Walk. Talk. Listen. are the keywords used to sell the a-Jays Four. These are actually really good at describing what these are good for. Had it said Run. Bike. or Exercise. the words had been completely misleading. This is a product that excels at some aspects, and completely fail on others. Let us start with the good.
The design is unique, and leaves an incredibly small silhouette. The housing is smaller than the ear tip, and when inserted into the ear only the back silver panel is visible. From a design perspective these are intriguing both from a technical standpoint, and a pure aesthetic angle. There are few earbuds out there that looks as clean, and polished as the Fours.
Sound is the next good thing. These sport a good level of bass that really impresses considering the small space available for the bass to develop. The mid range is also really good, and it is perhaps the higher notes that lacks clarity and power. For most sound sources these sound good, but perhaps a bit impersonal. It is hard to tell that there are any special properties to the sound, and somehow the sound image reminds me of in-ear earphones I had from Sony in the mid nineties.
Noise isolation is good due to the tip of the housing where the silicone tip is fastened is large. It is easy to find a fitting pair of silicone tips, as it ships with five different sizes. Other than that there are no extras included other than the cool packaging.
The angled connector works well with all cases, as the angle comes about five millimetres up allowing it to be used with bulky cases like the OtterBox Defender.
The microphone is placed quite low on the right earphone cord at neck height. It still picks up really well without having to hold it to my mouth. When held however it reaches a level of clarity few other inline microphones achieve.
The cord is flat, and completely tangle free. It is however really heavy, and as there is no special shirt clip included it is prone to tugging at the ears.
A huge negative aspect to the a-Jays Four is as hinted the heavy cord that limits the usage considerably. I tried them out when running, but ended up placing them in my pocket. That is a first for me. The heavy cord slapping around is a hassle when running, and if it snags on a pocket it tugs out the earphones. I tried shortening the cord, and placing it inside my shirt but the problem remained the same. When riding a bike the cord catches a lot of wind, and can even fly about next to me when peddling at full speed. It is a wonder that the long cord hasn’t lodged itself in a wheel yet. Too many times the earphones fall out of my ears when doing anything more mobile than walking. There is simply too little surface to grab onto the ear with.
The a-Jays Four has a lot of great properties, and at the price it is hard to find better design or sound. If you are looking for a communications solution it is an almost perfect alternative. The long heavy cord can be annoying even when sitting at a desk as it slaps about. I recommend the a-Jays Four to anyone looking for great value for money, and who have other headphones to use for exercising or commuting by bike.
Final Rating
a-JAYS Four at Amazon.com $69.99
