Aiwa Arc-1 Bluetooth Headphones - Black

I work in an open office environment and I hate it. I got sick of using ear buds that make my ears hurt after a couple hours and wanted to go back to over ear headphones. In the past I've had all kinds of brands and types of headphones. My favorite have always been V-Moda. I've had the on ear XS headphones and the M100 over ear headphones. The M100s are pure sonic delight. For an office setting, I wanted a bluetooth solution for ease of use and mobility. It boiled down to a choice between more expensive options like the V-Moda Crossfade 2 in Rose Gold for the AptX feature, or a cheaper Amazon brand that offered similar features at a more affordable price. In that search, I came across the Arc1 headphones from AIWA. After looking at the reviews, I was a bit skeptical of how positive they were. I had read some of the negative reviews claiming the high reviews were plants and so forth. I also watched some video reviews of respected audiophiles and tended to side with their views, which were also quite positive. Beyond that, the AIWA brand itself carries a lot of weight with me. They are a company that stands behind their products and I really like the way the CEO is out there promoting these headphones for what they are. The company is putting a lot of time and effort into the quality of the sound and not so much into the fluffy marketing. I went to Best Buy Magnolia and listened to a lot of different sets of cans including the V-Modas, Sonys, Senheissers, etc. In the end, I took the chance of trying the AIWAs sight un-heard. They were already at a great price new, but getting a refurbished set for $80, how can you go wrong? Design: Ok, the design of the headset might not be the most flashy, futuristic, feature rich or aesthetically pleasing out there, but I am not buying headphones for looks. They aren't ugly, but they are most definitely straight forward, however well built, headphones that get the job done. The headband is a nice solid blend of leather/vinyl with plenty of padding. They are very light and they don't feel heaving on your head after hours of use. The earphones are a unique shape with one side of them more linear, so the overall shape of the ear cups is a D shape, much like an ear. This means they fit nicely around the ear, almost cradling them rather than covering them. There aren't any overly complicated controls. No swiping here and there or anything like that. Something cool on newer sets, but here the tradeoff was for sound over these kinds of things. There's a bluetooth button, volume up and down and the power button. Those buttons also work to skip forward and back with longer presses and you can pause music too. Easy peasy and works well. Sound: These things are clear and precise. Yes, they are that clear and that precise. The highs are crystal clear and punch through even the tracks with the most bass you can find. The bass is punchy and defined without distortion. After playing with the EQ of my Galaxy phone, I dialed in a sound that works best for me. The AptX bluetooth support delivers. My first headset that has this, and I'm glad it does. I can notice the subtle depth and presences it ads to music. Songs I've listened to 100s of times come to life and I find myself noticing little nuances of things I took for granted before. Music sounds more alive and full. So how do they compare to the likes of the V-Modas I've had in the past and other sets I've tried out? Well, at first I was worried I'd be wishing I went for the V-Modas but I can honestly say that's not the case. Sure the V-Modas look amazing and will certainly turn heads, but sound wise I'd honestly say these are on par with any set of V-Modas or Sonys out there. Granted the V-Modas may have just the slightest bit more low end, but you have to remember they use a 50mm driver vs a 40mm driver and they cost a lot more. That's not to say the AIWA doesn't have plenty of bass, as they do, it's just not overdone. Some may like it overdone, and if that's how you want bass, you probably like Skullcandy stuff. The only other thing I'd mention is volume. I did find myself cranking my phone and the headphones all the way up and wishing I could get a few more clicks out of it. That said, I listen to things at a level most tell me it's too loud and I probably shouldn't so take that with a grain of salt. For the office, I'm able to listen to these at about 70-80% volume and my neighbor says she can't hear them, which is great. Overall I'd give these a 9.5/10 for sound. For the money you aren't going to find anything as clean or precise sounding. Period. You just aren't. It's kind of like a Corvette vs a Ferrari. People might say Ferrari takes the cake, but you can get a Corvette for a fraction of the price and it's still a performance beast that is easily the best bang for the buck there is. That's how I feel about the Arc1. In the end, they have made my open office environment tolerable and I enjoy the time spent listening to music as if it's brand new music. They have an incredible sound and an incredible battery life. If you are looking for value priced headphones that easily sound like they cost you 2-3 times as much, don't even hesitate on picking these up. For real. They are that good.