We’ve told you before about Kidz Gear volume-limiting headphones designed for kids, and now we have the Kidz Gear Volume Limit Headphones for Apple Products to tell you about.  These headphones are designed to fit children’s smaller heads, and they have the KidZControl Volume Limiting Technology that keeps sound pressure levels between 80dB – 90dB to protect hearing.  These over-the-ear headphones reproduce 20-20,000Hz, and they have in-line playback controls.  They also have a microphone incorporated into the contoller, so you or your child can make or take calls from an Apple device.  Okay, most small children aren’t going to have an iPhone, but they can use it when they talk on your iPhone or when they FaceTime with the grandparents.  They have a 3.5mm audio plug, so they’ll work with any audio device with a 3.5mm audio port – while they’re waiting to get that Apple iPhone.  They are $29.95 in the Apple Store.

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

Tagged: Headphones, Kids' gadgets

Kidz Gear Volume Limit Headphones for Apple Devices originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 2, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

A while back, I reviewed the retro Koss PortaPro headphones and gushed over how well they sounded especially considering their price and how comfortable they were regardless of price. For some people however, the PortaPros looks were – well – just so 80s. I would imagine most people listening to headphones today don’t remember the 80s, so the PortaPro’s retro look is lost on them, but the sound quality shouldn’t be. There is now what I consider a modern version to those classic headphones called Tracks from Aiaiai (pronounced eye-eye-eye). Aiaiai also makes the wonderful TMA-1.

If you are a fan of European design with its clean lines and “form follows function” method, you will love Tracks. This is how headphones in the 21st century should look, especially since they have become such a fashion accessory lately. I am astounded how simple the Tracks are and how cleverly everything works together. There is nothing included that is not absolutely necessary. It is simplicity at its best. They even won the Danish Design Prize for 2010-2011.

The Tracks come with 40mm drivers, which is pretty standard for this price range. They are 32 Ohm, so any portable device can drive them easily, and their frequency range is a respectable 20-20,000Hz. Again, all standard fare. What matters is what a headphone does with those numbers and the Tracks handle those numbers pretty well.

There are four simple, muted color choices, with brighter-colored connectors. I have gray with an orange, gold-plated miniplug connector. It’s all very unobtrusive. They also come with a 3 Button in-line microphone with all/music/volume control, something almost required in today’s portable world.

The headband is stainless steel with no padding. It’s not needed.  The Tracks are so lightweight that after a while, you may forget you are wearing them. The pressure they exert on your head is just enough to stay put during normal activity and never became uncomfortable, even with hours of straight use.

Adjusting the ear pads on the Tracks is uniquely simple. There are small buttons that snap on the ear pieces and can swivel in any direction for a better fit. Those same buttons are grooved to fit in a slot cut into the headband so it can slide up and down to fit just about any head.

What bothers me about this is my setting was at the maximum, so there will be some people whose head the Tracks will not fit. My head may be big, but I’ve seen bigger. The photo shows my son wearing them because his head is more “normal.” If you are on the larger side of life, I would try before you buy if possible.

While the outer edge of the headband is smooth and finished, the slot that allows the plastic button to slide has sharp edges. They’re not sharp enough to cut fingers, and Aiaiai has cleverly inserted a steel track within the small plastic button to prevent the sharper edges from gouging into the plastic. Aiaiai supplies two, differently colored button pairs for replacing whenever the color-changing mood strikes.

The Tracks should work well for commuting. There is some sound leakage since these are an on-ear design, but unless you are in a quiet environment and have the volume loud, it shouldn’t be an issue. Alternately, you should be able to hear enough traffic and trains to help make your commute safer.

The Tracks lean towards the warm side. What that means is that the bass is a little more  prominent at the expense of accuracy. While I admit this is what most people prefer, my tastes are for a more neutral, unbiased sound. Having said that, the Tracks’ sound is quite pleasing. I have listened for hours with no listening fatigue. That’s important, because if you can only listen for an hour or so and then they become uncomfortable, what good is that? Distortion will occur when the volume is pushed to punishing levels, so don’t do that. Also, some songs – depending on many factors – seem to distort at lower volumes which doesn’t happen with better, more accurate headphones. But those same headphones can cost up to three times as much, so there you go. The songs that work well for the Tracks are mostly rock, some classical and jazz. Stay away from bass-heavy music, unless you are a total basshead.

One of my favorite songs in the late 60s was “Mechanical World” from the first album by the California psychedelic group, Spirit. Its blend of strings and overblown production with jazzy riffs was – and still is – way beyond what a lot of other musicians were doing. No one could mix distorted guitar with straight jazz like these guys. They were amazing. The Tracks’ warm sound is a perfect balance for the bass-light mix used on this album accentuating the bottom end just enough.

Roxy Music’s second album was the last one Brian Eno appeared on and he plays like he knew it. “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” is one of those songs that creep up on you with its Eno-inspired noir atmosphere with a sinister, delightly banal monotone vocal by Bryan Ferry. When it finally dawns on you what Ferry is singing about, all “you know what” breaks loose with blistering guitar work from Phil Manzanera. Listening to this song is a lot of fun with the Tracks. These are forgiving headphones, so any harshness (some Roxy Music songs exhibit very high frequency edginess) is smoothed over nicely without much compromise with the accuracy.

Bass was very noticeable on the classic “49 Bye Byes” from Crosby, Stills and Nash on their remastered, first album. While it wasn’t boomy, it was too much on the heavy side for my tastes. This song has sounded better with other headphones.

It seems that the Tracks headphones can improve the sound of many different songs, though not ones that are already bass heavy. Its warm-leaning sound, combined with its admirable comfort and iconic design could make just about anyone happy to have them.

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

Tagged: Headphones

Aiaiai Tracks Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 14, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

As headphones become more popular as an audio accessory and fashion statement, some companies have been able to adapt to this evolving market better than others. Some lean more towards the design while others cater to the audiophile crowd. V-Moda has tried to have it both ways. With the over-ear (circumaural) Crossfade LP, they succeeded in pleasing both groups. However, many people prefer a smaller, on-ear (supra-aural) headphone design. V-Moda could have just made smaller Crossfades – and the Crossfade M-80s do look like that – but V-Moda went farther. Here’s a spoiler for you: The new – and smaller – M-80 headphones are better in almost every way.

The whole package feels well made. According to V-Moda, much of the headphone is made to military specs with kevlar wrapped one-button (universal) or 3-button (Apple only) cables and a reinforced steel headband wrapped in microfiber faux-suede. The M-80s can be bent and twisted severely with no lasting effects. They are made to take a lot of punishment.

The original Crossfade LPs are more comfortable than these newer Crossfade M-80s over extended periods, which I think is more the result of the over-ear design as opposed to on-ear. The M-80′s pads are made of memory foam which are good at forming to the shape of your ears. However, on my head, they begin to feel tight after about 3 hours. I know many people don’t wear headphones for that long in one sitting, but I do, so if there are any comfort issues, I feel them. That’s not to say that the M-80s are uncomfortable. As long as the listening times are kept below a few hours, they feel just fine. I also had to extend the earpieces as far as I could to get a proper fit. This has been an issue for me with other brands, as well. If my head size was any larger, then the M-80s wouldn’t fit.

The exoskeleton case is looks practically indestructible, and it is tough. Short of stomping on it, this case will protect the M-80s from just about any mishap. It comes with a carabiner, so you can easily hook it up to a backpack without it taking up interior space.

While there are similarities between the Crossfade LPs and the M-80s, that similarity ends once you hear them. The thing that separates the two more than anything is plain ole’ bass. The Crossfade LPs have more of it. They aren’t bass monsters (pun intended) like the Beats headphones, but bass is more prominent then with the M-80s. In some instances – like Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll” – the highs become overpowered by the bass on the LPs. There’s a better balance among the frequencies with the M-80s. I also noticed that the volume needed to be turned up a bit on the M-80s to equal the loudness of the LPs.

The high definition version of Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto’s classic “The Girl From Ipanema” has a fantastic soundstage which the M-80s exploit. It’s easy to imagine the placement of each instrument as you listen to the swish of the drum brushes complimented by Getz’s smokey saxophone. The nightclub feel of the song is palpable. Part of the reason for this is what V-Moda calls Bliss Noise Isolation. It uses ports and sound channeling to give a more open soundstage similar to what open-back headphones give but still allowing the almost total isolation of a closed-back headphone design. While I prefer the wide soundstage of genuine open-backed headphones, the M-80s come quite close.

The excessively bright vocals on John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” border on harsh with the M-80s. That can be an issue with some older recordings as they generally are recorded with lighter bass than a modern mix would be. That’s not always the case though because the song, “Operator,” from Manhattan Transfer’s 1975 debut album, has a perfect balance of Alan Paul’s slightly reverbed lead vocals over backup harmonies from the other three members. This kind of song allows the M-80s to shine. All of the audio detail in this song is extracted for maximum effect.

The Crossfade M-80 headphones are an evolution of the Crossfade LPs. If you have the LPs and are happy with them, then save your money. However, I would recommend the M-80s over the LPs if you own neither. The M-80s superior accuracy is hard to ignore. If you are still trying to decide between cheaper headphones or spending a little more, here’s a clue: When you listen to good headphones, you don’t have that desire to turn them up in order to get as much out of them as possible. Good headphones are able to bring out all that aural goodness without resorting to harmful volume. That’s the tragedy of cheap headphones and earphones; that inherent need to use volume to mask deficiencies. Over time, it can cause real damage to hearing. It’s something to consider.

The Crossfade M-80s are not cheap, but given how good they sound and how tough they are made, they look like a bargain.

V-Moda sells the True Blood V-80 headphones which are themed after the HBO vampire show, “True Blood.” With the exception of a different color scheme and a blood-vial styled zipper pull, the V-80 and M-80 headphones are identical.

