Unboxing and Setup
The box I received from AYL was an unassuming cardboard in its natural brown color with a logo foil stamped in red. A very simple package that made me wonder if the product inside was an electronic device or some sort of new fangled granola with sprouts from world market. I was elated to discover it was the former. There was not a lot of packaging around the headphones to mess with but they came with multiple tips and grips, a micro USB for charging and a nice faux leather bag for carrying everything.
Construction and Design
It's got a basic setup, two earbuds with ear grips and an in line controller. The AX8 is no exception to this setup bit it is a pretty version. It has a matte black finish and chrome accents, punctuated by a simple AYL logo printed on each bud. It's a very simple yet dynamic visual and as a visual person it was something I enjoyed.
The inline controller feels solid, it has good tactile feedback. It has the basic buttons (volume + and volume -, separated by a large multi-function button) and each of the buttons is given enough space to breathe so no hitting the wrong button. However the only major gripe I have with the construction is in the placement of the controller. It sits approximately 3.5 inches from the right ear bud...so it's dangling in mid air and each time I went to adjust the volume I yanked it out of my ear.
The USB is flat (so it has a lower chance of getting shorts yay!) and fits nice, but it's tiny. I'm not entirely sure how to charge these without them dangling on the wall or from a USB port on my computer.
Sound
The sound quality is what I'd expect from a bargain brand bluetooth ear bud. Its not Bose but not gas station brand quality either. They have really good bass and nothing sounds tin-ny. No real complaints here.
The Verdict
Bottom line is that you can't go wrong with these headphones. For roughly $30 you get an above average sound,`Phenomenal battery life and solidly constructed headphones. My one gripe is in the placement of the inline controller but it's not insurmountable. I highly recommend you check them out at http://amzn.to/2bcXKjt
** Editors note: Island Boy Manuel did receive this product free from AYL for Review. It is the expressed policy of Chamorro Cinema to be 100% honest in every review regardless of sponsorship. The fact that the product is free does not in any way impact out review.