We took our time to come up with some winning alternatives to the supremacy of the Apple in-ear headphones. It's been a long wait, but the results have exceeded our wildest expectations... The new MTX iX2 and iX2+ earphones are better quality, better finished, smaller in the pocket, much more luxurious, much more solid, much better sound quality and, above all, much cheaper than their white-box equivalents.

The iX2 and iX2+ share all the same mechanical parts. The storage and charging case is made of zinc. It's luxurious and durable. The headphones are ultra-light and water-resistant to iPX4 (withstands rain, splashes and perspiration). When in use, they're easy to control thanks to their touch-sensitive surfaces and really well thought-out ergonomics. You control the volume by holding down on an earphone (increase on the right, decrease on the left), one click to “Play”/'Pause" or take a call/hang up, two clicks on the right to go forward one song, two clicks on the left to go back one song, three clicks to change Noise Reduction/Transparency/Music mode (iX2+)... It's too simple and literally fun. The electronics, batteries and speakers are specific to each model.

The iX2+ uses the best Qualcomm chipsets (world leader) with 6 microphones for top-level noise reduction (-38dB at 200Hz) and top-quality calls with highly effective elimination of background noise; 4 external microphones and 2 eardrum-side microphones for the best in ‘Hybrid’ noise reduction. It's also “Adaptive”, so you can fine-tune noise compensation to suit your environment. Noise reduction, transparency or music - it's up to you to choose the mode that suits your needs. In any case, it's the best there is. The iX2+ is also aptX compatible (with aptX-enabled mobile phones) for improved transmitted sound quality. But in the end, it's the sound quality that really shines through... Insane dynamics, exceptional definition, a bass that is rarely heard, a smoothness and musicality that you wouldn't expect at this price level... It's an addictive product...

The iX2 shines for its simplicity and sound quality. Its 10mm drivers produce a crazy bass that goes down low and makes listening incredibly comfortable and non-aggressive. It uses 4 microphones to reduce noise during a call, so that the sound of your voice is cleaned up from ambient noise. These are quality headphones that make music in the best possible conditions, and allow you to make phone calls in the greatest comfort. And with 4.5 hours of autonomy, you'll be able to listen to music and make lots of calls...