Like a high-tech bowl of black flat rice noodles, the a-Jays Four earphones are a tasty dish. Less than a hundred bucks, with minimalist style and great sound, these are as good as affordable headphones get.
It’s probably not even mentioning how important it is to replace those crappy white earbuds that come with Apple products. It’s the decision around what pair you should buy that’s worth discussing, and the a-Jays Four earbuds are probably some of the best earbuds I’ve tried at the sub-$100 price point.
The most striking thing is their design – unlike traditional earbuds, the cable for the Fours is flat, like a strand of cooked fettucine. This simple design change makes so much of a difference to every aspect of the earphone – from getting tangled in your pocket to plugging in almost flush across the top of your iPhone 4. The in line microphone and controls are also relatively flat, making the whole package seem streamlined.
But the best part about the design is that it doesn’t impact audio quality. There’s a full range of sound through the Fours, with great bass, solid midrange and respectable high end as well. It honestly feels like you’re listening to headphones from a higher price bracket.
As always, they’re not quite perfect. The included ear bud sizes fit fine in one ear, but no matter which attachment I used, the right earbud refused to stay put. The remote control also feels a little too high to be comfortable for navigation. Sure, it’s ideally placed to act as a microphone, but the buttons for volume and music feel just that little bit too close to your face.
But minor quibbles shouldn’t distract anyone from opting for these as their portable earbuds. They’re as good as you’ll get for the price, and then some left over…
[Jays]
Scott
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 6:41 PMAlright Nick, Why is Gizmodo US directing back to the main page of Giz Aus when I click on a link to an article in the US site?
My normal habit is read the Aus articles in the Aus site and then look at the US site as not everything they post gets posted on hear. Now i cant get to look at the articles.
Whats the story?
Nick Broughall
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 8:35 PMThe US changed the redirect system as part of their redesign. We’re working on a fix with them – hopefully it won’t be too far away…
Daniel Weaver-Koenigs
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 9:04 PMGot a pair of these recently to replace my Klipsch S4i I broke.
Sound so much better than the Klipsch, and feel like they’re better quality.
Definitely happy with these and might buy another pair for my fiancée.
Martin Olminkhof
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 11:27 PMvery similar to the Astro A* except the A* looks much bulkier
personally I’d prefer a braided cable over a flat cable and a single clicker instead of the full control pod so that it’s even smaller
gargravarr
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 1:03 AMI had a pair of a-Jays Threes. Flat cord is nice, but too easily develops sound transmission breaks. I’m done with in-ear phones over $30.
Jono Ward
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 6:36 PMgot a pair of these as soon as they came over! they are really quite excellent. the only problem im having is with transporting them in my pocket… probably not an expected place for them to sit all day long, but the ruberised coating on the remote is peeling a bit. this certainly shouldnt be a deal breaker though, as the positives of this pair far outweigh this minor inconvenience