Review + Giveaway: RF3 LIVE Natural Wood Stereo Earphones

If you're looking for a stylish pair of headphones without a hefty price tag - the RF3 LIVE natural wood stereo earphones may be worth taking a second look at. Everything from the design of the actual earbuds down to the elegant packaging makes these headphones stand out from a lot of others in the same price range. But what about the most important feature of a good pair of headphones? Sound quality. Follow along to see how we felt they performed.

When it came to sound quality I thought the RF3 headphones held up extremely well for the price. The headphones themselves are noise isolating and come with a few different sets of tips for a better fit. They were rather comfortable to wear but I wouldn't suggest them as the best option for athletes or runners as I had them fall out of my ears a few times.

The 3.5MM headphone jack has a longer adapter which also allowed me to use them with virtually any case. One quirk I've never really gotten over with my Bose headphones is that the jack is shorter and some cases including bumpers don't like to play nice with them. That isn't the case here.

The headphones also have a built-in mic that you can interact with just like you can default Apple earbuds. This means iPhone 4S users can easily interact with Siri quickly and easily. I tested the mic on several occasions and had no issues with Siri picking up on what I was saying even in a semi-noisy environment.

As far as the acoustics and sound while listening to music, I thought they held their own against many other headphones in the same price range. They even performed better than some more expensive headphones I've used in the past. The only issue I did see was when it came to bass levels. I felt that they were rather shallow. Even with my iPod settings set to enhance the bass they didn't seem to perform near as well as my Bose MIE2i headphones. That is not as fair of a comparison though since they are nowhere near the same price range.

Overall, I'd say they perform well for the price if you want a decent pair of headphones that stand out from the rest without breaking the bank. You can find the RF3 LIVE natural wood headphones in the TiPb accessory store for $34.95.

Pros

  • Great price for a quality product
  • A variety of ear tip pieces included
  • Built-in mic works exceptionally well
  • Noise cancellation works just as good as most expensive noise isolating headphones
  • The sound doesn't distort when at a high level like some lower priced ear buds
  • The headphone jack seems to fit well with almost every case I have, bulky or not

Cons

  • Not great for runners and athletes as the headphones don't offer a very firm and secure fit (or I just have little ears)
  • The bass levels seem to be rather shallow compared to other ear buds

Giveaway

Just leave a comment below telling us what you'd listen to if you were given a set of RF3 LIVE Natural Wood Stereo Earphones of your very own! A special song? A great audio book? A bunch of Mobile Nations podcasts? What?

TiPb iPhone 4-star rated

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Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.