Jays t-Jays Four in-ear headphones

Today i'll be taking an in depth look into the t-Jays in ear headphones made by a company called Jays. They are a company out of Sweden and offer an extensive line of headphones to suit almost anybody.

In a large market of headphones and in ear headphones, Jays is one of many companies and they are one to take note of. Their name is not too commonly heard but I would like to say that they are ones who create a worthy product.

The t-Jays Four are the product that i've had the opportunity to review. The Four version offers a 3 button remote control on the cord in contract to the t-Jays Three. One thing that I couldn't understand is the reasoning for using standard wiring instead of the flat style (tangle free) wiring that is used on some of their other headphones. That is one thing that these could really benefit from since these were always getting tangled. The t-Jays four wiring is something that I haven't seen before. They make the cord length short (23.5 inches) by default with an additional 27.5 inch “extension” cord if you need the extra length depending upon your intended usage. I found the short default length to be too short for me and I was always using the extension cord which was constantly getting tangled.

The t-Jays have 10mm drivers with a sensitivity of 98dB @ 1kHz, impedance of 16 ohms and a frequency response of 15 Hz – 25,000 Hz. The earbuds are black rubber coated, but I would have liked to see other color offerings, white in particular. These seal the ear canal pretty well and let minimal outside noise in, which I prefer.

The sound signature leans on the bass side and is very warm. I found highs to be lacking with the mids and lows sometimes overpowering. Some users prefer bass heavy listening – these would be the right choice for you.

The t-Jays are available for $129. At this price, I think that they are slightly overpriced as the similar Klipsch s4's are cheaper and sound better in my opinion. Overall, the product is very well built, sound pretty good and come with all the accessories that you would ever need.

Audyssey Audio Dock Air

Audyssey is a Los Angeles based company who designs innovative audio technologies and products. I was fortunate enough to be given the Audio Dock Air for review. At a steep MSRP of $399.99, does the product stand up for itself? Make sure you read on to find out!

In the box, you get the speaker itself, a power brick and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cord. Upon my initial unboxing and removal of the speaker, I noticed that the speaker has some heft to it , as it weighs in at 5 pounds. The speaker itself is 4.7” wide by 8.9” deep by 8.3” tall.

The Audio Dock Air features Apple's proprietary wireless streaming technology called AirPlay. Setting up the wireless connection is straightforward and simple if you follow the included instruction manual. There are a few steps involved that will connect the speaker to your home wireless network and after a few minutes, I was up and running. The one complaint I have about the wireless streaming is that there is a lag. What I mean is that when my iPhone 4S was controlling the speaker, if I changed songs, the speaker wouldn't see the new song for 2-3 seconds, however volume input was reflected almost immediately.

Build quality of the unit is impressive. Like I mentioned above, you will immediately notice the weight of the speaker. It looks and feels high quality and for $399.99, it should be. There are two 0.75” tweeters, two 3” woofers and two 4” passive bass radiators. The two sides of the speaker are separated by a gray plastic trim that ties the design together rather well. The top of the unit features a volume knob and LED indicators for power and wifi connection. One end of the speaker has the pairing button, aux input and power inputs while the other end has a 3.5mm headphone port and a useless IR receiver. I'm not sure why the IR receiver is included on this speaker since it does not have a remote control.

So, how does this baby sound? In short, it's okay. Audyssey claims the speaker will provide rich and balanced sound which I didn't find to be true. In my testing, I didn't find the sound signature to be balanced. At ½ volume on my iPhone, you'll come close to having a balanced sound but as soon as you go beyond ½ volume, the highs drown the bass (almost completely) and the sound signature becomes extremely treble heavy. As you near max volume, I noticed that the sound remains crystal clear and this speaker can really pump out some sound albeit next to zero bass at high volumes. As for the bass that Audyssey brags about, I didn't buy into it and couldn't replicate any sort of impressive bass levels despite the different genres of music I played through it. In fact, I was disappointed as I had read that the Audio Dock Air pumped out some serious bass.

Upon completion of my testing, my opinion of the Audyssey Audio Dock Air is mixed. At half volume, the sound is adequate but I don't think it is enough to justify spending $399.99 of your hard earned money on. At $249.99, I could recommend this product, but I believe it is just too expensive for what you're getting.

LUXA 2 Lille

Today, i'm going to be taking a closer look at the Lille case by LUXA2. This company offers quite a few different cases for the iPhone and iPad, and this one is, well, different.