V-Moda also offers customized headphone shields – those metal plates covering the headphone ear-cup. For a little more money, you can pick a different headphone shield color or upload your own design for a customized look.

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

Tagged: Audio, Crossfades, Headphones, iPhone, iPod, Kevlar, M-80, MP3, V-Moda

V-Moda Crossfade M-80 Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 7, 2012 at 11:00 am.

You know that feeling when you see an invention and marvel that no one had thought it up sooner?  Take a look at this iPhone accessory that has already been successfully funded through Kickstarter (with over 3 weeks still left on its fundraising campaign).  This is the TidyTilt, which solves a major problem and provides an additional couple of features.  Problem: how do you store your headphones/earbuds?  You’re probably not alone if the answer is wrapping it several times around your iPhone or tossed haphazardly in your bag.

The TidyTilt is primarily a cord wrap that will protect the integrity of your headphones and attach to your iPhone for on-board storage.  It is comprised of a thin magnetic frame that attaches to the back of the iPhone as well as a soft, magnetized polyurethane panel.  The panel is designed to fold around the headphone cord to keep it tangle-free.  When folded it can then also be used as a ”kickstand” for tilting the phone screen up, ideal for typing or watching movies.  Since both pieces of the system are magnetized, the iPhone can itself be mounted to any magnetized surface and the earbuds can be mounted and stored separately as well.

Currently the TidyTilt is made exclusively for the iPhone 4/4S.  It isn’t an iPad case–it will provide no screen protection–but it is compatible with many pre-existing cases.  TidyTilt can be preordered now through their site (which will link to Kickstarter until the fundraising campaign is over) in pink, green, blue, or black for $19 ($36 for a 2-pack) and are planned to start shipping in February.

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

Tagged: Headphones, iPhone accessory, iPhone Stand

Keep Your iPhone Earbuds Neat & “Tidy” with TidyTilt originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 5, 2012 at 12:36 pm.

Let me begin this review by saying that I am not in construction or a business that requires hearing protection. However, I do live on 1.5 heavily treed acres, so I spend a good amount of time with electric and gas chain saws, gas weed-wackers, and lawn mowers. They are all obnoxiously loud. I used to wear earbuds and crank them up to punishing levels just to drown out the even more punishing motor noises. You can’t relieve damaging decibel levels by adding more decibels. It’s like throwing gasoline on a fire. I’ve seen many people wear earmuffs to protect their hearing, but I have to have music or audiobooks playing when doing yard work, or I will just stay in the house. Fortunately, Howard Leight, a manufacturer of hearing protection products has combined headphone technology with protective earmuffs in their Sync Stereo Earmuffs.

The Sync Stereo Earmuffs offer a 25 noise reduction rating (NRR) which is good for low to medium hazardous noise levels. That would cover most occupations and all those noisy yard chores. The volume is also limited to an 82 dBA rating which is below the maximum OSHA noise level of 85 dBA. Those numbers may be accurate, but I was able to produce some painful volume levels from my iPod classic with no problem.

The earmuffs are passive, which simply means that no batteries are required. You just plug ‘em in and go. There are two reasons they block outside noise so well. One is that they are solid construction with a strong plastic housing and vinyl padding that completely surrounds the ear. The other is that they are very tight on your head. I mean very tight. I thought some DJ headphones I’ve used were snug. Not like these. After about 30 minutes of use, I had pain in my temples. This really isn’t the fault of the earmuffs. The problem is that I wear glasses. That can present a dilemma. Without glasses, I am practically blind. But think about it; whether you need glasses or not, if you’re conscientious enough to have hearing protection while mowing than you are going to wear eye protection.  And that’s like wearing … glasses. See the problem?

Then there’s sweat. Since the pads are solid vinyl, the material doesn’t breathe at all. My head sweats a lot anyway here in central Florida, so anything not made of natural materials isn’t going to help. A few minutes in the hot Florida sun and the Sync earmuffs were uncomfortable and slippery. Even in an air-conditioned room, they left a damp, red ring around my ears. I would have to conclude that unless you live in a temperate zone and don’t perspire that much, you would be better off with some in-ear earphones  (NOT earbuds) over the Sync earmuffs.

A factory is a different story, altogether. I can see the benefit of the Sync earmuffs being used around heavy machinery indoors in a controlled environment. SInce many factory jobs require hearing protection, why not have some of your music along to help pass the time?

What about the music? Are the earmuffs worth it from an audio standpoint? I would say yes, sort of. Let’s be honest, the Sync earmuffs do not belong in the audiophile arena. But they are inexpensive, so should they be damaged or lost, replacing them will not break the bank. There’s a lot to be said for that. Just don’t expect any musical revelation wearing them. There is distortion and harshness in the higher frequencies and a muddy mid range. On the plus side, the bass is not boomy or tiring, which is usually an issue with cheaper headphones. When not pushed, the earmuffs are good with MP3s and other lower resolution formats.

The Howard Leight Sync stereo earmuffs are a decent, inexpensive alternative to standard earmuffs in a noisy, hazardous indoor environment with adequate headphone speakers. Just don’t expect audio nirvana.

Learn more about how you can help prevent noise-induced hearing loss at Howard Leight’s HearForever site.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Health Related Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: Headphones, hearing protection

Howard Leight Sync Stereo Earmuffs Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 1, 2011 at 11:00 am.

My airline travel has recently picked up the past year and I find myself on planes for more hours than I can remember. And if you have ever spent any time in coach on an airline, you know the value of a good set of headphones. I have tried every earbud known to man and have come to the conclusion that there is no good earbud. So wanting to avoid wires altogether, I have recently been trying Bluetooth stereo headsets. My most recent foray into the wireless Bluetooth headset arena is the Leo Stereo Wireless Bluetooth Headset from Arriva. With a name like Leo, it better have some teeth, right?  Let’s find out if it does!

Before getting my hands on the Leo my day-to-day stereo Bluetooth headset was the Motorola S10-HD. This isn’t a review of that headset, but I will compare the Leo to that headset simply for the sake of those of you who may own that one.  I like the S10-HD, so I was really curious if the Arriva would take its place as my go-to headset.

Let’s start out with some photos:

The Arriva comes with a micro-USB charger, 3 sets of earbud covers in addition to 1 set already on the earbuds, and a hard foam round carrying case that holds the Arriva quite nicely. The headset folds up nicely in that case, and they are great for traveling because they take up so little space.

2 sets of the earbuds have a little loopy things (yes, that is a technical term) that extend from the earbud to push against the inside of your ear to hold the earbud in place.  I tried the foam and plain earbud covers and neither worked for me, so the loopy earbud covers were a must for my ears.

Here is a better picture of what it looks like on the back of my head. You can see the main unit rests at the base of your skull, allowing you to wear a helmet, glasses, hat, etc, and be unobstructed.

The next picture is a closeup shot of the main unit on the headset.

The micro-USB charging port is on the bottom of the unit.  It has a power button and a plus and minus button on the front. Each button performs several functions. Holding the power button turns the headset on, and if you keep holding it down for 7 seconds, the headset goes into pairing mode.  You hear some tones when it turns on, but oddly you don’t heard anything when it goes into pairing mode. Every Bluetooth headset I have ever owned makes a “pairing” sound, so when I first tried to pair it with something I thought something was wrong because I didn’t hear any tone or indications that I was pairing.  If you receive a phone call while listening to music,  pressing the power button will answer the call and when you hang up the music will start again. While listening to music a tap on the power button will pause the music.

The plus and minus buttons will increase and decrease the volume of the sound and long-pressing the buttons will advance to the next or previous songs in your playlist.

And here is a picture of the size comparison between the Arriva (left) and the Motorola S10-HD (right)

The Arriva, just like the Motorola, is one of those Bluetooth headsets that can also answer calls on your phone because it has a mic built into the left earbud. When I used it to talk on the phone I wasn’t that pleased with the results. The call quality to me was what I experienced with Bluetooth headsets a few years ago. It was susceptible to wind noise and more often than not the person on the other end of the call would ask me to repeat myself.  I used both headsets to call myself and leave a voicemail and then I listened to the messages.  While the Motorola provided slightly better sound quality than the Arriva, I just don’t think either one of these headsets are meant to be used for making calls all day. They are fine if you want to answer a quick call while you are listening to music, but I don’t think that long conversations are suited for this headset and I wouldn’t buy this one if that was your intention. There are many other Bluetooth headsets that are designed for making calls. For example, I can listen to music using my Plantronics Pro headset, but I wouldn’t do it because it sounds bad and that headset wasn’t designed for listening to music.

Where the Leo has no teeth:

When I first took it out of the package and tried to place it on my head I am glad someone wasn’t videotaping me. I initially thought that maybe I had received a defective unit because I couldn’t get the darn thing to stay on my head for more than a few seconds and it just looking all mangled and funny. After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, I was able to bend and shape the Arrive to fit my head and my ears. So what started out as a big negative in my initial impression turned into a good experience when I realized I could bend and mold this thing to fit my head perfectly.  I can now wear it for hours and not realize I have it on. So you’ll need to be patient when you first start wearing it and find out what fits best for you.

I mentioned that I expected to hear some sort of audible tone when pairing the device, and I didn’t hear anything.  You also don’t hear anything after the headset connects to a device. I expect to hear something when that happens too, but I heard nothing. So I had to actually play some music to make sure that it was working with my tablet or phone.

With other Bluetooth headsets, for example, if I walk away from my phone beyond the range of the Bluetooth I get some sort of audible indication that my headset is no longer communicating with the phone. This has saved me countless times from leaving my phone someplace on accident. The Leo doesn’t do that either.

