Do you feel like your iPhone or iPod needs more bass? Is your favorite Equalizer setting "Bass Boost?" Wish your headphones sounded as good as your home or car stereo system? Then maybe it's time you invested in an "atomic" pair of bass enhancing earphones.

Radius, a relatively new audio company based out of Nashville, Tennessee (USA), prides itself on using premium parts in their products to deliver premium performance.

Radius sent us over a pair of their Atomic Bass earbuds to test out. Here's how it went...

Requirements:

• Any iPod, iPhone, Zune or headphone compatible audio device
• A love for bass

ATOMIC SOUND

First, let's get this out of the way. These earphones were boldly named "Atomic Bass" by Radius. Do they live up to their name? Yes. Yes they do.

The physical design of these earbuds puts an angled tube inside your ear canal that generates a deep penetrating bass sound. As a result, Electronic and Hip-Hop music, like The Postal Service, Crystal Method and N*E*R*D, felt deep and encompassing. And Rock music with prominent bass lines, like Jane's Addiction, Faith No More and Red Hot Chili Peppers, sounded warm and full.

But sometimes too much bass is bad. For example, those annoying guys with so many bass amps in their car trunk that their bumpers rattle. While the the Atomic Bass earbuds certainly deliver amazing bass, they also enhance the mid and high ranges in your music. So don't worry about the bass response in these earbuds being overwhelming. The Atomic Bass earphones definitely provide a bass boosted listening experience, but the overall sound of the music is also enhanced by these earbuds.

If you try on these earbuds and can't hear any bass and find your music sounds like a cheap AM radio, then you didn't put the Atomic Bass earbuds in properly. Mess around with them a little. When the bass hits you then you know you were successful.

The first time I wore my new pair of Atomic Bass earbuds was on a Saturday night during a PATH train ride from Hoboken, NJ to Manhattan. On weekends, the PATH train is always packed full of rowdy people going into New York City for a good time. I figured a rowdy Saturday night would be a perfect opportunity to test the sound isolation ability of these earbuds. The Atomic Bass earbuds not only provided excellent quality sound for my ride into the city, but they also blocked out most background noise from the train and drunken passengers.

Radius has the phrase "MAXIMUM COMFORT" written on the box of the Atomic Bass earbuds. They obviously are very confident on this claim. But why? One of the biggest complaints people have with earbuds is that they don't fit properly. Most earphones have trouble staying in place during physical activities and won't comfortably fit in the infinite variety of human ear canal sizes and shapes. So what has Radius done to make these earbuds good enough to say "MAXIMUM COMFORT" on the box?

Because everyone's ears are shaped differently, Radius has included 3 sizes of soft silicone ear caps (small, medium, large) and they've designed the Atomic Bass earbuds so that they can be worn 3 different ways:

1. Standard Mode
2. Hook Mode
3. Deep Bass or Fitness Mode

1. Standard Mode - A traditional positioning with a straight-in fit.	2. Hook Mode - A variation of the traditional position but with the buds filling the nook of the outer ear cavity. Gentle pulling on the cables won't pull the earbuds out of position. The buds are basically "hooked" inside your ear.	3. Deep Bass or Fitness Mode - Put the left bud in the right ear and vise versa. Then loop the cable over the top of your ears. This position will increase bass performance and provide a more secure fit for fitness and outdoor activities.

It's actually extremely clever product design. 3 angles x 3 ear cap sizes = 9 possible solutions to get a secure and comfortable fit for your uniquely shaped ears. You should try multiple positions and discover which style and tip size is the most comfortable for your specific ears. With 9 different options, chances are that you'll find the perfect balance between inner ear comfort and sound quality.

The first few times you put these earphones in, you'll want want the assistance of a mirror. Just print out this page and use the above positioning photos as a reference until you get the hang of it.

Another factor that adds to the comfort of these earphones is their weight... or lack there of. These light weight earphones weigh less than an ounce (0.8 to be exact) and snugly fit in your ear canal making them the perfect earphones for the gym or working out.

ATOMIC DESIGN

Radius has done an excellent job designing a pair of earphones that both sound and look great. The Atomic Bass earbuds come in several different color options (black, blue, green, red, silver, and violet). That selection of colors might sound familiar - they are all iPod Shuffle and Nano colors. So you can easily color coordinate your iPod accessories if you wish.

U-STYLE CABLE

The only issue I had with Radius' Atomic Bass earbuds was the U-shaped cord. Personally, U shaped cords drive me nuts. I just find them unbalanced, awkward and constantly in the way of my security ID and messenger bag that I wear to work everyday. Also the longer end of the U-shaped cable is on the right side and may not be comfortable for lefties who prefer their iPod or iPhone on the left side of their body.

ATOMIC PRICING

What would you expect to pay for a pair of comfortable, light-weight, well designed super bass earphones? Hundreds of dollars? $75? $50? Nope. The Atomic Bass earbuds sell on Amazon.com for under $40. It's actually an amazing bargain. Especially when you consider Apple's notoriously uncomfortable standard white iPod earbuds sell for $30. Honestly, they're really only worth about $5-10.

Snobby audiophiles looking for the ultimate pair of earbuds should stop reading now and go buy the Ultimate Ears UE 11 Pro professional studio earphones for $1,150.

But if you're looking for an inexpensive, lightweight pair of earbuds with fantastic bass, then Radius' Atomic Bass earbuds are the earbuds of your dreams.

FINAL THOUGHTS

When Radius chose to name their product "Atomic Bass," they had to be very confident in the product's ability to produce "atomic" quality low-end bass. What's the final verdict? Radius has nothing to fear. These earbuds sound absolutely fantastic. The bass response in these earbuds will make you hear your favorite songs (that you've heard hundreds of times before) in a whole new way.

Radius has really taken great pains in the physical design and internal engineering to make these earbuds great. They've even included a gold plated stereo mini-plug... something not usually found in earphones priced under $50.

Bass aficionados who are looking for a great pair of earbuds for under $50 will fall in love with the Atomic Bass earphones.

This item is available for purchase from Amazon.com Radius, a relatively new audio company based out of Nashville, Tennessee (USA), prides itself on using premium parts in their products to deliver premium performance. For more information, check out: http://www.radiusproducts.com Rating: Requirements: Any audio device with a headphone jack Manufacturer: Radius