My review of the Earsonics Velvet was delayed, first because both earphones cracked, and second, because their substitutes arrived in the midst of an intractably involved review queue. Despite being a bit cheaper (at least in Japan) than the S-EM6, I preferred Velvet. It fits better and is tunable. It has more edge. It is a fun earphone.

And there's nearly none blacker. Early units (such as the one seen above) cracked, and were recalled. It's a mystery. Earsonics have been making black universal monitors for nearly a decade. Why Velvet? Why after such a good run? Who knows. Later versions are purported to be made better. And of course, Earsonics released Crystal edition, whose clear, robust shell holds together wonderfully.

Cracked or not, the black version has this satiny, sultry thing going on that offsets its top-heavy shape.