House of Marley Smile Jamaica: Wired Earphones with Microphone, Noise Isolating Design, and Sustainable Materials, Brass

[***UPDATE after six months of using both the JBLs and the Marleys (I returned the others):SOUND: The Marleys have consistently better sound than the JBLs across music genres -- crisper highs, deeper bass, and a fuller spectrum overall...in fact their excellent sound quality rivals some much pricier earbuds I've had and doesn't disappoint in any way.BUILD: The JBLs' design is better suited for use while exercising, being outdoors, etc. They're water-resistant and can endure a lot of jostling before they dislodge, and the magnets are a handy feature for storing, so there is definitely a role for them. That said, the build quality of the Marley pair punches well above its price point and with the woven cables, wood-capped buds, etc. has even a bit of a subtle luxe feel to it.SUM: If I were to choose just one of these, it would be the Marleys. I'd pay $75-100 for these and still feel that it was a good value. (Don't get any ideas, Marley folks...)***]I compared four low-cost (under $20) wired in-ear earbud sets:JBL Endurance Run 2House of Marley Smile JamaicaSkullcandy JibLodos OmnitoneI listened to pieces from four contrasting genres that I enjoy, represented by:Heart "Magic Man" (rock)EBTG "Wrong" (techno)Coltrane & Hartman "My one and only love" (jazz)Ginastera "Estancia Suite: Danza Final - Malambo" (classical orchestral)On each of these pieces, I rated each earbud (1-10) separately for clarity of treble, depth of bass, richness of middle, and overall "fullness" of the sound spectrum. The aggregate results for sound quality were as follows:1. 7.9 Marley2. 7.6 JBL3. 7.4 Ludos4. 6.7 SkullSome individual observations about sound:None of them had much trouble with treble (not surprisingly). Marley & Ludos were the clearest, producing a crystalline "sparkle" across all genres, especially Rock & Jazz, but none of the earbuds disappointed on treble.The biggest differentiator was bass: Marley & JBL produced noticeably deeper bass than the other two, especially the Skullcandy.Although they were not especially good on Classical (scoring better only than Skullcandy), the Marleys were fantastic for Jazz; JBLs were very strong as well. Marleys were best for both Tech and Rock -- although the sound they produced there didn't surprise me as much as it did on Jazz -- with JBLs being second for both.Build quality for both the Marleys and JBLs is both very good -- I'd even call the Marleys "fun," given a few thoughtful and tasteful elements they added -- with the JBLs gaining an edge due to water resistance, fuller mounting construction that allows earlobe to carry most of the weight (= more comfortable) and magnetized buds that will help minimize clutter, risk of getting caught on something; my only build suggestion would be a 90 (not 45) degree plug to minimize exposure to getting hit. Ludos construction was decent, just not quite to the level of the other two. Skullcandy build quality is certainly adequate for a $10 pair of earphones.I am keeping both the Marleys and the JBLs: Marleys for use in home/office, JBLs for exercise/outdoors/travel.

The House of Marley Smile Jamaica Wired Headphones are honestly a solid find. For the price, the sound quality is surprisingly good—clear mids, decent bass, and overall really balanced for everyday listening. They also do a nice job with noise isolation, especially considering they’re not over-ear.The built-in mic works well for calls, and the braided cable feels sturdy and tangle-resistant, which is a nice touch. Plus, the wood accents give them a unique, eco-friendly vibe that stands out from other earbuds.They’re comfy for long listening sessions, super portable, and just feel like a well-made product with some personality. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a stylish, no-fuss pair of wired headphones that deliver great value.

I got these after reading the review from who compared them with 3 other brands. I got them for the gym because I go with my son and I prefer to be able to keep one ear out when needed. I don't like wireless or bluetooth directly next to my head, so I always go for wired.With all of that said, I'm giving these a 4 star because they do fall out pretty easily. I'm always putting them back in place. The sound is good. They are comfortable. I like the look and style of them too. I've only had them going on 5 days now so I'm unable to speak on longevity at this time. I had to get an adapter to use with my phone since it doesn't come with a headphone jack (the phone doesn't). They work great with the adapter and I haven't had any disruption from it. Overall, I'll use them pretty often. I keep them in my belt bag (formerly known as fanny pack) in a separate pocket just for them and the adapter. They don't tangle up like most pairs do. Might be a tad bit of twisting, but nothing serious.As an example/comparison, my son's beats buds stay in place without needing to be pushed back in. These aren't awful tho. I've had worse when it comes to this issue. It's just my only issue. They are great for when I'm lying in bed watching things and want to move onto my side. Plus, since they aren't over the ear, they don't interfere with my glasses. Worth the purchase. All in all, I'm happy with them!

Best quality audio I've ever experienced from a corded earbud, even rivals some headphones I've tried. Listening to music is an entirely new experience; it feels like being in the room with the band. I can differentiate individual cords on the bass, slide guitar, beats on the drum -- extremely impressive for earbuds.They also fit well, and there's a second set of silicon inserts included in a small box at the bottom in case they're a bit too small (for reference, I'm 5'9 and they're small but snug and comfortable, so most should have no issue wearing them). Cord is thin but braided, L-shaped plug fits the edge of my laptop just as close to flush as the plug-in for my cordless mouse (~1/4").My only complaint is the controls on the cord: they're effectively non-existent. If you use an apple device you can control playback, pause, and accept/end phone calls. If you do not use them with an apple device, the single button present does nothing. It has a microphone though, so if you don't mind controlling these things from the device as opposed to the cord it's not much of an issue. Personally, I'm using them on a Dell laptop, so while the button doesn't function, its more convenient for me to use the volume and playback controls on the keyboard anyway, so it's not a huge sticking point for me.Otherwise, materials and packaging are all sustainable: even the tie used to wrap the cord is braided twine as opposed to plastic-wrapped wire and the sticker to seal the box is made of recycled paper.TL;DR: spectacular product, especially for the price -- I have two just so I have a backup :)