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CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 11/18/2005
Typically, short cord lengths on headphones are annoying--one small head jerk, and you're unplugged--but the Jabra C220s neither wastes wire nor shortchanges the listener; the cable is the ideal length for connecting to a nearby handheld device without having tons of slack getting in the way of things. The shirt clip, located just below the in-line microphone, is also a nice touch, but the real victory in design here is the stability and comfort that the earpieces provide. Once they're in, they're in, and unlike many in-ear models out there, they are not painful or annoying to wear for prolonged periods of time, thanks in part to Jabra's Mini Gel earpiece covers.
The in-line microphone separates the Jabra C220s from a traditional in-ear pair, making them functional for work in addition to being musical accessories. The Answer/End Call button on the microphone works just fine, and depending on what kind of phone you have, the C220s automatically mutes when receiving calls and resumes play when the call is terminated. One note: The short adapter that comes with the C220s for connectivity with MP3 players and other devices is, well, lousy; it often comes loose, and the listener loses one ear's worth of audio. We suggest you make a quick trip to RadioShack as a short-term remedy, and we also recommend that Jabra include better accessories with its toys in the future.
Musically, these babies won't knock your socks off, hovering in a world that delivers moderately better sound than, say, the earbuds that came with your first iPod and somewhat lower quality than, say, virtually any earbuds more than $50. The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan occasionally sounded muffled, and the earpieces simply couldn't handle the bass at reasonably high volumes. Beck's Mutations, which has significantly less rumble, still suffered low-end distortion on percussion hits. If the listener plays music at a reasonable level, the clarity problems disappear, and the Jabra C220s becomes a decent listening experience. With its $35 price tag, there is little expectation of high-end audio anyway; these are earphones for people on the go, and in that realm, they serve their purpose well.
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