My search for a good set of headphones has been going on forever. There’s this fine balance it seems between an affordable pair that sounds alright and a really expensive pair that you just can’t afford. For example, right now I’m a big fan of the Beats headphones by Monster Cable, but the $300 price tag is a bit prohibitive. I’m always on the hunt to find that sweet spot between pricey and good sounds, and making things more complicated is my taste in music. I prefer a sold bass line to most of my beats, and I never can seem to find that for a decent price.

That’s why when we were contacted by iFrogz about their new line of iPhone headphones, I jumped on the chance to try them out. They sent us over a free set of the Timbre model, and I got right on testing them out.

These are in-ear headphones, and I know a lot of people out there don’t really like that. In fact, these are designed to go deep into the ears, creating a suction seal in the ear canal that produces a deep, rich bass. And trust me, without putting them in all the way, the resulting sound is distorted and distant.

According to iFrogz, the unique wood design of the headphones is what’s able to produce the remarkable bass output that these put out. I listened to a variety of different songs, from pop beats, hip-hop and rock, with the same result – I never once lost that bass sound that I was looking for. “Back in Black” by AC/DC produced a rich bottom end that really did rock, and Eminem’s “Bagpipes from Baghdad” revealed a bass line that I couldn’t normally hear on the iPhone’s included headphones.

One of the bonus features to the headset is the included mic. I tried a call or two on the headset, and got varying results. The person on the other end never had any issues, with just a little bit of echo which could be attributed to the room in which I was calling from. That said, talking while you have a set of headphones in is a little odd, as you hear yourself sounding distant, and almost want to elevate your tone to compensate. I can easily see this leading to people yelling out their conversations, but once you get used to it, it’s fine.

Really, if I have any complaint about these headphones, it’s the bass. I know, that’s a little odd to say considering how much I love the deep tones, but the high end doesn’t compensate accordingly. It’s like the bass is turned all the way up and everything else is flat, and you miss some of the higher highs. If you’re looking for a more sonically balanced set of headphones, these may not be for you. One other thing to mention was that when I plugged these into my iPhone 3GS, I had no issues, but when plugged into my MacBook Pro, I got a slight hissing sound when no music was playing. This could just be the way the plug fits into the hole, but if you’re planning on using these for your laptop, take that in mind.

But if you like deep bass and prefer to listen to hip-hop or dance music, these are the headphones for you. And at the price – $49.99 per their Web site – it can’t be beat.

iFrogz Timbre headphones

Rana is top of the line italian leather cases with a unique design and engineering all their own. The unique draw string allows you to easily remove your iPod for access to your music and videos. The Rana comes in three different leather grains to meet your style needs. With added strength in the 4 snap closure your iPod is safe wrapped up in an ifrogz Rana.

Check back soon for a full review of the Rana Leather iPod Case. Learn more about ifrogz at ifrogz.com

	“30 design combos in one” multipacks: Each multipack contains one of our Wrapz (the main case component), three Bandz of different colors and 10 pieces of reusable Wheel Art that adhere to our clear plastic Screenz. All 16 themed multipacks will be available at the end of the month.
	Tadpole: — the world’s first and only video iPod case for kids — will soon begin shipping with a bundled set of child-friendly headphones.
	Bullfrog: a heavy-duty, extra-rugged iPod case.
	Shuffle Bandz and genuine leather Shuffle Strapz: These are the first accessories of their kind available for Apple’s brand-new, ultra-small iPod shuffle.
	Rana: an upscale, unconstructed Italian leather pouch for iPods or other personal electronic devices.

You can look for all of these soon at ifrogz.com

One of the coolest features of the ifrogz custom cases is the actual customization.  If you could customize one for your loved one…and if you want to…by all means, do…but they ain’t gettin’ it by the 25th – and they’ll be missing out on the fun of actually playing all the different ifrogz combinations.

