Apple EarPods — or whatever crap headphones came with your phone — aren’t the best way to listen to music, but nice gear is expensive. You can’t blame people for not wanting to spend a lot of money on something they’re just going to lose or destroy. Well, here’s a $40 alternative to garbage that’s almost certain to sound pretty good.
Why are we so confident that Sol Republic’s new Jax in-ear headphones will sound better than other stuff in its price range? Since its first over-ear headphones came out a couple of years ago, Sol Republic has built its reputation on solid, aesthetically handsome gear that’s cheaper than the competition’s offering.
The buds have a newly designed drivers, tangle free cables, and your standard three-button remote. While they’re not as striking to look at as other Sol Republic stuff, they’ve got an admirable minimalism — hopefully Sol Republic making sure the guts sound great. [Sol Republic]