The Sinch is an easy to use flexible strap with embedded magnets that can be used on or off your favorite smartphone or audio device. Attach it to your device’s earphone jack, wrap the earbud cord around the device and snap the two magnetic ends together. Done. It’s available in White or Black and is priced at $15.99 which seems pretty pricey for what it does. I currently use something similar to the Sinch to keep my own earbud cables tidy. If they were offered in more colors and for a third of the price, I’d definitely buy a few.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Earbuds

Keeping Your Earbud Cables Tidy is a Sinch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 7, 2012 at 4:09 pm.

Case, cord manager, and gaming handle all in one!

Phone cases are announced almost daily, it seems. A quick internet search brings up about 60,600,000 hits on the search “iPhone 4s case” alone. With so many cases out there, companies are having to try various feature additions to differentiate themselves in this crowded marketplace. Recently, a company called Flicker Interactive has taken a two-pronged approach to the problem. Built into the back face are little “ears” that stick out to provide space for winding the cord of your earbuds around. There is even a clip to hold the cable at a certain length. While there have been more than a few cases that tried to help manage earbud cables, the folks at Flicker Interactive decided to use the “ears” and the popularity of iOS as a gaming platform to introduce a rather unique feature: handles for holding the iPhone in landscape mode for interactive gaming.

Cable wrapped and gaming

The case comes in either black or white, and it’s made from a rather hard, yet flexible material. While it is possible to take the iPhone in and out, it’s not something I would relish doing every day. I was sent both the black and white versions, and after doing some testing on my own, let some colleagues use them to get the benefit of their perspective. At first, they were mildly impressed with the cable wrap function, but when they turned it to landscape and they felt their fingers fall right into place for active game play, to a person, their face brightened into a smile and they said something like “Wow, this is perfect!”

Plugged in and wrapped

One of my friends, a professional woman with a ten year old daughter, said she continually has to buy new earbuds, because they keep getting wadded up and sinking into the depths of her purse. After a week or so of using the Flicker Interactive Classic, she was happy to report that she no longer had to buy new buds every so often – they were staying in place and easy to use on the winding ears. The male colleague likes the case, but did find that the addition of the cord wrapped around the “ears” makes it difficult to get out of a back jeans pocket when a call comes in. Instead, he tends to leave the earbuds off, and only use the case when he’s not working, so that he can have the phone in a different pocket. In the flap pocket of his bag, it’s quite at home, and let’s him use social media, as well as play the odd game or listen to his music in private.

Slim profile, easy access

Vertical orientation handles are really handy. Note clip on upper left corner for earbud cable.

My personal experience was that it’s really difficult to change out of the case to another case, and this was a deal killer for me. I have a photo lens that gives me a lot of photographic possibilities that the regular camera alone doesn’t, but it only works on a naked iPhone 4/4s. Being able to pull my iPhone out of the Flicker case easily is very important in my use of the lens device.

Because each user has various needs, there will be no “one case to rule them all.” But if you are frequently out and about, and need to have earbuds available for private talking, listening, or gaming, this just may be one to add to your case closet. Three out of five stars – great concept, durable, but difficult to remove and insert.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds, Gaming accessory for iPhone/iPod touch, iPhone Case

Flicker Interactive iPhone Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 22, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Logitech has just announced their BH320 USB Stereo Earbuds for enterprise-grade in-ear audio for PC telephony and videoconferencing.  These earbuds weigh about an ounce, so they’ll be discreet and comfortable to wear.  They offer “business-grade sound clarity provided by precise acoustic tuning and advanced echo cancellation”, in-line controls, and a powerful microphone placed close to your mouth ensuring that you’ll be heard clearly.  These USB earbuds work with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers – no drivers required.  They are compatible with most major unified communications (UC) platforms, and they have been optimized for Microsoft Lync, but they’ll work well with other products, including Skype, Cisco IP Communicator, and Google Hangouts Pro.  They come with a travel pouch, so you can take them wherever your job takes you.  They’ll be available later this month for $79.99 at many resellers who specialize in the business-to-business market.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds, telephony

Logitech Introduces Earbuds for Unified Communications originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 6, 2012 at 5:00 pm.

Over the past few years, I have had no less than three custom monitors created for me. All of which involved a separate trip to the audiologist to have specially-made molds of my ears created for the monitors to be made from. These visits had to be scheduled and involved a commute to have pink goo injected into my ear canal. The molds were then shipped and took many weeks of waiting for the monitors to be manufactured and shipped back to me.  This is a time-horizon potentially spanning months before actually having your custom fitted earbuds in your possession. sculpted eers have created a system that reduces the many week wait to a mere four minutes. They promise great sounding custom-fitted/molded earphones in less than thirty minutes, start to finish.

Package Contents:

• SonoFit Fitting System
• 1 – Tube of Fitting Lubricant
• 2 – Earphone Faceplates
• 1 – Carrying Case
• 1 – User Manual
• 1 – Fitting Guide

Specifications:

• Typical Weight – approx 15 g (0.53 oz)
• Cable – 1.3 m (50 in.) kink-resistant
• Connector – 3.5mm (1/8”) gold-plated stereo jack
• Typical nominal impedance – 90 ohms
• Sensitivity – 106 dB SPL /146 mVrms @1 kHz
• Maximum output level – 120 dB SPL
• Frequency Response – 20 Hz – 20 kHz

sculpted eers manufactures two types of earbuds, the PCS-200 (which you see here) and the PCS-100 custom fitted earpieces. While they look basically the same, the PCS-200 have premium dual drivers with crossover and the PCS-100 have a single driver with enhanced bass.

This interesting looking device is the SonoFit system created/designed in partnership with Sonomax. The SonoFit system produces custom fitted eartips without the assistance of an audiologist. That seems fine and dandy but is sadly a one shot deal. Once you begin this multiple step process, there is no turning back and you get, what you get…..

The first step in the process is to lubricate the eartips so that they may more easily move while they form to the inside of your ear. As you would expect, the SonoFit system includes a small bottle of oily liquid. The key is to spread a good amount evenly on both eartips.

While I was carefully applying the lubrication, one of the switches fell off the system.

It was easy enough to put back in place but seemed a bit cheesy that it fell apart so readily.

The next step is to actuate the #1 flipper switch on both earpieces and then place the SonoFit system on your head. The system needs to be precisely situated on your head. This is due to the fact the formation process locks everything into place, just as you want the finished earpieces to sit.

Once seated perfectly on your head and within your ears, you flip the second set of leavers and the process begins. You must remain still with your jaw loose. No talking or smiling. During the four minutes, there is definitely movement inside your ears as the eartips mold to the inner shape of ear canals.

After the four minutes of transformation, you carefully remove the SonoFit assembly from your head. As you can see, the eartips have changed shape.

The next step is to remove the PCS-200 (now) custom-fitted earpieces from the SonoFit headset. This was the easiest, simplest part of the process. Once you clean off the eartips and connect the earphone faceplates, your new earbuds are supposed to be good to go……

In regards to ‘custom fitted’, they do not fit my ears very well at all. They do not stay set within my ears, as they sit on the outside of my ear canal instead of in them. This leads to, at best, poor to mediocre sound quality since they do not set properly in my ears. The highs and mids are alright but most of the bass is totally lost.

