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As much as Beats may have gone a long way to making the idea of having decent quality headphones cool, not everyone wants bass heavy cans, or giant over-the-ear sets. Some prefer an in-ear design for their stealth and ability to stay in place during vigorous activity.
It is to those people that Rock Jaw Audio is looking to market is Alfa Genus V2 headphones too. They use the in-ear design, but offer something of a more customisable experience and a higher-quality level than the free pair that comes bundled with most smartphones.
Rock Jaw's Audio Alfa Genus V2 set is not just a high-quality pair of earphones but they ship with customisable tuning filters. If you prefer heavy bass or a more accented treble curve you can now enable that with hardware choices, changing out the tuning filter with a simple screw mechanism.
Specifications
- Drivers: 8mm dynamic.
- Tuning Filters: 3x Interchangeable.
- Compatibility: iOS / Android / Windows Smartphones.
- Impedance: 16Ω.
- Sensitivity: 108+/-3db.
- Frequency response: 20 – 20000Hz.
- Cord Length: 1.2M.
- Jack type: Gold plated 3.5mm (right angle jack).
- Microphone: Built in with with universal pause/play button.
- Eartips included: (S/M/L) silicone | (M/L) memory foam | (S) double flange.
The packaging for the Rock Jaw Audio Alfa Genus V2 headphones is compact and revealing – letting you see the earphones themselves behind a clear plastic window. Right alongside it are the tuning filters, with a little metal tag to show you which is which.
Around the back there is a break down of what the different tuning filters are like, as well as the usual rhetoric about how great the product is and what it offers. There are also a few of the extra silicon earbud tips on show.
Rock Jaw has been very economical with the space inside this box. Once the outer shell is removed, a little door opens up at the bottom containing the short set up manual, the majority of the earphone cabling and a number of accessories.
There are a total of seven different sets of earbud tips, covering three different sizes, as well as different materials. There are four different silicon options, two different sized pairs made from foam, and a double flange set if your ears love ejecting more traditional earbuds.
Alongside them is a cable clip and carry bay.
What really sets this set of earphones apart though is not the different earbuds, it is the tuning filters. These little accessories can dramatically change the sound that the earphones put out, which is not something many manufacturers offer. They screw on and off in a matter of seconds, as you will see on the next page.
NB. That piece of metal in the box telling you which tuning filter is which is stuck on to the foam. I know because I spent five minutes trying to take it out, thinking it was a case for them that had just gotten stuck.
The earphones themselves are quite typical. They have a standard black rubber cable that is four feet long and splits off to the independent buds at just under 14 inches from the end. It comes pre-rolled, but does not stay that way for long. It also has a pause/play built into the in-line microphone.
The ear buds themselves are pre-fitted with one of the silicon coatings, which are translucent grey with a red interior, giving them an interesting look. Removing the coating is as simple as giving it a tug, though there is a snug fit. Inside you can see the stock “bass” sound tuning filter that Rock Jaw sends them out with.
Removing and replacing the tuning filter is a simple matter, as they just unscrew with a few turns and from there you can put in whichever ones you prefer, even having one of each in left/right ears to see what the difference in sound is like.
If it worth noting though that if your fingers are a little oily it can be difficult to screw them in tight enough to keep them entirely locked during use. If they become loose sound quality can really drop off – though it is an easy fix.
The cable ends in a gold plated connector, which should improve durability.
Testing a pair of earphones like the Rock Jaw Audio Alfa Genus V2 involves using it for a period of one week as general music listening headphones during working hours. Music of a number of different genres was listened to, as well as podcasts and audiobooks. Throughout we took into consideration audio quality, clarity and ability to handle different parts of the auditory spectrum, as well as comfort and ease of use.
Since this particular set of headphones also came with optionable audio tuners, we also tested each of those against one another and compared with a standard set of smartphone headphones (bundled set that comes with Sony Xperia Z2).
Although the Alfa Genus V2s do come with a number of optional earbud tips and tuners, we started with the default configuration of silicon tips and the ‘bass' tuners. The immediate impression of them is that the sound is a little muddy. They have a strong bass level and the can handle volume nicely, but the clarity of the sound is not at the level of the default smartphone headphones we were using for comparison.
Fortunately this impression was nullified when we began to play around with the other options. Swapping in the treble set improved the clarity of the sound by a noticeable margin, though it did make it feel less warm and the bass dropped significantly.
