Headphones

Today is National Running Day! Here’s Some Gear Worth A Look

Today is National Running Day! It is a perfect day to check out the Couch-to-5K Running Plan Larry turned a bunch of us onto a few weeks back… …or grab one of the numerous C25K iPhone apps currently available in the App Store. There are a number of them. It is also a great day to check out some good accessories to go along for the ride run. Here are two examples… If you are using an iPod Nano during your run instead of an iPhone or touch (the C25K apps require OS iPhone) take a look at the iSkin…


V-MODA Crossfade LP Review

When the press release came into the Gear Diary e-mail account about the release of V-MODA’s first over the ear styled headphones I jumped — literally jumped — at the chance to review them.  I had recently reviewed their Remix Ear Buds and was thrilled with them, so I was excited to see what they’d done next. The Crossfades were developed over a lengthy process of collaboration with professional musicians, producers and DJs.  V-MODA set out to create an over the ear style headphone that not only sounded great but looked equally so. By crafting the Crossfades from luxurious materials…


Need Help Finding The Right Father’s Day Gift For Your Music-loving Dad? How About These…

Does dad love music? Do you love dad? Well Father’s Day is coming up, and if dad likes to get his groove on here are a few items you might want to consider getting him (or yourself for that matter…) Dad’s not wicked (we hope), but these noise isolating ear-buds from Wicked Audio are…   Wicked Audio’s Wicked Little Buds are Design-forward, noise isolating earbuds that provide an edgy look and great sound. They are available at: EmpireBrandsInc.com, Amazon.com, Fry’s Electronics, Airport Wireless, and other select international retailers MSRP: $29.99 If you music-loving dad has discovered the Internet, let him…


Kidz Gear Wireless Car Headphones Review

Inside this bag resides the key to peaceful car trips with the kids. Seriously. If you’ve ever crammed the family into your personal vehicle and driven hundreds of miles you know that the addition of an in-car entertainment system makes all the difference.  Something about watching a DVD makes kids able to sit, comfortably.  But unless your kids have headphones with which to listen to their movie, you, the driver, is forced to endure hours upon hours of High School Musical, One, Two and yes, even Three. Travis recently reviewed the Kidz Gear Wired Headphones.  Kidz Gear was kind enough…


Review: Kidz Gear Wired Headphones

My wife recently had to replace her car and bought our first real family vehicle.  My 5-year-old son said he did not care what kind of car she got as long as it had a DVD player.  Well, the vehicle she purchased did not have an installed player, so we bought a portable unit that includes a screen for each seat (one for each boy).  We were all really happy!  They can now watch movies when we travel, while keeping the chances of fights and “are we there yet” questions to a minimum.  So we set out on a trip…


Beats By Dr. Dre Solo HD Red Review

We all love buying new gear.  That’s why we’re here right?  But when is the last time you bought an amazing gadget and made a donation to a worthy charity at the same time? The Beats By Dr. Dre Solo HD Red headphones not only look and sound great (we’ll get to that in the review), but a portion of the profits from every pair of headphones sold goes directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. These headphones are made from a proprietary titanium coated driver technology ensures they preserve every “bit of the lush bass and…


Review: Arctic Sound E352 Earphones

Arctic Cooling has recently entered the noise isolating earphone market.  I reviewed the Arctic Sound E361 earphones which proved to be a great solution that I carry daily in my away game bag.  The E352 earphones match the E361 in build and quality and add a touch of style with an attractive wooden chassis.  The E352 do not include a microphone, so these will have to be used for audio only, no iPhone for me. Click through the break to see how the Arctic Sound E352 earphones stack up.


V-MODA Remix Headphones Review

Image courtesy of V-MODA There’s some old saying the goes along the lines of “you’re only as good as the people around you.”  I feel the same way towards the relationship between my iPod or my iPhone and the headphones I use with each.  I may have the largest, most comprehensive music collection on the planet loaded on each of them but unless I’ve chosen a pair of headphones that allow me to listen to the music in decent quality what good is it? I’ve carried a pair of V-MODA Vibe Duo headphones religiously for the past year or so. …


ZAGGsmartbuds – Review

A few months ago I found myself a little bit short in the headphones department. I had given away most of the headphones I had used and reviewed and one of the two pair that I tended to use on a daily basis broke. I mentioned this to Judie and she was kind enough to send me a pair of ZAGG Z.buds that she had reviewed some time ago. When the headphones arrived I was rather impressed. The design was excellent. The heavy-duty, tangle free cord was longer than normal. It included an inline microphone and a volume control and…


Arctic Sound E361 Earphone Review

Earphones have become a part of all of our gadget lives.  Most of our gear comes with earphones that are mediocre at best.  Third party replacement options can be overwhelming with prices ranging from tens of dollars to thousands.  I enjoy great sounding audio, but cannot justify spending over $100 on earphones that will be tossed in my gear bag and used everywhere.  Arctic Cooling has entered the sub $100 market with a complete lineup of Arctic Sound earphones.  I was provided with the E361 and E352 models, and the E352 review will be coming soon. The E361 earphones are…


Monster Introduces Their Latest: Vivienne Tam Butterfly High Fashion In-Ear Headphones

