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27 June 2011
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Second from the top in the iFrogz EarPollution range, this little brother to the Moguls is said to feature super-deep bass, smooth, undistorted highs, and clear voculs. On top of those sound features comes iFrogz standard of style and build quality, and we're told that the thick cushions will provide maximum comfort, while spring loaded hinges fit any head. Let's see if it actually delivers.
Ronin's were wandering Samurai, and we all know Samurai had a bit of funky chicken spunk, so we'd expect the same type of thing from headphones named after them. And style these have in spades; EarPollution is stitched into the top of the headband, and the iconic disaster symbol makes a statement on the side of the ear cups. My particular set is the "Snow" edition, which is almost completely white with a few grey accents. The headband extension is black, which obviously goes well with white. The overall look of these is one of coolness, and you'll definitely get comments if you wear them.
And you'll want to wear them for quite a while, since the Ronin's are flipping comfy. These, unli
ke the Moguls, stick with the more modern cup version of the earpieces. There's padding around the sides of the cups, and the design of the 'phones keeps them tight enough to stick to your head without crushing your skull. So again, unlike the Moguls, you'll be able to do a bit more with these on, and you won't have to worry about them falling off whenever you bend over. The headband has enough padding to stay comfy, using a kind of mesh fabric instead of faux leather. The only comment I'd make is that people with larger than average ears may find the cups a bit small. The cups are just big enough to fit around my ears, and my ears are extremely average sized, or so I'm told. Many companies are opting for super large earpieces now, not only to better accomodate everyone, but it also raises the comfort level that bit extra. But if you've got small or normal ears, then you should be fine with these.
Super deep bass and undistorted highs. Those are big words coming from 50 USD headphones. I mean, I've listened to headphones that cost a heck of a lot more than these which still struggle with bass and highs. But these pull through, kind of. You won't find the same level of superb sound which you could get from more expensive headphones, but these more than hold their own in their price bracket, and I'd argue that they'd contend with headphones pushing twice or three times their price. The highs are crisp and the deeps are, err, deep. But there's a certain richness that seems to be lacking slightly, perhaps because these don't provide quite the level of surround sound that many over-ear headphones do. It's still there (The surround-ness of the sound) but not to the same extent one might expect.
As far as extra features, they've got the swivelling cups many 'phones have, so you can hear the music without putting them completely on. The whole set folds in on itself for easy transport, and the cord is fairly anti-tangle.
So what can we gather from all of this? Well, a few things. For their price, the Ronin's are brillant. They carry iFrogz standard of kachiga-for-cash value, as well as the style we're all used to. After all, we don't want to look like complete maroons (or morons, for that matter) wandering round listening to our tunes. If you're after amazing surround sound and super richness, you're not only looking at the wrong headphones, but you're in the wrong price bracket. If you want something better than these, you're going to find there's quite a price hike before you actually get better quality headphones. But if you want something amazing for less than a hundred bucks, these are very likely perfect for you. And to top it all off, they come with a katana proof cord. Now if that isn't a deal clincher, I don't know what is.
I fear I've been a tad remiss with my last few reviews. It's important for me to mention that iFrogz sent me all of the cases and headphones that I review free of charge. This is the case with most of the products I review on the site, but it in no way biases me towards the product at all. My reviews are solely based on the quality of the product, and there are no outside influences pushing me in either direction. So rest assured you're getting an honest review, and thank you iFrogz for supplying me with these fantastic bits of hardware to feature.
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