The iBlinks also come in a variety of different color and light combinations. The pair I received were white with blue lights. They also come in the following combinations: white with white lights, white with pink lights, black with white lights, black with blue lights (pictured above), and black with pink lights. Ok, so now that we know what came with the product we can move on to the more important stuff, how do the iBlink earbuds perform?

Figure 2: The white with blue lights are the ones that I received for review.

It's all about the sound

I decided the best way to test the quality of the iBlinks was to compare them with the earbuds I normally use and with a pair of earbuds that I got with one of my old mp3 players. Obviously the real test here is to see if they can outperform the free set of earbuds, because if they can't do that then why would you spend money on them? I was also curious to see if they were better than the earbuds that I bought to replace my old free ones.

To get started I charged the iBlinks. This was as easy as plugging one end into the jack located on the earbuds and plugging the other end into the USB port of my PC. The initial charging time was not bad, but I think they were also partially charged out of the box so I don't think I got an accurate impression of the total charge time. After they were done charging I turned the iBlinks on and plugged them into my mp3 payer. The fact that you can turn the lights on and off is a feature I am glad they included. In certain situations, like on an airplane or a train, I could easily see the blinking lights annoying somebody. One of the first things I noticed about the iBlinks during the course of this review was how thin and fragile the wire was. It really did not feel like these earbuds could take a lot of punishment. Likewise, the plastic used for the battery compartment and speakers seemed rather cheap. Would cheap construction affect the sound quality? Well there was only one way to find out. For testing purposes I listened to several different songs of different genres, including: pop, techno, heavy metal, and country. For the most part the iBlinks seemed to perform pretty well. The bass was impressively deep and rich. The midrange, treble, and vocals were also clear and well reproduced. As for the blinking lights, they were actually kind of fun. I don't really know if they were truly blinking in time to the music or not, but they looked like they were. They also changed with the volume of the music - the louder the music gets the brighter the lights get, and vice versa. The noise isolation, however, did not work that well. I really had to crank up the volume to cut out the background noise I was getting from my television. To be fair, the big problem with the noise isolation was probably to to the poor fit I got from the included ear tips. The smallest tips were too small and kept slipping out and the medium sized ear tips were just too big. The medium sized ones were what I ended up sticking with because they didn't slip out, they were just too big to fit far enough in to create a good seal. After using the iBlinks exclusively for a couple weeks I can say that while they feel fragile, they have held up well. While I would still be hesitant to throw them around, they've proven that they can withstand a normal daily routine without getting damaged or breaking.

Next up, I tried the original free pair of earbuds that I used to use all the time. There was a definite difference between the new and the old. The bass from the freebies was weak and lacked any real punch and the midrange, treble, and vocals seemed kind of flat. So when compared to a pair of earbuds that I received free with an old mp3 player, the iBlinks are definitely worth the money. I should note that the old earbuds were not of the noise isolating in-ear design, so I am sure that accounts for some of the quality difference. I do think in-ear earbuds provide superior sound to to normal earbuds. That being said, the iBlinks were clearly superior in overall sound quality. As far as material and construction goes, there really wasn't all that much difference between the iBlinks and freebies.

Finally I tested the same songs with my regular earbuds which I purchased from Creative Labs for about $40 a couple years ago. These tested much closer to the iBlinks. The iBlinks have a little bit deeper bass response, but the Creative Labs pair sounded a little better when it came to midrange, treble, and vocals. The sound isolation seems to be better with the Creative Labs earbuds, but that just maybe because they fit a lot better than the iBlinks do. Construction quality was also a little better with the Creative Labs earbuds, but still I have to say that I am impressed with the fact that the iBlinks gave me pretty much the same sound quality as the more expensive Creative Labs earbuds for $15 less.

Ultimately these are all low cost earbuds I have been testing and the true audiophile will probably want to steer clear of these. I know there are superior earbuds out there and that some of them deliver truly amazing sound quality, but while I do love the music I listen too, I just don't listen to it enough to justify paying $100 plus for a pair of excellent quality earbuds. For the price, the iBlinks deliver a good mix of quality and gimmick, and let's face it, with the hundreds of low cost earbuds on the market right now, to get ahead you have to get something that stands out. The blinking lights accomplish this very well. In my opinion the lights are amusing, but not something that would really attract me to the product. Kids and teenagers, however, would probably love it.

Conclusion

To wrap this up, I had an overall good experience with the iBlink earbuds. The sound quality is definitely a step up from some of the headphones that have come with my various mp3 players over the years and was on par with my Creative Labs earbuds. The price is in line with most other low end earbuds and while the flashing lights don't appeal much to me, I think kids and teenagers would find it cool. The cheap construction may put some people off, but I find the same quality present in most earbuds at a similar price point. Audiophiles will probably want to stay away, but I think these would make a great gift for kids.

Chris Baxter is an IT Professional and part time Web Designer who resides in North Aurora, Illinois. Playing video games, watching movies, or reading a good book are what occupies his time when he is not fixing computers or trying to get his hands on the latest gadgets.

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