I experienced a big problem with my Verizon HTC Thunderbolt and the Leo. I won’t go into all the techy detail but here is the bottom line: if you own the Thunderbolt, then when using the Leo, don’t use the “LTE On/Off” app that allows you to turn off the 4G connection on the phone to save your battery. When you do that the Thunderbolt will lock up on an incoming call if you are using the Leo. When I used the Thunderbolt in normal mode (with the 4G connection on) then everything was fine. Not sure what that was about, but now I know, and so do you.

Where the Leo has some teeth:

The sound from this headset is top notch. It is quite literally the best sounding Bluetooth headset I have ever heard. The highs and the lows are wonderful. I couldn’t turn up the volume all the way on any device for fear of blowing out my eardrums, so you will enjoy the high quality sound. I’ve already mentioned how comfortable it is, so you should have no problems with getting this to fit.  While the Motorola is comfortable, the Arriva feels nice. I don’t do extreme sports of any kind, so I can’t speak to how well it would stay on my head while hang-gliding, but the headset stayed on my head while jogging and working out.

And the price is just right. It is now $69.95, which is cheaper than what I paid for the Motorola S10.

Miscellaneous information

While I experienced no problems with sweating while working out, Arriva does state that this is not a waterproof headset, so no swimming with this thing.  The battery (140mAh) lasts about 5 hours before needing a charge and it is supposed to last 20 days on standby. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge and the battery, and the headset has an indicator light to let you know when it is done charging.  Their website also has some guides on how to pair with various phones and how to get the Leo adjusted to fit your head.

The bottom line

The Leo is the best sounding and most comfortable Bluetooth headset I have ever owned. I used it successfully with my HTC Android cellphone, my HTC Flyer tablet, my ASUS Eee Pad Transformer tablet, a Samsung Fascinate cellphone, an iPhone, and an iPod Touch.  Aside from the aforementioned issue with the phone-locking-up thing I already mentioned, it worked flawlessly.  I did not experience any skipping or signal dropping.

I should also mention that when I had the issue with the phone locking up I contacted Arriva via email (they have no published phone number) and they responded quickly and provided me ideas and suggestions about what might be happening.  They even offered to send me another headset, and they sent all the information I gave them to their technical folks to find a solution.  Their folks were really nice about the whole thing and they took my suggestions for how to improve the product and seemed genuinely interested in making me happy, so I give them props for that.

I like the Motorola S10 HD, I really do. It’s a good Bluetooth headset.  But I like the Arriva even more, so the Motorola will be delegated to the gadget drawer as my back-up device.  I am going to give the Arriva an 8 out of 10, so I do recommend it to anyone.

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

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headphones, Wireless

Arriva Leo Stereo Wireless Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Over the last six months or so, I’ve been in training for an upcoming Tough Mudder event.  I’ve had to bring myself from literal couch potato to gym rat capable of living through a 12 mile run through mud, water, fire, and electricity.  In doing so, I’ve learned the importance of keeping track of my runs to work on my endurance, stamina, and just how many calories I’m actually burning.

There are many  different options available to the runner to take care of this–at a variety of price points and hardware requirements/annoyances (chest band…really?).  The iHome NB639 fitness evolved headphones fit the bill for what I was looking for.

The iHome NB639 set consists of a clip worn on an armband or t-shirt neck and a pair of sweat-resistant headphones.  The headphones plug directly into the pedometer/clip unit and the pedometer can then be plugged into your mp3 player or any other device with a mini jack.  The whole set will also work independently of an audio player–but you’d probably look a little funny running while trailing a cord behind you.

What’s In The Box

• Fitness Headphones
• Detachable ear hooks
• 3 sizes of earbud tips
• Pedometer/clip unit
• Carry Case
• USB dongle
• Get started guide and HeartPal CD-ROM

Headphone Specs

• 10mm drivers
• Frequency response – 20Hz-20kHz
• Impedance – 16 ohm
• Sensitivity – 104dB
• Gold-plated 3,5mm plug, asymmetrical cord

NB639 is on the right, traditional shaped-earbud on the left

The included headphones are decent.  The eartips you can see from the picture are oval-shaped rather than round.  According to iHome, this shape coupled with the ergonomic shape of the earbud housing provided a better fit in the user’s ear canal.

A really nice touch was the inclusion of the detachable ear hooks.  I’m typically not a fan, but found myself preferring to wear the earbuds with them attached for added stability.  The other aspect I really like about these earbuds is that there is virtually no line noise from the cord rubbing my clothing or hitting my body.

That said though, I wasn’t thrilled with the sound of my music played through the buds.  The audio was a muddled, almost as though listening to music through a wall.  Even the voice playback of the unit had this quality.

Since the workout is being recorded through the pedometer piece, I was able to swap in a different pair of earbuds without any ill effects.  Though after half an a hour of running with my typical buds–and pushing them back into my ears every few minutes– I gained an appreciation for the shape of the iHome earbud housings as well as those hooks.  If the tradeoff for earbuds that stay in place is a slightly murky sound quality, it’s a price worth paying!  Not to mention the iHome earbuds are also sweat resistant.

Clip-on pedometer unit

So just before starting a run, turn on the pedometer, and a voice greets you to start your workout.  There’s another button on the pedometer to activate the voice again and give you a real time readout of your steps, mileage, calories burned and workout time.  When this vocal readout is activated, the volume of the audio source is lowered and a female voice reads the tally of your in progress workout.

Since the voice prompt button is in sort of an awkward place, there’s a feature built in that will set off the voice prompt when the unit is double tapped.  I definitely preferred the tap to trying to blindly find the button while running.  Occasionally the voice would accidentally be set off from bumping against my chest or the headphone cord hitting it–but the speed of the tap could be adjusted in HeartPal to fix any accidental fires.

The only feature of the device that isn’t recorded is your heart rate.  Heart rate can be taken by pressing the heart rate activation button and placing your thumb over the reader for about ten seconds.  The voiceover prompts you that it is checking your heart rate and will read it back once it’s captured.  It’s a piece of cake while walking, but it’s a little more difficult to keep your thumb in place for an accurate reading while running.

The weird thing about the fitness evolved voice is not necessarily the robotic quality, but how incredibly bored she sounds reading back my stats.  It would have been kind of neat to have a Jillian Michaels or Jackie Warner-type  scream in my ear, encouraging that I just made mile 5 or that I’ve been going strong for 2 hours.  Something a bit more motivating.

The only other problem I ran into with this set was the length of the cords.  When clipped to the neck of my shirt, the length of the pedometer cord was only 29″.  I plug into the TV control unit of a treadmill, which is usually at about hip level on my left side.  While running, my left hand would frequently rip the cord from the jack.  The headphones themselves have a length of about 15″, which I had no problem with since the clip was already at my neck.

Carrying case

The instruction manual advises you to charge the unit as well as set up your profile prior to initial use.  Definitely do the later!  As someone who didn’t, my readings were all over the place, wildly inaccurate, and I wasn’t a happy camper.  Once I actually *read* the directions, it was an “ah ha!” moment.  The included software–HeartPal–helps set up a user profile with your age/weight/height/stride length for walking and running/and preference for where you intend to wear the pedometer clip.  This profile information syncs to the pedometer and you’re ready for a workout.  Several different users can be configured in HeartPal, but the pedometer can only store one user profile at a time.

Overall, I found the measurements to be pretty accurate to those being taken by the treadmill.  The workout timer was always accurate, but distance traveled tended to vary plus or minus .10 miles when it wasn’t dead on.  The calories counter I found to be more accurate than the one on the treadmill, probably because through HeartPal the pedometer had better information on me for its calculations.

The USB dongle doubles as a tool to sync the workout data to the HeartPal software as well as charge the device.

The included CD-ROM contains the PC install for HeartPal, but the iHome product website hosts a downloadable Mac version as well.

The HeartPal companion software is a pretty simple.  It’s a locally run application with no online capabilities just yet.  The data can be configured to read as bar charts or line graphs, splitting a workout up by week, day, etc.  On the splash page, I see my “all time” stats and I can start drilling down the data from there.

Currently there is no social network integration–there is an option to send a goal or your workout information to a friend but all that does is take a screenshot  and insert it as a png into an email for you.

I’ve used the NB639 nearly everyday for the last two weeks and it really suits my needs just fine.  It’s probably more for the entry-level runner, who doesn’t care to share with the world every nuance of a run via social networks, and is happy with tracking just the basic information during a run.

There are a few minor points that could be improved upon on both the HeartPal software and the fitness evolved headphone unit, but in speaking with iHome, there are updates planned on the horizon for both.  Regardless, this is a pretty solid, self-contained unit and will definitely be helping me get through the next month of training until Mudder.

iHome NB639 fitness evolved headphones are available for $99.99 directly through iHome.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Fitness, Sports, Health Related Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: Headphones, heart rate monitor, pedometer, Workout

iHome NB639 Fitness Evolved Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 16, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Of all the headphones I have reviewed, it never occurred to me to share what I was listening to with anyone nearby. I mean, that’s what headphones are all about, right? Personal listening. Well, someone decided that you should be able to share your music using your headphones without actually using your headphones. Yes, you read that right. With their X2 Hybrid Headphones, Zumreed decided to make use of the cup of the headphone and add an additional external speaker. So, in addition to the heaphone speaker, there is also a speaker pointing outward. Back-to-back speakers on each ear, literally. At first glance, the X2 seems to be a solution to a problem no one had. However, taken on face value, is it a good idea? More importantly, is the audio decent in either headphone or external speaker mode? Let’s find out.

