BassBuds 2012 Fashion Collection Headphones (REVIEW)

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to review a set of BassBuds headphones which I was more than happy to do.  I wasn't sure what to think since I had never heard of the brand but I'm always willing to give everyone a chance to impress me. 

I consider myself a headphone connoisseur since I am constantly reading reviews on the latest and greatest styles and I also buy at least 2 or 3 pairs a year.  I think it's the DJ in me that is always in pursuit of that perfect sound which combines clear highs, solid mids and deep bass.  I very rarely find a headphone that lives up to my high standard and almost never find an in-ear style headphone that keeps me interested for more than a few minutes.

When I first received the BassBuds, I was very impressed with the packaging.  I was a little worried that they were more concerned with the look and style than the actual sound but I was pleasantly surprised in just a few short minutes.   I'll get there in a minute.

In regards to the actual style, I received the 2012 Fashion Collection's 'Smooth' which is a royal blue with white earbuds and a brownish copper wiring.  Blue is my favorite color so that worked out well but I wasn't a huge fan of the wire color at first.  I would have preferred all blue or black wiring but I will admit the copperish color grew on me and I soon realized it worked well with the blue.  I think I just wasn't used to seeing something that different since most headphones I've seen are either white or black wiring.
 

I actually appreciated the uniqueness after a few days, especially when I got some looks on the street and a few people even complimented me on them.  I think everyone is so sick of seeing the same Beats by Dre or Apple phones that they appreciate something new and funky.  If you want subtle, these might not be for you.  The crystal Swarovski elements won't exactly allow you to stay incognito but if you can handle the brightness and a few weird looks then these might be for you. 

Regardless of the color, one of the best features of the wiring was the anti-tangling (is that a word?) awesomeness which is harder to find on high end headphones than you would think.  Most companies still cheap out on the wiring and go with the rubber style that gets into a tangled mess way too easily and usually break down before the headphones run their lifespan.  You can tell these would last a long time and won't be an issue in the near future.

Now on to the sound.  I had a little trouble with the original earbuds that were connected since they kept falling out which was a little bit annoying.  This also wasn't helping with the sound quality but when I pushed them all the way in I could tell they had some potential.  Luckily, they included a variety of options and sizes for me to choose from and I ended up with Large foam earbuds which fit snugly in my ear and also increased the noise isolation and bass.

I was thoroughly impressed after listening to just a few different songs.  I'm big on bass heavy music such as Hip Hop, Electro and House so it was nice to see that these could keep up with those genres without a hiccup.  I turned up the volume to test their limits and there really wasn't a level that they couldn't handle.  It got to the point where my ears couldn't handle the volume but the sound was still crystal clear and there was no distorted bass which is one of the few headphones I've ever tested that could handle that.  As BassBuds puts it on their site: "experience superior sound quality of High Definition crystal clear Advanced Crystaltronics Sound Technology."   Sounds dope to me!  Literally and figuratively. 

BassBuds is a UK based company so they are making their mark on the other side of the pond currently but you can order and ship to the US through their website www.bassbuds.net. 

Pricing is in UK Pounds but the price for the units I tested is about $85 after the exchange rate.  That is a solid price based on what I've seen and heard.  I would expect these BassBuds to go for $150 or more when compared to similar quality units.  I fully expect BassBuds to make an impact in the US very soon and I expect them to take some market share from some of the other companies that have been selling too many overpriced, lower quality headphones.  They will need to step up their quality once people get their first listen of BassBuds headphones and realize they can get high quality sound at a competitive price. 

BassBuds Features

• Intergrated Microphone with Call/MP3 Controller
• Answer/End Call Control
• Play/ Pause your MP3 Player
• Skip Forwards and Backwards through your music
• Activate voice control commands.
• Compatible with all Smart Phones
• Crystal-clear HD audio via the Advanced Crystaltronics Sound Technology
• MADE WITH SWAROVSKI ® ELEMENTS
• Precision-cut, high quality, light-weight and balanced aluminium housing
• Anti-Tangle, durable, double-wrapped cable
• FREE Stylish and Protective Storage Bag
• FREE Black, White and Memory Foam Earbuds in 3 sizes
• Gold-plated 3.5mm audio jack for optimum connectivity
• One of the largest earphone colour ranges in the world!
• Choose from our Classics Collection or 2012 Fashion Collection

• Ultra distortion-free bass and crisp treble
• Noise Isolation: Immerse in the music
• 9mm Dynamic Speakers with Neodynium Magnet
• Earphone Housing is made with high grade aluminium
• Sound waves emitted in the sound chamber are specifically tuned and directed towards the front chamber housing entering the ear canal with optimal bass and balance in treble
• Speaker diaphragm is composed of PET materials and the diaphragm patterns are uniquely designed to maximize the performance of the micro speaker with minimal distortion
• Micro Filter for extra audio purity
• Wide Frequency Response