JBuds J.FiM Wood & Metal Earphones w/Mic

Having gone through nothing but cheap headphones/earbuds over the years (and not been impressed), my first thought was that these were merely novel, but some research into the company that makes them lead me to their website, where they suggested that people should "Burn In" the drivers. They explained that the diaphragm on new headphones and earbud (the part inside that sits in front of the magnet and actually produces sound) is stiffer than those found in larger speakers. This can cause music or audio to sound "off" (too flat, too high, etc), and that by exercising the speakers by playing a series of whitenoise, the diaphragm would loosen and produce richer sound. I bought these earbuds for two reasons: First, they have a wooden housing. People argue that something this small shouldn't really get any of the benefits from wood, but no conclusive tests have been made. I can say with certainty that it doesn't have any detrimental effect to the sound. The pair that I (and apparently many others) received appeared more black than woodgrained. I don't have any complaint in that regard, but others have expressed disappointment. Secondly, I believed the claim about "Burn In." The few earbuds I ever tried were cheap, but seemed inferior to a pair of headphones at the same price, which were in turn inferior to cheap pair of desktop speakers. This is a clear argument to me that the small size is messing with the clarity. So I bought a pair of these new headphones, then tested them fresh out of the box and thought they were pretty good. I went through the process of "Burn In," dubious about the forty hours that were recommended, but plugged them in and left them alone. When testing the earbuds again I could immediately hear a difference in quality. They'd gone from good to phenomenal. Bass heavy music came through clear while all previous earbuds had sounded muffled. Acoustic and classical music sounded more vibrant where all previous earbuds had been somewhat flat. High energy music like techno or heavy metal were clean, unlike with previous earbuds where the sounds tended to blur. And on the rare occasions when I forget to turn down the volume of my mp3 player (having used it with weak speakers), I rediscover that the earbuds can and will deliver clear sound even at very high volume (So I suppose you could go deaf in style if you're determined). In making a significant jump from cheap earbuds and headphones I cannot offer realistic comparisons to other high-end products, but I still highly recommend these. They are comfortable in daily use, and provide a very enjoyable listening experience. JLab also offers a warranty for every set of earbuds, regardless of where they were sold. All it takes is registering for free on their website and typing in the serial number included in the packaging. And even without buying anything from JLab, their "Burn In" service is free and works on any set of headphones or earbuds.