Let’s start with the headphones. The build quality of the phone itself is not bad. They are made of substantial – and thick – plastic with comfortable faux-leather cushion earpads and padded headband. Switching from headphones to external speaker is straightforward and simple. Just open a slider attachment on the main cord and the switch is inside. This attachment contains a rechargeable battery that lasts for an advertised four hours on a one-hour recharge time. The headphone selection does not require battery power, so there isn’t a penalty using that mode. Recharging is done through a supplied USB cord.

The X2’s are large. I’m starting to wonder if this is the style among younger people where headphones are becoming as much a fashion statement as an audio accessory. These certainly make a statement. They’re bulky size will make you think that the X2 could spark a party. Well, impressions can be deceiving.

Listening to the X2, I was reminded how my headphones sounded back in the 80s. It felt like I was underwater. The sound was compressed and claustrophobic with almost no airiness. Part of the problem was the bass, both too much and almost none, depending which speakers you used. On the headphone half, it was overpowering and stifling. Add brittle highs to the mix and you’ve pretty much destroyed the midrange. Sadly, the midrange is where most vocals are. Using the earlier underwater analogy, after about 10 minutes, I really felt like I had to come up to breathe.

With the headphones wrapped around the neck, like a DJ or a Dr. Dre Beats wannabe might do, the external speakers conveniently face outward. Using the X2’s external speakers this way highlights two immediate problems. To achieve the volume necessary for friends to be able to hear, the speakers become painful to listen to so near to your ears. So it is only practical to use the external speakers a good distance away from your head. Also, the distortion is so bad as to be distracting. Instead of a rich stereo experience, it sounds like two AM radios side-by-side. There is almost a total lack of bass.

I think part of the problem with the audio is that speakers need air to transmit sound and the X2‘s speakers are so rigid and tough, they hardly vibrate when pushed. On the other hand, if the speakers were flexible enough to vibrate and move air succesfully, then they would be too fragile to be exposed to the elements as these are. So it becomes a compromise no matter what.

I’m left trying to decide what consumer target Zumreed was aiming for with the X2. I can only conclude that they want to appeal to trendy and style-conscious young people, such as the Beats and Skull Candy crowd. They are kinda cool looking for that age group. And let’s face it, with the popularity of low resolution MP3 files, most younger people sadly don’t have a clue what decent audio sounds like. Taking all of that into account, if that’s Zumreed’s audience, then they have failed by pricing the X2 at a whopping $165 (although they can be had for less online with some searching). Only people with an ear for good sound would fork over that kind of money for headphones. The Zumreed X2 headphones fall far short of that mark.

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

Tagged: Headphones

Zumreed X2 Hybrid Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Hey mon, Bob Marley’s family has been busy. With the desire to carry on Bob Marley’s musical message of peace and love, The House of Marley has released a line of audio products.

The goal of The House of Marley is to offer a line of headphones, earphones and speaker/docks that are made of sustainable materials, promote equality and give good value. Plus, one look and you can see the Marley influence. The Marley line has three collections: Jammin’ Freedom and Destiny. Each collection covers certain pricing points.

“MARLEY audio products make perfect sense and are created with a focus on using sustainable products and providing exceptional sound that our family is proud to call our own,” said Rohan Marley, Bob’s son, on behalf of the family. Uplifting, hopeful names are given to each product, such as Zion, Stir It Up, Revolution, and People Get ready, to name a few.

The stylish Jammin’ collection is aimed at the youth market in design and price. The extremely colorful headphones and earphones range from $29.99 – $89.99 and the speakers are $49.99 and $299.99. Both speakers come in fitted, cotton outer canvas bags. These are meant to be seen as well as heard.

The up-scale Freedom collection ranges from $79.99 – $199.99 for the headphones and earphones with a pretty wooden tabletop speaker/dock going for $299.99.

The Destiny collection features high design and are priced to match. Marley promises supreme sound quality along with stunning looks. The One Foundation speaker/dock with Apple’sAirPlay is quite pretty.

Not all of the House of Marley products are available yet, but should be soon. The line is available at Best Buy; in-store and online.

To get more information, visit TheHouseofMarley.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thehouseofmarley, and follow on Twitter @houseofmarley.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Earphones, Headphones

House of Marley Introduces Eco-friendly Audio Collection originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 3, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

Scosche Industries, a maker of car audio and all kinds of iPhone and iPad accessories, has created a new line of high-end personal audio gear, the Scosche Realm headphone and in-ear monitor.

The RH1056md (black) and RH1056m (white) headphones have 40mm drivers with rare earth neodymium magnets to acheive what Scosche says is “extremely accurate musical production regardless of genre.” On each phone, is a sound port allowing for proper air movement of the speakers. Also included are leather earpads stuffed with memory foam. Think of it as a Tempur-Pedic pillow around your ears. Should be pretty comfortable.

The headphones are collapsible for easy storage and carrying. They have an understated, refined design and look quite nice. All the usual extras are there: Two gold plated audio cables, a case, travel pouch, a 3.5mm to ¼” adapter, clothing clip, PC adapter for gaming, and a cleaning cloth.

Closer to my heart is the Scosche REALM IEM856md (black) and IEM856m (white) In Ear monitors. These are very interesting because they are a hybrid using a 6.3mm balanced armature AND  a large 10.7mm Dynamic speaker together in a single shell.  If done right,  these could exploit the advantages of both designs; the accuracy of armatures combined with the warmth of dynamic speakers. Only hearing them can determine if Scosche has succeded. Like the headphones, these also have a sound port included.

The earphones have a flat, tangle-free cord for easy storage. They also come with a decent array of extras: A carrying case, leather pouch, clothing clip, PC adapter for gaming, and small, medium and large single and dual flanged ear cushions, which are good for reducing ambient noise.

Both the headphones and earphones are made for iPod, iPhone and iPad and feature a mic allowing users to make and receive calls, skip tracks and control volume without taking out their phone.

The Scosche Realm over-ear headphones and in-ear monitors are available now for $229.99 and $249.99 respectively.

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

Tagged: Headphones

Scosche introduces high-end headphones and earphones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 1, 2011 at 12:47 pm.

BlueAnt’s recently introduced the Embrace headphones, and they’ve graciously sent a pair for the Gadgeteer to review this week. These are BlueAnt’s first non-Bluetooth headphones, using a standard 1/8″ connector, and designed with a focus on sound quality and comfort. They also come with two cables, one regular cable and another with an iPod/iPhone/iPad controller & microphone. Read on to find out how BlueAnt’s newest headphones stack up.

The Embrace headphones move away from BlueAnt’s ubiquitous bluetooth wireless on their other products and instead concentrate on comfort and sound quality. They’re also well constructed, and have features to make them a bit more portable. Plus they come with a nice leather carry pouch. Designed with ‘True to Life’ sound technology for accurate sound reproduction, they’re also sturdy while still being comfortable and relatively lightweight. The brushed aluminum hardware contains two custom tuned 40mm drivers covered with comfy leather ear pads. These leather ear pads do an excellent job of passive noise suppression, lowering outside noise significantly while the big drivers are specially designed to reproduce the full sound range- Aiming for reproducing music neutrally without bias.

Besides sounding great out of the box, it felt like the design lets the EQ do a better job shaping the sound to your liking; You can scorch your eardrums with highs or jelly your brain with deep bass without having to contend with the headphones inherent sound bias. I ended up disabling the EQ and iTunes’ native ‘sound enhancement after experimenting because these headphones do an excellent job of reproducing sound; BlueAnt doesn’t call them studio monitors, but even so I thought they were very close.

The look of the Embrace headphones slick: black and modern. The two included cables are either blue for iDevices or black for the straight-through cable. The blue cable adds a little tasteful color to the design. For portability, the headphone ends rotate flat, making the package flatter and easier to carry, while a dual-headed cable disconnects and fits into a pocket inside the carry case so there is nothing to bend or break off. The all-black coloring is only broken by dark-tinted chrome rings around each of the earpieces, where the cable plugs into the bottom of the left headphone’s ring, and silver writing on the sides – Overall a very tasteful blend of materials. And the soft leather that covers each earpiece also covers the band across the top, with padding to keep the top of your head happy.

The modern and clean look of the headphones is backed by equally sophisticated sonics that I mentioned briefly above; ‘True-To-Life’ sound is what BlueAnt calls the flat frequency response of the Embrace headphones. So many audio products are employing methods to boost bass response that listening to music through the embrace headphones is like a breath of fresh air. It’s clean, crisp, and brings out more detail than I’ve become used to. Listening to a guitar piece on the Embrace after using another mid-range pair of popular headphones was like having a filter removed; I could hear fingers moving on the strings and a much wider 3d image that was missing from the other headphones while using the same EQ settings (which was set to Off in iTunes, along with the Sound Enhancer).

But this isn’t to say the Embrace headphones can’t reproduce deep bass as well – Not the case at all – The bass just wasn’t overwhelming. I was able to get the same super-bass effect by manipulating the EQ, but I  really enjoyed hearing the subtle sounds that made listening to music with the Embrace headphones so much… better. And that was really the point; You could shape the music any way you like using an EQ, but the headphones themselves were neutral. Hearing well engineered recordings, in a lossless format (ALAC), really made these headphones shine.

The addition of iPhone/iPod/iPad controls and a microphone is a definite convenience. At first I thought “how often would I be listening to these and still need to use the phone?”. Especially since they are headphones and not earbuds or earphones. But in fact my primary music-playing device is the iPhone, so I was bound to get a couple calls while listening to music. With the noise isolating leather ear pads cutting out a good amount of background noise, and the 40mm drivers reproducing a caller’s voice so clearly I could easily hear compression artifacts. And the microphone is ok, it does about the same job as the standard Apple earbuds, it’s clear and does an adequate job but isn’t significantly better than other options. I started actively putting these on to make long calls or conference calls, the comfort and ease of listening was worth it.

