iFrogz Ear Pollution Timbre earphones - dark

Reviewed by

Jasmine France

on 11/13/2009

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iFrogz Ear Pollution Timbre earphones - dark

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CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating
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Price:

$23.99

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Quick specs
Headphones Type: Headphones - Binaural
Product type: Headphones
Design: In-ear ear-bud
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The good: Ear Pollution Timbre earbuds offer a unique design, with earpieces encased in wood rather than plastic or metal. They sound more open than most other earphones, and provide deep, natural bass. One version comes with an in-line mic for use with the iPhone or other music phones.

The bad: The reverberation within the wood sometimes lends a muffled quality to the bass, and not all genres of music sound good. The version with the mic does not work properly with the iPod Touch or Nano.

The bottom line: The Ear Pollution Timbre earphones are a great option for people who want excellent audio quality for a low price, but iPod owners should be wary of the mic version.

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CNET editors' review

CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating

Reviewed by:
Jasmine France
Reviewed on: 11/13/2009
Updated on: 11/17/2009

Editors' note: The Timbre earphones without the mic have been updated to reflect a slightly higher score because they do not suffer from the cut-out and static issues that the persisted with some MP3 players when using the version with the mic.

Speakers made for home audio setups are encased in cabinets constructed of a variety of materials, but many high-end models stick to solid-wood enclosures. The argument is that this particular natural material offers superior acoustics, so it comes as no surprise that we're beginning to see more and more earphones incorporating wood into the earpieces. iFrogz provides one example with its Ear Pollution Timbre earbuds, an inexpensive pair that provides very natural-sounding audio and ear-vibrating bass.

The Ear Pollution Timbre earphones are available in two models: a standard MP3 player version that sells for $39.99 and an iPhone/smartphone set with an inline mic and a price of $49.99. Both options come in a choice of two finishes, either light or dark, and feature average-size cylindrical earpieces. These are ensconced mainly in wood, though the speaker end is actually constructed of a metallic plastic. Descending from each earbud is a relatively thin, black Y cable that meets 14 inches down to form one thicker cable. The cord continues for an additional 30 inches before terminating in a nickel-plated straight plug. All in all, the cable is quite thin and seems pretty fragile, which is typical of earbuds in this price range.