Headphones

News & Features November 9, 2011

Andrea’s SuperBeam Phones On-Ear Headphones Go “Boom-less”

I’ve used a number of Andrea headphones for voice recognition in the past, and I’ve always been impressed. The company’s SuperBeam Phones are a departure from previous models, and I’m really loving the design choices that went into creating them. They are sleek on-ear headphones that drop the microphone boom, but still offer great voice quality. Here’s what the company has to say about them: SuperBeam headsets deliver Hi-Definition sound. Our unique integrated array microphone system is designed for use with Andrea’s patented beam forming and digital noise reduction audio software, providing “The Freedom of Voice”. SuperBeam also provides a new…

Game Diary, Reviews September 28, 2011

Gaming Headset Review: Sharkoon X-Tatic SR Surround Sound Headphones

It is hard to believe, but not everyone wants to listen as you pump sound from video games through your home theater system. That is why there are gaming headsets to begin with – they provide a microphone, but can also provide very sensitive audio … or blast your face off with mega-sound! I use basic Apple or Sony earbuds most of the time, which are adequate but don’t begin to emulate the home theater experience – which is why there are ‘portable sound-systems like the Sharkoon X-Tatic SR. Let’s take a look! The Hype: Sharkoon headsets are sophisticated in…

Reviews September 23, 2011

Headphone Accessory Review: Sinch Let’s You and Your Phone Go Tangle Free

Cords and cables… they seem to be everywhere. and most of the time they are a tangled mess. Sure you can use a Bluetooth headset but they need to be recharged and Bluetooth is less than reliable at times. (I’m being nice.) The Sinch seeks to end the mess of tangle headphone wires that plague modern society. Using a unique design that includes two strong magnets it creates a “pocket” that can hold your earbud cord when wrapped around a device or when used in isolation. Let’s take a look at this rather unusual new accessory. From…

Reviews September 21, 2011

Review: iFrogz Legion Earbuds and iFrogz Split

Sometimes all you need is a set of headphones. No microphone integrated and no bells and whistles except great looks. The Legion ear buds from iFrogz fit the bill really nicely. By the way, the name Legion comes from the X-men character. Will the earbuds fit the name? Let’s find out. When I first saw these, the look of them reminded me of a turbine or something you might find on the death star. I loved the look of these buds with the chrome and light blue coloring being eye-catching without being in your face. They are also available in…

News & Features, Reviews September 20, 2011

Review: iFrogz Vertex Headphones with Mic

The folks at iFrogz were kind enough to send me a set of their brand new Vertex line of headphones to check out. Will they sounds as good as they look? Follow along for a detailed look at all the features of the Vertex Headphones. It used to be that if you wanted a wired set of headphones with a mic, you were stuck using in ear or ear bud designs. Several manufactures have started adding a microphone to headphones that are not ear buds now that it’s far more common to use your phone as a music device. The…

News & Features September 19, 2011

Review: iFrogz Timbrepro Headphones with Mic

I have always loved iFrogz unique headphone designs. They are always eye-catching and usually sound pretty good to boot. They aren’t top of the line, but they are far from the worst I have ever tried. That’s why I jumped at the chance to get a set of the new iFrogz Timbrepro Headphones sent to me for a review. The general design of these is very much like some of the other headphones iFrogz has in their line that include the inline microphone for iPhone, Android and any phone that accepts a 3.5 mm jack. Where they differ are in two different design points….

Reviews September 6, 2011

Sennheiser MM450 Bluetooth Headphones Review

As I have been reviewing more and more audio equipment one thing has become clear to me: you get what you pay for in the sound department. True, every now and then a lower-end audio product may surprise you but, as a general rule, the more you pay the more features and audio-quality you are going to find. Sure, this holds true in most areas, but I tend to find it is more apparent in the audio department than in other places. That noted, I never imagine I would lust after a pair of headphones that cost just south of…

Reviews August 26, 2011

Audio PlayerReview: The JLab Wave Waterproof mp3 Player

A few weeks ago we took a look at the Monster Cable iSport waterproof headphones. They are pricey but sound great and are, in fact, truly waterproof. They are machine washable!! If you don’t need the same level of audio quality but still want waterproof headphones JLab’s Wave headset is worth a look. While the Wave is not machine washable it IS waterproof and has the huge advantage of not requiring a separate mp3 player. You see, the Wave IS the mp3 player. It MAY look like a pair of in-ear headphones connected by a ridged neck wire but the…

Reviews August 23, 2011

Earbud Accessory Review: Acoustibuds and Acoustigrips

(Editorial note: Try as I might to get useful images of these products for some reason it just wasn’t happening. Therefore you will see mostly stock images in this review but they ARE representative of the actual products.) We’ve been looking at a lot of different earbud and headphone offerings lately. A number of them, like the YurBuds, the Monster Cable iSports, SkullCandy FIX earphones and the AblePlanet SI350 headphones are targeted toward use during active sports and exercise. We learned of two offerings from Burton Technology, Acoustibuds and Acoustigrips, that, while not audio products in and of themselves, seek to…

Reviews August 12, 2011

Able Planet SI350 Sport Earphones Review

Headphones… We’ve check out a bunch. Some have impressed us. Some… Not so much. So when a new pair of headphones come on the market we want to check them out. And when they come from a company we know we are even more interest. That’s the case here with the new offerings from Able Planet. Judie introduced Able Planet to Gear Diary readers in this post way back in 2008. Mike looked at pair of their gaming headphones in this post. And Judie checked out a pair of their headphones with active noise cancellation here. I met with the…