If you can’t tell already, I’m totally pleased with the Embrace headphones. They’re well made with aluminum stalks so they feel like they won’t break easily, plus have the folding design with a cable that unplugs rather than being bent or broken off, so they should be easy to travel with. The soft leather on the top and earpads feels great and does a very good job of isolating noise while keeping your ears comfortable. But more importantly the Embrace headphones sound great; Crystal clear sound with no overemphasis of bass or treble, but with enough power where you can tweak the bass to turn your brain to jelly if you desire it. The greatest advantage is the Embrace’s ability to reproduce sound faithfully which brings out detail I’ve been missing, with an impressively wide soundstage that sounds almost like a 3D effect. If you’re looking for headphones in the 200-300 range, definitely give these a look; They sound great, and the added iDevice features make them a slam-dunk for iPod, iPhone, iPad music aficionados.

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

Tagged: Headphones

BlueAnt Embrace Stereo Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

OK, let’s say that you love headphones and are a big fan of the Grado brand in particular (a lot of people are). And let’s assume that you own (or have owned) a pair and wish to move up to a better model. You have some money saved up, but not enough for that uber-expensive, top-of-the-line Professional Series model you want, the PS1000. Those $1,700 monsters are considered by many audiophiles (who really know this stuff) to be the best headphone available, period. Some will argue that point, but they are one of the most popular headphones in that stratospheric price range. However, your savings aren’t even halfway there yet and you are losing patience.

Maybe now you can have your cake and eat it too. Grado has just released the Professional Series PS500 model for $595, less than half the cost of the PS1000. Yea, it won’t sound quite as good as the PS1000, but if the law if diminishing returns applies here as it does with so many audio components, the PS500 will sound nearly as good. And you could save yourself $1,100. For now, anyway.

Not deviating from Grado’s famous retro looks, the smaller, on-ear PS 500s are quite beautiful decked out in aluminum and black. I love the looks of these things.

The PS500 follows Grado’s open air design, meaning that while others around you can hear what you are listening to, what you hear is nothing short of amazing. With this design, the dynamic speakers sound like they are many feet away. The music is not just in your head, but filling the air around you. The soundstage from the Grados is impressive.

Even at $595, the Grado PS500 headphones are quite expensive and not an impulse buy. But if you consider yourself as an audiophile, who is either impatient, not rich, or both, you may want to check out the Grado PS500 headphones now rather than the PS1000 later.

And they are made here, in America. How cool is that?

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

Tagged: Headphones

Grado PS500 Headphones Announced originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 19, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Following on their 45-year tradition of quality components, excellent build quality and amazing sound, Bowers & Wilkins has built what they consider to be a best in class product in the über-competitive in-ear headphone market. Priced at a not (for B&W) unreasonable $179.95, the C5 could very well be an introduction to that famous B&W sound for those previously put off by the high price of admission. They are priced well below many competing brands of universal fit earphones.

The C5 has a few unusual features. There is what B&W calls the Micro Porous Filter which is a diffuser composed of microscopic steel balls that allow the C5 to deliver a more natural, but more spacious audio, previously not possible with in-ear headphones. The C5 also has a proprietary Secure Loop design which is a soft loop that fits within the inner ridge of the ear. B&W says that this holds the C5 firmly, but comfortably in place during activities and it is adjustable.

Like the award winning P5 headphones, the C5 is crafted from high-grade aluminum. Also included is a Made For iPhone compatible cable, ideal for making calls on the move, right-angle and in-flight adapters and a quilted pouch for storage.

The Bowers & Wilkins C5 will be available in August.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Headphones

C5 In-ear Headphones Coming Soon from Bowers & Wilkins originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2011 at 10:00 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.

Yeah, me neither… But I’m sure that some of you out there are worried about dust, dirt or liquids invading the headphone jack of your phone or other device. The iCatchi is $6.95 accessory that plugs into the jack when you don’t have your headphones plugged in. It protects the jack from all sorts of goop. There are different graphics available for the top of the plug. It’s a cute idea, but to me it seems to be more trouble than it’s worth. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’ve been using devices with headphone jacks for decades and so far I’ve never had a problem with dirt, dust or anything else getting in them. What do you guys think?

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Headphones

Are you concerned about your headphone jack? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 28, 2011 at 10:00 am.

I have mentioned in the last few reviews that I am now reviewing headphones using the NuForce uDAC-2 USB amp/DAC plugged into my new iMac, when I am not using my iPod. There’s a really good reason for this. The iMac audio output sounds like … well, let’s just say it sounds bad. Really, really bad. It finally dawned on me why anyone would spend hard-earned money on a decent pair of headphones or earphones only to have the experience ruined by the iMac’s lousy internal DAC. No one should spend a dime on new headphones if all they are going to do is plug them directly into the audio-out port on the iMac. After putting up with distortion on some of my more challenging tracks in iTunes, I finally gave up. I just plugged phones into my iPod Classic or iPhone if I wanted decent audio.

Then I saw the uDAC-2. I knew that there were other headphone amps out there, many models by many brands in every price range. But I liked the NuForce name as I had reviewed one of their earphones in the past and liked their quality and price. So I was curious if the uDAC-2 could help clean up this aural mess from my computer.

First, let me explain what exactly a DAC and amplifier do. The amp part is just what it says. It amplifies the signal and allows you to connect headphones that may be too power hungry for your device, which can rob you of clarity and volume. The digital audio convertor (DAC) is a bit more tricky to explain. Basically a DAC reroutes the digital signal coming from your device and converts it to analog – the music you hear in your ears. So when you plug your headphones or earphones into the DAC instead of your computer, the signal is now cleaner, clearer, and more robust. However, sometimes DACs and amps are not that important, especially if you are using low cost earphones that don’t require much power or if you device already has a decent DAC built in.

The DAC in my iMac is nowhere near as good as the one in my iPod. So I decided to bypass it and connect through the uDAC-2. I do not regret it. We’ll get into specific improvements later, but I want to explain the setup. The uDAC-2 is an improvement over their original uDAC in almost every way. The uDAC-2 uses no separate power supply or batteries. It gets all of its power from a single USB connection. Because it is USB, there is a direct digital connection until the signal reaches your headphones or connected speaker through its miniplug port or standard RCA audio output. There is also a coaxial RCA digital output included.

The uDAC-2 measures 2.7 in. X 1.5 in. X .8 in. That is unbelievably small by any standard. Even though it’s designed to use with a laptop, trust me, it works just as well on a desktop iMac. It is not made to use with an iPod or iPhone (NuForce makes the Icon Mobile amp for that). This thing is so small and light, the USB cord alone can easily slide it around on your desk, sometimes annoyingly so. Its lack of weight just won’t hold it in place. I may have to get some velcro tape to correct this.

Even though I am using the uDAC-2 for headphones and earphones, I discovered that it also improved the sound of my monsterous Audioengine 5 speakers substantially. As I was writing part of this review, I had iTunes on shuffle and an old song, “Moonshine,” by Shawn Phillips came on. I’ve always liked Phillips 70s folk-rock, but I was hearing subtle piano coming out of the right speaker I’d never really noticed before. I was not expecting this. The pre-amp on the uDAC-2 fits well with the A5s built in amplifier. Here I was using this tiny DAC to do its thing on some really hefty self-amplified speakers and I was getting this kind of improvement. There was a soundstage to the music that just didn’t exist before. I was stunned.

But back to the headphones…

I want to point out two specific examples where the uDAC-2 absolutely proves its worth. This is detailed, but here are two concrete examples where a DAC/amp combo unit can raise the bar on audio expectations. These examples are not from mainstream albums but they do help explain the capabilities of the uDAC-2. The first example is the song, Water Shows The Hidden Heart” by Enya from her “Amaratine” album. At 1:40 minutes into the song, Enya’s vocals hit higher notes that have always distorted a bit before. I thought it was just bad mastering, but it wasn’t. The uDAC-2 took care of that. The same thing happened in the second example. “Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 41 – Hymn of the Cherubim” by Tchaikovsky from “Sacred Treasures” features Russian choral music that will give you goosebumps. At 2:39 minutes into the music, what sounds like angels kicks in and as before, distortion would kick in also. Not anymore. The sheer beauty of the voices shine through like sunlight through stained glass.

Other somewhat less dramatic improvements can be found. The re-remastered “Hallelujah” from Jeff Buckley’s “So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley” now has its original dynamics restored (that’s why it’s re-remastered). The uDAC-2 exploits this improvement. Now, Buckley’s quiet pain comes through in heartbreaking clarity. Leonard Cohen may have written this song, but Buckley made it his own.

“FYT/Fond Affections” from the first This Mortal Coil album begins with a mounting cadence and slowly builds to a climactic growl that – with headphones – could give you nightmares. This is creepy stuff made even more creepy run through the uDAC-2.

The musicality of the uDAC-2 is too impressive to ignore. The fact that NuForce could get this kind of improvement from a package this small continues to impress me. From now on, I will test headphones and earphones through a DAC/amp.

While the uDAC-2 comes with specs any audio geek would love, it really comes down to the sound quality. Just ask yourself: With the uDAC-2, is the audio improved? Yes. Is it richer? Yes. Is it less distorted? Yes. Is it all worth it? Heck, yes.

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

Tagged: Amp, Headphones

NuForce Icon uDAC-2 Headphone Amp/DAC Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 24, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Crossfade is the act of fading one song out as you fade another in, resulting in continuous music with little or no break in the sound. Its something that club DJs do to keep the dance floor crowded and the mood electric. It is in this vein that V-Moda has developed the Crossfade LP headphones. They certainly do look electric. They are also the polar opposite of the last headphones I reviewed, the starkly designed Aiaiai TMA-1. Polar in looks, anyway.

