Polk UltraFit 3000 in-ear headphones review review: Polk's sporty UltraFit 3000 headphones have lots of pluses and a few minuses

Last year Polk Audio, which made a name for itself in the speaker world, announced a new line of UltraFit sports headphones. The line includes a mix of in-ear, on-ear, and in-ear-canal models that come in a variety of colors and range in price from $49.95 to $99.95.

7.0

Polk UltraFit 3000 in-ear headphones review

The Good

The <b>Polk UltraFit 3000</b> is a sports in-ear-canal model (with an around-the-ear bendable hook) that offers a sweatproof design, decent sound, and comes with a plethora of accessories, including multiple eartips and two swappable cords, including one that has an Apple-friendly remote with built-in microphone.

The Bad

Not everybody will get a secure fit -- if you don't, bass response will be reduced and the earphones will sound thin.

The Bottom Line

Since they won't fit everyone equally well, the Polk UltraFit 3000 headphones will seem great to some users and not so great to others.

While I'm a little tardy reviewing the higher-end UltraFit 3000 in-ear model, which is available in three colors (black/red, white/gray, and white/orange), the good news is the price on it has dropped to $79.99, making it a more attractive buy.

Design
When you open the packaging for the UltraFit 3000, the first thing you'll notice is that it comes with a plethora of accessories. You get a zippered, vented protective case, a 41-inch cable with an in-line, Apple-friendly remote (with built-in microphone), a 14-inch cable for those who run with a device in an armband, three pairs of StayFit silicone tips, two pairs of StayFit 3-flange silicone tips, three pairs of memory foam tips, and a 3.5mm-to-2.5mm adapter. Both the swappable cables are the flat, linguine-style cable that's designed to be tangle resistant (it does help).

It's worth pointing out that since these are "made for iPhone" earphones, the remote features (and even the microphone in some cases) won't work with many Android models (and other smartphones). Like other such three-button remotes, you tap the pause/play button two times quickly to advance a track forward and three quick taps will skip a track back.

The UltraFit 3000s have a bendable "hook" integrated into their design that wraps around your ear, helping you get a pretty secure fit. Though I personally prefer sports earphones with hooks or wings that fit into the inside of your ear, I think Polk's exterior hook design -- Polk calls it SecureFit Support -- is pretty decent (yes, the UltraFit 3000s are sweatproof). That said, I do have a few caveats to report.

While the earphones themselves are lightweight, the connector piece that allows you to swap in (read: detach) the longer and shorter cords is a tad weighty and will flop around a little (at chest level). There's a clip included for securing the cord to a piece of clothing, but beware of losing it. Also, the top of the earphone's cord -- where it attaches to the loop -- can end up flopping around a bit against your ear as you run. Other small gripe: I thought the shorter cable for armband use could be an inch or two longer.

I also had a little trouble getting a really tight seal. I tried about every tip type included and got a fairly tight seal (I ended up using the medium silicon tips instead of the the foam ones that I usually prefer because the foam ones just didn't sit in my ear as well). For many people, especially for those who want to be able to let in a little bit of the outside world as they exercise, that won't be a deal breaker, but you will lose some bass if you don't get a really tight seal.

In the plus column, the L-shaped headphone jack is well designed and very thin, which means it plays well with thicker iPhone cases and fits into recessed jacks. That's important for some folks.

Sound quality
If you get a good seal, the UltraFit 3000s sound quite decent, with reasonably detailed sound and an ample amount of bass. It's not great sound but overall these guys are pretty balanced and a step up from the standard issue Apple earbuds, even the new, improved Earpods version Apple has included with the iPhone 5 (the Polks will also stay in your ears better). The UltraFit 3000s are tuned for mobile products, so you should have no problem getting plenty of sound out of them (they played plenty loud for me at about 65 percent volume).

As with most in-ear-canal headphones, the key to getting the best sound is how tight a seal you can get. In other words, performance will vary according to that seal, so some people will feel better about the sound of the UltraFit 3000s than others. Overall, however, they do not measure up to the Monster iSport Immersion in-ear headphones in terms of sound or fit.

Conclusion
The Polk UltraFit 3000s are a product that's going to work better for some people than others. While some fraction of buyers will have a harder time getting an excellent fit and won't be impressed with the sound or the comfort level, many others will think they offer a very secure fit with strong sound.

While I didn't love these earphones, I did like them and appreciated all the included accessories, which boost the odds that you'll achieve a proper fit. In short, the UltraFit 3000s are good, just not great. At $99, I might be a little hesitant, but now that they've come down in price, they're easier to recommend.