It’s like a mix of modern and vintage… that’s what I think about when I am looking at this FutureSoundLab Xylem Earphone.

I say that because part of the earpiece is made of wooden material, which is the brownish area in the photo I have taken. It gives it a vintage look, doesn’t it? The wooden component certainly adds to the uniqueness in design of the FSL Xylem, as far as looks are concerned. I think the natural grain of the wood looks nice.

But that’s not the only good thing; according to the sales material, the wooden chamber helps provide a natural acoustic effect, with both bass and high frequencies that are powerful and finely detailed.

As far as the audio quality is concerned, I have no complaints on this during testing. At first, I thought there was a problem with the earphones because I could only hear partial sound — but then I realized that I didn’t push the audio jack far enough into the audio input of my device. If you don’t hear anything or the audio doesn’t sound clear, make sure you push the jack in properly, and don’t make the same mistake I did. Overall, the music coming from my smartphone sounded good and call quality was clear. Actually, the earpieces themselves fit nicely on my ears and provide a good seal. I saw 2 additional bonus pairs of earpiece inserts in the package, varying in size. The default that came with the earphone worked well for me, but you might have to change yours if you don’t get a good fit.

By the way, the FSL Xylem is not only an earphone to listen to audio on devices, but it also features a built-in microphone, allowing me to take/receive phone calls. It’s got a button on the cord to control functions. It does take some getting used to, especially remembering the functions associated with each press of the control button. A photo of the control button and instructions are included below for your reference.

If your electronic device has a 3.5mm socket available, then they will work just fine with the FSL Xylem. Most smartphones have the 3.5 mm audio jack anyway, including laptops and other electronic portable devices, so using the FutureSoundLab Xylem should not be an issue. Older radios might have the 1/4 audio jack, but there are now adapters available to convert from one size input/output to another.

Did I say that the Xylem came with a little storage pouch? Interestingly, you don’t need a drawstring to secure the opening, as with most storage cases out there. It’s got something within that pretty much ‘clasps” the opening shut. It’s hard to explain but you’ll see what I mean if you buy this. Well, here’s a photo of it…

You’ll be happy to know that the purchase comes with a 3-year warranty (which is quite long enough, in my opinion), as well as lifetime support.

If you are in the market for a small, portable earphone without the added bulk, consider the FutureSoundLab Xylem. It is currently being sold at a 50 percent discount on Amazon.