News & Features August 12, 2011

iFrogz Introduces Some New Headphones and Accessories

I work at a college and one of the things you see in almost every set of ears on campus is a set of headphones. Our bookstore sells them all the time when students destroy their favorite pair of buds which is why they carry many different brands of headphones including some from iFrogz as well. Today iFrogz has brought out a new line of headphones in the new iFrogz Audio brand. They will also be bringing two more sets of headphones in the Ear Pollution line of headphones. The first set is a set of on ear headphones called…

Reviews August 5, 2011

Review: BlueAnt EMBRACE Wired On-Ear Headphones

photos by Kevin In recent years we have seen a proliferation of on-ear and over-the-ear headphones priced in the $200-$300 range. There are, of course, the Beats by Dr Dre. They are joined by the likes of the Denon AH-D 1100 headphones (reviewed here), the Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones (reviewed here), the V-Moda Crossfades (reviewed here) and many more. Is there room for yet another pair of headphones in the mix, let alone from a company that is known for its Bluetooth devices rather than wired-audio? That’s the question faced by BlueAnt with the release of…

Reviews August 1, 2011

Skullcandy FIX Earbuds Review

We’ve looked at a number of in-ear earbuds over the past months. There were the Yurbuds that won over Elana’s heart. (Okay they didn’t win her heart but they are the first earbuds she actually likes wearing!) Then there were the earbuds that took a shower with me. Yup, these new Monster Sport headphones sound great and are machine washable too!) Today we’ll take a look at Skullcandy’s new FIX in-ear earbuds. Like the Yurbuds the FIX earbuds are designed for people who are on-the-go and active. As the company explains, “Until now, some ear buds and in-ear speakers have…

Gear Bits July 29, 2011

BlueAnt Embrace Stereo Headphones First Look

We first saw BlueAnt’s upcoming stereo headphones back at CES. (Our CES roundup of BlueAnt’s products can be found here.) Here’s what the company has to say about them- Music The Way It Was Meant To Be Heard True-To-Life Sound: Due to the flat frequency response of our highly optimised drivers, the BlueAnt EMBRACE enhances your mobile entertainment experience by offering the absolute best sound that is not artificially manipulated. The headphones provide a listening experience that is true-to-life and enables users to adjust EQ settings to match their personal preferences. Absolute Best Sound: The EMBRACE offers the absolute best…

Reviews July 12, 2011

Office Gear Review: Sennheiser OfficeRunner Headset

I spend a lot of time on the phone and have long thought about getting a good headset to use. I was close to buying the OfficeRunner some time back but did not. Why? In part because I read a fairly scathing review of it.The “review” that turned me off to a great extent and prompted me to not purchase the headset talked about the fact that this headset doesn’t work with cordless phones and that the volume that was so low that the person on the other end couldn’t hear the conversation. Both criticisms were, as I discovered, unfair. (I…

Reviews June 29, 2011

Review: Monster Turbine Pearl High Performance In-Ear Speakers

Whether watching a movie, playing games or listening to music, many of us spend a lot of time with some sort of headphones in our ears. A while back I believed that the ubiquitous original iPod offerings were good enough. Later, I realized they were awful and bought some in ears buds. At the time, however, I still bought budget products. I didn’t think I needed more. I mean, I just needed them for music while I run or mow or ride on a bus, how can spending more on headphones make it that much better. I gradually worked up…

Reviews June 26, 2011

Monster iSport High Performance Waterproof Headphones Review

The other day I was given the opportunity to review a headphone/MP3 player combination that are intended for use in damp and rugged conditions. For under $100 they certainly get the job done but, as I concluded, they didn’t sound particularly great and they certainly felt rather cheap. At the same time I was looking at that MP3 player I started checking out a new pair of headphones that are coming from Monster Headphones next month. The iSport headphones are advertised as “the athletes headphone” and they have the tagline “Tough. Waterproof. Stays fit.” They are unlike any pair of…

Reviews June 17, 2011

Marshall Headphones: The Major

UPDATED: Since the introduction of the lower case “i” at the beginning of a device name it seems the sound reproduction world has been solely delivering tiny little chunks of plastic and other material to shove into your eardrum. For some however, we still need something more traditional, something that fits snugly over the ears, not in them. When searching for a new set of headphones I could use while working both in the field as well as here in my little makeshift production studio I received a press release from a PR firm extolling some cool new devices that…

News & Features June 14, 2011

Big News from Monster and Earth Wind & Fire

Last night the folks at Monster Cable were kind enough to invite Gear Diary to a special event held in San Antonio at the amazing Bjorn’s store. Monster brought in the legendary members of Earth Wind & Fire for a meet and greet with a special announcement: Verdine, Phillip and Ralph are celebrating 40 years of making music together as the band, and they have teamed up with Monster for a special product coming out soon. The band members were interviewed by Bjorn about their history and the formation of the band. It was a great experience to listen to…

Reviews May 12, 2011

Headphone Review: iFrogz EarPollution Luxe Bud with Microphone

Other than cell phones, one of the most common gadgets I see are headphones. Kids and adults alike love to carry their media with them and seem to be listening to it in public more and more. I always check out headphones when someone has them in, since I am a geek and gear head and always see a variety of style and sizes. Headphones and earbuds are one of those things that you can pay as little as a couple of dollars or up to hundreds. I was able to test out a pair of Luxe earbuds from iFrogz….

Reviews May 8, 2011

Audio Accessory Review: iSkin earTones Earbuds

Every now and then a product comes in for review that surprises me… in a good way! That’s the case with iSkin’s new earTone earbuds. They are bright, colorful earbuds that use the company’s Microband, a technology that inhibits the growth of odor, fungus and stain-causing bacteria on the earbuds and remote. At an MSRP of $39.99 I figured the earbuds, which come in a rainbow of colors, were largely a fashion-statement product with the Microband as an add-on for extra hype. I was wrong. The little things sound fantastic, are super-comfortable and, at under $40, they are a great choice…

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