When I force the eartips into my ears, the openings where the sound comes out is up against the wall of my ear and I cannot hear a thing. If I manipulated them right over the opening to my inner ear, they momentarily sounded very good. Once I removed the force holding them in place, they lose their seal and returned to sounding fair.

My theory behind this failure to form properly is due to the 90 degree turn my ear canal makes. This picture of my UE Pro 7′s and JHAudio JH|5 ear monitors illustrate just how dramatic the turn is.

The crazy thing is, they fit the Gadgeteer Kid’s ears better than mine. According to him, they sound very nice and feel good. So, at least, they will not go to waste.

Form fitness aside, the earbuds themselves are well made but are definitely not professional, custom-made monitors either. They are made well enough, but to be painfully honest, there are better alternatives (that would be more or less a sure thing) at the $200-$300 price range.

The cable is 1.3 m (50 in.) long and kink-resistant. The plug is gold plated and well enough constructed.

I find it very difficult to recommend any ‘do-it-yourself’ system that utterly failed me, especially when it costs between $200 (PCS-100) to $300 (PCS-200). If the SonoFit system had created me a form-fitted set of (great sounding) earbuds, I would say at $300 its a good deal considering the instant gratification of a custom-fit pair of earbuds in 4 minutes. However, since this is one-shot deal, as I stated above there are better options for the same or even less money.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Do-It-Yourself, Reviews

Tagged: Customized, Earbuds

sculpted eers PCS-200 Custom Molded Earphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 26, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

We’ve all been there… You’re listening to a cool tune and want to share it with your buddy, but don’t want to let them listen through your earbuds… eew! You could play the tune through speakers, but that’s not always convenient either. What do you do? If only you could allow your friend to connect his earbuds to your earbuds through a magnetic connection. Skunk Juice earbuds allow just that. Although the brand name is odd and a little gross, the design of these earbuds is interesting. For $35.99 you get a pair of in-ear buds that have a magnetic T connector. One side attaches to a 3.5mm jack that plugs into your audio device and the other end is open for sharing. Up to 4 people can connect at once. This product does shove a problem, but only if all your friends also own a pair, which is doubtful.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds

Skunk Juice Magnetic Earbuds Solve Age Old Earbud Sharing Dilemma originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2011 at 9:00 am.

The HoodieBuddie is a regular hoodie jacket with a bit of geek magic thrown in. They feature patented HB3 Technology™ through a 3.5 mm headphone jack in the front pocket that plugs into any audio device such as an iphone, ipod, or mp3 player. In-ear earbuds are attached at the end of the drawstrings. You won’t have to worry about wire tangles and the jackets are machine washable. HoodieBuddies are available in a large selection of colors and can be purchased for only $45.00.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Clothing, Earbuds

HoodieBuddie – Keeps you warm and lets you listen to your tunes originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

If you have a pair of earbuds that you love but can’t use them for running or playing sports because they don’t stay in your ears, JLab Audio has a solution for you.  Their Removable Sports Earhooks  work with most earbuds and add a contoured, flexible hook that can be adjusted to fit your ear.  They work with a variety of earbuds with a maximum cable size of 2.2mm.  They are available in black, blue, pink, silver, and white.  You can purchase the Removable Sports Earhooks from JLab or from Amazon for $6.95 a pair.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds, sports gear

JLab Audio Removable Sports Earhooks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 17, 2011 at 7:23 am.

Earbuds.  The little buggers are all over the place, aren’t they?  Hanging out of people’s ears everywhere you look.  Because we need ‘em to connect to our portable digital music gizmos, they’ve become essential gear for many of us.  And there are droves of earbud models, many that look virtually identical.  The Moshi Moonrock stood out a bit to me, and I had the chance to check them out.  Let’s get to it!

NOTE: All images in this review are clickably enlargeable for your viewing pleasure.

Specs

• High efficiency Neodymium drivers (20 Hz-20kHz / -10dB@1kHz)
• Integrated MEMS microphone with click button controls
• Hybrid injection earbuds (3 sizes: S/M/L) for optimal fit and comfort
• Custom carrying case with cable management
• Cable length 1.2 m

The Moshi Moonrock is available in multiple color schemes.  I was sent a version in black with red accents.  There are currently also white, gold, lime, pink and red.

Shipping Container

The Moonrock arrived in a branded, clamshell-foldover style cardboard shipping box with some padding inside to keep the contents from rattling around.  Still, the shipping container was larger than it needed to be for the buds packaging (see below).  Not really a big deal, but being environmentally conscious myself, it would be nice to see the amount of unnecessary packaging reduced if possible, even if it is recyclable corrugated cardboard.

Packaging

The Moonrock’s shelf packaging is fairly standard.  However, I would note that compared to many earbud packaging I’ve seen, the buds themselves, the different-sized ear covers and the case itself are all visible through windows in the package.  This might seem like a minor thing, but I like this because it gives you an idea of what you are actually buying before you get it home.

Inside the Package

• Moshi Moonrock Earbuds
• Moonrock case
• 3 tip sizes
• Instruction manual

The Moonrock Buds

Below is a detailed image of the Moonrock earbuds.  As you can see from this first shot, the buds have a very clean, simple style.  But therein lies at least part of the appeal of these little guys.  The design consists of a glossy black cylinder with a silicone earpiece at one end and a circular, almost flat cap at the other.

Here I’ll mention that I typically have difficulty with earbuds.  The factory iPhone/iPod touch buds fall right out of my ears.  I guess I have unusually large ear canals or something.  In any case, I usually favor the kind with either foam or silicone inserts to jam into my ear to keep them there, both so I can use them for exercise and also to block a lot of ambient sounds.  The Moonrock earbuds are the silicone insert type, and include 3 sets of left and right sizes: small, medium and large.  I tried the medium and, as usual for me, they were too loose and sloppy, so I went for the large.  The fit was not bad, as long as I got them in JUST the right position, which took a while each time I used them.  This is most likely just me, and the fact that my ear canals are apparently XXL.  However, once in place, they do provide decent passive noise reduction.

The 3.5mm mini-audio jack (shown below, left) is a slim, low-profile design which should be compatible with most cases.  It worked just fine with my Speck Candyshell case for my iPhone 3GS.  The connector between the left and right ear wires feels solid and has a little “moonrock” logo on it (shown below, right).

A small, unobtrusive black rectangular box is in-line with the right earbud cable.  The control box has a single, circular button on one side (shown below, left) and a single, circular microphone with a tiny silver grille on the other side (shown below, right).  The button works well.  Single press to pause music, press again to resume.  Double press to track fast forward, triple press to track rewind.  A single press will also answer a call, hold down for 2 seconds to decline.  Holding it down will bring up the Voice Control in iOS.  There is also a call waiting function.  The microphone works just fine as well.  My wife had no issues hearing me on multiple phone calls while riding home from work in the car (which is a major litmus test for me).

The cable used on the Moonrock is quite nice.  It has a circular cross-section like most earbud cables, and the insulation is stiff enough to resist tangling.

The Moonrock Case

The Moonrock case is probably the centerpiece of the set.  It provides both a storage case and cable management for the buds.  It is a flattened ellipsoid shape with two circular cutouts to fit the buds, a “Y”-shaped channels cut for the cables, and a circumferential groove into which the cable and jack plug can be wound.  The outside is made of a matte, soft silicone.

