a-Jays Four+ review: A joy to wear, with excellent clarity, detail as well as smart styling

a-Jays is a Swedish brand, well known for its extreme attention to detail and highly stylish audio headphones. Today we have an Android phone version of a-Jays Four Plus (+) which is mid-price ranged earphone. Let us see how it performs. Build and Design: 8.5/10 The earphones are packed in a completely different plastic packaging that we are generally used to seeing. While the packaging itself is smart and durable, I did fumble many-a-times to try to open it from its frustrating locking-pin design. [caption id=“attachment_347230” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  This is what happens when someone with a screwdriver attempts to open it[/caption] The colours used, the clean lines are very Apple-esque. I personally loved the smart colour combinations used, especially the gold duotone colours. These earphones are good looking, elegant and certainly have class without being loud. [caption id=“attachment_347228” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Smart clean styling[/caption] On the remote/mic, there are no indentations for volume. Interestingly, they have been left out as it is evident that the top and bottom buttons are for volume while the middle controls music and calls. [caption id=“attachment_347231” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Simple, minimalistic remote[/caption] The L-shaped cable is Fettuccine flat-style and doesn’t get in the way while minimising cord noise. This styling of the cable also ensures that it remains tangle-free, perhaps the reason for no inclusion of a carrying case. Out of the box You get the essentials, such as earphones, the ear tips of L, M, S sizes and a really nice durable box which would be barely ever used. Unfortunately, no carrying case at this price point. [caption id=“attachment_347229” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Nice box but no carry case[/caption] Performance: 8.5/10 These earphones sound super-clear. I was amazed to hear the clarity of sound on these right off the bat without any software enhancements. There is definitely a night and day difference between earphones of this class in this price. Objectively: These earphones are quite clear, detailed in sound and yet not clinically flat. The bass is just right, well-balanced for the sound. All genres sound good, you’ll have little to complain about. The highs can be a bit of a concern at high volumes. Subjectively: The first reaction I had was “Wow these are really clear and detailed”. Many earphones claim to be clear but just end up being skewed towards the higher-end of the spectrum at the cost of deeper and mid bass. These tactfully aren’t, they are well-balanced and detailed at the same time. This is indeed how earphones ought to be at this level and price. Bass heads will need to add a few notches to the lower-end to get the boomy loud bass prominence. The clarity of sound extends well as the bass doesn’t overpower the rest of the sounds at all. The audio sounded perhaps more aggressive than the **Brainwavz S3** . The S3’s have a smoother sound to it. This, of course, I’m nit-picking, both the earphones are excellent choices. Call Quality: 8.5 / 10  The call quality is good. Due to the great clarity and detailed nature of the earphones, voice feels clearer than most earphones but not by a wide margin. Verdict and Price in India Would I recommend these? Definitely YES! A-jays Four Plus are an excellent pair of earphones for a street price of Rs 5,500. The Brainwavz S3’s around the same at Rs 5,000, sound excellent and have a tonne of accessories in the package too. There is no clear winner except your own individualistic choice for the kind of sound you like to hear. Both earphones will require some EQ help for lower-end bass boost. Do check which OS you’d want to go for, Android or iOS before buying one. Go for these if you want

• Well-balanced sound
• Clear sound yet not clinical
• Smart elegant design

Don’t go for these

• If you want pronounced bass