House of Marley Positive Vibration XL Over-Ear Headphones: Full review

Positive vibration XL by House of Marley is an on-ear headphone manufactured by the House of Marley brand, which is a conscious and sustainable small business brand.

House of Marley is the first-ever audio brand that crafts products that include sustainable materials and contribute to global reforestation, that is, to contribute to the planting of trees worldwide to support the global reforestation efforts of the non-profit organization One Tree Planted. 

The brand’s identity was created in collaboration with the Marley family to carry on the legacy of Bob Marley’s love for music and the planet. The products of this small business are made from sustainable materials.

In this article, we are going to review positive vibration XL headphones which come in three colors: black, blue, and copper.

House of Marley Positive Vibration XL Over-Ear Headphones: Full review

Specifications of Positive Vibration XL

• Product Dimensions – 7.28 x 3.62 x 7.01 inches
• Price Range – From $64
• Type – Over-ear
• Connection – Bluetooth 5.0
• Back design – Closed-back
• Drivers – 40 mm
• Weight – 8.9 oz (252g)
• Mic & Controls – Yes
• Water resistance – No
• Battery life – 24h
• Charging time – 2h + quick charge – USB-C
• Active noise-canceling – No
• Bluetooth codecs – SBC, AAC
• Wireless range – 33ft (10 m)
• Microphone – Built-in

Features of Positive Vibration XL

At the price of around $70 it has some amazing features like a reliable wireless connection LED battery indicator built-in controls and a microphone. It also has fast charging and inline controls.

Bluetooth Connectivity is good, and you get all the decent features that are available on other headphones in a similar price range. The built-in control buttons are easy to use and can control song volume, phone calls, and voice assistant support as well.

The microphone quality is similar to other built-in mics. In a quiet room, they work just fine like you can hold a normal phone call, but in louder places they become unusable.

The inline remote attached to the microphone has only one button with basic functions. You won’t be able to change songs or control volume, but other functions work seamlessly. There is no app support as well.

To check the battery level, there are LED indicators. They blink when the headphones are on or when you put them in pairing mode.  

It also comes with a tone prompt that lets you know when the headphones are turned on, off or when the battery is low. 

Accessing voice assistant you have to press and hold the middle button for 3 seconds which is quite difficult functionality in this model.

Sound Quality

The sound quality of these headphones is pretty great. It is suitable for all music generals, so there won’t be any issues in playing more pronounced bass and crisp highs.

Though, the base isn’t super powerful. It is slightly toned down but if you are a keen listener you will definitely hear a slight emphasis.

The vocals are the centerpiece and are very vibrant and life-like. So it is very close to natural sounds, and you will definitely enjoy listening to your music in this model.

The only drawback is that the sound stage is pretty small for over ears. Like other high headphones, you won’t get the same spacious sound.

At full volume, it’s not that dangerously high but can still impact your hearing if you aren’t careful enough.

But at high volumes, one good feature is that it won’t make a glitching noise, or it won’t distort.

You will hear crisp sound, open vocals, good punchy bass, and clear highs which will make listening to your music or movie or whatever you are watching listening to a great and enjoyable experience. 

Comfort level 

Positive vibration XL can be worn for hours without any discomfort. They are flexible and come with extended headbands and thick foam ear pads, so you get long-term comfort.

Though, these ear cups aren’t big enough as a design for portable use and with collapsible structure. You can get a bigger one in other over here headphones.  

They aren’t uncomfortable to wear, but you can feel the year pads brushing against the edges of your years.

The foam in the pads is soft and takes the shape of your head really well, and the cushioning is good as well.

The headband is a little bit rigid if you have a big head, the clamping force can be Harsh on you.

The cover of the headband is fabric and the bottom side has an extra cushion. The clamping force is strong, so this day on your head pretty well.

Noise isolation

Because of the closed-back design and tight-fitting ear pads, its noise isolation is pretty good. It removes a good amount of ambient noise. 

In removing the background noise compared to others on over-ear headphones, positive vibration XL does a way better job. The thick ear pads cover your ears completely and block out the outside sound.

As these aren’t noise-canceling headphones you will be able to hear chit-chat in a noisy place but if you pause the music or the audio you are playing you will be able to hear the people talking while having the headphones on, so that is a good thing. 

For the noise cancellation headphone, they have another model house of Marley positive vibration XL ANC which is $50 more extra than this headset.

Bluetooth connection

You can connect Bluetooth 5.0 which is super stable and has way better stability than any other headphones with the same version of Bluetooth. There’s no delay in watching a video while having the headphones on.

They work normally over 2 walls. Some short hip hiccups or distortions while watching a video or listening to audio are common, and most headphones don’t really work normally over 2 walls.  

Positive vibration XL works excellently in this factor. These are super reliable and strong. 

It comes with the basic SBC and does not support Bluetooth Codecs like aptX or AAC.

With cheaper Bluetooth headphones, we often hear white noise that is not present in these headphones which is a big plus.

Battery life

It has an amazing battery life that can even last about one day. It will also depend on the media you are playing and how loud the volume is.  

The USB-C quick charging is actually fast and the LED indicators let you know how much battery is left in the device.

To charge this device fully, it takes around 2 hours and even with the quick charge function, for example for a 10-minute charge you can get up to 4 hours of music, so its charging capacity is amazing.

Durability 

Except for the limited flexibility of the headband, they are pretty durable. These headphones are well-built with stainless steel and Aluminum construction which can fold.

The build quality is strong and great. The materials used to make this device are top-notch and are well put together.

The outside ear cups are made up of polished plastic having a wooden emblem on them, so it gives a premium feel to this model.

It comes with the two years limited warranty. The only flaw about this is that the headbands are inflexible. Unlike other headphones, you can’t stretch it much and when you do, you might hear some plastic-like noise.

These are the things you get with these headphones in the bag – 

• The main headphones
• USB-C charging cable
• 5 mm aux cable with remote control
• Soft carry bag
• User manual

Conclusion

With being under $100 these headphones are well-built, reliable, and have a great battery life with some amazing high sound quality, just like other House of Marley products. 

You cannot go wrong with buying these headphones as they are wireless over-the-ear headphones to use on the go.

Not only are they budget-friendly, but they are also made with recyclable materials and environmentally friendly, recyclable packaging, making them eco-friendly. Even some of the money goes toward planting new trees all around the globe.

You will not only make a good purchase for yourself but will also contribute to planting more trees and making the environment better.