NiniaPimp Magazine

Design and features
The Jays A-Jays Four headphones are almost the exact same design as the A-Jays Three set we gave a positive review last year, but the $70 Four pair adds a remote on the cord that gives you the power to skip, change, stop, and play tracks on your iOS device. They’re $10 cheaper than the flimsy Apple In-Ears and we recommend the A-Jays Fours to anyone shopping for a replacement.

The A-Jays Four headphones are the ideal marriage of sartorial design and executive professionalism, so they don’t scream for attention like the multicolored Radius Atomic Bass buds. Instead, the silver and black color scheme matches the iPhone 4 and the “fettuccine”-style flat cable is coated in rubber to prevent it from tangling in your pocket or purse.

The headphone cord is longer than average and measures 45 inches, or slightly more than 3 inches longer than the cord on the stock Apple earbuds. The extra material means less drag if you decide to leave your player in your pocket, purse, or backpack. Finally, the A-Jays Fours feature a new silver-plated L-shaped plug reinforced in rubber that puts less stress on the plug and prevents bending.

The in-line remote control sits almost 6 inches down from the right earbud and we appreciate its unobtrusive, lightweight design since we often complain about bulky remotes that pull and create tension on the bud. One side of the remote has three buttons that you can use for a variety of features–we assume most of you will press them once or twice to play, pause, advance, rewind, and control the volume levels, but you can also fast-forward and perform in-call commands. The complete set of controls works flawlessly with an iPhone 4, but 3G users can only play, pause, and rewind with no volume manipulation.

The iPhone 4 also lets you use the A-Jays Fours to call contacts and access your music with voice commands; click to the Jays remote instructions for more detailed controls.

The back of the remote has a small hole that houses the silicon microphone that picks up your voice when you use the headphones for voice calls or commands, but the 360-degree pickup means you don’t need to hold the piece up to your mouth to isolate the sound of your voice. Call quality is standard for a pair of wired headphones, and our test call recipient reported no problem maintaining a conversation, even on a busy avenue in New York.

The A-Jays Four headphones come with a hard case that slides out to reveal a detailed instruction manual and four sets of silicone sleeves, making five total earbud covers including the pair that comes already installed. The A-Jays Fours are just earbuds like the ones that come with your iOS device, so the rubbery silicone sleeves are supposed to sit snugly inside your ears. If you want a more isolating listening experience and are comfortable with rubber inserts deep in your canal, check out the Etymotic hf5 series, but keep in mind you’ll also pay double the price.

Performance
That said, we continue to experience the same fit issues with the awkward circular shape of the A-Jays earbud covers that we did with the A-Jays Three headphones. We found ourselves constantly switching between the sizes, which range from XXS to L, and still couldn’t find a comfortable option. We also couldn’t wear them for more than half an hour before experiencing discomfort that required slight adjustments. Additionally, the earpieces themselves aren’t very wide and sit almost flush with your outer ear flange, so you may experience additional discomfort depending on your ear shape.

If you experience such discomfort with the A-Jays Four earphones, we recommend the Monster Cable Gel and Foam SuperTips that we tested with the Monster Mobile Jamz; they’re compatible and provide a better overall fit. As always, we strongly advocate an oval tip like the ones included with the Klipsch Image S4i earphones, although the price jump is significant.

We tested the sound quality of the A-Jays Fours with an iPhone 4 and a variety of different MP3s and came away merely satisfied with the sound quality. As stated earlier, you can get a much more powerful upgrade in fidelity with a pair of in-ear canal earbuds, but the A-Jays Threes are slightly lacking in bass boost. With the iPhone equalizer turned off, the sound design is more suited for loud music like hip-hop, rock, and club hits, whereas jazz and classical fans may be disappointed by its lack of aural definition. That said, the A-Jays Four earphones are certainly an upgrade from the stock pair included with all the iOS devices, and you won’t be disappointed if you’re making that jump here.

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The $150 Image One is the first full-size, on-ear headphone from Klipsch. Its cushioned design is comfortable for short-term use, although we experienced mild discomfort over a long period of time. We’re impressed by its ability to maintain a rich tonal balance for the price, and the three-button remote on the cord makes it convenient for iOS devices. Coupled with an extended two-year warranty, the value of the Klipsch Image One rivals other headphones that sell for double the price and we recommend it as a suitable aftermarket headphone for jamming on the run.

Design and features
The lightweight, 138.3-gram design features leather-clad pivoting earcups with black gloss trim and chrome accents. The ear cushions are padded with unusually soft “memory foam” that contours to your ears to provide isolation from ambient noise and enhance bass response. We found the headphones only moderately comfortable over long listening sessions; the slightly high earpad pressure became a source of discomfort, but everyone’s head shape is different, so you may find the Image One perfectly comfortable.

Klipsch claims the Image One is one of the first on-ear (supra-aural) headphones to feature an iOS-compatible mic and a three-button remote system for taking calls and controlling music on Apple devices. The mic’s sensitivity can pick up sound from 360 degrees and also features echo cancellation to increase clarity. The Image One features 40-millimeter drivers and 32-ohm impedance.

The earcups fold flat for easy storage in the included semihard travel case, with a strap to secure the cable inside. The 53-inch long (approximately) rubber cable appears to be of average durability, but the molded plug’s “strain relief” design should provide some protection at the weakest point for headphone cables. Klipsch backs up its durability claims with a two-year warranty, double the warranty on most headphones. Accessories include a 6.3mm adapter and airline adapter.

Performance
We listened to the Image One in conjunction with our Schiit Audio Asgard home headphone amplifier and an Apple iPod Classic. The Image One has a fuller and richer tonal balance than Grado’s $200 SR225i headphones, and the Image One can play significantly louder than the Grado does with an iPod. The Grado features an open-back design so it sounds open and less “inside the head” than the closed-back Image One. The Image One’s bass sounded big and boomy as we listened to Robert Plant’s recent “Band of Joy” album, but the SR225i’s more controlled bass is more to our taste.

While the Grado is suitable for an iPod or other portable music players, it’s really better for use at home, so Bowers Wilkins’ P5 on-ear headphone ($300) is a better comparison for the Image One, since it’s designed specifically for portable music players.

Switching back and forth between the two while listening to CDs of Brooklyn soul group Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, we found the Image One and the P5 have a similar tonal balance. The P5′s bass has better definition and the soundstage is more open, but the Image One sounds more dynamic and rocks harder with more treble detail, so cymbals and brass instruments appear more lifelike.

The Image One also does a better job of blocking external noise than the P5. Considering the Image One sells for about half the P5′s price, we give the nod to the Image One.

Sennheiser’s HD 555 ($170) sounds even more open than the P5 and is also the most comfortable of the models we’ve mentioned here. Comparing the Image One with the HD 555 while watching the “Lost: Season 2″ TV series DVDs, we noted the Image One put the sounds of the island–the surf and jungle–more inside the head, while the HD 555 placed the sounds farther away, which sounded more natural. Sennheiser’s new HD 598 is even better in that regard.

The Image One’s big bass outperforms headphones that sell for double its MSRP, but the bass may feel like too much of a good thing to some buyers. Then again, some may love the abundant power. It’s not just the bass, however–the Image One’s richer tonal balance also covers the midrange, so voices and many instruments have a bigger and warmer sound than they do on other headphones.

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