Durability-wise, the Punch Plugs appear to be non-fragile. They are a little bulky out of the ear, but not ugly or overwhelming (like the UE TF10s, for example).
Do I recommend the Punch Plugs. I would say yes, especially if you can find them discounted $10-$20. But even at $99, they are a very nice in-ear phone, and really outperform the models I have heard within the price range ($69-$99). Admittedly, there are not many phones priced there, but there seem to be more and more these days. I have not heard Shure models that are in the same ballpark, but my guess is the PPs could compete with those as well.
Update:
I no longer have any headphone amps around (too much hassle to carry with players), but I do have a new toy, the NuForce uDac, which I use with my Desktop PC via USB. My concerns about the Punch Plugs' somewhat veiled mids and highs disappear when plugged into the uDac using Windows Media player. The sound is more balanced and the PPs perform pretty much as advertised. I guess if you have a portable amp or DAP that is not on the overly warm/bassy side, it would be a good match with the PPs. Also, perhaps the Sony DAP, which offers a warmer, bass-oriented sound (with flat EQ) may not be the perfect match with the PPs. I double-checked that by re-listening to the PPs via the Zune80 (no EQ) and the synergy was also better than the Sony X without EQ.
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Rockford Fosgate PP15mm Punch Plugs In-Ear Headphones (Black)
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