Value -
Value is another very subjective topic. What is expensive to some might be a deal to others. You can look at this topic in multiple ways. One is raw price and the other is what you get for the money. Each is accurate and both are correct ways to look at price/value. We tend to look at features, performance and real-property when we discuss value. However, we also take into account the raw cash cost of the item. The House of Marley Redemption Song On-Ear Headphones will set you back $199.99 which sounds like a lot for a pair of headphones for your iPod. However while these might be designed for use with Apple’s products this does not stop them from working with every other product out there (with the exception of the volume controls). Our testing has shown us that they are more than a match for headphones that cost more and while those other headsets are made of plastics and synthetics the Redemption Song is made from natural materials. With the combination of the materials used and the audio quality $199.99 is not that much to spend after all.
Conclusion -
When we first talked to the House of Marley at CES 2011 we were impressed with the concept of these products. We took the chance to listen to them at the show and were impressed with the performance. However, having worked in the audio industry (and the PC industry) I also knew that demos can be deceiving. Now that we have a pair of these in the lab and have run them through our tests, we can honestly say that the impression we received over a year ago was spot on. These are designed with audio reproduction in mind. Forget the thought that since these were tuned using Bob Marley’s music and Reggae that you we only going to get high-end brass sound with some overpowering bass. That is simply not the case. If you pick up a set of these you can be assured you will not be disappointed regardless of the type of music you listen to. Even our favorite song to audio testing (Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rendition of Little Wing) left us astounded with the quality of these headphones.
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