Just so you know, here at The Test Pit
we are jammin', and we really hope that you like jammin' too. That's
because our heads, ears and brains have recently been pleasured by
the 'one love' that is the Positive Vibration On-Ear Headphones from
the House of Marley. Even though he's been dead for a quite a few
years, it seems that Bob Marley is really quite talented at making
headphones. We slipped a pair over our dreads and... erm... did
something else Marley related.
We were sent the Positive Vibration set
of 'phones, in the 'Roots' style. There are lots of different kinds
and styles produced by the House of Marley, and cater for lovers of
in-ear, on-ear and over-ear musical input. The Positive Vibration
kind are on-ear, which means the soft cushioning pads of the speakers
sit comfortably on our lugholes. Comfort is the key word with these
headphones, as the whole set is wrapped in soft canvas-like material
and the frame grips our skull firmly yet gently.
Straight out of the box you know you
have purchased a quality pair of 'phones. You don't need to read to
the box blurb to know that the jack connector is gold plated and the
cans themselves are of pure aluminium. We loved the fabric coated
cord, not just because it would be near impossible to get tangled up
in itself, but because the colouring matched perfectly the style of
the headphones and Bob Marley himself.
Style is another important word to
consider with this head set. We of the The Pit must admit to not
necessarily being fans of the larger 'over the head' headphones,
preferring the subtle convenience of earbuds. But after plugging
these babies into our mp3 player and hitting bass boost in the
equaliser, we'd be more than happy to sport them on the bus, on the
street and to add an element of entertainment at funerals. Needless
to say, we loved 'em.
Bass is something they manage
exceptionally well, and we were blown away by the depth of sound the
Positive Vibrations achieved. The noise-cancelling quality of the
headset was very welcome, and they did their best at blocking out the
sounds of the cruel real world as we wandered about with Bob himself
strumming inside our heads. Highs and lows sounded great, and
although we revelled in the deep thudding of the bass, it was not at
the expense of the vocals, which came in clean and crisp.
Included in the recycled packaging box
is a very handy canvas bag to keep you headphones safe and sound,
appropriately in the colours of the Jamaican flag and matching the
'phones perfectly. It was a bit of an adjustment for us at first,
carrying around something so much larger than our usual earbuds, but
hot-darn was it worth it!
The House of Marley do some other
incredible headphones (including some cool looking in-ear 'phones
made of wood), speakers and bags. They seem to be music fans
themselves, and following on from Mr Marley's status as a master
craftsman of sound, aim to achieve that same level. They also do some
great work for charity, so check out www.thehouseofmarley.co.uk
Positive Vibration On-Ear Headphones: Around £50, depending on where you buy.