My set of Sony MDR-EX71SL had stopped working in one ear. The insulation on those seem poor to me. It has a rubbery texture that over time just wore out. I did use them everyday for a few months, but I figured they should have lasted longer. I use my ear buds with my iPod Nano as well as my iPod Shuffle. I went back to using the standard Apple ear buds for a little while, but they really sounded poor and realized that I was one of the iPod users that turn the volume up really loud when the outside noise gets louder. After reading more about some of the hearing loss lawsuits against Apple I decided I should try to save my ears and invest in another pair of ear buds that would cancel out some of the noise. I purchased a few pairs of the Sony ear buds and they broke too easily so I was open to trying something new. I figured there was quite a few I could choose from, but since I have the tendency to break them since I’m not too careful I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a pair of Shure or Etymotics. I searched the Internet and found the BassBuds from Chwang Yi. The price of $29 seemed reasonable to and if I didn’t like them they offered a money back guarantee within one year. It was worth the risk and even if I didn’t like them it was a small price to pay if I didn’t like them.

I ordered them from Chwang Yi’s website and it arrived at my door in a couple of days. They were not in retail packaging and that didn’t really matter to me. Marketing in stores helps fancy packaging but since I ordered it online I really treated it as a non-retail product. I purchased the ear buds in white to match my iPods. The package came with the ear buds, three sized earpieces, and a carrying case. The carrying case is a nice touch and I think it will help protect the unit when it’s carried in my pocket. The cord is a good length where I can keep my iPod in my pocket. Initially, I thought the Bass Buds were just okay. I figured they needed some time to initially break them in. After a couple of days they sounded just as good as the Sony MDR-EX71SL if not better. After using them I can say that it was worth the investment. There were hardly any issues with the Bass Buds.

I would say that the packaging would need to change if the Bass Buds were to be sold as a retail package in stores. Since it is just online on a website I felt it was acceptable. Another convenience feature the Sony MDR-EX71SL had was a short cable and an extension. This is useful if you use an accessory like the iPod Remote. Other than that they are a nice set of ear buds.

I am very happy with the purchase. I would recommend them to someone looking for an upgrade over the standard Apple ear buds but don’t feel the need to spend a fortune on them as well. The price to performance ratio is more than acceptable. For more information on the product visit the manufacturer’s product page at http://www.chwangyi.com/bassbuds.html. Feel free to post any comments you have on the Bass Buds.