The Lille case is a folio type case made of PU leather. It utilizes a metallic snap to keep the case closed albeit not very securely. To install your iPhone in this case, you flip the case open and using the built in sticky pad, place your phone into the back of the case which will hold it in place. Regarding this sticky pad, the packaging states that it can only be used twice before it loses its sticky power. This is a major drawback for me and I assume most users as I switch cases weekly and two uses will definitely not cut it. With the top flap closed and secured with the metallic strap, the top flap moves around a lot and simply holding the case in your hand causes the flap to move around excessively. This makes the case feel shoddy and is unacceptable in my opinion. I am not a fan of this because in the event some gritty material was caught under the cover, it would scratch your screen.

The Lille case is completely open on the top, bottom and right sides with an opening for the volume buttons and silent switch. The top flap cover has cutouts for the earphone, camera, time and slider area so that it can be used while closed to answer phone calls. This is a neat feature but the cutouts are very dependent upon how you install your iPhone in the case on the back via the sticky pad. My initial install was slightly off and the slider was not centered in the flap cutout. Due to the sticky pad losing its power after 2 uses, this can become a problem. The front cover can be flipped backward and secured with the metallic snap to use the phone with the case installed also.

The Lille does not provide a lot of drop protection. The case is relatively rigid but it leaves a lot of the phone exposed. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable using this case due to the issues above and the overall drop protection, thus I can't recommend it for you guys. The Modica is available in 6 colors, and is available via online retailers.

LUXA 2 Modica

Today, i'm going to be taking a closer look at the Modica case by LUXA2. This company offers quite a few different cases for the iPhone and iPad, and this one is their lightweight, snap on iPhone 4S case.

Upon unboxing this case, the first thing that I notice is that this case is extremely lightweight, weighing in at 16 grams. It is composed of polycarbonate and is a traditional snap on the back style case. Just like other thin snap on cases, this one provides minimal drop protection and offers absolutely no lay-on-the-table design, meaning that the case does not extend above or onto the screen. It is completely flush with the screen which is great for using the touch screen but not too great for drop protection.

The Modica is a very high quality case and it feels sturdy. The top and bottom of the case are wide open so you can easily access the headphone jack, sleep/awake button and 30 pin dock connector. The volume button cutout is perfectly sized and is separate from the silent switch cutout. This case will fit all versions of the iPhone 4 and 4S due to its oversized cutout for the silent switch.

If you are a user that would like a case to provide mild drop protection and something to snap on your phone to prevent the back glass from getting scuffed, this is your case. If you are hard on your iPhone and need more than mild drop protection, this is definitely not the case for you for the reasons outlined above. The Modica is available in 2 designs, a leaf pattern and a wavy pattern as shown in my review and is available via online retailers.

DRACO CLEAVE Crystal

Today we're going to take a look at DRACO Design's newest offering for the iPhone 4/4S called the Cleave Crystal. This case is similar to their Draco IV cases but this one is made of a hard polycarbonate material. 

The first thing you'll notice is that this case is extremely lightweight weighing in at 9 grams. The case by itself in your hand basically feels like nothing is in your hand; it's THAT light. Like mentioned previously, this case carries the same design as the Draco IV cases.

The case fitment is perfect and there are no gaps between the case and the phone. Holding the phone is a little bit uncomfortable on my pinkey finger as the 30 pin connector cutout edges are "sharp".  The headphone jack cutout is not overly large i.e. bigger headphone connectors probably will not fit. The sleep/wake button and volume buttons are covered with nice tactile feel. The silent switch cutout is very narrow and very deep making it impossible for me to access it with my finger (and I don't have fat fingers). The cutout for the 30 pin connector is generous and most cables should work. The cutouts for the microphone and speaker are separate and are perfectly cut. 

Overall, the case has a nice feel when you hold it but it adds a big of size as the case is relatively thick. There is a very small amount of lip on the front and the back but it's not much. You will definetly want to use screen protectors in which all should work as the case does not extend onto the screen or back of the device. I am always skeptical of cases that have next to zero lay on the table design because in the event your phone falls on its screen or back, you will more than likely shatter something as if you didn't have a case installed at all. This case will protect your device should it fall on the corners or anywhere along the sides as expected though. Due to its bulky feel and the issues with drop protection, I am hesitant to recommend this case. It sells for $29.99 and is available in Black, Clear, Emerald, Ruby and deep Blue.

Incipio Slim Kickstand

Today we're going to take a look at the Slim Kickstand case by Incipio.  This case is a folio style of case for the iPad made of vegan leather with a polycarbonate back section that the iPad installs in.  The case has a very sophistocated look sure to fit right in the office atmosphere. 

