Review: Nocs NS600 Crush

Earlier this year, a box from Sweden showed up at my desk. There's always a whiff of the exotic when you take delivery of a package sealed with green customs stickers and government-issue inspection tape. But it wasn't contraband or anything, just a few sets of earphones sent to me (unsolicited) from a company I had never heard of called Nocs.

By now, I've grown intimately familiar with these particular Swedes, and I'm thankful for that. Nocs' headphones are beautifully designed, and the choice of materials is both smart and functional – lots of titanium, brushed aluminum, sturdy cabling that doesn't tangle easily. I tested Nocs' NS400 in-ear headset a few months ago and came away impressed by all the angles: the tight, accurate sound, the comfortable fit, and especially the $70 price tag.

Now I've dug deeper into that sticker-covered parcel to test the company's NS600 Crush earphones. They're advertised on the company's website as being "a must-have for any traveling DJ," which gives the impression they're specially tuned for electronic music, but I found they work exceptionally well for most other flavors of music, as well.

The sandblasted aluminum bodies house a dual-driver design: a 5.78-millimeter titanium driver for the highs, plus an 8-millimeter driver for the lows.The Crushes require taking a step up in price (you can find them online for around $140), but there's also much more to them. The sandblasted aluminum bodies house a dual-driver design: a 5.78-millimeter titanium driver for the highs, plus an 8-millimeter driver for the lows. The cabling is also nicer, with interwoven copper and Kevlar strands housed in a clear silicone sheath. The earphones ship with the standard assortment of tips (just rubber, no foam) so finding a good seal is easy. Keeping a seal is easy, too – the all-aluminum buds never fell out or came loose during my tests, and the tips maintain superior isolation.

The sound from the dual-driver assemblies is excellent, especially for electronic music. The dedicated bass driver provides plenty of weight and clarity in the low end, but the 600s don't suffer from lack of balance. Highs are also sharp and well-defined. They aren't too grating or fatiguing, but they do have quite a bit of sparkle and shimmer. The Nocs definitely do best with material with a lot of bass and intricate high-end detail like electro-rock and techno (ah, Sweden). I listened to gobs of Squarepusher and a variety of Stones Throw hip-hop tracks on my iPhone. It all sounded so clean and punchy, I kept nudging the volume up and up. The Nocs were eager to play along, and they refused to distort.

This sound profile also makes them well-suited for modern jazz – drums and bass gain depth and richness, and the cymbals and brass glisten.

The one thing they're lacking is some warmth in the mid-range. They didn't shine when playing solo piano albums like Monk's Alone in San Francisco and Bill Evans' Conversations With Myself. I also listened to a selection of classic rock and acoustic songwriter stuff (Wilco, Waylon, Ween, The Who), and while it all sounded really good, the Nocs leaned toward the clinical and mechanical when I slid the volume up. They also distorted at times when I was pushing the upper volume limit with the heavier, screaming guitar stuff. No biggie though, considering that's the area where most earbuds show their weaknesses.

But even turned down to safer levels, these in-ears stay precise in the highs and lows but the mids simply don't dazzle, and I would have preferred a touch more of a natural feel in the middle ranges.

So, there are other in-ear headphones in this price range – Etymotic hf5s, Bowers & Wilkins C5 – that handle higher volumes better and offer a more crowd-pleasing, all-around character. If you're exclusively an old-school rocker (do you have the first six Black Sabbath albums on vinyl?) then you may find these Nocs too cold and dehumanizing. But if your musical tastes are more wide-ranging, and especially if you have a fondness for synths and drum machines, these buds will do you right.

One last note: I had problems with the mic on the NS400s I tested a few months ago – I found it to be basically useless for making phone calls. The mic on the NS600 earphones still isn't perfect, but it's significantly better, and just fine for a $150 set of in-ears. I guess America isn't the only country where you get what you pay for.

WIRED Super-crisp sound and wide dynamic range from the dual-driver design. Excellent for techno, hip-hop and jazz. Lightweight aluminum construction and classy looks. Variety of tips, so finding a good fit is easy.

TIRED Once you veer out of electro-land, not the best performance at higher volumes. About $20 too expensive – other $150 earbuds are slightly better. Flimsy carrying case.