AAUG Reviews

by J. Robin Donaldson, AAUG Member

Wow! These are incredibly comfortable with GREAT sound quality. I’ve used many and ear head set (ear buds) in the past dating back to the go-go Walkman days of the very late ‘70s early 80s. And these days, I spend all my working hours with either a cordless (blue tooth) head set or hard wired head set, in my ear, and none have been as comfortable as the ifrogz Ear Pollution Plugz.

The sound quality seems to have an amplified base. The sound was great for all genres of music with a rich and deep base; classical, world, hard rock, jazz, you name it. I ride my bicycle a lot along busy, noisy streets to/from work. The noise reduction in these buds rock! along with being very comfortable, they are also very lightweight. And secure. I chopped a whole bunch of wood yesterday while rocking out with the Ear Pollution Plugz nestled securely in my ears. With all of the swinging and carrying and stacking of wood, they did not become loose or bothersome once. The only real down side of these buds is that they fit so well and are so nicely sound proof, I have to wonder about the long term damage to my ear drums when I crank up my music.

All-in –all, would I recommend ifrogz Ear Pollution Plugz? The easy answer is absolutely and I already have. But now, at $14.99, it is a really good value for money and at this reduced price, I would consider purchasing 2 pair just to insure that if something were to happen to my first pair, I have a spare for back up.

by J. Robin Donaldson, AAUG Member

First impression was mixed. The Treadz is ruggedly attractive, suited more towards the sporty or masculine set. It is made of a black silicone rubber embellished with a tire tread design to improve the grip-ability of the case. The tread design is too shallow to have much influence in over coming the slick hand feel of the silicone rubber case.

The cut-outs in the rubber are perfectly placed allowing for easy access to all functions. I appreciated the rubber’s flexibility and malleability, which made getting the actual iPhone in and out of the case very easy. The case also comes with a full-face screen protection film. This is a wonderful allowing the phone to be fully protected against scratches. But the anti-shock value of the case is a question mark for me and I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my phone to rate the anti-shock resistance.

I have tested a leather case. It’s very nice and feels as though the anti-shock value of the leather case would be higher. But at just under $30, it should be. Also, my cheek often touches the screen while I am talking an takes over the controls of the phone often hanging up during mid-call.

I have tested a fully enclosed plastic case cover for the iPhone. The pro is the seemingly durability of the case. The HUGE negative, in opinion only, is that I found that what little heat was generated off of the phone created moisture build up in the case. And there was no ventilation that allowed this moisture to escape. (more…)

by Zach Zaletel, AAUG Member

The iFrogz Headphones are another entry in the isolating, in-ear headphone category that has exploded in the past few years.  Based on the quick growth of this headphone format, I’d guess it will be the basic headphone of the future, what with the easy customizability of the rubber, in-ear portion to make a perfect fit.  They are much more comfortable than the traditional in-ear headphones, like those that shipped with most every iPod in existence.  Available in a variety of colours to match your wardrobe, there is undoubtedly the right one for you.  

The pair I reviewed, in brown and blue, arrived a few days before I received similar pair of Sennheiser in-ear CX300 headphones, which seemed like the makings of a great comparison.  After a few minutes trying out the little rubber eartips and finding the proper size, I fired up iTunes and gave both sets a listen.  

The Earpollution Plugs surprised me, and sounded quite good with both some indie, jazz, classical and spoken tracks that played.  Switching headphones, I ran the same tunes with the CX300s, which were even more of a surprise.  They did sound a bit clearer than the Plugz, with a bit more oomph and clearer high tones, but I’m hard pressed to say that they’d be worth twice the price - if you were on the street or in a noisier environment, you would have a hard time telling the difference while listening.  If you need a new set of cans for your iPod or iPhone and want to save a few bucks, give the Earpollution Plugz from iFrogz a listen.

by Dave Enders, AAUG Member

I have been a big fan of silicone cases for some time now. They have their advantages, they have a good feel and in my opinion provide better protection. One of the cons of a silicone case however is they tend to attract dust and debris. I bought a silicone case when I first got my 3G phone. But my search for the perfect case had just begun. I am happy to report I think I have found the case.

Enter the ifrogz iPhone 3G Luxe, it is a two piece hard shell case. It has a great look and feel. I chose the Red Ruby color. My initial concerns were that it was going to be harder to hold on to than a silicone case. Surprisingly enough it has a very tactile feel to it. It comes with a screen shield ,however I did not install it since my phone already has a Invisible Shield full body protection installed. This brings me to one of the only cons of this case. Due to the tight tolerances it is difficult to get this case on. I think I also somehow damaged my Invisible Shield on the back of the phone. If decide this is the case I will probably remove the back shield from the Phone. The 3G Luxe has a padded back on the interior of the case so it should not scratch the phone.

This is my one week impression, standby for the two week update. (more…)