“moshi audio” logo on bottom of case:

It is only when the buds are pressed down into the two cutouts that the reason for the almost flat caps on the outside of the buds becomes obvious.  The buds fit nice and snug down into the circular cutouts, and the near flats on the outside of the buds are contoured slightly to the exterior of the case—the texture even matches.  The left and right cables fit down into the “Y”-shaped channels and the rest of the cable is then wound spool-style into the circumferential groove, which is actually an opening to a cavity inside the outer silicone.

Once wound, the whole unit is nice and compact, and in the shape of a…moonrock.  Or what Moshi wants you to think a moonrock should look like.  In any case, its a nice case for your buds.  However, I did find that the matte, slighly grippy silicone exterior was difficult to extract from my front pocket, or anything else made of cotton or similarly-textured cloth.  The matte silicone tend to grip and even collect a bit of lint.

A final shot to give an idea of size.  FYI, my iPhone 3GS is encased in my Speck Candyshell case.

Sound

Look, these are not mega-buck, über high-end earbuds.  That said, they actually produce decent sound.  With the ambient noise blocking provided by the silicone inserts, the midrange and treble are fine, and the bass is quite deep.  I’m not a huge audiophile by any means, but I was happy with the sound from these buds.

Final Thoughts

The Moshi Moonrock includes a pair of earbuds with a simple, clean design available in several colors.  The Moonrock earbuds have three sizes of silicone inserts to fit various ear canal sizes and provide decent ambient noise blocking.  There is an inline controller that can be used to pause, fast forward and rewind your music and also a microphone and phone controls.  The sound is quite good.  The Moonrock case is cleverly-designed in a pebble shape and provides good protection for the earbuds.  The Moonrock is a nice set for the price.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds

Moshi Moonrock Earbuds Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 13, 2011 at 8:00 am.

I am currently in my forth decade of running…..tens of thousands of miles. But I have never run a marathon and prefer to run by myself versus running with the masses in organized races. Well, as the story goes….my wife is turning 40 next year and I have agreed to run the DisneyWorld marathon with her. So, throughout the remainder of the year, it is my goal to train for this 26.2 mile pilgrimage and hopefully tryout various tech that will make this labor of love more effective/efficient and hopefully, more enjoyable. The first of these exercise/sports/training related products is the Sennheiser MX 680i Sports Earbuds.

Sennheiser and Adidas have joined forces to create a sports-centric line of headphones; including the CX 680i Sports, MX 680i Sports, OMX 680i Sports and PMX 680i Sports. All specially engineered and designed for use with the iPhone and various iPods. All are sweat- and water-resistant, making them ideal for sports/exercise/fitness and have integrated multifunctional EAC Remote Control and microphone for use with Apple’s iDevices.

Over the past few years, I have reviewed many high-end earbuds and monitors here on the Gadgeteer. However, I do not use these fancy (& very expensive) earbuds/monitors to listen to my get-up-&-go music while running.  I also do not want to trash/wreck them with sweat or damage them physically while lifting weights. I typically use the less than stellar (aka cr@ppy) earbuds Apple includes with its products which are fine enough for running.  At least that is what I thought, until I tried the MX 680i from Sennheiser/Adidas line of sports earbuds.

Package Contents:

• MX 680 headphones
• 1 pair of foam earpads
• 3 pairs of EarFin adapters (S/M/L)
• 2 pairs of air cushion adapters (S/L)
• 2 pairs of ear sleeves
• 1 pair of housing rings
• 1 extension cable with volume control
• 1 storage pouch
• 1 cable clip
• 1 instruction manual

Sennheiser includes many accessories/adapters/sleeves with the MX 680i to tweak the earbuds to fit well and stay in place while exercising. The most ingenious piece is the EarFin adapters that add a bit of pressure in just the right way to more securely hold the MX 680i in your ear while working out.

Features:

• Engineered on legendary Sennheiser/adidas Performance specifically for Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad series
• Revolutionary EarFin holding mechanism is comfortable and stable- eliminating “falling earbuds”
• Energizing, high-output sound keeps you running
• Secure fit in-the-outer-ear stays put without using your hands
• DuPont™ Kevlar® reinforced cables are ultra-durable and flexible even in cold temperatures
• Sweat and water resistant construction for indoor and outdoor use during any season
• Built-in volume control
• Includes a 3 button control and mic for management of calls and music
• Compatible with adidas miCoach, iPhone and all iPods/MP3 players with a 1/8″ (3.5mm) plug (mic & remote for Apple devices only)
• Two YEAR warranty

Technical Specifications:

Comfort and Fit:

The MX 680i earbuds features robust on-ear drivers and an EarFin holding system that offers a secure and comfortable fit during workouts. In addition to the EarFins, I also use the (included) foam covers for even greater stability.

The MX 680i are of the classic earbud design, sitting on the outside of your ear-canal with nothing protruding into your ear. As you can see, they are nicely designed to fit the shape of the average ear.

Durability:

Sennheiser and Adidas have done a great job of creating a nice balance of improved listening experience, better stay-in-your-ear design, and rugged durability at a price point that will not break the bank. I am very hard on the earbuds I workout with. While the standard earbuds (without a remote/mic) dies a long (approx. 4-6 months) painful death, the Apple earbuds with remote/mic die in less than a week. On a long hard run, I sweat like a pig which always gets into the remote and it is never the same .

I have been using the MX 680i for over a month now (dozens of runs) and they sound and operate as well as the first day I tried them. As you can see from the remote/mic shown above, the 680′s are much more durable, water/sweat resistant, hardened than the typical earbuds that come with your standard mp3 player. The remote/mic and earbuds themselves are suppose to survive sweat, rain and hard days….the cabling is Kevlar reinforced and stays flexible in cold temperatures.  Sennheiser also backs up their sport branded designs with a two year warranty.

Listening Experience:

I made the mistake of listening with the MX 680′s for the first time by watching a streaming CNET video. My initial thought was ‘ehhh, no better than my iPhone earbuds….’ But then I used them to listen to some quality sounds and the experience was MUCH better. The base is a lot deeper and highs are clearer than any classic earbuds I have ever worked out with. A very nice listening experience. That said, while better than the usual ‘stock’ earbuds, they do not come close to monitor quality sound (which is to be expected).

The remote is nice and convenient when using my iPod Nano (or Shuffle), so that I do not need to use its touchscreen interface while running. Especially for the latest Nano, this type of control makes switching songs much easier and more efficient. I attempted using the remote with my wife’s Droid Incredible and SanDisk Sansa Clip and it did not work. The Sennheiser/Adidas i-series is specifically designed to work with Apple-tech but if you do not use an iDevice to workout with you can still use the 680i’s to listen to your tunes.

The Sennheiser/Adidas MX 680i Sports Earbuds are ideal for running/exercising/working out. They produce a much better listening experience than the stock earbuds Apple includes with their iDevices. The 680i-series are durable, water/sweat-resistant, and give you a much richer base and upper-end sound quality. At between $60-$80, they are a good bang for the buck for upgrading your listening experience while working out.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Fitness, Sports, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds

Sennheiser/Adidas MX 680i Sports Earbuds for iPhone & iPod Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm.

The Helix Earbuds from Wicked Audio use their EarHugger technology to make sure they stay in place, no matter how active you are.  The Helix have 10mm drivers, a gold plug to prevent corrosion, and a 4-ft cord.  They fit snuggly in your ear to minimize ambient noise, and they reproduce 20-20,000Hz.  They’re available in the color combinations shown above: black/white, magenta/yellow, and blue/orange.  The alternating color patterns will make it easy to quickly tell the left from the right earbud, don’t you think?  They’re available at Verizon Wireless, FYE, Fry’s Electronics, InMotion, and select international retailers for $14.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds

Wicked Audio’s Helix Earbuds originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 29, 2011 at 11:56 am.

