Gamertell

Product: Acoustibuds
Price: $19.99 (two pair, retail)
Rating: rating chart (use them all)
Pros: Fit well, small improvement to sound output and external noise reduction, easy to clean and relatively inexpensive. Comes in two sizes.
Cons: Collect all your ear crusties, do not completely eliminate external noise and may take a few readjustment and extra twists to get the right fit for your ear.
Overall: One ear up, once sideways; 85/100; B; * * * 1/2 out of five.

This is one of those products that you look at on the shelf and initially think, “Well that’s just silly.” Then, after you ponder the amount you can potentially spend on a new set of ergonomically designed headphones, you completely reconsider your initial reaction.

The whole idea behind Accoustibuds is to revamp the ear buds you currently own so you don’t have to spend a small fortune on new headphones. You already have those weird little nubby circles you stick in your head to listen to your latest iPod jam so why bother buying $100+ headphones with special ear pieces? Right?

Out of the Box

The box I was sent to review had two sizes of black Acoustibuds in a single retail box: Size 5 and Size 6. I’m not quite certain how they determined ear sizes (I’d like to see the measuring device for that) so it’s probably a good idea to have multiple sizes in one box. That also means you get twice the product for a single price.

Each pair of Acoustibuds came in its own, clearly labeled zip style mini plastic baggie, so you can keep them separated.

The box indicates that these are made of “extra soft silicone rubber” (and “Made in the USA”). Each Acoustibud is intended to be placed over an ear bud - or Apple Bluetooth earphone - by manually stretching one end so it fits around the ear piece.

Each ‘bud is deeply ribbed, much like a honey dipper, and has an downward angle so that it will fit deeply in your ear. The ‘buds also have a hollow canal to allow sound to travel from the headphone to you ear without distraction (or amplification).

In M’ Ear

The Acoustibuds add only a little weight to headphones since they are so small and light. The only weird issue is putting them in your ear which requires a but of twisty maneuvering. The nice part is that, once they are in, they stay in, making them especially good for working out.

I tried these on a couple plane trips where there is a lot of unavoidable ambient noise by the plane. I tried them with the DS Lite, PSP and iPod Touch.

They did not eliminate all exterior noise, as high-prices and noise-canceling headphones might, but did significantly reduce it. They fit rather well but, at least the fist try, required a little finagling to get them at the correct angle. Each time I put them in it required a little twisting and a slight in-and-out motion to get the right fit so they remained comfortably in my ears for extended periods of time (one to three hours).

When being used for DS and PSP gaming, which often includes a lot of high-pitched tones (which are more easily heard in noisy surroundings) and a few accompanying low tones (for explosions and some dialogue), they were able to channel sound without requiring much more than one or two volume notch increases to be comfortably audible.

When listening to videos via the iPod Touch I had to turn up the volume another notch or two above game volume. The difference was in proportion to listening without the Acoustibuds yet still at a lower volume than without that devices in place. PSP video were not quite as easy to hear but those often seem to have the same issue as many DVDs where the audio track is much quieter than the soundtrack.

They also seemed to improve the audio of in-flight movies so I could choose a lower setting than one or two away from max. They were also easily removed numerous times (for cleaning and adjusting) and replaced without tearing or becoming overstretched.

And now for ear wax. Yeah, you have it and so do I. The black Acoustibuds were certainly merciless when it came to showing ear residue, especially since the ribbed sides seem to be ideal channels for storing small crusty ear particles. If you are particularly waxy, I’d suggest going for the white models. Otherwise, a periodic, quick, 3-to-10-second cleaning with a little alcohol and a paper towel or napkin will suffice.

Are These ‘Buds For You?

If you are looking for absolute exterior noise reduction, these are not going to replace those price headphones you purchased for a seemingly ridiculous amount of dough.

These are a worthy, economical option if you want make your current ear buds better fitting and add a small to medium amount of acoustic improvement. They eliminate some noise, offer a better fit than straight ear buds and are easy to clean. You can even gift the pair you are not going to use. The retail price might seem a but steep at $20 for four rubbery attachments (you can often find them at the much more attractive price of $10 to $13) but this is a much less expensive experiment than a pair of new headphones (that might not even fit) and a heck of a lot easier to clean.

These are definitely a try-before-you-buy-something-way-more-expensive product especially if you plan to bring your mobile gaming device with you when you travel.

Site [Acoustibuds]

Editor’s Note: All Acoustibuds were thoroughly cleaned of human ear wax or other natural crusties prior to being photographed.