The Crossfades are an over-the-ear design, meaning that they cover the whole ear. This has a couple of benefits. Over-the-ear headphones usually have a better soundstage because the audio is projected on the entire ear as opposed to directly into the ear. Music sounds more spacial this way. This over-the-ear design also offers more isolation than on-the-ear, but that much isolation may be too much for some.  It’s a matter of preference. The Crossfades can leak sound, but mostly at punishing volume levels. Other commuters won’t hear what you’re listening to in a noisy environment, like a bus or train. They are also generally more comfortable than headphones that sit on-the-ear, but the Crossfades can feel a bit too tight at the temples after a few hours of listening.

The Crossfades have a warm, forgiving audio quality that leans towards bass, but I wouldn’t recommend them to bass addicts. They’re too accurate for that. However, if your musical tastes are more club and techno than older rock, the Crossfades may be what you are looking for.

These phones are not cheap and yes, there are headphones out there that cost far more and sound better. But, so what? The Crossfades are a perfect example of the law of diminishing returns: The higher the price, the smaller the improvement. In other words, if you are willing to pay just a little more to avoid really cheap headphones, the improvement in audio will be substantial.

The Crossfades come with a few extras. There are two cloth-wrapped tangle-free cords to choose from: A longer cord for relaxing and a shorter one for mobile use. The mobile cord comes with a remote switch/mic for controlling volume and taking phone calls on any compatible phone with a 3.5mm jack: v-moda/Compatibility. The volume/pause buttons should work on newer iPods, but I could not get them to work on my older iPod Classic. Also included is a 1/4” adapter. The remote/mac switch is located closer the left earpad port making it closer to your mouth for speech but because it’s so close to your ear, you can’t actually see it. It’s by feel only and for me, that feels clumsy.

The Crossfades come with one of the best cases I have seen on any headphone. The fit is snug and perfect due to its vacuum-formed shape. The case is rigid enough to withstand just about any abuse. Even though you can’t actually stand on it, it feels almost sturdy enough to do just that. It’s lined in a very red felt to help prevent scratches. There are four color choices. Well, it’s more like white and three choices of black, otherwise known as Phantom Chrome, Gunmetal Black and Nero, which is what I have. All color versions come with the same black with red trim case.

Lots of metal and plastic with leather accents, chrome and dramatic angles scream “Look at me!” These are not headphones for shy people and they certainly don’t pretend to be snobby, audiophile phones. However, they are more than the sum of their parts.

I might have issues with their somewhat urban-inspired looks, but I have become a fan of how the Crossfades sound. These headphones were made to handle the hot and loud mastering techniques so popular today. It’s the older recordings with their wider dynamic range that suffer. Quiet passages seem muffled. It’s only when loud passages (or just loud volume) hit that the Crossfades are truly happy.

As I said before, the Crossfades are not bass monsters, but they do give a well-rounded bassy feel to those type of recordings. For instance, the heartbeat that leads off Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” thumps with power, but it won’t make your brain hurt like other phones I’ve heard. Conversely, really bright recordings are just that… really bright, sometimes unpleasantly so. Early Byrds music from the 60s is almost painful.

Mids and vocals are where the Crossfades shine. Enya’s “Water Shows The Hidden Heart” from “Amaratine” features her voice beautifully. And when she hits the high notes toward the middle of the song, many phones just plainly distort from the dynamics. Not the Crossfades, because I have them hooked into the NuForce uDAC-2 amp (to be reviewed soon). Let me explain. My iMac’s sound output is just flat-out awful, so the NuForce has become a necessity. If you are an iMac owner, I strongly suggest you look into getting a separate headphone DAC/amp. The difference can be dramatic.

Another example of pronounced vocals is Coldplay’s  “Viva La Vida.” Producer Brian Eno’s love of the bottom end is unmistakable on this wonderful album. Chris Martin’s vocals are heart felt and in your face. It’s all good with these phones.

I sampled a few tracks that were ripped at very high bit rates (1411 kbps) and some that weren’t (128 kbps). Was there a noticeable difference? Oh, yeah. But not as much as you might think. The Crossfades are forgiving in this regard. Sure, higher bit rate songs contain all kinds of detail that is simply discarded in lower bit rate versions, but the Crossfades are not geared to squeeze every last bit of detail from a recording much like high end armature in-ear monitors can. So if your library is more on the lower end of the bit rate scale or even all over the place in song quality, you will appreciate how the Crossfades tend to even out the audible playing field.

But if your collection is full of huge, high bit rate sound files and you feel the need to differentiate every instrument in that favorite classical piece, then you will probably not appreciate what the Crossfades can do for lower quality recordings.

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

Tagged: Headphones

V-Moda Crossfade LP Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 6, 2011 at 1:30 pm.

Looking at the box containing the Aiaiai TMA-1 headphones, one would expect flashy, “Look-at-me” headphones to be packed inside. After all, they were developed by and for DJs, and DJs like to be noticed, right? What you may not know is that Aiaiai is a Danish company… Scandinavian. Lets face it, Scandinavians are design minimalists as in “form follows function.” The TMA-1s are about the simplest, least adorned headphones available today: Matte black with not an ounce of chrome, shine or pretense. Even the simple, embossed logo is almost invisible hidden on the underside of the headband.  At first glance, the TMA-1s are so plain as to be generic looking. Put them on and you begin to understand the concept. They almost remind me of Grado, with that company’s retro ethos. Aiaiai’s (don’t you just love that name) approach is much more modern and stark. Think IKEA on your head, and you get the picture. There is genius in the minimalism, because these are also some of the best looking headphones I have seen.

Because DJs work in dark, noisy, beer-laden environments, the headphones are built to take abuse. You can bend them, twist them and just about stomp on them and they snap back into place. The curly, old phone-style cord provides a lot of freedom without getting in the way. The phones can easily be pulled down around the neck as well as wearing one ear on, one ear off quite easily and still be comfortable.

The TMAs are fairly light in weight. They’re snug on the ears without pinching or pressing too hard. The headband has preset holes for sizing. This approach makes adjusting the headband easy as there is an audible click as each selection is set. By counting the holes, it’s easy to remember your exact size each time. Again, Scandinavian simplicity.

There is a choice of leather or foam pads on these closed-back, on-ear phones. The pads come with four small, bulbous knobs that pop into place making them easy to attach and remove. I much prefer the leather for a couple of reasons. The foam itches my skin and leaks sound. There is a distinct difference in aural quality between the two pad choices. Bass was much fuller and richer with the leather pads and the foam sounded anemic in comparison. However, in a little over a month, the leather is starting to look dry and worn. Let’s hope it’s just a look and not a precursor to cracking. Time will tell. Along with the choice of pads, included is a stereo plug converter and a soft, zippered pouch that is designed to keep the TMA-1s clean but not much else. Maybe Aiaiai figured that since the phones can take abuse better than most, a hard case wasn’t necessary.

I originally used the TMA-1s straight out of my iPod Classic, which worked well since the phones are efficient and amping is not absolutely necessary. The Classic also has a decent digital audio converter (DAC) built in. However, when the TMA-1 was plugged into my new iMac, they sounded awful. Distortion, noise and just a dirty quality to the audio was all over the music. I then connected a NuForce uDAC-2 in between the iMac and my phones; I will review this in the coming weeks. The difference is astounding. I can only give a fair review using the uDAC with the iMac. Whatever sound card Apple put into the iMac is worthless.

The first thing I noticed listening to the TMA-1s is the warmth. These are very forgiving headphones, meaning that they are not excessively accurate. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. On some recordings, you don’t want too much accuracy, because the recordings – not the performances – are themselves garbage. Much of my favorite music is from the 60s – 70s and some of that music is so poorly recorded or engineered, that I honestly think that back then, the music was treated as a disposal commodity. No one dreamed that anyone would care 35+ years later. Well, I care and I am always looking for that pair of headphones or earphones that do this musical era proud.

One clear example of great music and lousy recording is the first Mason Proffit album, “Wanted.” Every song on this almost forgotten country-rock masterpiece sounds like it was recorded underwater. The bass is boomy with little definition and the highs can be harsh and painful, even after tweaking the equalizer. The mids are just … never mind. Lets just say that the TMA-1s smooth the rough edges off the recordings. I can just sit and relive my younger years without cringing. The album is fun again.

This aural forgiveness only goes so far with more demanding music. “Long Distance Runaround” from the Yes album, “Fragile,” suffers from a little distortion on the high synth notes, but the bass is handled nicely, which rounds it all out. You have to watch the volume on this one. The same issues apply to the OMD album, “Dazzle Ships.” I ripped this remastered CD into one long sound file because all the songs blend (I did the same with “Dark Side of the Moon”) and it demands to be listened to as a whole. It is also one of my go-to albums for headphone testing. Here also, I encountered a bit of unpleasantness on the high end and again, it was balanced by full and rich mids and bass. For instance, the song “Telegraph” kicks … hard. The drums can be felt and the TMA-1s capture the bass synth notes without wimping out. I now see why these phones were designed by and for DJs.

Even though I never was and will never be a club DJ, I can appreciate why headphones like the Aiaiai TMA-1s exist. They are rugged, cool to the extreme – in a European, minimalist way – and quite fun to listen to. I wouldn’t call the TMA-1 a true audiophile headphone. This price range requires too many compromises for that. However, for the money, if there are tougher made phones out there with the sound quality these have, I haven’t seen them.

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

Tagged: Headphones

Aiaiai TMA-1 Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 22, 2011 at 12:30 pm.

The Arriva Leo Bluetooth headset might look familiar to you as we reviewed their Shuffle headphones a few years ago. They have bendable wire cables that allow you to completely customize the fit to your noggin. The Leo is a 2.1 + EDR Bluetooth headset that is rechargeable and a features a built in microphone and media controls for skip forward, back, volume up/down and pause. It’s currently available for pre-order and will be available in March for  $99.95.

