t-JAYS Three earbuds review
Sunday, 19 December 2010
These are quite different to the a-JAYS – for a start, the cord is round and quite short, but it comes with a cord extender, so no complaints there.
The kit, in the same oval tube as the other earbuds, is more extensive too – it includes a cool Art Deco travel case, an in-flight adapter and a stereo splitter.
The buds themselves have enclosures behind them that must fit onto your ear while the buds extend into the canal. The shape is due to the vented bass port on the backs with acoustic filters for bass response. This is a bit weird and clunky-looking – I was surprised they fit so comfortably, but they may not in some ears. For the canals themselves, there are all those bud options (5 sizes, as with the a-JAYS), so as long as the port enclosures aren’t a problem, the fit should be sweet.
Listening, the t-JAYS Three immediately strike you as having a much fuller bass sound, and they’re louder, due to the higher sensitivity.
Because these replicate a much broader frequency range, the t-JAYS are much less forgiving of the source material – the lower quality rendition of the Beefheart and the Morissette were both much more obvious than with the a-JAYS, and the better 256kbps were marked improvements. Good recordings sound fantastic.
I used the same test suite of songs as with the last test: The Suit by Public Image (Metal Box, 1979) ; Suite No. 4 In E-Flat Major, BWV 1010 : I. Prelude by Anner Bylsma; 3-4/ Tropical Hotdog Night by Captain Beefheart (most sadly, he died this week); Walking Man by Zoe Keating and You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette.
Conclusion — another very well appointed kit that’s attractive and useful. Detail was fast – no lagging through the fastest of passages, with lovely, full bass, crisp mid-range, clear vocals and crystalline trebles. There was absolutely no distortion on the parts of the tracks that I have marked as overloading lesser examples – the t-JAYS were more than up to the task, even at a pretty numbing full volume (which I certainly don’t recommend for long periods with these slick Swedish monsters).
What’s great — The sound is clear, with excellent bass reproduction
What’s not — Will your ears fit the bass port enclosures?
Needs — Someone who wants black buds with no compromise in quality – and frequent flyers.
What — t-JAYS Three, $179.95
System — 10 mm TCD Dynamic Speaker drivers
Sensitivity 98dB@1kHz; impedance16 Ohm@1kHz
Frequency Response 15Hz–25,000Hz
Rubber coated black Dividable TPE coated & Kevlar reinforced cord with JAYS Sound Isolating Sleeves in five sizes.
Size (L)17.5 x (W)6.9 x (H)14.8 mm and weight 8 grams (0.28 oz)
Length 60 cm (23.5 in) plus 70 cm (27.5 in) cord extender (included)
Straight, Gold-Plated Stereo Plug 3.5mm (1/8 in)
Available from — Available from MagnumMac and online at yoobee.com. Also available at most Apple retail shops, online at TotallyMac, and TelstraClear, and marketed via MacGear, manufacturers' site is JAYS SE.
