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JBL Roxy Reference 230 earphones review (Orange)

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The good: The JBL Roxy Reference 230 earphones offer a fun and colorful design and clear audio. A stylish travel pouch is included.

The bad: The earpads of the Roxy Reference 230 earphones aren't terribly comfortable and probably will not fit all people well. The cable feels weak and is prone to discoloration, and bass response is absent.

The bottom line: The Roxy Reference 230 earphones don't sound great and they may not fit everyone comfortably, but they offer a splash of style for an ultralow price.

Extreme sports and music go hand-in-hand, so it's not surprising that companies such as Skullcandy and Nixon take advantage of this relationship to market headphones to teens and young adults with an interest in such activities. Now, you can add Roxy to the list. The female-centric surf wear maker has teamed up with JBL to offer a line of stylish earphones aimed at young women. At the bottom end of the spectrum are the superaffordable Reference 230 earphones, a standard earbud model that lists for $20. While they hit the Roxy style on the head, these earphones probably won't fit all people well and the sound quality leaves something to be desired.

The Roxy Reference 230 earphones are certainly eye-catching. Like their on-ear sibling, the Reference 430 headphones, this set comes in a choice of two color combos: orange and pink or green and blue. In either case, the earbuds are decked out in one color while the cable is coated in the other. The outside of each earpiece features the Roxy name and logo stamped on in white, while the inside is wrapped in a black rubber ring. The overall look is cute, and surfer girls with a taste for sunny colors will likely see the appeal. Even the included travel pouch--a tiny black thing with a Roxy graphic splashed across it--has style.

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Quick Specifications

  • Release date06/15/09
  • Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
  • Design Ear-bud
  • Color Orange
  • Sound output mode [Sep 14, 2011 from CDS: Audio Output] Stereo
  • Connector type Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm

Since 2003, Jasmine France has worked at CNET covering everything from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices to MP3 players. She currently cohosts the Crave podcast and spends the majority of her time testing headphones, music software, and mobile apps. Full Bio

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