A virtual gift certificate from ifrogz, however, will not only let them do it themselves, but you can also print the gift certificate instantly – so you have something to wrap, and don’t look like you forgot…

Check them out at ifrogz.com

“We’re very happy to now have ifrogz iPod cases available at these new locations around the country,” said Scott Huskinson, president of ifrogz. “Our cases make perfect stocking stuffers and are winning rave reviews from national press and satisfied customers alike. People love mixing and matching our Wrapz, Bandz and Screenz to create the perfect cases for their iPods and they love spending time on our Web site. But if there’s anything
they like more than building an ifrogz case online, it’s building one in person.”

Kiosks are now open for business at the following locations:
* Bellis Fair Mall, Bellingham, Washington;
* Boise Towne Square Mall, Boise, Idaho;
* Cache Valley Mall, Logan, Utah;
* Clackamas Town Center, Portland, Oregon;
* Fashion Place Mall, Murray, Utah;
* The Galleria at Sunset, Henderson, Nevada;
* Lloyd Center, Portland, Oregon;
* Park Place Mall, Tucson, Arizona;
* Parkway Plaza, El Cajon, California;
* Provo Towne Centre, Provo, Utah;
* South Plains Mall, Lubbock, Texas;
* Tacoma Mall, Tacoma, Washington;
* Tucson Mall, Tucson, Arizona;
* Washington Square, Portland, Oregon; and
* Westfield West County Center, St. Louis, Missouri.

ifrogz iPod cases represent the ultimate way for iPod owners to express their individuality and own unique tastes while simultaneously protecting their favorite music player. With more than 300,000 ways to configure each case, the patent-pending, three-part ifrogz case design also provides some of the best possible protection for iPods from scratches, dirt and other damage.

ifrogz’s newest product offering, the Tadpole video iPod case for kids, is also available at the new mall locations. The first and only of its kind, the Tadpole comes in six fun colors and is designed for busy parents who want to use their own video iPods to entertain their children in the car, at the doctor’s office, at the supermarket or anywhere else. Two distinctive handles provide not only firm, comfortable grips for little hands, but also
add rugged protection.

The site itself, at first, looks kind of busy – but the design is eye catching, and it is easy to figure out how to get started. You just click on theiPod you own, and want to get a customized case for. Once you select your iPod , you’re immediately taken to the customization page – and the interface is slick. There are three main things to customize on your case, thewrapz, bandz, and screenz.

The wrap, of course, is the primary case for your iPod, and is available in 33 different color options ranging from Bright Red to Alien Glow. As you run through your selection of colors, each one has a smooth fade transition to the other, and you can easily see what the front and back of your case will look like with the mock-up in the right hand corner.

The bandz are just as easy to customize, and come in 32 colors (some of the same colors as the wrapz, but some different ones as well). The great thing about these cases is that if you want, you can buy multiple bandz, wraps, or screenz. The bandz are only $4 bucks, and can allow you to change out your case design regularly.

The screenz have over 200 designs for you to choose from. They range from eyeballs and colors, to political parties, sports, and even the Mona Lisa. There is truly something here for every personality. Thescreenz (when sold separately) are about $6 bucks each.

For slightly more ($14.95), you can design your own custom screenz image. This feature is in Beta, but I plan on trying it out soon.

Separately a set of wrapz, bandz, and screenz would cost you $31, but when you bundle all three together, you save a few bucks, and get the set for $29. My wife and I spent a least half an hour just playing with the different design possibilities, before I finally let her design one for me, and then ordered that one. (You can see it below)

There were so many options I had a hard time choosing what I wanted – assuming the case is of the quality I expect it to be when it arrives, I’ll be ordering morebandz, wrapz, and screenz soon.

The case should arrive in the mail sometimes this week, and I’ll be taking photos of it, and running it through the paces when it gets here. Expect a full review sometime next week. Right now, though, you should head over to the iFrogz site, and play around with this custom case design interface. It’s a breeze to use, and you can make some really great looking cases.

After you take a look at it, come back here and let us know what you think about it in the comments section below.