Category: Headphones / Earphones
Sennheiser ready the MM 100 Stereo Bluetooth Music & Phone Headset
Using Bluetooth V2.0 EDR, the headset can connect up to a MP3 player and a mobile phone, allowing quick switching between both devices.
Griffin to save kids from going deaf with MyPhones
Since the invention of the Walkman and its offspring the iPod, several generations of teenagers have blasted their ears with music that is way too loud for them and are subsequently well on the road to going deaf. So anyone who invents a hearing aid that doesn't look like a Bluetooth headset for the terminally unfashionable is sure to hit pay dirt.
Sennheiser's HD 380 pro headphones
Everyone knows that German firm Sennheiser makes great headphones – that look and sound great too. I swear by my pair of PX100s for listening to my iPod. This pair though look much more serious and come at a much more serious price too (a cool £140). A foldable pair they are intended as professional monitoring headphones for audio professionals such as sound engineers and musicians. Sennheiser claims they offer high sound pressure level and extended frequency response. They are provided with zipped carrying case.
Sennheiser's PC 300 G4ME do gaming and audio
Their in-ear design isolates annoying background noise meaning that the owner can concentrate on zapping extra-terrestrials or listening to tunes without distractions.
Radiopaq launches Custom Tuned Earphones for the iPhone
an you optimise earphones to suit a certain type of music? Internet radio company Radiopaq thinks you can.
Mike Skinner's Glasto headphones – the Sony MDR-XB700s
If you went to Glastonbury last weekend, or even if you just soaked it up on TV with the Beeb, you may have been aware that Mike Skinner of The Streets made a crop-circle impression of his face on a field near the festival site.
In the image he is sporting a pair of headphones. The same headphone he wore whilst he was performing. The same pair of headphones he described had become “part of my soul” on Twitter.
So what headphones were they? Well, they were none other than the Sony MDR-XB700.
The XB700s have a powerful, ultra-low bass response and a driver unit that reproduces low frequencies accurately. The XB stands for ‘eXtra-Bass’ and these headphones are aimed at the bass-heavy music fan. That’s a lot of ‘bass’ in one paragraph but I think you get the picture.
Their manufactured from synthetic leather and the king-sized ear cushions reduce sound loss. The urethane cushion spreads pressure evenly, providing comfortable wear over extended listening periods. The XB700s have a frequency response of 3-28.000Hz and the driver unit is a 50mm dome type.
Keep checking back on TD and we’ll give these headphones the once over in the not too distant future.
Sony Centres will sell you the XB700s for £100 although you can get them a bit cheaper if you search around. £77.49 on Amazon for example.
Headfunk launches some badass earphones
Do you know your airfeets from your missile tips? Your verts from your nuts? Were you born after 1992? If you can answer yes to these questions then the Headfunk HFE243 Freakin’ Buds could be the earphones for you.
There’s definitely an emphasis on the skate culture for these earphones. Apart from the Freakin’ name, they come in a box that states that they are “Badass Earbuds”. Gnarly.
The lanyard style of the earphones is ideal for hanging a small MP3 player, such as the Sony Zappin, around the user’s neck. There are four colours available – phat black, red mist, orange tang and limey green – sounds like the line-up of an American boy-band doesn’t it?
Performance wise they should be pretty decent: High-performance 9mm micro-drivers, ultra-powerful neodymium magnets and Soft Silicone eartips for a comfortable fit.
They’re only £29.99 from here. Get some for a younger brother or a nephew as a present. I’m sure they’ll think they’re pretty sick.
Denon introduces AH-C710 high-end earphones
The AH-C710’s feature a new ergonomic design, complete with soft foam earpieces which mould to the shape of the user’s ear, and a radial cascade damper which reduces the vibration noises that can occur when moving around – which people tend to do whilst wearing earphones. They also contain an acoustic optimiser that promises a clear and dynamic sound.
The earphones come in the swanky silver and crystal design, as pictured, or in simple black. They come packed with three different sized in-ear buds, an 80cm extension lead and a special case to stop you getting your cable tangled up.
For £140, they are a bit pricier than any of the earphones we featured in our headphones week but we’ve been impressed with Denon’s audio offerings in the past.
Buy them direct from Denon.
Logitech releases Ultimate Ears 4 Pro headphones
We’ve looked at some of Logitech’s impressive Ultimate Ear range a few times before on TechDigest and we’ve liked what we’ve seen.
If Logitech’s previous is anything to go by, the Ultimate Ears 4 Pro custom monitors should appeal to any aspiring rock stars or even some less aspiring audiophiles.