In the middle of my commute last week, my trusted Sennheiser CX-300 earbuds decided they were finished with this world.  Needing a quick replacement, I found a nifty pair of earbuds at Target–The Specked by Philips/O’Neill.  The primary feature to catch my attention was the cord.  It’s wrapped in nylon, matches the color of the specked paint job, and it’s touted as being extremely durable and virtually tangle-free.  Since the internal wiring to my previous earbuds was what went wrong, I felt that this heavy-duty solution could be what I was looking for.

Oh, who am I kidding–the pretty color and namesake “speckling” on the buds themselves was the final deciding factor.  They looked pretty solid and the price point ($20 bucks!) was right, so I picked them up to try out.

What’s in the Box:

Specked ear buds
Two additional sized ear sleeves

(no instructions or spec sheet, though)

Product Specs:

9mm drivers
Frequency response – 6-23,500 Hz
Cable length – 47″
Even-length ear phone cables
24k gold-plated. straight 3.5mm plug

Specked is one in a line of headphone and IEMs that is a collaboration between Philips and the surf company O’Neill.  I’m not sure what the line really has to do with surfing–none are waterproof– but color choices do seem to be more along the lines of the O’Neill color palette: royal blue, bold black (my pair above–I’m calling it “teal”), orange, ultra fuchsia, royal purple, and white out.

Three sizes of ear sleeves are included, each size has a different color.  The “mediums” are probably what will be the best fit for most people and are pre-installed.  They are also the only sleeve that matches the color of the cord and speckle pattern.  When the proper sized sleeve is used, the sound isolation is good, about average for an IEM.  The only minor quibble is that it was unnecessarily complicated to remove and replace sleeves on the earbud tips.  The sleeve opening is much smaller than the tip of the earbud, requiring quite a bit of maneuvering and twisting just to get the sleeve back on.  I remedied this by simply taking the sleeves off my Sennheisers and using them on the Philips.  They snapped in place quickly, easily, and securely (and provided a better seal, for me).

I’m no audiophile, but I do listen to music for several hours each day during my commute.  I found the sound quality of the buds to be quite good–when I was able to get a tight seal.  Although, music sounded very far away or as though I was listening to it through a hollow tube when playing at lower volumes.  At higher volumes, music was normal and filling.  Again, I’m no expert, but my *guess* is the shape of the earbud sleeve.  Internally, they are shaped like tubes or narrow funnels from earbud tip to your ear.  Every other IEM earbud I’ve used have had wider openings, with less room for the music to travel/bound around from earbud to ear.  Just a guess.

But for the $20 price tag, the sound overall surpassed my expectation.  I don’t know if it was my imagination but suddenly I was able to pick out the nuances in the mixes on each song–the isolated instruments in the left or right channel, the fading between the two, etc.  I usually listen to music while reading and several times I put my Kindle down just to listen to never-before-discovered musical layers in my favorite songs.  I’ve been listening to a lot of Adele lately, and “Rolling in the Deep” and “Set Fire to the Rain” come through crisp and clear.  I have one song–”Lullaby” by Sia–where the first five seconds are intentionally very soft.  In my old buds, this section was inaudible, but with these the soft instrumental can be heard almost immediately.

The packaging states that they produce a “deep, dynamic bass” and maybe it’s just me, but I never seem to hear an obvious or particularly heavy whomping bass through any of my “bass-heavy” earbuds.  The reproduced sound to me was simply “full.”   Meaning I had a nice range of lows and middles, the highs weren’t always quite as crisp–but for the majority of my music, this wasn’t noticeable or distracting.  My musical proclivities don’t lean toward metal, rap, or anything else with heavy use of bass, so that might be why I can’t seem to detect much difference.  Although, for those interested in a broader upper range and less bass, I reviewed the thinksound Rain earbuds last year and those would fit the bill perfectly.

I wish I could stop my review there.  Unfortunately, these earbuds have a con–only one, but it’s the dealbreaker for me.  The heavy duty nylon cord produces a distracting amount of microphonic noise when lightly bumped or rubbed against clothing or any other material.  I’m used to a little bit of noise from the cords, but the wrap manages to amplify even a light brush to a cringe-inducing level. Think of tapping on the chest piece of a stethoscope and that’s pretty on-par with the noise these make.  I primarily wore the earbuds while sitting on the train and just the motion of the train itself was enough to rub the cord against my shirt and produce the distortion.  When I wore them while walking across the street, I heard more line noise than actual music.

I’m not sure if Philips is planning on a redesign of these buds in the near future, but simply stripping off the nylon wrap would make these earbuds a steal for the price and sound quality.

The current The Specked earbuds are available through Amazon for just under $20.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds, Headphones, philips o'neill

Philips O’Neill Specked Earbuds Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 27, 2011 at 3:20 pm.

The audiophiles in the audience will probably pop a vein when they read that I don’t mind using the stock earbuds that come with the iPhone and iPods. For me, they sound just fine and are way more comfortable than in-ear style earphones that a lot of folks like to use. I can’t do the in-ear type because I don’t care for the isolation feeling they provide, I also have a lot of walk ups to my desk at work, so I’d be constantly taking them in and out of my ears anyway. For that reason, I’m always on the lookout for some on-ear style earbuds that are better than the stock buds I continue to use. For the past week, I’ve been testing the TFTA-1101-V1 earbuds from TFT Accoustics. Are they my new favorite earbuds? Keep reading to find out.

What is so special about these earbuds? They use Thin Film Technology – hence their name: TFT Accoustics. According to TFT Accoustics:

Thin Film Technology is a passive dynamic-balancing system, combining acoustic know-how and material knowledge achieved by placing a thin film inside the housing. This creates and combines a deeper, wider sound quality with sub bass capability and enhances frequency range with higher fidelity.

Lack of bass is something that on-ear earbuds tend to suffer from.

Specs:

On-ear Silver Metal Housing
Driver unit 14.8mm
Impedance 32ohms
Rated power input 2mW
Max power input 30mW
Frequency response 20-20,000Hz
Sensitivity 95dB at 1KHz, 1mW
R/L output difference <3dB at 1KHz, 1mW

These earbuds have a cool industrial style due to their grey metal casing. The buds come with a pair of black foam covers, but I never use them. One thing I noticed right away was the long stems that extend 1.5 inches from the base of the earbud to the bottom of the rubber strain relief.

The stem length won’t be a big deal to most people, but I notice that the metal sometimes brushes against my earrings. Otherwise, these earbuds fit just like stock iPhone earbuds even though they might have a slightly larger diameter.

How did I test these earbuds? In a very unscientific way… I listened to a variety of music through a 4th generation iPod Nano, and a Motorola Droid X, switching back and forth between stock iPhone buds and the TFTA-1101-V1′s.  I tried Pop, Country, Rock, Jazz, Classical, and Orchestral music. One thing I noticed right away was that I didn’t have to have the volume turned as high as I do with stock buds. I could typically turn the volume back about 10% when using the TFT’s.

