Marley In-Ear Headphones, Reviving the Warmth

The packaging alone is sure to catch your attention.
But there's more beneath the fancy facade.

Most law students find it hard to study when it's noisy. That was the case when I was still a law student. And it even finds more urgency now that I'm studying for the bar exams. One reason to shut off the noise is to plug in a set of earphones and listen to music. I do this all the time especially in the library when people talk like they're in the cafeteria. I previously used the iPhone earphones. To be honest, it isn't really that effective in isolating noise.

However, the days of settling for less is over because I recently purchased a pair of Marley In-Ear Headphones. Here are the things I like about this product:

1. You won't hear the world around you. It has noise-isolation features that is perfect for noisy environments (especially libraries!). This will allow you to focus on what you are reading instead of being distracted by the chit chat of other people. Just be conscious cause you might be the one causing the noise already!

You won't find wood in most earphones today.

2. Unique design. Most headphones nowadays are made of plastic and look the same. Marley's headphones look totally different from any other headphone in the market today not only because of its reggae-inspired design, but also because the earpiece itself is made of wood. The fabric covered cord will also get other people's attention. And most of all, the design was inspired by Bob Marley's music.

3. Bass, bass and lots of bass. You'll be surprised of how much bass you've been missing from your iPhone earphones. The amount of bass is just right for you to still hear the other instruments. In other words there is no drowning-out effect.

4. Bose-like quality. Bose prides itself in letting you hear everything that was recorded in the studio -- from the subtlest guitar effect to the faintest backup vocals. And this is not just marketing hype. I know this for a fact cause I have a Bose headphone and has confirmed it while listening to Radiohead songs. Case in point is that, in stores, Bose will let you listen to Norah Jones' songs, which has lots of subtle sounds and layers, while Beats by Dr. Dre will play Maroon 5 songs, wherein the bass almost drowns out the other instruments. Marley's headphones are not as good as Bose's but it's very near and with a more affordable price to boot.

5. It evokes emotions. Most of our gadgets today are too industrial looking. There's no warmth. Just pure functionality and Tron-like aesthetics. In this regard, this headphone is a breath of fresh air. It is mostly made of natural materials, comes in warm colors, and makes you reminisce about the days of casette tapes, walkmans, and vinyl players.

This is one of the coolest pouches I've ever seen.

6. Cool pouch. This pouch not only protects the headphone and prevents the cord from tangling, it also looks nice!

In sum, Marley's In-Ear Headphones are perfect for people who want to drown themselves in music and be oblivious to the world around them.
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For more information about Marley's products click here.

Note: This is not a paid advertisement. It is completely gratuitous!

Are Car Dealers Cheating You During Service?

We have a Mitsubishi Montero Sport. We religiously complied with the car's Periodic Maintenance Service, which means around P5k - P25k per service depending on whether it is light, regular or heavy check-up. Aside from the fact that we trusted the casa more than other repair shops, we also complied with the PMS to keep the warranty. 

With the regular PMS, we felt secure that the Montero will not encounter any breakdown or decrease in performance. However, on our way home from an out of town trip, the check engine indicator suddenly lit up. I also noticed that the exhaust emitted thick black smoke. Prior to this, I noticed that the car's acceleration was restrained and underperforming. 

I couldn't believe it. Before we went out of town, as it was a long trip, we had the Montero serviced in a mitsubishi dealer in Metro Manila. It was a heavy check up that cost around P20,000, not too mention the previous PMSs we had with this dealership. Suffice it to say that the sudden breakdown ruined our vacation.

We were still 200kms away from Manila and it was a Sunday. I pulled over and read the manual. It said: "if the check engine indicator lights up, bring the car to an authorized service center immediately". Problem is all Mitsubshi dealers are closed during sunday. 

Luckily we saw a repair shop by the road. The owner of the shop, after checking the vehicle, first thought the car lacked ATF. Then he realized that it was the fuel filter. So they pumped the fuel filter of dirt -- this time clouds of thick black smoke came out of the exhaust. As a result, the acceleration went back to normal. The owner asked us when we last changed the fuel filter. I said just recently. I checked the official receipt issued by Mitsubishi just to be sure. And I was correct, we paid for a fuel filter amounting to almost P2,500.

After a few days, when we were already in Metro Manila, we went to the Mitsubishi dealer to complain. As expected, they said they replaced it. I was half-expecting them to offer something to console us, but they didn't.

Before going to Mitsubishi, I had the car checked by an independent repair shop. The owner previously worked for Mitsubishi abroad so he pretty much qualifies as an expert. He said, from the looks of it, the fuel filter was not replaced. It looked really old and dirty, as compared to the oil filter. This was odd considering that the latter was positioned closer to the ground, thus more prone to dirt and other elements, than the fuel filter, which can be found near the windshield and the side mirror in a Montero Sport.

And then he said something that really irked me. He said that there is a conspiracy in Mitsubishi dealerships in the Philippines. The mechanics make it appear that they replaced the car's parts and they make you pay for it. The unscrupulous employees, after collecting a considerable number of "sold" parts, then sell the car parts to auto supply shops outside the dealership. Even the security guards are involved -- because without their assistance it's hard to pull out those parts. And regarding the warranty, he said that Mitsubishi doesn't really honor this. What they do is blame you for not maintaining this and that, or for putting this and that, and hence, the warranty is voided. 

But aren't they the ones maintaining the car?? It got me thinking -- is this the reason why they prohibit car owners from entering their service bays? His accusation is hard to prove or disprove precisely because you can't see their personnel changing the filter, oil, coolant, etc.

We contemplated filing civil and criminal actions against the dealership but eventually felt it would be a waste of time and money. Litigations in this country take years to be resolved. Besides, we didn't have enough evidence to win the case. (Although we could use the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur as the basis of our claim.)

So I decided to just share this story so that other car owners will have a more informed decision the next time they plan to bring their car to the casa. I'm not saying all dealerships are crooks -- but some are. It might be a better idea to bring your car, even during the warranty period, to car repair shops where they let you see them work on the car. 

N.B. I'm not out to ruin the good name of Mitsubishi. I love their brand, I like their cars. I wrote this article because I care. I hope the bosses of Mitsubishi Philippines get to read this article so that they can address this issue and instill more transparency into their services.

Peace.

(Note: This is a piece I wrote in Topgear Ph's forum. You can check out the original article at: http://www.topgear.com.ph/board/index.php?topic=6229.0)