Focal (pronounced foe-kal) may not be a name consumers are familiar with, but they should be. Focal is a French maker of high-end (expensive) speakers. Their award-winning design and sound are famous among the upper-crust audiophile crowd. The Focal Grande Utopia EM speakers look like nothing else and their $180,000 per pair price looks like […]
Focal Spirit Classic and Professional headphones review Read More
The Beats Station from iSkelter is a display stand to hold your headphones safely off your desk until you need them. It also has a slot to hold your iPhone or iPod. The stand is handmade in the USA of bamboo, so it’s eco-friendly. It will begin shipping on June 30, and iSkelter is taking
A stand for your headphones and phone Read More
Whenever I try to explain what a digital audio converter (DAC) does and why it’s a cool thing to have, I almost always get that “deer in headlights” look. Then – if they’re still listening – I tell them the cost of this cool DAC. That’s when the look changes to “are you nuts?” Sheesh,
Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS USB DAC/Headphone Amp review Read More
We’ve all been there, we stick our earbuds in our ears, turn on our favorite music, start enjoying the tunes and then an earbud falls out of your ear just when the song was at the best part. Headphones falling out of ears at the worst moment isn’t a new problem, but a new solution to that problem is the
Let geeRaf tame your headphone cables Read More
The release of the Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphones was a shot across the bow to other headphone makers that the high-end audio industry had woken up and taken notice of a coming trend in personal listening. That trend has now become a wave as other high-end speaker makers have followed B&W’s lead. We are
Bowers & Wilkins P7 headphone review Read More
If you are an old timer like myself (allegedly born, not hatched in the 60’s) then you probably remember early personal headphones. You know the ones, that were called “cans”, I guess because the looked like two cans on your ears. The ones with the coiled cords and the big plugs that went into your phonograph
SuperTooth Freedom Wireless Bluetooth Headset review Read More
If you’re in the market for some rugged yet quality earbuds, Woot! has the deal for you. You can get a pair of Klipsch Image S4i Rugged In-Ear Headphones in blue, yellow, orange, or red for $34.99 (MSRP $99.99) until April 28 at 9am CT. The S4i earbuds have a all-weather ruggedized design with rubber moldings that
Klipsch Image S4i Rugged In-Ear Headphones at a 65% discount for a limited time Read More
I have reviewed every V-MODA headphone beginning with the original Crossfade LP and each one has been a significant improvement over the previous version. The new V-MODA XS will replace the now-discontinued on-ear Crossfade M-80. The XS betters the M-80 with improved sound, military-spec (MIL-STD-810G) build quality and V–MODA’s famous, patented CliqFold Hinge. The XS
V-Moda becomes even more fashion conscience headphone with the XS headphone Read More
We are constantly seeing the evolution of the headphone! We have gone from big to small, from wired to wireless, and from over the ear to in the ear. Now Bragi wants to bring you the next evolution of head phone with The Dash, wireless smart in-ear headphones as an active Kickstarter project. The Dash
You’ll be a smash wearing The Dash wireless smart in-ear headphones Read More
This winter has been the pits. It’s cold and snowy, and I’m ready for it to be over. There’s still several weeks to suffer through before spring, and Hammacher Schlemmer has some Bluetooth earbuds that will keep your ears warm while we’re waiting. The Wireless Headphone Ear Warmers have integrated speakers and a microphone so
Listen to music without getting frost-bitten ears Read More
A couple of years ago, Focal – known for high-end speakers – came out with their first headphone, the Spirit One and it became an instant hit with the headphone crowd. While the Spirit One wasn’t cheap, it was portable, well made and sounded great. Focal has upped the ante with two new not-so portable
A Classic and Professional direction from Focal Read More
If you’re a fan of those mega-popular headphones that are endorsed by mega-stars, understand that you are adding mega-bucks to their mega-bank accounts. They aren’t lending their names to promote a headphone for free and the headphone company certainly isn’t paying for it; you are. It’s hidden in the cost. Okay then, what if you
Champagne headphones on a beer budget Read More
Recently, I had fun reviewing two very different headphones made primarily of wood: the premium Meze 73 Classics and the budget Griffin WoodTones. Each had their pros and cons, and it was hard to tell if the wood — as cool as it is — had any real effect on the sound. As I said
LSTN The Troubadours headphone review Read More
It seems that many (not all) headphones fall into two categories; those that look fashionable and sound not so great and those that sound great, but you’d wouldn’t want to be seen in public wearing them. Then there is Phiaton. Their headphones and earphones are pure eye candy. Nothing looks like them, and while some
Phiaton Bridge MS 500 headphones review Read More
Some of our readers may be too young to remember those beanie hats with propellers, but you may all be interested in a beanie with something more useful than a plastic propeller. The Tooks Headphone Beanies have built-in 20-20,000 Hz headphones inside that can be removed when the hat needs cleaning. The above image shows
This beanie replaces the propeller with a set of headphones Read More
When Julie asked me to choose five headphones/earphones that would make great gift ideas, I knew this could get interesting. 2013 has been a great year for portable listening, and the holiday choices are better than ever. There are many choices to fit any budget, so there is no excuse this year for putting up
Gift ideas – 6 headphones and earphones for music lovers Read More
As our society becomes more and more mobile – and wireless – headphone makers are stepping up and providing consumers with choices. Some of those choices are a new breed of Bluetooth headphones that provide a freedom that could only be imagined just a few years ago. Velodyne – famous for subwoofers – now offers
Velodyne vFree On-Ear Bluetooth Headphones review Read More
We’ve told you about HoodieBuddie jackets in the past (see related links at the end of this article). They are zip-up hoodies in adult and kids sizes with headphones built in to the drawstrings, and best of all, they are washable without removing the headphones first. Their newest hoodie, the hb Standard Issue with hb
You can now make calls with your HoodieBuddie jacket Read More
The Griffin Technology’s WoodTones headphones remind me of our local weatherman. How’s that for a comparison? Seriously, I have been reviewing many headphones in many price ranges, with the sweet spot at about $100-150. Expensive enough to sound good, yet not so expensive that you have to mortgage the house. And therein lies the problem. So
Griffin Technology WoodTones headphone review Read More
Over the past few months, I’ve been using and testing the Meze 73 Classics headphones. Meze is a relatively new company, and they have a niche that a few – but not many – headphone makers have: their headphones are made out of wood. While that’s becoming more common, Meze strictly uses ebony wood, which
Meze 73 Classics headphone review Read More