Ears-On Reviews: Three Earbud Headphones Reviewed

Manufacturers haven't given up on beating Apple in the MP3 player market, so you can't blame them for going after its iconic white headphones, too. The iPod's included earbuds are fine, but more attention seems to have been paid to making them look cool than sound great. (Note: I haven't tried the just-announced redesigned 'phones, but I'm guessing they're about the same when it comes to audio quality.) I've never noticed any problems with the default earbuds, but lately I've wondered: Could something better be out there? I put three new models to the test to see if an upgrade might be worth your money.

JLab JBuds ($20, 2 color options) - These white earphones blend in perfectly with white iPods, and they claim to be "noise canceling" in design. Now naturally, you aren't getting active noise cancellation for 20 bucks. What you really get is passive noise isolation, achieved by fitting a rubber disk on the end of the driver (in lieu of the felt covers that standard earbuds use). The rubber part extends further into the ear canal, thus creating a seal to keep external noise out. A variety of rubber attachments are included so you can find one that fits your ear. My verdict? Any noise cancellation achieved was outweighed by the overall softness of music when heard through these 'phones. I ended up cranking up the volume just to hear music at the same level as I would with the iPod headphones. They look just fine, but the overall quality of the sound is unfortunately nothing special. But the price is unbeatable.

V-Moda Bass Fréq ($50, 8 color options, pictured above) - With an in-ear design similar to the JBuds (though smaller on the whole), the Bass Fréq earbuds promise better bass response than you might normally expect from plain old earbuds. I slipped them on and immediately discovered that they weren't lying: I heard bass in songs where I'd never heard it before, reminding me that a portable music player is hardly the best place to hear songs as they were intended. Within minutes I was re-experiencing a few tunes as if for the first time. It was simply amazing what a difference the extra bass made. $50 might be a bit much for headphones that otherwise don't have any special features, but I think they're worth it. Easily my favorite of the bunch and, in fact, the earbuds I'm using going forward.

V-Moda Remix M-Class ($50, 7 color options) - These are fairly standard outside-the-ear-headphones. In fact, they look almost identical to the standard iPod 'phones, with one exception: They're made from a pastel-colored, polished metal alloy. Sounds cool, but then you put them in and immediately realize why you don't stick a lot of metal objects in your ear: They're freakin' cold! Sure, they warm up quickly, but if any of the metal parts touch your ear (and this is pretty much unavoidable, even with the felt pads on the driver), that first song is fairly uncomfortable. Otherwise, audio quality was good, but not noticeably better than the standard iPods earbuds. $50 is too much to pay, even if the connector is gold plated.

Bottom line: I can't recommend the V-Moda Bass Fréq highly enough for the audiophile on your gift list. If you're on a tight budget, the JBuds make for a decent upgrade if you're not often in loud environments.