INTRODUCTION

   The Christmas holidays are just around the corner and the lucky ones who will actually leave the big city to spend them with their loved ones somewhere far away are probably right now out in the market looking for ways to improve on that experience either by checking all the latest camcorder and digital camera models. I on the other hand am continuing my never ending quest to find the best earphone set to accompany me pretty much whenever I’m not at home including these holidays (which i intend to spend on the mountain with friends and family). Unfortunately due to the size and technology used with earphones most of the times you have to choose between one with very crisp and accurate mids/highs or one with good bass levels. There are certainly some special earphone sets in the market that offer both but because of their "hefty" price tags it's a good bet that most people will never get their hands on those. It seems however that Jabra wants to bring the best of both worlds in the market with their latest VOX Dolby-Digital in-ear earphones which we've been using for slightly over a month now with impressive results.

   Jabra is the brand of GN Netcom, a subsidiary of GN Store Nord A/S (GN) - listed on NASDAQ OMX. Jabra employs approximately 850 people worldwide and in 2011 produced an annual revenue which amounted to DKK 2,106 million. Jabra is a world leader in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of a broad range of hands-free communications solutions. With a reputation for innovation, reliability, and ease of use that goes back more than two decades, Jabra’s consumer and business divisions produce corded and wireless headsets, plus mobile and in-office speakerphones that empower individuals and businesses through increased freedom of movement, comfort, and functionality.

   After having tested countless headsets and earsets i know that the specifications of such products are not always what matters mainly because of the different components used both in terms of type and quality so although two such devices may be similar in specifications the end result can be worlds apart. Regardless the VOX earphone set comes wearing two 8.6mm dynamic drivers that have a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz, 16 Ohm impedance, 120dB sensitivity and also features an Omni-directional microphone paired with an in-line controller for use with compatible Apple devices (iPhone, iPod, iPad). The VOX also features liquid crystal polymer reinforced tangle-free cables and can also be used with Jabras android/iOS DOLBY DIGITAL app for improved full spectrum sound. All these sound really nice but the time has come to get really close and personal with the latest VOX in-ear earphones by Jabra.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The front of the box in which the VOX arrived in is made by clear plastic allowing you to take a closer look at the unit.

Listed on the left side are the main features of the VOX.

On the right side Jabra mentions their DOLBY DIGITAL sound app.

At the rear we see the specifications table and a few words about the unit in 13 different languages.

Inside the box you will find the VOX earphones, carrying pouch, 2 sets of eargels (3 with the mounted one), quick start guide, DOLBY DIGITAL sound app instructions and the usual registration/warning/warranty information pieces of paper Jabra always places in their bundles.

THE VOX

In total the VOX come with 3 colorcole eargel sets for small, medium and large ears.

The carrying pouch is quite special too since at the front it features a nice metal mouth that shuts tight and doesn't allow anything you place inside to come out accidentally.

Although not the longest cable I’ve seen used with a pair of earphones the liquid crystal polymer reinforced tangle-free cable of the VOX is quite long measuring 120mm in length.

The design of the VOX earphones is quite unique and according to Jabra it's based on professional in-ear monitors to deliver more bass.

Jabra has placed their logo on each earphone.

Left and Right markings are placed on the interior of both earphones.

The 8.6mm dynamic stereo drivers are also not the largest we've seen used with a pair of earphones.

Jabra has used a very nice in-line controller for the VOX from where you can control the volume and also answer/end calls but since it's very close to the ear it may take a while to get used to using it.

Finally the 3.5mm mini jack is gold plated and angled.

THE SOUND APP

Through the sound app you can enable/disable the DOLBY DIGITAL function and you can also adjust the equalizer either manually or via the available presets.

CONCLUSION

   We used the Jabra VOX for over a month with several smartphones, 3 A/V Amplifiers, the X-Fi Titanium HD and two MP3/4 players with quite impressive results. For once the VOX offers very good bass levels that can even beat with ease bass levels we've encountered with full headphone sets. Of course the bass produced was not very warm/deep like the ones produced by some other earphones in the market but for the audience Jabra is targeting with the VOX we can't really complain. Unfortunately however although the VOX also has very accurate and crisp mids the same doesn't apply for the high-range since it clearly lacks clarity there (perhaps due to the bass levels). True one can never expect perfection from a pair of earphones but I’ve used quite a few that performed much better in that specific area so i really think Jabra could do more. The DOLBY DIGITAL feature enabled through the Sound App can help with some specific songs and also while watching movies but sometimes it's better turned off but that i think boils down to personal preference. The Sound app in its entirety is not very impressive but it does allow you to either manually configure the equalizer or use one of the many presets so again it can come in handy. As for the microphone well that's not perfect either but thanks to its placement people on the other end were able to hear us quite loud and clear.

   As mentioned quite a few times in this review the VOX in-ear earphones in mostly targeted towards casual consumers searching for a very good pair of earphones without having to spend much in the process and with a price tag currently set at USD59.98 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 70Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) Jabra just might have accomplished that. Certainly the VOX are not the perfect earphones (thus my quest continues) but they are the ideal ones for people who like listening to bass-rich tunes (and movies) so that along with their very good design, superior comfort, build quality second to none and the Sound app just got them our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Bass Levels
- Very Comfortable
- Tangle-Free Cable
- 90° 3.5mm Plug (Space-Saving)
- High Quality Carrying Pouch
- DOLBY DIGITAL App
- Price (For Some) 

CONS

- High Range Clarity/Detail