Reviews

BoxWave miniBuds

May 7, 2005

As you may have gathered, I’m a big fan of neatness and organization. BoxWave’s miniSync accessories are a great way to end cable clutter, whether or not your a world traveler, since they’re only as long as you need them to be, and they’re easy to stow when not in use. Now the same convenience is available with ear bud headphones, courtesy of the BoxWave miniBuds.

Several manufacturers are now offering retractable headphones, but the BoxWave miniBuds are definitely my favorites so far. The earbuds themselves have a nice foam cover that goes a long way towards improving comfort in the ear. They also don’t seem to fall out of my ear like other earbuds.

Like all retractable headphones, the miniBuds have a central mechanism that houses the cord that unwinds when you pull on both ends, but the miniBuds have two nice little extras. The first is a small piece of plastic that moves freely between the middle cord housing and the ear buds; it ensures that the earbud cord retracts easily, without any twisting or tangles, since the two cords are kept separated from each other. The other is a small metal clip on the back of the cord housing that you can attach to your clothing or to a bag strap. This is a major plus because retractable earbuds can tend to drag a bit, or bounce against your chest, since the cord housing in the middle is obviously heavier than a standard headphone cord. With the unit clipped on, there’s no annoying bounce, and the earbuds proper are also much less likely to come out of your ears.

BoxWave’s miniBuds have earned a permanent place in my gear bag— I simply couldn’t imagine my mobile life without them. They’re compatible with any standard headphone jack, so of course they work with my Tapwave Zodiac, my Apple iPod, and my Sony PSP. There’s even a special 2.5mm version for use with mobile phones. You can get them in either white or black for $22.95 at the BoxWave web site.

All content copyright 2001 - 2007 PocketGoddess.com
XHTML | CSS | RSS | 508