Atomic Floyd has established themselves as one of the premium designers of in-ear headphones. The HiDefDrum AcousticSteel headset was the first set of headphones to receive a full five star rating at TouchGen. That was back in the winter of 2009, and between then and now I have only tried the less inspiring AirJax. My hopes, and expectations soared when I saw the MiniDarts show up as a new design at the UK Apple Store. The sleek silhouette of the MiniDarts breathes personality, and sophistication.
As with all products from Atomic Floyd the packaging is a chapter in itself. The oversized box showcases the back part of the housing zoomed in. Metal is the material of choice for the housing, and that is something that is truly evident in the packaging. Inside the box the MiniDarts are showcased behind a dome of clear plastic. Besides looking great the packaging protects the product really well. Extras inside include ear tips in three different sizes, a pouch for portable protection, airplane adapter and a DJ jack. What it lacks is a shirt clip, and perhaps a cable organiser for the quite long cable.
The design of the MiniDarts is really unique, as it lacks a clear back piece or angle. Instead it is designed, as the name implies, in the shape of a small dart going into the ear. The minimal design aesthetic is as beatyful, as the design creates problems. The problem is that you don’t get anything to really grip when you insert, and adjust the earphones. Furthermore it really demands that you get a good grip inside the upper part of the ear canal. To me this works well in bed, at work or while walking. Running, bicycling in rain and other physical or wet activities that increases moisture in the ear makes it really hard to keep the MiniDarts in place. This limits the usability notably for running or working out.
Back to the design this is where the MiniDarts truly shines. With an almost steampunk aesthetic these are some cool looking earphones. I associate the design with high-end car engine parts, and classic planes. Branding is well used as well with the Atomic Floyd name on the housing, microphone and headphone connector. The logo is found on the Y-split.
The outer layer of the cord is made from two different materials. Beneath the Y-split there is a thick fabric covered layer that has a cool shine, zero tendency to tangle and low weight. Above the Y-split the cord is covered in red durable plastic that doesn’t look or feel as good as the fabric one. The plastic cord is also more prone to tangle, and to transfer noise when rubbing against clothes. The Y-split is also placed a bit too low at chest height. I think it should be placed a couple of centimetres below the chin instead.
The microphone is vastly improved compared to earlier Atomic Floyd headsets. It comes with volume controls, and is perfectly placed at slightly below mouth height on the left cord. You can of course opt to have it on whatever side you want, as both earphones are exactly the same design. Having proper volume controls is great, and it is easy to locate them due to good markings. I have had no problems making calls, talking to Siri or using the buttons to control my music. It is a great addition to the Atomic Floyd family.
Finally I have to go into what might be the most important thing for any set of earphones: sound. The MiniDarts produces crystal clear representation of all sound sources I have tried. What it lacks however is powerful bass, and that is probably more about the fact that it is hard to get a perfect fit and seal than the actual hardware. I have tried all the ear tips that come with the MiniDarts, and it is really hard getting a perfect seal. The tips where you place the ear tips are quite large, and hence you can’t have too narrow ear canals for them to work perfectly. Even when I manage to get them in as good as possible they lack some power. This is most evident in bass heavy music like hip hop, and dub step.
Even with a less than perfect seal the MiniDarts are great at providing passive noise isolation. This is due to the excellent ear tips that is dual injected, and reinforced. This is one area that Atomic Floyd has dominated in for the last couple of years, and it is good to see that they continue with a more solid ear tip. One thing that I noticed however is that they are not that durable in design, as they used to be. I have had a couple of ear tips falling apart at the table when putting them on the MiniDarts. This is a problem that has to be rectified if more people have the same experience.
The MiniDarts from Atomic Floyd continues the flow of innovative design the company has had since inception. Some issues with the fit, and seal limit the power of the bass. What you get is crystal clear sound with a nice sense of space. At the price asked I think the ear tips should be more durable, and a shirt clip would be appreciated. For the user who is looking for a high end set of earphones for the office or home the MiniDarts is still a great product. For those on the move the long cord that gets stuck a lot, and demand for dry weather means it is not ideal for running, biking or working out.
Final Rating
MiniDarts +Remote at the UK Apple Store £179.95
