The good:Woodees Inner Ear Stereo Earphones offer a unique design with earpieces encased in wood rather than plastic or metal. They sound more speaker-like than other earbuds, and several genres of music shine with great audio quality. 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 bottom line:The Woodees earphones feature a unique wooden earpiece enclosure that creates a sound more akin to that of speakers than earbuds. If you like open, natural-sounding audio, be sure to give them a listen.
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. It makes sense, then, that we'd eventually see a pair of earbuds made of wood. Enter the Woodees Inner Ear Stereo Earphones, a reasonably priced set that offers some of the most natural-sounding bass we've ever heard through headphones.
The Woodees earphones are available in two models: a standard MP3 player version that sells for $59.99 and an iPhone/smartphone set with an inline mic and a price of $69.99. Both options feature fairly long (nearly 1 inch), cylindrical earpieces that are ensconced mainly in wood, though the speaker end is actually constructed of metal. Descending from each earbud is a relatively thin, black Y cable that meets 14 inches down to form one thicker cable. (A slider here helps prevent tangles when the earphones are not in use.) The cord continues for an additional 30 inches before terminating in a straight plug. The connector of the iPhone model features three titanium bands and is nickel-plated, whereas that of the other version is gold-plated with two gold bands.
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
