NuForce NE770X

NuForce NE770X

Nuforce makes a variety of audio products, including a few different earphones that offer very good sound at affordable prices. The company says the NE-770X, which comes in three different colors, features wide-range, non-metallic drivers that have been configured to produce a "natural, supremely musical sonic signature without sacrificing dynamic punch, soundstage dimension, holographic imaging, or wide-band frequency response." That's the stuff you can't see, the stuff on the inside. The outside -- the shell, so to speak -- is what you'll react to first, and it may not be good. Here's why: the earphones' housing is made out of polycarbonate plastic, which makes them very lightweight (Nuforce describes the material as acoustically inert), but it also makes them look a little cheap. The NE-770X comes in three colors. (Credit: Nuforce) Compare this with something like the $79.99 Nocs NS400 with its sleek titanium body, and you can't help but think the Nuforce NE-770X isn't in the same league. In terms of sonic performance, however, the two models feature similarly well-balanced, "natural" sound that exhibits good detail and bass without accentuating either too much. Also, the Nuforce earphones are arguably more comfortable to wear than the Nocs.