Once again, I wanted a new pair of headphones. My favorite pair of
Sony Earbuds is losing the rubber covering that protects the wires. They still work, but I have to be more careful with them than is practical for regular use. I've become really attached to the in-ear style earbuds, but wanted something that would be more sturdy and less expensive than these have been. Since they will primarily be used to listen to AM radio (yeah, I'm one of
those), sound quality is only moderately important - size and comfort means more to me than dynamic range and frequency response.
Enter the JVC Marshmallow Earbuds. While I didn't find them quite as stylish as some, the price was very appealing at under $20. I decided to give them a try.
If I had to describe the look of these earbuds to anyone, I'd say they look something like a Kitchenaid stand mixer with the smooth curve and glossy finish. The available colors, blue, pink, lime green, black and white, are designed to be a good match to almost any small portable device. I selected the black mostly because it's what was available when I finally made my purchase. (I probably would have chosen the blue or green had my Wal-Mart had them.)
These headphones have a small driver size that makes for a comfortable yet snug fit into the ear canal. They might take a little wiggling to get them to seat properly, but once they're in they don't feel like they'll come out by accident. They have the little foam tips (the ones that give them their marshmallow name) that help block out external noise. The foam is firm but pliable - those with narrow ear canals can compress the foam to help insert the buds comfortably. An extra pair of foam pieces is included
The JVC Marshmallows have the 'traditional' format with equal-length wires going to each ear. I've come to prefer asymmetrical headphone wires, but that's not a major drawback for me. The wires are flexible but sturdy and there is a small wire lock that slides up the ear wires making it possible to shorten their length or hold those wires together so they don't tangle for storage. The overall length of these headphones is 4 ft. from plug to earpieces - long enough for most application, short enough that there's not an excess of extra wire when using the headphones with portable electronics.
The most important factor in any headphones is the sound quality. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with these. I wasn't expecting a lot - lower end phones often have exceptionally poor sound. But these are actually not bad. I've used them with the afore mentioned AM radio and found the sound quality all I could hope for. I've also used them to listen to TV recordings and music on my computer. The sound is well balanced without scratchy, hissy trebles or boomy, annoying bass. I'm able to turn up the volume quite a bit with no discernable distortion in the sound - but it's not necessary to make it too loud since the foam blocks external noise pretty well.
The only drawbacks I've found with these earbuds are that the foam tips do come off fairly easily - it might be easy to lose one in a pocket or car or gym bag. Also, there are plastic tubes under the foam that the marshmallows slide over. If the foam gets squished in the wrong way, that plastic can poke or scrape the inside of your ear - ouch. But this is a minor complaint considering the overall quality of the headphones.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with these earbuds. They look good, they're comfortable, and the sound is adequate to most everyday uses. At half the price of some similar headphones, these are a good deal. If you're looking for a decent, utilitarian pair of headphones, these are worth checking out.