Let’s start with the price, which should give you some impression of what we’re dealing with here. £429.99, plus an extra £45 for an optional ambient noise feature.
So what do you get for nearly £500?
For starters, these aren’t your usual monitors. Each one is personally shaped to exactly fit the user’s ear. However, this requires an additional cost of visiting a qualified audiologist to create your ear impressions.
They come with “dual-armature, a patented dual-bore design with passive crossover which delivers reference-quality, evenly balanced frequency response for more detail, accuracy and versatility”. If you know what this means, you really should own these headphones.
The product is essentially aimed at performers. Logitech claim that 75% of the world’s top touring artists use Ultimate Ear products. They go onto state Leona Lewis is one of these artists, thus devaluing their statement somewhat. However, the fact remains that Ultimate Ear are the choice for the pros.
They also claim that the Ultimate Ears 4 Pro custom monitors will “fit better than even your favourite pair of jeans”. For nearly £500 I should hope so. My favourite jeans haven’t fitted me in months.
Grab yourself a pair direct from Ultimate Ears or via hand held audio.
HEADPHONES WEEK: Atomic Floyd – TwistJax AcousticSteel
The Short Version
Name – Atomic Floyd: TwistJax AcousticSteel
Type – In-ear headphones
How much – £129.99
How much should they cost – £140 (£100 for the audio £40 for the design)
Should you buy them – Dance music musts both in style and performace
The Long Version
Sound Quality
Feeling like a bit of a pro on Day 5 of Headphones week, I’m sitting here listening to the TwistJax AcousticSteels looking for a weak spot in the audio. There isn’t one. I thought the midrange was dodgy at first but that was just Dire Straits.
But I wouldn’t say they were balanced either. They don’t deliver an all round performance and I don’t think they’re trying to. They’re having fun with you, and they’re game is bass.
From the look of the things down to how they sound, it’s like you’re outside the Ministry of Sound circa 1993 listening to some heavy house beats through the open window of a blacked out XR2 with a UV light underneath. Your ears even slightly vibrate as your whole body did back then along with any glass for 50 metres around. I think they’ve done it on purpose too.
The buds don’t mould to your ears like the Shure SE115s and there’s no real attempt to isolate or cancel ambient sounds. The TwistJax go for beating it with raw power instead. The sound stays true even at high volumes and, with one driver positioned deep in your drum and the the other just inside your pinna, it grabs anything else by the throat and throws it to the curb like a black bomber jacketed bouncer.
Normal pop and classical still sound good but the bass is where it’s at and breaking out my hip-hop and drum & bass just added to the fun of the Atomic Floyd experience.
Build Quality
They actually look like record decks. Technics. I’m sure they’ve been designed that way. The steel hatching on the stems of the buds are reminiscent of DJ cables plugged into mixers and they’re actually heavy to hold. They won’t tire your ears or anything but you’re not going to forget you’ve got them in. They don’t want you to.
I’m not overly impressed by the cabling. They’ve gone for that material insulation rather than rubber. I don’t know what it is. Nylon or something? It may look good but it does have a tendancy to curl up a bit and generally have a mind of its own. You have to forgive it though. They just wouldn’t look as good otherwise. Perhaps they could be a little thicker. Not sure how long they’re going to last.
Buds
The buds themselves are beautifully crafted and, although the metal is a little cold when you put it in your ears, they’re hot by the time you take them out, and there’s something satisfying about that. It’s like you’ve nearly melted them because you rock so much.
Probably the only part of the TwistJax that I’m not too sure about is the whole twisting part that gives them their name. Basically, the arm and the saucer end of the bud swivel independently of one another. The idea is that because of that, they’ll fit any ear shape. Not convinced. Gimmick is the word that springs to mind.
Packaging
From the off, it feels like you’ve got something really special. They arrive like a large silver packet of crisps with ATOMIC FLOYD emblazoned on the front, or more flattering I could describe then as the kind of pouches astronauts rip open on the space shuttle when they want one of their dried food suppliements, but I think I’m more excited by the idea of a large packet of silver crisps personally, so that’s what I’ll stick with.
The box itself is fairly smart and comes with some slightly comedy looking aeroplane emergency card type instructions on the back. Once inside, it’s all pretty standard. Two spare sets of buds, tough leather carry pouch, adaptor and gold phono jack included. You’ll probably throw most of it away and I wouldn’t worry about that. The experience is opening it in the first place. Then let the music take over.
Conclusion
Theses things aren’t for everyone. They’re showy and you’re spending a lot of your £129.99 on looks. But I happen to like those looks and I like the sound too. If you used to have a car with a UV light and blacked out glass and now seem to drive a Montego with screaming kids, I’d say it was time invest.