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

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headphones, Spotlight Gadgets

Arriva Leo Bluetooth Headset offers bendable comfort originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 17, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

What keeps you entertained when you hit the gym?  I’m sure most of your answers would be a mp3 player or flirting with that gorgeous guy/girl next to you.  But let’s stick with audio for this review.  Wearing headphones when working out is very common these days.  But the main problem is that most headphones aren’t sweatproof or waterproof.  I’v had many headphones ruined because of heavy sweat that gets into the headphones causing a short.  That’s where H2O Audio Surge Waterproof/Sweatproof Sport Headphones come in.

The H2O Audio Surge Headphones were designed by athletes for athletes.  It solves the problem of having to replace sweat ruined headphones.  It’s designed to be 100% waterproof/sweatproof and submersible down to 12 feet underwater.  The cable length is a comfortable 3.9 feet.

These headphones comes with 5 different sized ear plugs to ensure a perfect fitting for any type of ears.

The audio jack is totally waterproof also.  I did find the jack a bit long and stiff but I think they designed it that way so that it will have less problems with bending and breaking from overuse.

My pool has already been winterized and closed for the season so I’ll be using a glass of H2O for the water test.  I submerged the Surge headphones for 30 minutes while playing music through it.  I could hear the music resonating through the glass jar.  After 30 minutes, the Surge headphones still work as advertised.

The Surge headphones were pretty comfortable to wear for an extended amount of time.

8mm dynamic drivers with a max power of 5mW drives the Surge headphones.  Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have enough bass to provide great sounding audio.  It’s probably caused by the fact that the audio drivers are sealed to be waterproof and sweatproof.

The H2O Audio Surge Waterproof/Sweatproof Sport Headphones cost $49.99 direct.

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

Tagged: Audio, Headphones, sweatproof, Waterproof

H2O Audio Surge Waterproof Sport Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 1, 2011 at 12:30 pm.

The guys over at Firebox are now selling the perfect winter gadget, that will help keep your ears warm whilst you listen to you favourite tune, or make a call.

They’re called the Midland SubZero Headphones. 

Aimed at the iPhone, iPod and Blackberry users, these rather cool looking wrap-around muffs are lined with warm faux fur, which help keep your ears nice and cosy during that icy cold walk to work!

Fully adjustable and worn around the back of the head (so you can still wear your beanie!) they also feature a rather nifty cable-mounted remote control & mic, which allows you to make calls, adjust the volume and skip to your favourite tracks.

These awesome cans are priced from £34.99 and are available in black, white, camouflage and black leather.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: Headphones, Spotlight Gadgets

Headphones that keep your ears warm! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 22, 2010 at 9:30 am.

It’s always fun to sample a “budget” product from a high-end company. Ultrasone is a famous maker of very good headphones and one unbelievably priced and sounding model, the Edition 8. It is considered one of the very best headphones available at any price. But I’m not testing that one (darn!). Instead, I have been listening to the lightweight and affordable Zino model, a very modern looking and extremely comfortable headphone that also include Ultrasone’s S-logic sound, which I’ll explain later.

Zino is the successor to the iCan, a an earlier, lesser version of a headphone with an awful name. I’m ambivalent about the Zino name, but not its looks, or sound. Ultrasone revised the design a bit and replaced it’s white earpieces with a metallic, gunmetal color that looks more expensive than it is. On the down side, there were a lot of smudges that will not rub off easily. I don’t know if it’s a production flaw or it’s supposed to look that way. It just looks blotchy to me. Also, one side of the sliding size adjustment on the headband gives a satisfying clicking sound as it is adjusted to size and the other side just glides smoothly. I can’t tell if something is broken or not. However, both sides hold well once adjusted. The headphones have what is called MU Metal Shielding for people concerned about possible magnetic radiation which can come from the magnets used in headphone speakers.

Something I really like about the Zino is the hard case it comes with. The case is zippered, softly lined with a form-fitting foam insert and metal ring for clipping on, whatever. If you break your headphones using this case, its your fault. This is one of the better cases I’ve used regardless of how expensive the headphones were. Good job.

Let’s talk S-logic. What is it? It’s a way of expanding the sound of the music. It makes you feel like you are listening to your songs in a larger area, not just in your head, as most headphones sound. That’s called soundstage and its hard to achieve with phones that are not open-backed.

While it’s an added benefit to have high-end technology – like S-logic -  trickle down to more affordable products, the overall improvement on the Zino is subtle. I would imagine S-logic is more pronounced on Ultrasone’s closed-back headphones, because the sound is aimed at the natural curvature of the ear itself which is what gives sound that 3D effect, as in real life. But the Zino rests on the ear, so you’re not going to get that “Oh, wow!” moment on first listening. But it is there and it does help expand the sound somewhat. I realized after listening to various recordings on the Zino that S-logic also works better on newer recordings. Fans of older material may want to check out other headphones in this price range with a more forgiving, warmer sound (Koss’ PortaPro headphones, for example).

Patrick O’Hearn’s “At First Light” from his first solo album, “Ancient Dreams” has always been one of my favorite instrumental pieces. Trivia: It’s one of the first all-digital recordings made. The sound is crystal clear and edgy. But it lacks that visceral punch on the Zino. The opposite is true on the new Devo song, “Human Rocket” from the “Something for Everybody” album. Here, the song kicks. It has power, presence and makes you want to move.

Icehouse lead singer Iva Davies’ solo version of the Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties” also benefits from S-logic. (Is there any musician who has not covered this song?) Davies’ modern mix has depth, and the melancholic mood comes through intact. The same holds true for Simple Minds’ cover version. But all of that is missing from Nico’s vocals on the original version. The Velvet Underground sound flat in comparison. Again, it’s that modern technology which S-logic seems to take advantage of.

Brian Eno’s “Bone Bomb” from “Another Day on Earth” has a throbbing, relentless bass line supporting an emotionless, harrowing female vocal describing her last moments before committing an act of terror. If the Zino couldn’t hold on to that bass, the song would have dissipated into nothingness. But because all holds together, the singers voice gets in your head and won’t let go. The song becomes unforgettable in a very disturbing way.

There’s not a clearer example of the differences in how the Zino handles older recordings vs. newer ones than two songs by one of my favorite groups, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. “Joan of Arc” from “Architecture and Morality” features a bass drum kick that should be felt, except that you can only hear it. So the emotional impact is lessened. However, the song, “New Babies : New Toys” from their new album, “History of Modern” can be felt and is much more engaging with its 80s musicality and Andy McCluskey’s snarling vocals. It’s this newer “in your face” mix that makes the Zino sound much better.

So it all boils down to what you prefer from your tunes. Classic rock just sounds better on other headphones. But the newer stuff – even when done by classic rock artists – is meant for the Ultrasone Zino.

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

Tagged: Headphones

Ultrasone Zino Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2010 at 9:57 am.

Urbanears is a company known for highly fashionable, yet affordable headphones and earphones geared for a younger, more tech-fashion crowd. One look at their products and you can tell these guys have a design esthetic that exhibits clean, almost austere lines. The Urbanears catalog photos are practically art pieces unto themselves. I think they’re beautiful. This design direction extends to the packaging as well. When you open the box, you feel like you are seeing something special. No wonder, because the design is by the Scandinavian company, Zound Industries (think Ikea … for your head).

But lets get back to reality. These are headphones and as much as I like the way they look, I can’t see them while I’m using them. But I can certainly hear them. And it’s the sound that matters more than anything.

I am impressed by the sound for this price range, which leans towards the bass and is somewhat engaging. But the comfort is another matter. After about an hour, they were making my ears sore. For my large head, the pressure becomes too much. They squeeze pretty tightly. I don’t know if time will help, but out of the box, they are too tight, and I can’t adjust for that. However, the headband is made of a nice woven cloth that feels light and unobtrusive. That part was comfortable. All the parts fit which give the Plattans a solid, well constructed feel. There is also an extra AUX hole included in the right earcap so a friend can plug in their headphone or earbuds to allow sharing. Pretty clever. The cord is also covered in cloth, another nice feature.

These are loud headphones. Compared to other headphones I own, the loudness knob can be set lower to achieve similar volume. Which means that if you want to rock out, you can. Also, there is very little bleeding of sound. So unless you enter the decibel danger zone, people around you won’t notice.

I let one of my co-workers use them for a while. She is much smaller and younger than me. She returned them a day later saying she thought they were comfortable enough, but because they were bright white, she worried that cosmetically, they would get dirty very quickly… literally. And because I hadn’t photographed them yet, she didn’t want her makeup to rub off on them. If that’s a concern to you, Urbanears makes the Plattan headphones in many, many colors. I just happened to receive the white ones. They do look terrific, but they are white, so if you like white, consider yourself warned.

If the Plattans are not exactly the most portable headphones out there, there are light enough for urban use. And a nice feature borrowed from more portable earphones is a mic for smartphone users. Although unusual in other headphones, with the Plattan’s included mic, you can take that call and not lose your place.

I have some albums that really accentuate bass, some too much, in my opinion. But when that bass is that prominent, the Plattans seem to be the most happy. “Waltz Across Texas” from Emmylou Harris’ “Wrecking Ball” really has a bottom end that throbs. For that matter, the whole album throbs. But while the Plattans are pushing all that bass into your brain, its at the expense of clarity. The highs become recessed and the mids sound muddy. I should probably point out that if you are in your late teens to late 20s, you may just love all this bass, even with the mentioned tradeoffs. So if you’re a bass head, go for it.