I did notice a definite boost in bass when using the TFT’s. Drums and bass guitar sounds are quite a bit warmer and thumpy. Instrumentals, Classical, Jazz and Orchestral music really benefits from this boost. Enough to make you thing wow, are these really on-ear buds? But I found that when listening to pop and country music, the vocals would sometimes lack a certain crispness that would border on being muddy. For that reason, I wouldn’t recommend these buds if your genre of choice has a lot of vocals. If you’re into Instrumentals, Classical, Jazz and Orchestral music though, the TFT Accoustics TFTA-1101-V1 earbuds are a great alternative to stock buds. At least to my non-audiophile ears. Look for a review of TFT Accoustic’s in-ear style headphones soon from our own Bill Henderson (aka Mr. Earphone).

One caveat though… they currently aren’t available here in the US. At the time of this writing, they are only available through Amazon UK for £99.99 (~$155.00 US).

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds

TFT Accoustics TFTA-1101-V1 Earbuds Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 29, 2010 at 6:15 pm.

I’ve had a beautiful pair of red Full Metal Jacket earbuds from Skullcandy for a couple of years now.  I think they sound great and they look great.  I’ve seen several Skullcandy products, but they always seemed to be made of metal or plastic.  I was surprised to see Holua Galaxie earbuds, because they are made of wood (variety not specified).  They have 8mm Power Drivers with NdFeB magnets.  Specifications are: 18-20,000Hz, 16 Ohms impedance, and 10mW maximum input power.  Theres a nylon-braided, 1.2m cable that ends with a gold-plated 3.5mm plug and has an in-line mic.  The Holua Galaxie earbuds come with a hemp carry case and cost $99.95.  There are four other styles in the Holua line of earbuds from Skullcandy.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds, Skullcandy, Wood earbuds

Holua Galaxie Earbuds from Skullcandy originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 13, 2010 at 8:00 am.

Tangled up, messy earbud cords will be banished to the history books, thanks to the product development website Quirky.

Those clever guys and gals who have designed some awesome gadgets have now produced a rather neat product that will help manage your earbud cords much more effectively.

It’s called the Wrapster and it’s made from a durable plastic, which is designed to allow you to wrap up your earbuds so you can store them safely away till you need them.

When you do use them however, you simply unwrap them and let Wrapster hang whilst you listen to your favourite tunes or chat to your friends.

The fun doesn’t stop there however!  When you’re not using your Wrapster to store your earbuds, you can use it to stand your iPhone 3GS/4 up in landscape mode – very clever!

The Wrapster is available right now in a choice of three flavours; Orange, Blue or Charcoal and is priced at just $6.50.

Visit Quirky.com for more information.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Earbuds, Spotlight Gadgets, Wrapster

Wrapster keeps your earbuds organised! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 3, 2010 at 9:00 am.

How do you store your earbuds while they are not being used? Do you wad them up, cables and all and stuff them in your gearbag or pocket? Do you use a twisty tie? Are you fed up with whatever Macgyver-esque solution you’ve invented? Spot for Earphones might be an alternative for you. Let’s take a closer look.

First of all, Spot is available for earphones and Bluetooth headsets with earbuds. I was sent the earphone version of this product.

Spot for Earphones comes packaged in a small draw-string cloth bag that you’ll probably never use again once you remove the product for the first time.

Package Includes

Spot for Earphones
Car vent clip
Instructions

The Spot (as I’ll be calling it from now on) is basically two molded Black rubber bands attached to a hard plastic base.

Attached to the back of the plastic base is a spring loaded swivel clip with a simple locking mechanism.

Before I show you how the Spot holds earbuds, I want to show you how I’ve been storing my own earbuds for years now. I have a rubber covered magnetic clip that I snap around the cables that I’ve quickly wound around my hand. No fuss, little muss. I say little muss because even with this clip, the cable can still sometimes get a bit tangled when I unwrap them. Nothing usually too serious though.

To use the Spot for Earphones, you first wiggle each earbud into the rubber slots.

Then you wind the cable around the center of the Spot.

When there is no more cable left to wind, you pinch the spring clip and slide the end of the cable to hold it in place. Pretty simple.

The only thing is that it takes me about 3 times as long to wind the cable around the Spot as it does to wind it around my hand…

But, the Spot does have a couple handy features that my solution lacks. It can clip on to my jeans, or an inside pocket in my gear bag so that I can easily find it.

And using the included itty bitty binder clip, you can clip it to an AC air vent in your car. I don’t see this last feature as that handy as earphones shouldn’t really be used in a car (at least for driver!). But this is a nice feature to use for the Bluetooth version of the Spot.

The nicest feature of the Spot is that the cables can be easily unwound without any fear of tangles. Just unclip the end of the cable. Hold the end and just let the other part fall to the floor. It will unwind as it does (there’s a video on the Spot site that demos this feature).

When it comes down to it, for me, it takes me longer to store my earbuds using this product than my magnet clip. Although the Spot is niftier, if it takes me longer to use, I probably won’t use it. The price is also a little on the steep side in my opinion. Although I haven’t tried the Bluetooth version of this product, I see it as something I would probably recommend more, just due to the fact that there aren’t many other (if any) Bluetooth headset storage solutions for cars. As for the Spot for Earphones, I think I’ll keep using my lame old magnetic clip. What do you use to hold your earbuds?

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds

Spot for Earphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 16, 2010 at 5:50 pm.

What is a Spot? It’s a special holder / clip to hold earbuds or Bluetooth headset. There’s a Spot for your earbuds ($12.99) and a Spot for your Bluetooth headset ($10.99). I really like the idea of the earbud Spot. Right now I’m using a little magnetic clasp thingy that is basically an updated twisty tie. This looks like a much more elegant solution to keeping your earbud cables tangle free.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Earbuds, Spotlight Gadgets

The Perfect Spot to Store your Earbuds and Bluetooth Headset originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 22, 2010 at 10:30 am.

The Sony MDR-PQ4 Qlasp earbuds clip to your earlobe to keep them in place no matter how active you are.  The Qlasp in-ear buds weigh less than a third of an ounce, have a 3.9 ft cord, and a gold-plated L-shaped mini plug.  The 9 mm dome-shaped driver reproduces frequencies of 6-23,000 Hz.  They come in a variety of colors;  green is shown.  No, they don’t have any plain black ones.  The Qlasp earbuds are $24.99 from Sony.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds

Sony Qlasp Earbuds originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 1, 2010 at 7:58 am.

I recently did a review of the Arctic Cooling E361-WM earphones with microphone.  The E361 earphones worked flawlessly as a playback device for both my computer and my iPod touch.  The microphone worked great with my touch, but I had some problems recording with it on my laptop.  I felt that the problem was probably caused by my computer, because the microphone did work with the touch.  The people at Arctic Cooling expressed concern that I had a problem.  Because I did use the included splitter cable with my laptop (which had separate jacks for the microphone input and earphone output), the people at Arctic Cooling wanted to provide me with a replacement splitter cable so I could give recording another try on my computer.  Instead of just a splitter cable, they sent a pair of E351-WM earphones with a splitter cable.  They also sent along a pair of E352 earphones;  these are made of wood for a warmer, richer sound.

I used the new splitter cable with the Arctic Cooling E361-WM earphones.  Recording on the laptop worked beautifully using the new splitter cable, and I updated the E361-WM review with new sample files to illustrate this.  Now I’m going to give a closer look at the E351-WM and E352 earphones.

