On Top

Alright, so let’s keep it straightforward here: they’re earbuds. But also: they’re not earbuds.

Instead of going in your ears, they just sort of sit on top of them. Thus, they beam sound into you without entirely blocking out the outside world. Which, to my mind, makes them the perfect supplementary headphones. They’re not perfect for everything. Like running on the treadmill, for example. No friggin’ thanks. I don’t want to hear the rest of the gym (or my own obnoxious huffing). Outdoor walks and runs however, I want to be able to hear if a car is approaching or I’m being honked at or whatever.

And there are plenty of other times when I want to have some sense of what’s going on around me. Like when it’s time to do some chores with the family. I need to listen to something while doing the dishes or folding laundry, like a podcast or an audiobook, but I don’t want the tap-on-the-shoulder-jump-scare every time someone needs to ask me a question.

Two other great places for these things that I can think of: airports and supermarkets. You don’t want to add to the general lack of spatial awareness that permeates these two arenas, but also you might want something in your ears if you have a long walk to make your connection or a particularly grueling shopping list.

(On that note: in the first case, I have some sympathy. Travel can be daunting. Not everyone does it all the time. So if you shuffle through O’Hare, stopping abruptly to reorient yourself, it’s annoying but permissible. At the grocery store, though? Like, seriously, don’t most people do this every week? Everyone has a brain-blip from time to time, but how are there people who hang out in the middle of an aisle with their cart askew, blocking all progress, while they chat with their partner, trying to remember what else they need for dinner?)

Anyway, the “what for” here is clear enough.

But how about the “how good”?

By which I mean: is the sound okay?

To answer this question, let’s turn our attention to the Amazon reviews, where these earn a 4.2 out of 5 based on just 62 ratings. Here is a sampling of direct quotes from people discussing the sound quality:

• “Sound was great.”
• “They’re REALLY tinny. They need a boost to the bass for sure.”
• “Really crisp sound.”
• “Good sound.”
• “The call volume is low.”
• “The sound quality is very crisp.”
• “The sound quality could use some work.”
• “Just a bit on the quiet side.”
• “The depth of sound is neither the worst nor the best.”
• “The audio quality is good.”
• “The sound on these is okay. It’s not the best in the world.”
• “The sound quality is quite good for the price.”

And I could go even further. For the most part, the consensus seems to be that they’re great for audiobooks/podcasts, maybe not perfect for bass-heavy music.

But mostly I share this to show what a crapshoot it can be to buy something like this. We all have different ears, different expectations, and different listening habits. One person’s “amazing” is another person’s “washed out.”

Which is why it makes sense to buy them from us. For 12 bucks.