Altec Lansing MHP136 Muzx Series In Ear Headphone with wood finish

I saw these a couple months ago on sale for $7, and decided on impulse to pick these up. The price was really attractive for a pair of wooden IEMs, and since I own, and am rather fond of, a pair of Altec Lansing computer speakers, I was familiar enough with the brand.
 
I was rather impressed with the build quality when I first pulled these out of their packaging. They're beautiful headphones; the drivers are encased entirely in wood. Even the bit that the silicone tip attaches to is made of wood. The silver rings and the logo serve as classy accents, and the cable, while not out of the ordinary, is pleasant enough. The jack is slim enough to fit into the recessed slot of an iPhone's, but the lack of any sort of strain relief is a bit worrying. As far as bundled goodies are concerned, these come only with silicone tips in two other sizes, but that's really to be expected.
 
Sonically, these headphones sound somewhat like you'd expect $7 headphones to sound. Well, actually, maybe a bit better than that. They've certainly got a unique colour to them; these sound very warm, a result, I suspect, of the wooden housing. The mids are engaging, and somewhat forward, but more than that is hard to say, because the bass covers up a lot of the sound. The bass is deep and pounding, but it's also extensively muddy, and will end up dominating the signature. Certainly not a lot of detail with these, nor an impressive soundstage. Pleasantly, microphonics are a non-issue if the buds are wrapped around the ears before they are inserted.
 
In the end, I'd have to say I did enjoy these headphones. They're definitely attractive, and while not the most precise of IEMs, these are fun to listen to, and with a pair of comply foamies, will satisfy all the bass needs you'll ever have. Sadly, after a month, one side died on me - as I was listening to them, as it happens. Reading reviews of these on amazon shows that the majority of these end up going out that way rather quickly. For $7, I'd say it was well worth it, but not for much more than that.