Arctic Sound E351-WM Earphones

Let’s start with the E351-WM earphones with microphone.  At first glance, the E351 earphones look very much like the E361 earphones I previously reviewed.  They are available in black or white, and I received the white.  The body of the ear buds is milled aluminum and the cables are white.  These earbuds are not marked to indicate left/right.  Having the earbuds in the “wrong” ears won’t destroy your enjoyment of the music, but I prefer to know I am hearing the music the way it was intended.  I compared the sound coming out of the E351 to the sound coming out of the E361 earbuds and determined that the lozenge-shaped microphone is in the cable going to the left earbud. 

What’s in the package:
E351-WM Earphones
3 sets of silicone caps – small, medium, large
Cable splitter
Protective case
Cable clip
User’s manual

Technical specifications:
Frequency response – 18 Hz – 22,000 Hz
Impedance – 32 Ohm
Sensitivity – 104 dB/mW
Output power – 15 mW
Cable 1.3 m with 3.5 mm stereo plug
Weight – 5 g

The E351 earbuds have a large driver that Arctic Cooling says “leads to ultimate bass performance” and a gold-plated 3.5 mm stereo plug for best signal transmission.  Three pairs of silicone caps are provided so you can select the best fit for your ears.  The medium caps are pre-installed, and they fit my ears best.  Music sounded clear and bright.  Bass response was good, but it didn’t rattle the fillings in my teeth, of course.  I tried them with a variety of music – vocal, orchestral, and hard rock - and they sounded good with all types.  Naturally, I heard great stereo separation when I tried them with Art Garfunkel’s “I Only Have Eyes for You”.  The panning effect in that song was so strong I could almost feel it.  Documentation on the Arctic Cooling web site says the “seal in the ears blocks ambient noise efficiently so that you hear only the sound from the earphones and nothing more. Even when you are on a plane, with the ARCTIC SOUND earphones, you will hear your favorite music instead of the ambient noise.”  I found that I could hear ambient noises with the earbuds in my ears.  The E351 earbuds are comfortable, but I do think the E361-WM earbuds I reviewed earlier fit my ears better.  I suppose the bent shape of the E361-WM earbuds allowed them to fit in my ears more comfortably, but the E351-WM earbuds are almost as comfortable in my hard-to-fit ears.

Microphone

I tried recording using the E351′s built-in microphone.  I had to use the included splitter cable when recording on my computer, which has separate jacks for the microphone input and earphone output.  Recording was clear with the E351 earphones on my computer.  arctic-cooling-351-352-earphone-review-on-computer   I did not need the splitter cable with my iPod.  I found that recording using the voice recorder app on my iPod touch worked equally well.  arctic-cooling-351-352-earphone-review-on-ipod

The E351-WM earphones come with the wonderful Arctic Cooling protective case.  The case is made of a heavy-duty black fabric, like the kind used for luggage.  The case is round, about 2 5/8″ in diameter, 1.25″ thick, and closes with a zipper.  Inside is a trumpet-shaped cup to hold your earbuds, and you wind the cable around the body of the trumpet.  There’s room inside for the extra ear caps and the splitter cable.  This little case is hard, and it should protect your earbuds from most anything.

I like the Arctic Sound E351-WM earphones.  They are comfortable, they sound good, and they include a microphone.  Arctic Cooling shows a MSRP of $42.20 for these earphones.

Arctic Sound E352 Wooden Earphones

What’s in the package:
E352 Earphones
3 sets of silicone caps – small, medium, large
Protective case
Cable clip
User’s manual

Technical specifications:
Frequency response – 18 Hz – 22,000 Hz
Impedance – 32 Ohm
Sensitivity – 104 dB/mW
Output power – 15 mW
Cable 1.3 m with 3.5 mm stereo plug
Weight – 5 g

The Arctic Sound E352 earphones come with three sets of silicone caps, with the medium pre-installed.  Apparently the same silicone caps are used for all the Arctic Cooling earphones I’ve tested, because the medium once again fit me best.  The E352 earbuds are made of a beautiful medium brown wood; they have a black cable, and a gold-plated 3.5 mm stereo plug.  The earbuds were comfortable in my ears.  I could hear ambient sounds with these earbuds.  The E352 earbuds are not marked left/right.  I used another pair of earbuds to determine left/right channels, and I found that the Arctic Cooling logo at the juncture of the two earbud cables should face away from your body to have the proper placement – at least for the particular pair I was sent.

Arctic Cooling documentation says the wooden chassis produces a “warm and natural sound.”  It’s hard to describe sound, but I was blown away by these earbuds.  I tried them with a variety of music, and they sounded good with everything.  Bass response was good, but not head-rattling.  Stereo separation was great.  These earbuds sounded fabulous with vocal music.  Peter Gabriel recordings have never sounded better to me, and a Rush song with Geddy Lee singing accompanied by Alex Lifeson’s acoustic guitar gave me chills.  The music did sound warm and round – if you’ll pardon my clumsy attempt at describing the quality of sound. 

The E352 earphones also come with the sturdy Arctic Cooling protective case.  The MSRP for the Arctic Sound E352 earphones is $69.95.

I can recommend either of these earphones.  If you prefer “heavier”, harder music, you might be happier with the Arctic Sound E351-WM earphones.  If you like acoustic or vocal music, you can’t go wrong with the Arctic Sound E352 earphones.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds, microphone

Arctic Cooling E351-WM and E352 Earphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2010 at 8:56 am.

Ears.  Everybody has them, and everybody’s are different.  So different, in fact, that it has been suggested that our ears might be suitable as a basis for biometric identification.  So if our ears are as unique as our fingerprints, why is it that our earbuds are not?  Yurtopia is a company that was started in an effort to address just that problem, and I was recently given the chance to try out their solution to the issue: Yurbuds.

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with earbuds in general, but primarily with the way that they fit.  Apple’s earbuds and other one-size-fits-all earbuds fall out too easily.  Earbuds that come with multiple sized earpieces will stay in when fitted with the right earpiece, but they aren’t comfortable; they’re always just a little bigger than my ear canal, or they use a compression-and-expansion method to stay in place, and it’s only logical that your ear is going to start hurting eventually if something is trying to expand inside it.  The only remaining option, then, is custom earbuds.

Custom-fit earbuds aren’t exactly a new idea.  What they are, generally speaking, is expensive.  Etymotic offers a custom-fit option for their hf2 earbuds (if you live in the UK, that is), but it effectively doubles the price of the headset, which already retails for $180 in the US.  Yurbuds attempt to bring the benefits of custom-fit earbuds down to an affordable price point.

The first point worth noting here is that Yurbuds are not actually molded to fit your specific ear canals.  Rather, you send Yurtopia a photo of your ear with an item (a US quarter or an Apple earbud) as a size reference, and they analyze the photo using their FitScan technology.  This allows them to identify which of the half-dozen sizes of Yurbuds will best fit your ears.  If you have an iPhone, this process becomes even easier; the Size Yur Ear iPhone app automates this process, allowing you to take a picture of your ear with your iPhone and send it straight from the app.  Yurtopia informs me that, in the future, they plan on providing a version of the app that can perform the measurement directly within the app, without having to send a photo.