As a contrast, I wanted to see how the Plattens handled brighter recordings, so I chose Roxy Music’s “If There is Something” from their first album which contains some of the most ear splitting saxophone I’ve ever heard. Paul Thompson’s bass drum is right up front , but then Andy Mackay’s sax kicks in and throws the song into a direction not expected on first listen. However, with the Plattans, my ears didn’t hurt from Andy’s wailing sax when the volume was cranked up. I was disappointed at the lack of pain. Oh well.

The Plattans handle acoustic recordings pretty well as heard on Nick Drake’s “Black Eyed Dog.” Drake’s picking stays separated from his high pitched vocals nicely and the strings reverberate clearly without bleeding together into a mushy aural soup.

“Highway to Hell” from AC/DC is a song that demands high volume and the Plattans  allowed the fun in this song to come through. Bon Scott’s screaming set against Phil Rudd’s heavy drumming is a potent mix that loses none of its power here. Like I said, the more bottom end, the better with these headphones.

The Plattans have very little sense of space. For instance, on Traffic’s iconographic song, “The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” it’s hard to imagine yourself inside the studio. The very beginning of the song fades in but doesn’t sound off in the distance like it should. Instead it just sounds like someone is slowly turning up the volume. On better headphones, this fade-in would sound like the song is actually moving toward you as the volume increases.

Urbanears has made a good sounding, extremely good looking pair of headphones with the Plattan model. If your budget is more flexible, you may want to look elsewhere, but for 60 bucks, you can’t beat the build quality and that bass.

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

Tagged: Headphones

Urbanears Plattan Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 13, 2010 at 3:00 pm.

You see a lot of people going about their work or leisure activities wearing earbuds or headphones.  Listening to music constantly is great, except when it interferes with your ability to do your job or to drive, bicycle, or run or play sports safely.  Sometimes you have to be able to hear a coworker, the phone, or machine or traffic noises, and most earbuds and headphones successfully block out enough ambient noise that you’ll miss hearing the things that will keep you safe or employed.  Enter iHeadbones, an earbud alternative that is designed to let you hear music and still hear ambient noise.  So, how do they work?  And how well do they work?  Let’s give them a look.

Most headphones and earbuds transmit sound by sending sound waves into your ear canal to the eardrum.  This method has two major drawbacks.  The first is potential hearing loss.  You’ve all heard the evidence that having a sound source so close to your eardrums and listening for extended periods at high volumes can damage delicate parts of the inner ear and lead to hearing loss.  The other problem with this type of gear is that they can block ambient noise – so you don’t hear that ringing phone, barking dog, crying baby, or approaching traffic. 

iHeadbones use bone-conduction technology to transmit sound directly to the inner ear.  The amplifier converts sound into vibrations that pass through the bones of your head to the inner ear.  Bypassing the eardrum means less chance of hearing loss, and it means that people who already have hearing loss can wear their hearing aids and still listen to music with the iHeadbones.  Because you wear them against your head in front of or behind your ears, you’ll still be able to hear ambient sounds.

What’s in the package
Adjustable, lightweight, folding headset
iHeadbones speakers with adhesive foam backing
Patent-pending amplifier
Mini USB charging cable
3.5mm audio cable to connect amplifier to portable audio device
Cord clip
Velcro® strips to attach iHeadbones speakers to a helmet (optional)

The amplifier contains a lithium-ion rechargeable battery.  It has a power switch and an LED that glows green to indicate charging and goes off when charging is complete.  The LED is red when the unit is powered on.  Use the mini USB cable and a port on your computer to charge the amplifier.  You can also buy an optional wall adapter for $10 from iHeadbones online.  I made sure the amplifier was fully charged before I tried using the iHeadbones.

I used the adhesive foam pads on the back of the iHeadbones speakers to attach them to the adjustable headset; there were no markings on the speakers to indicate right and left channels.  I then plugged the iHeadbones into my computer audio jack and started up iTunes. 

You can see the thick, short audio cable hanging out of the pouch holding my iPod and the amplifier.

Just a note about the audio cable:  This cable is short (15 inches), so you’ll need to take that into consideration when you are planning to wear the iHeadbones and amplifier and an audio player.  The audio cable is thick, and I was unable to plug it into the headphone jack on my iPod touch while it was wearing a Nest case.

Instructions say to place the speakers on your head in front of your ears to start.  The picture on the packaging shows the speakers oriented perpendicular to the floor, so they looked like sideburns.  If the fit isn’t comfortable or the sound isn’t optimal, you can try moving the placement to find a more comfortable fit and pleasing sound.  I found the adjustable headset was a bit loose for my head.  I had my daughter and husband both try them.  Rachel also found them loose, but they fit my husband’s head better.  For both Rachel and me, they were so loose that they tended to slip around on our heads.  All three of us also wear glasses.  Although we all have titanium frames with the very thin earpieces, the speakers sat on the earpieces and interfered with how the glasses sat on our heads unless we turned the speakers parallel to the floor.  I did not find the headset very comfortable, but I proceeded to try them out.

I listened to a variety of music with the iHeadbones.  Specs say the frequency response for the speakers is 20-12,000Hz, so I expected a clipped high-end and good bass response.  I thought the perfect song to start with was Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) – Chris Squire’s bass guitar tour de force on Yes’ Fragile album.  I was very disappointed in the sound with the iHeadbones.  The volume is very low, even when I pegged the output volume level.  It was difficult to hear any detail of the music, even the bass.  Let’s just say the fillings in my teeth weren’t rattled by the bass vibrations.  I tried other music with the same results.  The volume was always very low – too low to really be enjoyable.  Maybe that’s just me, though.  When I listen to music, I always listen – it’s never background sounds for me.  I did find that the middle tones were more evident than the bass or high end.  The volume is so low that I couldn’t even hear the reverberations that ricochet from right to left in I Only Have Eyes by Art Garfunkel – my go-to song to test stereo separation.

I had absolutely no problem hearing ambient noises.  I’m typing now while listening to music with the iHeadbones, and I can hear the key clicks and cars passing on the street outside.  I tried turning on the TV with the sound at a moderate level, and the music from the iHeadbones was almost completely drowned out.

Just to make sure that it wasn’t the output from my computer causing the problem, I also tried the iHeadbones with my iPod touch.   (They will work with any device that outputs audio through a 3.5mm jack.)  I listened to many of the same songs, and I got the same results.  The volume was so low I couldn’t hear the music very well at all, and the sound was very distorted when I raised the volume to close to maximum output.

iHeadbones speakers circled in red.

You don’t have to use the headset with the speakers; you can use the included Velcro tabs to attach them to a helmet.  The instructions said you could attach the speakers to the helmet or to its straps.  Just like with the headset, you could place the speakers in front or behind your ears.  Because of the way Rachel’s bike helmet is made, the speakers had to be attached behind the ears.  There’s a third set of Velcro tabs to attach the amplifier to the back of the helmet.  Because the audio cable supplied with the iHeadbones is short, you may have difficulty connecting the amplifier to the portable audio player, unless you wear it very high on your arm or neck.

Placing them in the helmet stopped them pressing on the glasses earpieces, and it made the helmet fit a bit tighter.  The iHeadbones instructions said the placement in a helmet could result in a tighter fit, and that extra pressure against the head could improve the sound from the speakers.  I am disappointed to say that the iHeadbones didn’t sound any better in the helmet than they did with the headset.  However, they did stay in place and didn’t slide around on my head like they did with the headset.

Based on my experiences, I can’t recommend the iHeadbones.  I was very interested in these for my daughter.  Because they don’t channel the sound against her eardrum, I was hopeful they’d protect her hearing.  I know Rachel, though, and she wouldn’t use the iHeadbones because she is disappointed in the sound, too.  At $99.95, the performance is inadequate to justify the expense, in my opinion.

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

Tagged: Bone-conducting sound technology, Headphones

iHeadbones Earbud Alternative Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 12, 2010 at 10:30 am.

Koss recently released a new set of headphones, the KEB40′s, into the affordable segment of the market. These small, metal, capsule-shaped headphones promise high-fidelity sound and long-lasting quality, but retail for under $30. How do they shape up? Read on for more…

Koss’s new KEB40′s arrived arrived a couple days ago, and I’ve been testing ever since. The retail package is relatively small, just the KEB40 headphones with the extra ear gaskets in a plastic pouch. The design of the headphones is pretty neat: an aluminum capsule containing the 9mm microdriver with ear-gasket at one end and a cable coming straight out the other end. That threw me off a bit because the headphones don’t have an up or down – they just stick straight into your ears.

This might not appear to be a big deal, but after using them for a week and switching back to a pair with the cable coming out of the ‘bottom’ made Koss’s design really stand out. This approach also means it’s easier to get a good seal in your ears, which I took for granted before going back to my usual pair of headphones for comparison. I don’t know if other headphones were designed like this before, but it really makes putting these in much easier.

I’ve been listening to these on and off for about a week now, and I think they sound great! These Koss headphones are dramatically better than any set of stock headphones I’ve heard, and I’d even compare them to a much more expense set of headphones way out of their price-range. They have a nice, rich, deep bass which I like. I was also impressed with how well the KEB40′s isolated outside noise too. I asked a couple friends to try these out, and everyone came away impressed. Overall, I liked the fact these headphones provided nice deep bass without audible distortion to the high end. Overall, I’d say they’re bass-biased but otherwise balanced.

Another nice feature, something I wish was standard on all headphones, is a cord slider. By pulling this all the way down before putting the headphones away, I was better able to prevent the buds from spinning and tangling. And one other nice feature of these headphones is Koss’s no questions asked lifetime limited warranty. Overall, if you’re looking for a set of headphones for around $30, these are a perfect set to buy.

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

Tagged: Headphones, Koss

Koss KEB40 Insider Headphones Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 9, 2010 at 1:30 pm.