The Package

The Tension Labs EAP03 Earphone audio processor comes in a sturdy box with a big picture of it on the front. The box is durable enough to withstand some abuse. My sample arrived in great condition.


The bundle is really good, you get everything you need to be able to take full advantage of the EAP03.


The mini to mini cable supplied with the EAP03 is surprisingly good. Not only is it in the right length it also features right angled jacks and an incredibly sturdy build quality. Instead of a normal fixed length mini-USB cable you get one that can roll out which is quite neat.

Closer Examination

The Tension Labs EAP03 earphone audio processor is the first of its kind, providing you with a lot of options, both to alter the sound and hear what is going on around you even when you are using in-ears. The sound-level feature is definitely in tune with what the market is asking for, with responsible listening becoming a key issue with all things audio. The microphone is located on the front of the device and can be tuned volume wise via the integrated controls in the EAP03. You can even get it to mix together outside noise so that you can maintain some feeling of what is going on around you. There have been attempts to make a push to hear device, and currently the only company that sells a decent functioning is Shure, but even though it costs roughly one third of the EAP03 it lacks the ability to mix it in with the sound coming from the player. This feature is essential because it makes the device so much more versatile. The fact that the EAP03 can do this enables you to customize the noise attenuation of your in-ears which is a welcome feature if you for instance like to use your in-ears at your work place.


The EAP03 is pretty small by normal standards. Its height is roughly the same as an AA battery. It will piggyback nicely on any iPod Classic sized portable media player.


Both the input and output is located in a convenient place. To charge the unit you just hook it up to a mini-USB cable.


To adjust all aspects of the EAP03 you use a small click wheel on the side of the device. It has three functions scroll up / down and click by pushing it in. Navigation is relatively easy, but not that intuitive.


A small warning note on the back of the device tells you to go through the manual before using it. It is definitely recommended to calibrate it first and start off with your player's volume set to the lowest level.


The microphone and its activation button is located on the front of the amp right under the on and off button.


In use either one or two LEDs on the front will light up. When the microphone is enabled a small red LED becomes active so that you can see that the microphone feed is being fed into your earphones.