Listen the way you like
How do you choose earphones? In an ideal world, you’d want to try several and pick the ones that sounded best to you. In the real world, it’s unlikely you’ll have the opportunity: even if you have a local shop that sells a suitable variety, they won’t usually put samples out to try. It’s not very hygienic to wedge gadgets inside your earholes, after all.
Consequently, most of us end up buying something after reading a few reviews and never really knowing if we’d have been happier with a different product. That’s where the Rock Jaw Alfa Genus V2 comes in. This pair of earphones comes with a set of ‘tuning filters’ that adjust the audio reproduction to your taste.
It’s the kind of feature that would normally elicit a groan from us when we’re told about it, because we’d suspect it’d turn out to be a gimmick with fiddly add-on bits made of cheap plastic. Not in this case. The filters are metal screw-in parts that fit perfectly and really do change how your music and films sound.
Like us, you might find the silver Enhanced Bass option, which comes installed, too mellow and muddy, but for some types of track (where bass is prominent) it’s ideal. Use the gold Natural filter and classical, acoustic and jazz become bright and crisp. If you prefer even more top-end frequency (perhaps to make audiobooks clearer), the black Treble filters will do the trick. Most importantly, the underlying audio quality is very good indeed for under £50.
Whichever filters you prefer, you’ll also find plenty of foam tips in the box to make sure the Alfa Genus V2 fits your ears comfortably. Standard silicone domes come in small, medium and large; medium and large memory foam tips provide a different feel; and people with small ears can opt for double-flanged plastic tips.
Although a new aluminium casing makes the Alfa Genus V2 sturdier than the original V2, the most obvious change is to the cable, which no longer has a twisted design. A gold-plated rightangled jack connects to your headphone port, and on the cable to the left earbud is a microphone and button unit for use with mobile phones.
VERDICT
This is an excellent choice if you want high sound quality with some extra control.
SPECIFICATIONS
In-ear wired earphones • 3.5mm stereo jack • Mic remote • 1.2m cable • 20-20,000Hz frequency response • Three tuning filters • Alternative tips • Travel pouch • One-year warranty