GOOD THINGS
> Great packaging bag and complimentary pouch.
> Elegant looking and genderless style.
> Made of good-quality sustainable materials.
> Great craftsmanship, all the finishing touches and features feel expensive.
> Easy to pair and recharge.
> Decent quality sound for the price.
> Great for indoor use or areas that have limited background noise.
> Commands are simple and easy to use. I love the retro-style volume wheel.
> Very comfortable padded pods.
> If feels very light on my head.
> It has a specific power on/off button.
> Long battery life.
> Affordable.
NOT SO GOOD
-- Charging cable is too short.
-- The headset cannot be fold, so isn't the best thing for traveling or to carry it around.
-- The head band is made of real leather but has no padding.
-- Instruction booklet is minuscule and the lettering is ditto.
-- It might be a bit too small for big people and too big for people with small heads, like me.
-- As the pods aren't concave but flat-ish, the pods don't hold on to my ears and the headset tends to slid down, forcing me to constantly adjust the headband. It might not be an issue for people with bigger heads and ears, but it is for me as the pods come off my ears often, so that affects the quality and volume of sound I get.
-- Not the best bass.
-- Not good for outdoor activities. I use it for walking and, due to the fact that slides down and to the fact that the sound quality is OK, the sound can be muffled by heavy traffic or noisy areas even when I have it at max volume.
OVERALL
Despite purchasing this after almost 5 years I bought my House of Marley's Positive Vibration headset, the Buffalo Soldier falls short for some of the things I loved my previous headset: The headband lack of padding, its lack of foldability, and poor noise insulation system. However, this is a great headset for indoor listening, made from sustainable materials and a decent sound system. It isn't the fanciest or best House of Marley's headset but it' s still good and good value for money.
UPDATE 5 MARCH 2026
I'm writing this update about 2.5 years after I purchased this headset. The device works perfectly and, despite using it every day, is almost as new. However, the Buffalo series has poorly designed ear pod cushions, with the pod cover poorly made. One of the pods cover started to deteriorate quite a while ago. Just last week, one of the pods cushions came off from the metallic part of the pod. I could blue it back, but the cover is damaged and cannot be reused or re-glued. At least in Australia, the Buffalo series is nowhere to be found, and there aren't replacement pod covers or cushions for this model either on Amazon Au or House of Marley Au. It's a pity that I have to discard a perfectly fine headset because one of the pod cushions is totally broken and there is no replacement beyond glueing the foam. The sustainability is poor if the designers don't think beyond making a product. Sustainability relies in the making and KEEPING of a product for as long as possible, by designing products that are not only good quality but have, in case of need, spare parts.
