It’s been a while since I reviewed the JayBird JB-200 Bluetooth headphones. In that time, Jaybird has expanded their line from simply Bluetooth audio, and they have introduced two new sets of earbuds. Today I am reviewing one of those, the Jaybird Tiger Eyes Earbuds.
These are like the Altec Lansing BackBeat Pros that I just reviewed; they are the in-ear style. They are a little smaller than the BackBeat headphones, and they are not as noticeable as the BackBeat headphones when you wear them. One other difference from the BackBeat Pro is that these have a microphone and a handy in-line volume control. They are more like the Altec Lansing Backbeat Plus Mobile UHS206 headphones I reviewed a few months ago, just with the added volume control.
The thing that the Jaybird line of products is known for is their lifetime guarantee against sweat. Jaybird wants you to use these for working out and they are, in fact, tailored for this. So if for some reason your sweat damages the headphones and causes them to fail, Jaybird will cover it under their warranty.
The headphones also have a titanium drivers, which is supposed to provide a true to life sound. They were pretty good, but I think the BackBeat Pros sound a little better than these do. These sounded a little tinny to me. Still, it’s pretty good quality for a set of earbuds.
The Tiger Eyes have a microphone with a call button, so that you can take calls on your iPhone or other phone that has a 3.5 mm jack for its headsets. Since my G1 doesn’t have a 3.5 mm jack, I was unable to test this feature.
These also work fine with any MP3 Player or even your laptop. So if your phone doesn’t have a 3.5 mm jack you might still be able to use these headphones.
The volume control is very useful. It is a little touchy, but once you get used to it you can lower the volume easily without thinking.
The packaging for the headphones is really nice. However, it’s not very green in my opinion.
Below is everything in the above box.
Just that much stuff was in this huge box:
That’s a ton of padding. The upside to all of this padding is they will not get damaged during shipping. The downside is the packaging is just really too much for all that is in the box. They could have easily re-engineered the packaging and still protected the headphones without the need for all of this foam.
In the box, there’s a quite a few goodies besides the headphones. There’s a little device you use to store your headphones:
This is what it looks like when you have your headphones wrapped around it:
There are also 5 different tips you can use with your Tiger Eyes. My favorite is the Triple Flange tips. If you can’t find a comfortable tip for these headphones, then you have weird ears! 😀
Also included is a case.
I like that Jaybird gives you a nice way to keep the cables untangled and also protected when floating around your bag. That’s my number on issue with earbuds and a backpack or gym bag: the cables getting tangled with USB cables or power cables floating around your bag. With the little case Jaybird gives you, everything is kept nice and tidy.
Jaybird continues to impress me with their products. The Tiger Eyes worked well on everything I used with it, and they are a close second to being my favourite earbud. The BackBeat Pro ear buds edge it out slightly.
The Jaybird Tiger Eyes Earbuds are available at the Jaybird website for $89.
What I liked: In-ear buds are my favourite kind of earbuds and I really like these. I just wish I could use them with my G1!
What needs improvement: The packaging is beautiful, but bulky for all that is in the box. Jaybird needs to be a little more responsible, and figure out how to reduce the packaging and still protect the headphones during shipping.
