I recently got the opportunity to review AudioFly’s complete performance in-ear headphone collection. There are four headphones in this collection that each fit into a consumer’s budget. There is the under $50 pair, the under $75 pair, the around $100 pair, and the around $200 pair. I recently reviewed the AF33, AF45, and AF56 earphones, but now it is time to check out the AF78 earphones that are the most expensive pair in AudioFly’s performance line at $200. Is the extra price worth it?
Unboxing and Accessories
The AF78’s come in a box similar to the AF56’s, but this time the box is covered in a brown canvas instead of cream. The box is also larger which is needed to accommodate the extra accessories that come with the AF78. You get a circular, metal case to store your earphones in, but I still find it to be too small for the earphones to fit. They have to be carefully wound up so they are small enough to fit in the case. Although it is small, the case is protective and does give you a safe place to store your earphones when not in use.
Along with the case, you get a ton of different earphone tips. Aside from the standard silicone ones, there are also two pairs of the Comply foam tips that are fantastic. There is one pair already on the AF78’s and a spare set with all the other tips. It was great to see these included with the earphones as they are extremely comfortable and help with noise isolation.
You will also find a couple of accessories that are not included with the other AudioFly earphones. There is a headphone splitter in the box as well as an airplane adapter that allows you to use the AF78’s (or any earphones) on a plane. There is also a brush for you to use to keep your earphones clean and pristine. The accessories included with the AF78’s are a huge step up from the other AudioFly earphones.
Design and Build Quality
I can easily say that these are the best looking and most comfortable set of earphones in AudioFly’s performance collection. Of course, that opinion will vary depending on who you ask, but to me these are the highest quality pair. We still have the braided cable that looks slick in the black version, but it continues to suffer from too much cable noise. It is not bad enough for me to not recommend the AF78’s, but it is definitely noticeable.
AudioFly included a hybrid driver setup in the AF78 that is made up of a separate dynamic driver and armature driver to increase sound quality. We will get into whether or not this configuration actually makes a difference in the sound quality part of this review, but the two separate drivers makes the shape of the AF78’s a little different.
They have a much longer rear portion to make room for the extra driver which may make these earphones uncomfortable to wear for people with smaller ears. For me, this really helped hold the earphones in place, and combined with the Comply foam tips, you are given awesome noise isolation. The AF78’s remain light enough to be comfortable to wear for long periods of time but sturdy enough to show their great build quality.
Sound Quality
As I said earlier, the AF78 comes with two separate drives that AudioFly claims increases separation and makes for an amazing listening experience. Does that claim hold up? YES! Listening to music on the AF78 is incredible and the sound quality is superb for the price.
The lows are powerful and tight, but unlike the AF56’s, they are matched beautifully with clear mids and bright highs. AudioFly worked hard to make sure the balance across the audio spectrum was perfect, and it definitely shows listening to the AF78’s.
With the hybrid driver setup, AudioFly touted that separation and clarity would be greatly increased. I can say without a doubt that they were right in saying that. I have heard instruments in songs that I never knew were there listening on these earphones, and the songs I know and love became even better.
For their $200 price tag, I am not sure if I can find a fault with their sound quality. Even after using them for a while, I am continually impressed every time I listen to music with them. They have immediately become my go to pair of earphones for just about anything.
AudioFly’s top of the line AF78 in-ear headphones have done everything they can to impress me, and I have to say that they have succeeded. When it comes to sound quality, these are by far the best AuidoFly has to offer in the performance line, and they can even compete with earphones above their price point. The cable noise is not great and the included case is small, but when it comes to sounds and build quality, the AF78’s deliver where it counts. You can pick up a pair for yourself at AudioFly’s website or on Amazon.
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