The Yurbuds themselves are simple caps of medical-grade silicone that fit over your earbuds.  They look somewhat alien compared to regular earbuds, because of their more organic shape.  Their appearance may be off-putting to some — they certainly don’t look as sleek and modern as most high-end earbuds, but then again, these are going in your ears, so who cares?  The package that I received from Yurtopia included a pair of Yurbuds pre-installed onto their Yurphones, which look and sound a lot like the standard Apple earbuds.  The fit, to be quite honest, is amazing.  Once I got past the initial weirdness of their appearance, I placed them into my ears, and they settled right into place.  The Yurbuds were comfortable enough that I was able to wear them for hours on end without the discomfort or pain that I’m used to from extended wear of normal earbuds, and they stay put well enough that I didn’t have to adjust or re-seat them even once during several hours of exercise and chores around the house.

Upon first sight, I was a little worried that the Yurbuds might prove deleterious to sound quality; they basically redirect the sound directly into the ear canal, and I was concerned that there might be some noticeable absorption of sound in specific ranges.  I’m pleased to report that my concerns were without merit, as I didn’t notice any degradation of sound with the Yurbuds installed on the Yurphones, as compared to the Yurphones alone.  In fact, the Yurbuds improved the transmission of sound, since they form a better seal than the standard Apple earbuds.  Not only that, but I found that the Yurbuds helped to isolate others from the sound of my music.  Sitting right next to me in a quiet room, my wife could not hear a single sound from my headphones, even as I listened at a very comfortable volume.

Sadly, I was not able to test the Yurbuds with the earbuds that I’ve been carrying for the past several years, a pair of Sony MDR-EX71s.  The Yurbuds simply did not fit on these earbuds correctly, something that I could have learned if I had contacted Yurtopia in advance.  Yurtopia welcomes questions about which earbud models are compatible with their Yurbuds, and provides a number to call if you have questions about headset compatibility.  As a general rule, however, it appears that Yurbuds basically work on anything that provides an earpiece roughly the size of the Apple earbuds.

It would be nice if Yurtopia would be a little more proactive about this, perhaps providing a list on their website of earbud models known to work with the Yurbuds.  They could even crowd-source this info, asking the Yurbuds-owning community to submit reports on which earbuds and Bluetooth headsets do or do not work with the Yurbuds.  Given that my MDR-EX71s are incompatible, I find myself wanting to buy a new pair that will work with the Yurbuds, and it would be nice to have a list of compatible models to shop from, rather than having to call a long-distance number to ask about each pair I’m considering before I purchase them.  It’s notable that there are scattered references to “Yuradapters” on the site, and a quick Google search turns up some YouTube videos detailing the installation of a small adapter that allows one to use Yurbuds with earbuds that would otherwise be incompatible.  Yuradapters do not appear to be available for sale on the Yurtopia site or elsewhere, however.

Yurbuds on my Jawbone Prime. The way it was meant to be.

That said, I did have one other audio device that I decided to try the Yurbuds on, and am I ever glad that I did.  It’s no secret that I really like Jawbone’s headsets, but the one thing about them with which I’ve never been 100% satisfied is how they fit in my ear.  They will fit and they will mostly stay, but they form a poor seal in my ear, and it becomes very hard to hear the person on the other end, especially in a noisy environment.  So I slipped one of the Yurbuds onto my Jawbone Prime (over the medium-size earpiece, mind you) and put it into my ear.

Let me say this for the record:  never before has putting something in my ear made me so happy.

The fit — as before — was perfect, but this was something else entirely.  The Jawbone stayed put in place without the aid of the ear loop, the voice sensor was firmly against my face, and I could hear every sound coming out of the headset with surprising clarity.  At this point, it did not matter to me how well the Yurbuds worked with stereo earbuds, because their performance on my Bluetooth headset alone was worth it.  I can say with absolute conviction that I plan to have Yurbuds on every Bluetooth headset I own from this day forward.

One more nice thing to note about the whole Yurbuds process is that, when you buy a pair, Yurtopia includes the size of Yurbuds on the invoice.  This makes it a simple matter to order additional pairs if you need them, without having to photograph your ear and re-submit it.

Yurbuds can be ordered by themselves for $19.99 (or with a pair of Yurphones for $29.99) directly from Yurtopia, or can also be found at a number of brick-and-mortar electronics and sporting goods retailers.  Retail packages include the two most common sizes of Yurbuds, as well as information on sizing your ear and obtaining a different size if neither of those fits.

In short, I have been quite pleasantly surprised by how much Yurbuds improve the earbud-wearing experience, and I have to say that a Jackson is a small price to pay to turn your favorite great-sounding but ill-fitting earbuds into the perfect pair of earbuds.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: audio gear, Earbuds, in-ear

Yurtopia Yurbuds Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 16, 2010 at 12:49 pm.

Yurtopia, makers of Yurbuds—soft, rubber-tip earbud enhancers that slip over existing earbud-style headphones—has recently released the Size yur Ear! app for iPhone.  It allows users to snap iPhone photos of their ears, submit the photos and order a set of earbud covers that are custom-sized for their ears using patent-pending yurScan™ technology.  The earbud enhancers are guaranteed by Yurbuds to remain comfortable for hours, deliver exceptional sound quality and not fall out.  Customers claim they can turn their iPod volume level down 10-40% using Yurbuds.  The app also offers a video tutorial that teaches users how to use the application to ensure the proper custom fit is achieved.  Size yur Ear! is available as a free app in the iTunes App Store.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds

Size yur Ear! iPhone App for YurBuds originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 3, 2010 at 8:00 am.

Jays, the Swedish earphone producer has recently announced plans to expand its product range with two new additions, plus one new prestige model!

The new additions, called ’a-JAYS’ and ‘t-JAYS’ will be released to the market in the first quarter of 2010.  Both models will be available in three different styles with different sound features and varied amounts of accessories.  Designed just like previous models with a strong influence from nature, the models will be supplied with a new multi-use protective travel case.

“Our new series are sure to provide everyone with the right features, accessories and price level, says Peter Cedmer, Senior Product Manager for Jays.  These solutions are to be found in considerably expensive products and provide exceptional sound for the money.  Spring newcomers are going to make a revolution in portable music listening in the same way v-JAYS made with headphones and q-JAYS made with in-ears”.

Furthermore, it has been announced that the prestige model, the ‘x-JAYS’ will be launched in the second quarter of 2010.  The x-JAYS will be the world’s smallest in-ear phone with a quadro armature.  That is to say, they’ll each have four loudspeakers, each of them operating their own frequency scope!   I have a feeling they’ll sound rather good!

There is no word on pricing at the moment, but they’re expected to be released very soon!

Filed in categories: Musical Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds, Jays, Spotlight Gadgets

Jays announce new products for 2010 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 26, 2010 at 11:15 am.

I think there must be something unusual about the shape of my ears, because I have never been able to find a pair of ear buds that I can stand to wear for more than a couple of minutes.  The ear buds that come with iPods sound okay, but they hurt my ears so much that my ears feel bruised after listening to only a couple of songs.  Most ear buds with the silicone covers that fit into the ear canal don’t hurt, but I often find that even the smallest cover doesn’t fit in my ear very well.  I was happy when Julie chose me to try out the Arctic Cooling E361-WM earphones.  I was hoping they would prove to be the ear buds that would finally fit my ears and sound good, and I was excited to see they also had a built-in microphone that would allow me to use some of the capabilities of my touch I’ve never tried.

