Dave's Transformers Music Label Rant:

     Frenzy & Rumble Playing Earphone

     Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Japan/Frumblyphones

     Transformers Music Label is a line of music accessories with some sort
of Transformers imprimatur, tied in with MP3 players in some way.  The
"marquee" item is Soundwave as a working MP3 player, number two is a white G1
Convoy with an iPod dock/speaker trailer, and the little brother of the first
batch are the headphones I got.  Soundwave is not an iPod, though, and I
don't have the kind of iPod that can plug into Convoy's trailer, so the only
one I could reasonably use was the headphone set.  So I got it, thanks to
Wonkimus Major.

CAPSULE:

     Frenzy & Rumble Playing Earphone: They work well as headphones, although
they look a little silly even if you don't wear them in robot mode.
Necessarily simple transformations but surprisingly poseable robot modes.
The prices I've been seeing online aren't that bad in terms of markup, but
inflation in Japan makes the base prices about twice what they'd be for
similar toys in the U.S., so you might balk at the cost.  If you can afford
'em, though, it's a good "dip the toe in" for Music Label.  3499 Yen at Toys
R Us (specifically, the one in Ikebukuro-Sunshine City, a section of Tokyo...
Wonkimus included the store-locator map he'd printed out).


RANT:

     Note on FIRRIB/FIBRIR: Being based on the G1 toys, this one officially
has Frenzy as blue and light blue, and Rumble as red and black.  Rather than
support either color position, I will refer to them as "the blue guy" and
"the red guy" where feasible.  :)

     Packaging: This set comes in a nice box with a flip-up flap covering a
window on the front.  The box is mainly matte black, 17.5cm (7.5") wide, 9cm
(3.5") tall and 6cm (2.25") deep.  
     The front flap has pictures of the headphones, reel and jack in altmode
(arranged in that order from right to left), the product name along the top
in silver foil and a silver foil Decepticon symbol in the upper right.  A
small Transformers Music Label logo is in the lower left, the TakaraTomy logo
in the lower right, and some small erd Japanese writing along the bottom
center.
     The top has just the Music Label logo in white.  The bottom has all the
legalese stuff.  Both sides have the tagline "Transform your music life." in
white.  Opening the right side reveals tabs with the robot modes of each
earphone alongside dark gray Decepticon logos, their names, and their
mottos.  Opening the left side reveals a tab for 4 robot points.
     On the back are pictures (from left to right) of the jack, reel and the
robot modes of the blue guy and the red guy.  The same logos and English text
are present, but the stuff along the top is in white rather than silver
foil.  
     Opening the flap in front shows a window with the blue guy in robot
mode, the red guy in headphone mode, and the rest of the cord stuff in a
blister tray.  Along the top of the window is the Music Label logo, and the
product name is along the bottom, all in white.  The inside of the flap is
mostly white.  The upper left has the Music Label logo and in yellow-orange
the question, "What is transformers musiclabel?"  The answer to that is below
in Japanese.  Below that is a photo of the three Music Label products, with
the headphones in the front, Convoy in back left and white Soundwave in back
right.  The rightmost quarter has an iPod-ad-like silhouette in black and
purple with the white earphones, and the text "PLAY STYLE" in a circle.
Below that is some Japanese text and a scancode thing above a website
address: http://t2ie.com/qr/tf.cgi (which redirects on my machine to
http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/ although it may be intended as a
mobile-phone-optimized special site I'm being kept from).  The middle right
quarter has photos of the two robot modes, named in yellow-orange with the
word "Transform!" in yellow-orange at the bottom and more Japanese text.
     Inside the box is a nested blister tray with the toy, plus a baggie with
"join the club" ad, trading card, catalog and instructions.  The ad repeats
the weird scan-code thing from the box, I suppose this might let properly
enabled phones automatically go to the webpage.
     Inside the blister, there's a twist-tie coiled around the wrapped cord,
and the forearms of the red one (who is in headphone mode) have little
plastic bags over them to protect the paint job (I presume).
     The front of the trading card has a photo of both of the boys in robot
mode on a mottled purple background.  Their names and faction symbol are in
white at the top, and the Music Label logo in white at the bottom.  On the
back are smaller photos with a bio note and technical details in Japanese but
the mottos in English.  
     One side of the catalog is a general movie toy line mini-poster.  It
shows Leader Prime and Megatron (6825 Yen), Voyagers Ratchet, Blackout,
Ironhide and Starscream (3675 Yen), Deluxes Classic Bumblebee, Barricade,
Jazz, Brawl, Scorponok, Bonecrusher, Wreckage and Swindle (2310 Yen), Fast
Attack Battlers Prime, Jazz, Ironhide and Brawl (2625 Yen), and Real Gear
Robots Booster X10 and Zoom-Out 25X (1260 Yen).  And yeah, the exchange rate
is still around 100 Yen to the dollar.  [Later Note: Wonkimus says most
stores sell below the catalog prices, but still about 2000 Yen for Deluxes.] 
     The other side of the catalog is all Music Label.  The top half is
dominated by another group shot like the one on the inside of the flap, but
with Convoy front and center (with a white iPod in place), white Soundwave in
back left and headphones in back right.  The quarter of the page below this
shows the individual products in both modes, with iPod-ad-like silhouettes
for use.  Soundwave comes in Sonicwhite (has blue shoulders, hands, head and
feet, but is otherwise iPod white, and according to the storyline these white
guys are clones Soundwave spawns of himself) and Sparkblue (closer to G1
scheme) variants.  Along the bottom are pictures of the G1 versions of each
character, with "Before transformers" before the name and a short blurb in
Japanese.  I presume this is Engrish construction and not meant to be the
pre-G1 versions, instead just "Transformers from before".
     The instructions are black and white.  A little space is devoted to the
transformation scheme, but it's mostly the usual electronics accessory
instructions and what looks to be a warranty card.  There's also instructions
on use of the automatic cord reel.


