Being a home cinema website, we get asked to review all kinds of interesting electrical and gadgety type products. The speakers and home cinema systems are a no-brainer and we have to get them into the HCB cave for testing. There are also some that are completely irrelevant to us, and others that have a tenuous connection, but we’re interested all the same. The BassBuds ear phones definitely fit into the latter category.
Any type of home cinema audio really has to come through proper speakers or a set of surround sound headphones, and stereo ear phones don’t normally do the job at all.
Recently though, I’ve enjoyed (endured?) a fair bit of travelling where my access to movies was confined to either hotel rooms, or my mobile or iPad. Therefore it became really necessary to have a decent pair of earphones so I could at least enjoy some films whilst on the go.
Although far from being a perfect way to enjoy music or movies, earphones are light, practical and easy to store so I gained a renewed respect for the little things. So when BassBuds came along asking for a review, I thought, why not?
Opening the Jewellery Box
The smart white packaging is reminiscent of jewellery gift box and on opening we’re presented with a Swarovski crystal sparkling at us (see what they did with the jewellery box idea?!). When I first received them, I was a little taken aback initially with the design. My trusty black Sennheisers are plain in design to say the least, so the metallic blue and Swarovski crystal backing were a little less subtle than I was used to!
The cable is slightly more subdued in a dark gold colour, and if the light cream coloured silicone ear buds don’t take your fancy, there is also a set of black silicone and black memory foam ones too. Each design comes in three different sizes so you’ve got plenty of choice to help you get the exact fit and look you want. I found the memory foam ones the best and they held in my ears better than most.
Also in the box you get a single page user guide (what’s there to know, really?) and nice white velvet bag to keep the buds in when not in use.
More than just style
So the main selling point of the BassBuds is undoubtedly their style and looks, and the ‘Smooth’ combo we had fom the ‘2012 Collection’ really did look the part. There are loads of different colour combinations too as can be seen on the BassBuds Mini site so there is bound to be a style that’s right for you.
However good they look though, it’s the sound that’s the important bit for us, and I’m pleased to say they didn’t disappoint. The ‘Crystaltronics’ technology uses the Swarovski to crystal at the back of the aluminum earbud chamber with the aim of creating a clear and dynamic sound – and it does work. Initially the sound seemed a little harsh, but with continued listening the full range of frequencies started to come through. Bass was a little lacking though, and a little more warmth would have been appreciated but the crispness of the sound made up for these downsides.
The cable length is pretty standard at 1.2m and they will of course work with any device that has a 3.5mm jack. The built in Mic and means they are ideal replacements for your mobiles earphones and there is also a ‘BB’ controller button on the cable that allows you to answer calls and pause, play and skip on most Androids, iPhones and Blackberrys.
For those of you looking for a great looking pair of earphones, the BassBuds will fit the bill nicely.