I was horrified when the package was delivered to me from China.  The shipping box was in such bad shape the delivery guy didn’t just chuck it on my porch and leave.  He wanted me to inspect the package because it looked like it had been dragged behind the plane all the way from China.  I stuck my hand in the ripped box and pulled out the Arctic-Cooling package inside.  The cardboard part of the packaging fell off in my hand, but the ear buds themselves were still packed nicely in the formed plastic.  I decided I’d give them a try.  Because of the sorry state of the packaging, I did snag the top picture from the Arctic Cooling web site so we could all see what it was supposed to look like.

What’s in the package:
E361-WM Earphones
3 sets of silicone caps – small, medium, large
Cable splitter
Protective case
Cable clip
User’s manual

Technical specifications:
Frequency response – 18 Hz – 26,000 Hz
Impedance – 32 Ohm
Sensitivity – 105 dB/mW
Output power – 15 mW
Cable 1.3 m with 3.5 mm stereo plug
Weight – 5 g

The Arctic Cooling E361 ear buds are available in white or black.  I was sent the white.  The 1.3 meter cable is long enough to reach your iPod in your pocket or in a bag, but not so long that it gets snagged on everything.  The ear buds are made of milled aluminum.  The part closest to the ear is shiny aluminum, and the part where the white cable attaches is a brushed silvery color on my white ear buds.  The black set has a black cable and a brushed anodized gray color where the cable attaches.  One thing I really like about these ear buds is that both wires attached to the ear buds are the same length.  (I really hate ear buds that have one short wire and one long wire.)  The wire for the left ear bud has a little in-line, lozenge-shaped plastic and metal microphone.  The 3.5 mm stereo plug is gold-plated, and it is a right-angle style so it doesn’t protrude so far from the bottom of the iPod.

First, how do they feel in the ear?  A set of the silicone caps were already on the ear buds, so I tried those first.  Not only did they fit well, but they felt very comfortable.  I never forgot they were in my ears, but they never bothered me at all.  Turns out the medium caps were preinstalled on the earphones, and they were a perfect fit.  With other ear buds I’ve tried, even the small caps feel a little large for my ears.  The Arctic Cooling medium cap is about the same size as the small cap with the Skull Candy Full Metal Jacket ear buds I have, and the large Arctic Cooling cap is about the same size as the Skull Candy medium cap.  The ear buds stayed comfortably in my ears without feeling like I had crammed them half way to my ear drum.

How do they sound?  Using the Arctic Cooling ear buds, I’ve spent quite some time listening to music in iTunes on my computer, and I’ve listened to music on my iPod touch.  Music sounds great.  I don’t have any way to quantify, but I found them to have decent bass response and good medium and higher range sound, even when listening at very low volumes.  Arctic Cooling documentation says the large drivers provide “deep bass and driving highs”. The bass didn’t rattle my head, but I’m way past the age where I would find this desirable.  I did find that music on my touch sounds better than music on my computer.  I think that’s because I don’t have the best sound card in my computer.

Documentation for the E361 ear buds says the silicone caps “minimize ambient noise and enrich bass response”.  I could still hear ambient noise while listening to music.  I could comfortably hear my television with the ear buds in my ears (no music playing), and I could still hear my television even while listening to music through the ear buds.  I don’t think you should count on these to help you sleep on an airplane.

In-line microphone

Since these Arctic Cooling E361 earphones have a microphone, they can be used with phones.  If you want to use them with Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung and LG mobile phones, you’ll need an adapter you can order from Arctic Cooling.  They can also be used with computers, and they come with a splitting cable for devices that have separate jacks for the speakers/headphones and microphone.  My computer required the splitter cable because it has separate jacks.  Attached is a file recorded on my computer.  During playback, the sound seems to be only in the left channel.   arctic-cooling-e361-with-computer

I was able to use the E361 earphones with my iPod touch.  For the first time since it was added, I was able to use the Voice Memo app.  Below is the file recorded on my touch.  It sounds great, and I hear the sound equally through both channels during playback.  Apparently, the microphone works fine, and the single channel sound I had on the computer recording was a result of something with my computer.  arctic-cooling-e361-with-ipod

The last thing to talk about is the storage case.  The round case is covered in a black, heavy-duty fabric.  (It looks like those sturdy nylon fabrics used for luggage.)  It’s about 2-5/8 inches in diameter, and about 1.25 inches thick. The top of the case has a silver-colored metal Arctic Cooling badge on top, and it closes with a zipper.  The case is HARD – I think you could use it as a hockey puck!  When you open it up, you see a trumpet-shaped center insert with slits in the side.  You place the ear buds in the trumpet, bring the cord out one of the slits, then wrap the cord around the body of the trumpet.  There’s even room to put the splitting cable around the trumpet and the extra silicone caps inside the trumpet.  Your Arctic Cooling ear buds are going to be safe in this small case.

I like the Arctic Cooling E361 ear buds.  They fit my ears well, and they are more comfortable than any other ear buds I’ve tried.  They have good sound reproduction, and they have a microphone – something I’ve been wanting for use with my iPod touch for quite some time.  These ear buds have a permanent place in my bag!

UPDATE

Someone from Arctic Cooling contacted Julie to express concern that I had trouble recording with the E361 earphones on my computer.  I had stated above that I felt the problem was in my computer because the earphones worked beautifully using the voice-recorder app on my iPod touch.  Since the splitter cable was another possible source, Arctic Cooling sent me another splitter cable to try.  I decided I’d use my husband’s laptop for recording to rule out my computer as a possible source for the new test.  First I tried recording using the E361 and its original cable.  The recording was not clear.  arctic-cooling-e361-with-original-cable

Next I tried the E361 earphones with the replacement splitter cable.  The recording is sharp and clear.  Since I had problems with the original splitter cable on two computers, it does seem that the original splitter cable was a problem.   arctic-cooling-e361-new-cable

The Arctic Cooling E361 earphones and microphone worked great, and they’ve gone right back into my gearbag.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds, microphone

Arctic Cooling E361-WM Earphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 22, 2010 at 8:34 am.

I’m always futzing with the wires on my earphones and am always on the lookout to free me of that task.  (I’m not into Bluetooth [shudder].) I bumbled onto this MiniWinder thang by Skylab Products (via SlipperyBrick) and thought “hmmm”.  It apparently has a mechanism to auto-wind your earphone cables, though I can’t tell how it works. Comes in a lot of cool colors though and is only $15.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds, Spotlight Gadgets

Wrap Your Ear (buds) Around This originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 14, 2010 at 8:00 am.

AudioCubes has some cute, Lego-inspired earbuds they say “block the unwanted noise from interfering with your music”.  These in-ear buds come with XS, S, M, and L ear pieces for a perfect fit.   The PlayBrick earphones have a 3.5 mm stereo mini-plug.  The 9.5 mm diameter drivers reproduce frequencies in the 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz range.  They come in six colors – pink, white, blue, black, red, and mixed.  They are $39.99 from AudioCubes.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Audio/video gear, Earbuds, Spotlight Gadgets

Elecom Sundries PlayBrick Stereo Earphones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 31, 2010 at 9:27 am.

Yesterday at CES, Technocel announced the Ear Vibes headset. This is the first stereo headset that vibrates to the beat of your music when your tunes hit the low frequency bass. They include a microphone for hands free voice calls and will be available January 15th for $29.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Earbuds, Spotlight Gadgets

Technocel Ear Vibes – Earbuds That Vibrate to the Beat originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 7, 2010 at 5:07 pm.