I’ve enjoyed watching the ways that Monster Cable has found to collaborate with various musicians like Lady Gaga, Puff Daddy Puffy P. Diddy Diddy and Dr. Dre to create custom headsets and earphones. The new designs are funky and fresh, but their stylish exteriors cover earphones that many are saying sound fabulous. Their latest design, in collaboration with Vivienne Tam, marks the introduction of something lovely: the new Butterfly High Fashion In-Ear Headphones, which will go along perfectly with her “Butterfly Lovers” Digital Clutch. Butterfly is a unique collaboration between Monster, a leader in consumer electronics, and renown Fashion Designer,…


Thinksound Headphones: Green Sounds Good, Really Good

Going green and buying electronics usually don’t mesh very well.  Thinksound set out to create great sounding headphones that were also friendly to the environment too.  Not an easy task to say the least, but one the company took very seriously. Thinksound‘s lineup currently consists of two eco-friendly headphones.  The company was kind enough to send me both to review. Does being “green” mean you have to sacrifice sound quality? Click on through to find out, but here’s a hint, in a word, nope….


AblePlanet True Fidelity with Linx Audio Review

Having done some traveling during December, you start to get used to the accompanying rumble associated with it, be it from passengers waiting for a plane or the sound of an engine a few feet from your ear.  The best way to completely drown the world out is with a decent pair of headphones, and if you couple those with noise canceling you are onto a winner. While noise-canceling headphones have typically been a pricey proposition, these new ‘phones from AblePlanet come in at just $129.99, and seem to be pretty good value.


iFrogz Custom Fallout Headphones Review

Custom accessories are uber-popular right now.  We’ve seen several of our favorite accessory manufacturers bring custom offerings into their collections over the last few months.  One of the best of the bunch, iFrogz, has several items in its inventory which the company allows you to custom build to create your very own, one of a kind, item. Before I left for CES 2010 iFrogz allowed me to custom build my very own pair of their Fallout headphones which I picked up while at the show.  I’ve had a chance to uses them for a while now and wanted to share…


The Sleek Audio SA6 W-1 Wireless Earphones Kit Review

Late last year I was introduced to Sleek Audio, and among their earphones’ features, I was impressed by their unique method of insuring a customized listening experience through the utilization of removable and interchangeable in-ear ports – even on their entry level model, the SA1. While I enjoyed the SA1 earphones very much and was quite impressed with their quality, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to use one of their more specialized sets, specifically the Sa6.


Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP Headset- A Gear Diary First Look

As I’ve written numerous times here on the site, I am a huge user of voice recognition software. I’m blown away by Dragon Dictation on the iPhone, use Dragon NaturallySpeaking on my Windows 7 machine, and I have MacSpeech Dictate on both my iMac and my MacBook Pro. When I upgraded to the current version of MacSpeech Dictate I discovered that it isn’t configured to allow you to use the built-in microphone for dictation. Turns out there is a reason for this for as good as the microphone is, it isn’t ideal for voice recording. Without a proper headset, there…


Aerial7 Chopper2 Headphones Review

Aerial7 recently provided us with the Chopper2 headphones to review.  The headphones provide a nice retro styling, and fit over the ear.  Apparently, Aerial7 Choppers are very popular with athletes and professional DJ’s.  Now, I’m not anywhere near the same league as snow boarder Heikki Sorsa, or DJ Neil Armstrong — who is the DJ for rapper Jay-Z (I actually was pretty excited when I glossed over the press release accompanying the review unit, thinking that it was astronaut Neil Armstrong who used the headphones, but I digress). The Chopper2 combines a vintage look with what Aerial7 states are “sneaker-inspired aesthetics.” I…


Review: Yurbuds Custom Fit Earbud Enhancers

The iconic iPod earbuds are either hated or loved depending on the person.  Either you love them because they fit your ear well or you hate them because they hurt your ears.  Yurbuds aims to change that with their new earbud enhancers.


Review: Sleek Audio SA1, an Altogether Different Audio Experience

Here’s the dilemma: you’re listening to your favorite music, and outside noises are not only bleeding in, they are making your music less clear. Most people would turn up the volume to block the unwanted noise and amplify their audio. The only problem is that in the process, they might also be causing irreparable hearing loss. Then there’s the matter of bass and treble – sometimes your left ear needs more bass and your right more treble, and that’s not exactly something you can set on an equalizer. How do you handle that? Sleek Audio, a two year old company…


Review: 2XL 4 Corners Headphones

It’s been a while since I reviewed the Brickyard headphones from 2XL.  I really like  them even though their over the ear  style design can become warm on the ears. 2XL has solved the sweaty ear problem with a new style of headphones in the new 4 Corner Style of headphones. The design of these new headphones is unique in that instead of round like traditional headphones of this style, these are square. The square shape of these headphones do not make them at all uncomfortable.


iBlink Earbuds Review

Back when I was much younger headphones were headphones – of sure there was a wide range of quality, but in general you were getting two padded speakers that clapped over your ears. Later, when the Sony Walkman and other portable products arrived around 1980, much smaller on-ear headphones arrived to support those products. The 1990’s brought us earbuds and other varieties of on-ear, around-ear, and in-ear products. Ear-canal audio products are the most recent, offering the portability of earbuds with a better frequency response range and noise isolation. There are so many products of each type that a trip…