Update: Future Sonics has provided Gear Patrol Readers a special 20% Coupon Code Below

Since the advent of the digital music age (read: birth of the iPod), earphone options for delivering sound directly to your brain have multiplied like caged rabbits. In a market as flooded as this one, choosing the right product for you is all about determining value. In my experience, the best value is rarely found in either the most expensive or the cheapest available option. If there is one thing that we love at Gear Patrol, it’s Gear Girls value; that’s why, when we saw and heard the Atrio professional earphones, we could tell that they were just right.

Future Sonics has built plenty of technical goodness into the Atrios, such as their proprietary full-range drivers, TrueTimbre frequency response, as well as their armature and crossover-free architecture. At the end of the day, though, the Atrios sound great and won’t (completely) break the bank. You’ll be hard pressed to find richer response, particularly on the low-frequency side of things, at this price point. In fact, Sound and Vision Magazine recently named the Atrio professional earphones as the winner in a face-off against comparably priced models by heavy hitters Shure, Sennheiser, Denon, and Ultimate Ears. A beat down like that speaks volumes, no pun intended.

The Atrios may not be the sexiest in the design department, but to some their minimalist profile will be quite appealing, as well as their 4 color options. If all of that doesn’t do it for you, the endorsement by Miley Cyrus on their product page probably will.

Cost: $199 @ Future Sonics

Special Offer for GP Readers: All models of the Atrio Earphones are being offered at a 20% off Valentine’s deal, now through February 16th. Take advantage and equip your sweetheart (or yourself, for that matter) with these most excellent music mates. At checkout, enter the code “lovem3″ (alternatively lovem5, lovem8, or lovem9, depending on your color choice) to receive the discount.