a-JAYS Four: the best commuter headphones I’ve ever owned

Update Dec 10, 2014: Disaster. My a-JAYS Four headphones have failed today, about 2 years in. They failed in the usual way - 1 channel cutting out and when you wiggle the cable close to where it plugs into the phone they cut in and out. I've confirmed it is the headphones and not the phone. So it seems my search continues. I'm going to make a detour for my next choice though - and take the cord out of the equation by going with a bluetooth/wireless option. These were great while they lasted - but it seems commuting (sitting/standing/repeat) puts too much strain on the cable.

It’s been a year with my latest set of headphones, and their custom canal tips. It’s time to share my discovery.

But first, let me jump back. I’ve tried the Panasonic RP-HC55-S noise-cancelling (brilliant, albeit a bulky awkward battery compartment and an audio jack that failed after about a year), a JBL set which I can no longer find a link for that had a braided type cord (decent sound, but a cord which I thought was more durable, but still failed after about a year), and some Sennheisers similar to these MM70s (which were also great, but the cord failed in, you guessed it, about 12 months).

In all these, I was looking for a set that had:

1. Above average sound quality
2. In-line mic/volume control that worked with my smartphone
3. Durability. I was finding standing/sitting on trains/buses usually caused the cord to fail near the audio jack - as it was bending at the top of my pocket.
4. Budget of around $100. Given my growing experience of them only lasting 12 months, I was hesitant to spend any more.

Anyone that has had a few sets of in ear headphones knows the seal that you get around the headphones once inserted in your ear makes all the difference. Amazing and expensive in-ear headphones will sound tinny and horrible if the ear canal tips are too small and don’t fit your ear. Conversely, a cheaper set can sound quite impressive if you play around with the tips and get some that fit your ear well.

A selection of various canal tips I've been through.

I’ve been through quite a few over the years. Some tips would sound immediately impressive, yet would hurt my ears after a few commutes if they were too rigid, or others that would lose their shape after a short time - and in turn sound horrible.

Let's cut to the chase: a-JAYS Four + custom tips

I found a set of a-JAYS Four from Officeworks. At $79, they’re what I think is a very reasonable price. They had a cord that looks like fettucine and purported to be more durable and tangle-free. The included canal tips are ok (and there’s a mix of sizes included) but they were still uncomfortable in my ears after a few days (yes, yes, I know I have wussy little whinging ears) and while the sound quality was good, I wasn’t blown away.

Because I was under budget by $20, I thought I’d try some Comply Foam Tips. These guys have a bunch of different types of tips that suit a range of headphones. You need to make sure one of their models suits your headphones before purchasing. I went for the “Isolation Plus” model that came in a range of sizes. The magic in these tips is that they’re squish-able. They are like ear plugs that you get at a loud gig - you squish them down, stick them in your ears, and then they slowly expand (over about 30 seconds) to fit perfectly.

The winning combo: a-JAYS Four headphones + Comply Foam Tips

The result - after a 1 year commuter test

The headphones themselves are like I’ve just taken them out of the box on day 1. The cord actually does magically remain tangle free. I don’t even have to think about trying to not get them tangled. And there’s no sign of any bends or wearing in the cord that may cause the left/right channels to start failing.

After about 10 months the Comply Foam Tips did eventually start to lose their squishy-ness, and therefore the seal started to suffer along with sound quality. I ordered some replacements though (5 sets for about $35 delivered to AU) and am delighted to say the comfort and sound quality is straight back to ‘very impressive’. The highs are never harsh or brittle, and the bass remains solid/tight when cranked up as loud as I can bear it.

I suspect a-JAYS weren’t the first to come out with the fettucine style cord - but I have noticed a lot more brands going that way recently. I suspect there would be many other combos of headphones/tips that would work well, but I’ll definitely be sticking with the Comply Foam Tips for as long as this pack of 5 last me - hopefully the next 3-4 years. I’m a happy camper.

Pete Ottery

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