The Slim Kickstand is an addition to their kickstand line of cases and this one offers 3 different viewing angles.  The polycarbonate section functions as a snap on the back type of case that is very secure; no worries about  your iPad coming loose from this case.  The inside of the cover portion is made of a soft touch microfiber to ensure your screen remains scratch free.  There is an elastic band on the cover portion which is used to wrap around the back to hold the case closed while traveling.   

As for the cutouts and access with the Slim Kickstand installed, everything is fully accessible.  The top of the case has separate cutouts for the headphone jack, microphone and sleep/awake button.  The bottom has separate cutouts for the 30 pin connector and speaker while the right side of the case has one large cutout for the volume buttons and silent switch. 

Like I mentioned previously, this case offers 3 different viewing angles.  With the case open, you can prop the iPad up on the cover in 3 different viewing positions.  The one complaint I have with this case is that it doesn't allow a position that would accommodate keyboard style typing.  It only props the iPad up for viewing. 

Overall, I like this case and recommend it as it can be used for work or play and will keep your iPad fully protected.  This case does not include a screen shield and only includes the case in the packaging.  The price of this case is $39.99 and comes in 3 different color variations; Black, Red and Gray.

Incipio Smart Feather

Today i'm going to looking at the Incipio Smart Feather case for the new iPad and iPad 2. The smart feather is a spin off of their feather case but this one has cutouts on the hinge side of the smart cover so both covers can be used.

The Smart Feather is just like their other feather cases and is very thin (1mm) and made of polycarbonate. The Smart Feather is a snap on “shell” for the back side of your iPad with ample cutouts to ensure accessibility to all ports and controls. Along the top and bottom, you'll find full length cutouts to ensure access to things such as the sleep/awake button, microphone, headphone jack and 30 pin charging connector. The right side has a large cutout for the volume buttons and silent switch while the opposite side has 2 cutouts for the hinges of the smart cover. The back has an ample sized cutout for the camera and diagonal from that, you'll find the Incipio logo stamped into the case.

The Incipio Smart Feather is a very simple case but an awesome case at that. It snaps on very securely and fitment is immaculate. My only gripe with a case like this is that it completely covers up the back i.e. you can no longer see the apple logo on the back. I would have liked to see all of the color variations offer a semi transparent finish. Overall, I am highly recommending this case for you guys as it is a great product when installed in conjunction with a smart cover.

*Shown sans smart cover

It sells for $34.99 and is available in 12 colors. In the packaging you will also receive a clear screen shield, cleaning cloth and applicator card.

Incipio NGP

Today we're going to take a brief look at the NGP case offered by Incipio. They have offered this NGP style case for other gadgets and now I get a chance to review this version which fits the iPad 2 and also the new iPad.

NGP is short for “Next Generation Polymer” which is a semi rigid polymer that is flexible enough to install but rigid enough to withstand impacts and scrapes. The finish of the case is soft touch and has a matte appearance.

The Incipio NGP has precise cutouts to ensure the user has full access to all ports and controls on the device. On the back of the case, there is obviously a decent size cutout for the camera and also a cutout for the entire speaker. On the top, there are cutouts for the headphones and also for the microphone. The sleep/awake button is fully covered but provides good user feedback. The right side of the case has a cutout for the silent switch but the volume buttons are fully covered just like the sleep/awake button. The bottom obviously has a full cutout for the 30 pin dock connector .

Overall, this case fits perfectly and feels good in hand. The material is semi-transparent so you can still see the apple on the back of your iPad through the case. The Incipio NGP is offered in 5 colors and is available for $34.99 with a screen shield included.

Bodyguardz – The Garrison

Today i'm going to be taking a closer look at a premium folio case called The Garrison by Bodyguardz. The Garrison case is their latest offering and is a fantastic product at a great price.

The Garrison is made of premium materials with a hard shell back portion that the iPad snaps in to and the rest of the case is made of a nice leather material. The entire interior of the case is a soft touch microfiber material that will keep your gadget protected and scratch free. The screen cover portion is a bi-fold style that will prop your iPad up in different orientations for various viewing angles. The screen cover also utilizes the sleep/wake function just like the smart cover does.

The case allows full access to all ports and controls, no worries there. The top features 3 separate cutouts for the respective components. The right side features one large cutout for the volume and silent switch. The bottom of the case has a cutout for the dock connector and a perforated area over the speaker.

Overall, the value for what you're getting is oustanding. You will receive an HD Anti-glare screen protector and microfiber cloth with this case for the price of $49.95