While not as impressive as a 50-foot Marshmallow Man on the UWS, they will do far less damage.
I have become really attached to in-ear
monitors, but wanted something that would be sturdier and less expensive than
these have become. Since they will primarily be used to listen to music when I
work out, sound quality is only moderately important - size and comfort means
more to me than the dynamic range and frequency response.
If I had to describe the look of these earbuds to anyone, I
would say that they look something like a food 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
black because it is what was available when I made my purchase.
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 are in, they do not feel like they
will come out by accident. They come with 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 have come to prefer asymmetrical
headphone wires, but that is 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
do not tangle for storage. The overall length of these headphones is four feet
from plug to earpieces - long enough for most applications, short enough that there
is not an excess of extra wire when using the headphones with portable
electronics.
The most important factor in any headphone is the sound
quality. Moreover, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with these. I was
not expecting a lot – the sub-$20 category is filled with models that have
exceptionally poor sound. However, these are actually not bad. The sound is
well balanced, and I did not find myself bothered by a hot top end or bloated,
poorly defined bass. I am able to turn up the volume quite a bit with no
discernable distortion in the sound - but it is not necessary to make it too
loud since the foam blocks external noise pretty well.
The only drawbacks I have found with these ear buds are that
the foam tips do come off easily - it might be easy to lose one in a pocket or
car or gym bag. In addition, 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. However, this is a minor complaint
considering the overall quality of the headphones.
Overall, I am happy with these earbuds. They look good, they
are 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 are looking for
a decent, utilitarian pair of headphones, these are worth checking out.