DESTRON: FRENZY
Altmode: Earphone
Motto: "Sow panic and surrender will bloom."

DESTRON: RUMBLE
Altmode: Earphone
Motto: "Destroy what's below and what's above will follow."

     If I can find a translation of the story, I'll add it here.  Soundwave's
story involves disguising himself as an iPod to brainwash humans and Convoy
becoming a mobile speaker set to unbrainwash them, so presumably the brothers
are part of Soundwave's insidious plan.


     Headphone Mode: These are of the ear-hook variety rather than making any
attempt to be earbuds or using a band between the earpieces to hold it on the
head, a solution that works best in this case, IMO.  As compact as possible
without trying to hang massive chunks of robot out of earbuds.  :)  This, by
the way, is the sort of headphone I prefer...earbuds always seem to hurt
after a few minutes, and the old metal or plastic band connector interacts
poorly with hats.
     Each phone is a white disc 4.3cm (1.75") in diameter and 2.4cm (1")
thick if you count the padded foam cover.  The earhooks are flexible black
plastic, fixed in place rather than on swivels.  A small silver Decepticon
symbol is printed at the center of the disc.  A thin white wire emerges from
each phone, connecting at a point 4cm from the left phone and 54cm from the
right one.  Frankly, I think that's a bit too much on one side and a bit too
little on the other...I'd prefer a connection point free to hang at least a
few centimeters lower (also giving the robot a bit more freedom to move) and
less loose wire dangling between the ears.  I mean, the right cord is long
enough to wrap around behind the head while wearing an anorak hood!
     The main cord is a spring-loaded automatic takeup reel in white plastic
with a silver Decepticon symbol on the release button.  Pulling on either end
of the wire makes it pay out, while pressing the button causes it to snap
back in like a tape measure, only at both ends.  Maximum extension from jack
to the place where the two wires join is 86cm (34").  When it's all paid out,
you can see that the takeup reel is bright blue plastic.
     They wear fairly comfortably despite the size, although the size makes
them look a bit silly.  Not as silly as wearing them in robot mode, of
course, which you can do.  And I probably will at least once.  As far as
sound quality goes, I'm not the best judge of that...heck, I still listen to
terrestrial radio.  However, cueing up the a capella round from "The
Prophet's Song" by Queen (which I have long considered an excellent use of
the stereo picture) gave very satisfactory results.  Certainly better than
what I'm getting out of the headphones I'm using on my iPod right now.
     [Update: wore 'em today while doing my exercise walk.  Perfectly fine on
the ears, but the takeup reel bounces around somewhat annoyingly.]

     Transformation: Both sides transform the same way.  A panel at the top
rotates 180 degrees to reveal the head.  Chunks on the lower sides pull down
and rotate to form the legs.  Heel spurs not deployed in-package also pull
out.  You may need strong fingernails or a pry tool to get the legs out.  The
forearms pull down from panels in the 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock positions.
The right phone becomes the blue guy, the left phone becomes the red guy.
     When going back to headphone mode, the head piece can be difficult to
get rotating.  Its joint is pretty stiff and there's not a lot to grab onto
unless you have very small fingers or strong nails.

     Robot Mode: Both stand 6.3cm (2.5") tall at the head, 7cm at the top of
the headphone disc (the heads are kinda embedded) and 7.4cm if you count the
ear hook sticking up above the top of the disc.  The upper arms, hip joints,
thighs and knees are made of either bright red or bright medium-light blue,
depending on the guy.  Everything else is white plastic.  The Decepticon
symbols are now at the center of the chest.  Gunmetal metallic paint is used
on the toes and heelspurs of each and on the "background" inside each disc
that's revealed by having the limbs pulled out, with a techno pattern molded
there.  Both have faces painted white (yeah, white paint on white plastic)
and red eyeslits.
     The blue guy has slightly metallic medium blue paint on the forearms
(but not the side visible in earphone mode), the helmet, the instep-sides of
the boots and most of the fronts.  The details on the fronts of the boots are
either left white or painted white, it's not as obvious as on the face.
     The red guy has gunmetal on the boot front details, and black everywhere
that the blue guy has metallic blue.
     Poseability is the same on both.  The shoulders are hinges that raise to
the sides, although range of motion is seriously limited unless the forearms
are in just the right position.  The elbows are ball joints.  The hips are
pinned universal joints, there's upper leg swivels (necessary for
transformation) and hinge knees that bend about 45 degrees.  The
transformation hinge on the heelspurs doesn't give useful range of motion for
posing.  
     [Later note: the knees can pop off pretty easily, and the thigh swivel
can make them a little tricky to pop back together.]
     The general look is that of G1 Rumble and Frenzy wearing big white armor
suits that are kinda T-shaped in front and round in back.  And they have
stiletto heels.  The blue one can stand stably in a decent range of poses,
but the red one is hampered by the shortness of his leash.
     http://www.dvandom.com/images/frumblyphones.JPG shows them next to Robot
Heroes Ravage. 

     Overall: Decent headphones and a cute spin on the cassette brothers in
an age when tapes are way out of style and memory cards don't make for good
altmodes.  

     Dave Van Domelen, notes they're a bit bulky for everyday use, but he
might keep 'em at the office anyway.