The Euclid in-ear planar magnetic headphones from Audeze are amazing. And they had better be, for $1299/£1099. While these are meant to be the best in-ear headphones available for music and similar purposes, since this is Digital Foundry, we have concentrated our testing on how well they function in games. Is the high cost of in-ear headphones ever justified for this use, and are there any more affordable options that might be worthwhile to look into?
We’ll give you that information shortly, but first, let’s clarify who Audeze is. Although this Californian manufacturer isn’t as well-known in the gaming world as Corsairs or Razers, it has a solid reputation for producing gaming headsets and planar magnetic headphones with excellent sound quality that match their high price tags. In fact, we consider Audeze’s Penrose and LCD-GX to be among the finest in their respective categories. The LCD-GX is an ultra-premium audiophile headset that might also be used for gaming, a description that is more in line with the nature of the Euclid in-ears. The Penrose, Penrose X, and HyperX-branded Cloud Orbit S are full-fat gaming headsets that support contemporary consoles and PCs.
Even so, I wasn’t quite ready for the Euclid—it’s one thing to put on a large, comfortable over-ear headset and enjoy excellent sound; it’s another to have the same technology condensed into a tiny enough size to go in your ears.
How this is feasible without requiring significant sacrifices is unclear. I may be mistaken, but this engineering is quite remarkable. With an 18mm planar magnetic transducer complete with magnets and a waveguide, the comparatively small in-ears manage an amazing feat of miniaturization without sacrificing much in the way of music quality. You won’t get nearly the soundstage or immersion factor of open-back and/or on-ear headphones with this closed-back in-ear design, but you do get some of the bass response, precision, and sound staging that set planar magnetic headphones apart from dynamic headphones.
With so many tips available in different sizes and materials (such as silicone and foam), you can be sure to find a combination that fits the shape of your ear canals and pinnae. The Euclid in-ears are quite pleasant to wear. My left ear was significantly larger than my right, but thankfully this could be readily adjusted.
You receive a choice of detachable MMCX cables that terminate in 4.4mm balanced or 3.5mm unbalanced connectors to connect these in-ears to your PC, console, or other device. I decided to connect the 3.5mm end to a Sound Blaster X1 USB DAC/AMP, which worked perfectly well for pushing the 12-ohm in-ears to comfortable volumes. However, it is probably on the lower end of DAC/AMPs you would want to use with the Euclid; I’m sure that utilizing a high-end tube amp, for example, would yield even more amazing results. You shouldn’t be concerned about utilizing them with laptops, cellphones, or integrated sound cards, but, if the situation calls for it, given this degree of obstruction.
It’s interesting to note that the Euclids can also be used wirelessly, but I’m not sure this should be the main application for in-ear headphones at this price point. This is accomplished via a cable that has an inbuilt Bluetooth receiver; nevertheless, even with AptX HD compatibility, the in-ears’ wireless sound characteristic isn’t exactly the same. Eight hours is a respectable amount of battery life, although it requires Micro USB charging, which is not ideal in 2023 but is something you can get around.
The Euclid comes in a lovely transparent plastic box in the shape of a Pelican that holds the in-ear headphones and all of its attachments. However, the Bluetooth adapter needs to be folded slightly in order to fit inside. Compared to the little cases we’re used to for in-ear headphones that resemble AirPods, this is obviously overkill, although I suppose you would want extra protection for headphones that are substantially more expensive. I worry that the box is so large that it should be avoided completely, thus it would also make sense to have a smaller hard case in place of the straightforward soft fabric bag.
Are these IEMs priced fairly, then? For the vast majority of people, the answer is no. For £165, you can purchase the dynamic Antlion Kimura Duo IEM with an integrated microphone and a comparable sound profile. With that additional £1000, you could use it for something more essential, like a whole gaming PC. A month’s supply of power and gas, if you’re lucky?
But if money isn’t an issue, the Euclid is something to think about. With their amazing technical precision and improved low-end performance, these in-ears far outperform anything I’ve used in this category. I’ll let more knowledgeable audiophiles than me discuss the specifics of their quality, but let me just say that these in-ears sound fantastic; whether you use them right out of the box or after carefully adjusting the EQ to bring out the best quality, listening to music with them is a life-changing experience. The same technical qualities also enhance game audio and soundtracks.
So, how does it feel to use upscale in-ear headphones for work and gaming, such as the Euclid? I put them to use for Zoom meetings, intense Counter-Strike battles, and a more laid-back Fire Emblem Engage playthrough to find out.
The first issue that jumps out at me from my notes is how hard it is to insert and remove these IEMs. I had to really get the hang of inserting each side into my ear, turning it into position, and looping the cord above my ear, even though the fit is rather natural. This meant that I fumbled with the IEMs for the first thirty seconds of Zoom meetings, or Counter-Strike matches, which made everyone feel uncomfortable. Compared to in-ear wireless headphones, it’s much more of a song and dance, and adding Bluetooth to the mix makes things even slower.
But once the Euclid were in place, I discovered that they were very comfortable. They made it easy for me to block out extraneous sounds and concentrate on my work. This wasn’t the best for hearing the postman knock on the door, but it was wonderful for productivity and for picking up on little sounds in competitive games. My ears didn’t get too uncomfortable until after using the in-ears for a few hours, but this is normal for me when I wear them—I believe I can use them for no more than four hours.
The Euclid’s very neutral, non-fatiguing sound character and incredibly well-developed bass end make them ideal for gaming. In competitive shooters, where I didn’t have as much time to enjoy them, I found that they worked better for single-player games where I was fully immersed in the action. Nevertheless, you still gain from being able to pick up plenty of detail in both situations, whether it’s individual soundtrack instruments or enemies that are flanking you. Naturally, from a competitive standpoint, a headphone designed to emphasize treble in a more noticeable (and unnatural) approach would probably be preferable; the Fnatic React is an excellent example of this.
Hence, if you’re thinking about getting the Euclid, I’d advise starting with a much less expensive IEM first. The Antlion Audio Kimura Duo, which I previously mentioned, is about £1000 less expensive at ~£150 and offers a very similar experience in terms of usability, if not pure audio quality. It also has a useful attached microphone in case you need it. For gaming in particular, this makes it a far better value choice. However, the Euclid are amazing if you’re looking for something that pushes the boundaries of audiophilia in a comparable physical factor.
All I can ask is that Audeze’s planar magnetic technology finds its way into more affordable in-ear headphones; for approximately £300, they may be a very good substitute for expensive over-ear headphones for people who prefer immersion over a larger soundstage. Even if they’re far too costly to suggest, the Euclid at least serve as a superb benchmark for in-ear audio quality in the here and now.