Which is why for the majority of this review I spent my time using the “natural,” gold plated tuners also provided with these headphones.
Due to the great middle ground it offers between the warm but crunchy ‘bass' tuners and the crisper, cleaner but thin ‘treble' options, you would expect Rock Jaw to use the ‘natural' tuners as the default. It is perhaps telling of the market it operates in that it opted for bass tuners instead.
Perhaps the most well known smartphone headphone alternative brand on the market right now is Beats. Its prevalence for bass heavy sound and a hip-hop focus is perhaps why Rock Jaw looked to emulate something similar for first time listeners. I would certainly recommend you switch them out for the ‘naturals.'
In terms of the sound quality, once I had settled on a tuner of choice, the Alfa Genus V2 offer a really pleasant audio experience. The sound has warmth and character without rolling off the treble frequencies and the low end is hefty and focused. You just lose out on some of the really low end ‘sub bass'.
For those who struggle to find a set of earphone tips that fit snug enough, the number of options on offer here means you can find one that really fits perfectly. If you get really stuck though and find the silicon and foam do not cut it, the double flange variants do not budge an inch once inserted.
The number of earbuds and extra tuners may not be something you want to keep with you often, but you can thanks to the included felt bag that could easily fit in a pocket or bag. I would worry that the tuning filters could be easily lost, but at least the option to carry them with you is there.
One downside of these headphones is that like a lot of earbud style sets, they suffer from a lot of microphonics as the cable is touched or when it rubs against clothing. Fortunately Rock Jaw included a cable clip. This mitigates a lot of the problem, but it can be further improved by wrapping the cable around your ear – though that is a generic solution that has little to do with the product itself.
Although it makes a bit of unwanted noise though, the cable for these headphones is made of a robust rubber and resists tangling quite well. The header too is very slimline, which makes it more likely to fit into pockets or phone cases. I would have preferred a vertical cable however, as the 90 degree angle sometimes saw it uprooting itself when the phone was pushed into a pocket.
The in-line microphone on the cable was a nice addition too though you can save money when ordering if you would rather do without it. It gives basic play/pause control and the ability to take calls without going to the handset is great. Similarly not having to remove the headset to talk just makes the whole experience uninterrupted.
There is a lot on offer from the Rock Jaw Audio Alfa Genus V2 headphones and that is a good thing. Not only is the sound quality very good, but the level of customisation on offer is without reproach.
While you can of course tweak any set with software EQ, the Rock Jaw's Alfa are the first we have come across to offer hardware end-user tuner replacement options at this price point. The fact that they come with the standard package too and do not cost extra is a true credit to the designers.
Although if you have read the previous page, you will know we preferred the natural sounding tuners for the most part, there certainly were benefits to the others and they would be more apt in certain scenarios with different sets of ears. It is a really nice addition to see Rock Jaw catering to a wide range of fans with those options – though I would still encourage it to use the Naturals as the default option in future.
Of course these headphones are more than just a set of tuners, they are also comfortable over long periods. There are some microphonic issues when the cable is rubbed, but that can be mitigated with generic solutions and the included clothing clip. Likewise if you run into problems with the earbud tips not fitting correctly or not being of your desired material, there are other options.
Rock Jaw has thought of everything. It even has a little carry case for you to put them all in.
Although the sound delivered by these in-ear earbuds is not perfect and you will get better sound if you splash out on significantly more expensive pairs, they deliver a phenomenal sound for their size and cost; especially considering all of the extras which must be factored into the price.
You can buy the Rock Jaw Alfa Genus V2 earphones from MobileFun for £40.
Pros
- Sound is solid and punchy, with good clarity throughout the range.
- Tuning filters offer hardware customisable sound, with noticeable differences.
- Many earbud tips mean there should be something for all ear types.
- Bundled clip and carry bag are a nice addition.
- Very economical for what you get.
- In-line microphone is a nice touch, can be removed for cheaper headphones.
Cons
- Microphonics cable noise is a shame, but easily mitigated.
- Bass tuners are a little muddy for the default tuner option.
- Tuners can come loose if not careful.
KitGuru Says: The Rock Jaw Audio Alfa Genus V2 headphones are a great after-market solution for audiophiles on a budget who like the in-ear design. It is going to be really hard to find a comparable package at this price point.
