Headphones are the bane of our modern living style. We want to hear things that we have chosen – TV shows, music, podcasts, etc. – but we want to isolate those around us from what we’re hearing. This is a two-fold problem: getting enough volume through the headphone, but not bleeding out into the rest of the environment. The folks at iFrogz have a Comfort Series in their Earpollution line, which offer a seemingly nice balance between size, separation, and style. I was sent the red CS40s and have run them through the mill. Here’s what I found.
Hardware Specs
Driver Unit: 40mm
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 120dB+/-3dB
Frequency Response: 30Hz to 20 KHz
Cord Length: 1.2M
Plug: 3.5 mm
Price: $39.99
At first glance, they look like many others out there: spongey ear cups and a standard mini-stereo plug with a 3-foot cable. But on closer inspection, there are some really nice additions. First, the breathable fabric (not plastic) over the spongy ear cups is solid, rather than open to the speakers. This means that hair, dander, and dust don’t get into the speakers – and your ears never touch your speakers. They are also quite soft, yet seem to hold their shape well. The brackets holding the speaker cups are hinged, so that you can fold them into quite a compact and protected bundle for travel. They’re not pocketable but any means, but they don’t take up near the room most headphones in this price range do.
I use headphones much of the time at my computer, either because there are folks sleeping, or someone else is listening to something else in a nearby room. The iFrogz (Am I the only one tired of everything starting with a lower-case “i”?) were worn almost daily, for several hours at a stretch. In addition to general computer work, I watched movies, played games, and listened to podcasts, all in the name of Gadgeteer testing. (Yes, it’s a grueling life we testers lead!) The sound quality was exceptional, never distorted. I rarely thought about wearing headphones – which is a good thing. They sat on my ears bringing a good quality sound without feeling heavy or hot or pinching. Several times, I started to stand up and walk out without removing them – I’d forgotten they were on!
The attachment point from the cord to the headphones is on the back of the ear cups. It is a solid connection, and being on the back moves it away from the immediate area under your chin where so many other headsets gather. If you have longer hair, this may be a problem, but I see it as a good thing.
The foam inside the fabric seems just too soft at times. I worry that it will loose shape and cushioning effect in time. As it stands, however, it is the most comfortable insulator I’ve worn short of the liquid-filled Koss Pros one of my college roommates had.
I give these five stars – excellent, comfortable headphones, at a perfectly reasonably price.
Product Information
| Price: | $39.99 |
| Manufacturer: | iFrogz |
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They look nice and even comfy but I always wonder how long you can wear on-ear headphones before they hurt your ears? I prefer over the ear models which also do a better job of isolating the sound from other nearby people.
how about a review of some turtle beach headset. i would like to see a review on those. Thanks for the great review Smythe.
Greg
@TC – These were quite comfortable for hours on end. I wear glasses, so even with that added problem, they did not hurt my ears. The foam is that soft!
@Gregory – thanks – glad you liked it!
I’ve had three of these pairs of headphones in a week and a half. They just keep breaking.. 🙁 Has anybody else had this issue?
@Nicole Yeah i know what yo umean i love the headphones they are great but the cord is so long it catches easy on things and when they get yanked out the inside of the cord breaks easy and then you lose sound… the headphones itself is quality normally most headphones even if they get yanked out a lil they are durable and the inside cord remains fine and i know if you yank them out to hard for any headphone they will break but these ones are pretty fragile other than the squeaky factor from the plastic and the cord fragileness these are excelent headphones
@Monica – Mine are still going strong, in daily use.
@Kevin I’ve not had any issues with the cable. I’m still using them for my main desk ‘phones. I think any cord could pull apart if you pull it hard enough, but that’s not the fault of the makers. If you’re trying to walk around, you may need some cordless ones. 😉
@kevin I’ve had the same problem with both sets of these earphones. My first pair lasted me a good 6 months so I put it down to wear and tear, but my second I’ve had for 2 weeks and the cables gone. Really good if you aren’t intending to walk around with them on
I’m using these headphones to listen to iTunes on my iPod. The bass is what I especially was impressed at. My ears feel nice on the cushions covering the speakers.
Also, thank goodness iFrogs (lowercase i on everything) changed the packaging. The CS40s I bought were in a small slide-out box.
I’ve had a pair (the same pair) for almost a year now and have put them through all kinds of abuse yanked them off, dropped them, stepped on them, and even dropped them in water but throughout all that they work perfectly, I’m listening to them right now and they’re amazing. By the way, the padding does not lose any comfort over time and I prefer these over beats because they sound the same and are more comfortable.