People of a certain age will remember that, at one time, Creative Labs was the only name that mattered when it came to PC sound. Sadly for the company, the PC market has dried up substantially. So it began to focus more on MP3 players and other audio devices. A tricky area, given Apple's indisputable dominance.

And that brings us to the WP-350 headphones. Designed to be paired with phones, MP3 players - including both Apple's and Creative's devices - they offer Bluetooth connectivity and a few other tricks, for about ?90.

Comfortable and practical

The 350s are light, which is good, but they also keep a pretty decent grip on your head, which is incredibly important if you don't want to be picking them up off the floor all the time.

There are some buttons located on the right-hand earpiece. These are pretty useful, and with these being Bluetooth headphones, support on phones is pretty universal too. There is a phone icon, which allows you to trigger your handset's voice dialling feature. It also acts as the power button, and pressing it for an extended period when you turn the headphones on puts them in to Bluetooth paring mode.

As you might expect, there's a play/pause control, which comes in handy when you don't want to unlock your phone to pause the music. There are also track forward/back buttons, which worked flawlessly with our Samsung Galaxy Nexus, using the default music player.

Underneath, you'll find a pair of volume controls. These work differently depending on the device you're controlling. On Apple hardware, they generally control the master volume. On other devices, it's a little less clear. But the result is the same: changing volume.

We found that, even when worn for more than an hour, the WP-350s were comfortable. The tight band can make them feel a little bothersome on sensitive ears, but they're nicer to wear than heavier, wired headphones. The soft pad didn't seem to make our ears too hot, something that can be a problem with larger models too.

The headphones are charged via a mini-USB socket, making them compatible with most phone chargers. This is a really smart move, and one that is likely to see people actually using these headsets. We really hope this is a sign that the proprietary charger is dying a death.?

Bluetooth and hands-free

In addition to being Bluetooth headphones for music, the 350s also have a small, discrete microphone. This means that you can use them to make and receive calls. Doing so was easy on our Galaxy Nexus. Press the call button, say the name, and the phone calls that person.

That all works really well, and we had no trouble with voice recognition, and the in-call volume was certainly loud enough. However, we found that it was quite a low-quality affair. We used the Skype call-testing service to check - as we do with all such headsets - on the quality, and found it to be some of the worst we'd heard. Even just listening to speech via our phone was subject to far more distortion that we would expect.

None of this is a disaster, the system is certainly usable, but we're getting used to the likes of Plantronics making very high-quality headsets, and it's spoilt us slightly. And as we use Skype a lot, we really like having that extra quality that sadly, these headphone can't offer.

It is worth pointing out that the headphones support the aptX system. This should lead to increased audio quality with devices that support it. The problem is, a lot of us are using older Bluetooth devices that don't. It should help in the future though.

Sound quality

Obviously, the quality of these headphones varies wildly depending on the device you use. We tried them with an iPod Touch, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus and one of Creative's own MP3 players, the ZEN X-Fi3. EQ settings on the Apple and Samsung devices meant we could tweak the sound to our taste.

There's certainly a lot of bass on offer here, should that be your poison. You can also overdo that part of the audio spectrum, giving a booming sensation that's not entirely pleasant. But setting the EQ up sensibly will yield some impressive results, and we quite liked the sound overall. There was some distortion on specific tracks, but it wasn't a problem in most of what we listened too.

When partnered with Creative's own MP3 player, we felt they were a little weedy sounding. The X-Fi doesn't have quite as many EQ options, and that meant we were more or less stuck with some preset controls, none of which really made a huge difference. We could live without the low end, but these headphones also seemed a little too bright. Certainly, the sound on the Creative WP-350 is never flat, the ultimate goal of all decent headphones.

Verdict:

The Creative WP-350 headphones aren't the cheapest we've seen. They're decent enough, but far from the best-sounding earphones we've ever used. They do have plenty of bass, and with Bluetooth the audio quality is never perfect anyway.

But these will certainly appeal to certain musical tastes more than others - electronic music works well, classical will probably not be as pleasant. The added microphone and their ability to work as a hands-free system is very handy though, and it works well enough for phone calls, but dedicated hands-free headsets are generally better when you need higher-quality voice calls.

Tags: Audio Headphones Creative Bluetooth Bluetooth headsets

Creative WP-350 Bluetooth headphones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Choosing a set of headphones, especially expensive ones, is pretty hard. There are so many different pairs, styles and performance levels that we could, in theory, run a site just reviewing headphones and never run out.

But most headphones aren't worthy of such attention, so these BlueAnt Embrace cans must offer something that makes them worthy of your consideration, right? The most obvious thing most people will notice is that BlueAnt isn't exactly a big name in headphones. If you've heard of the company, it will more likely be for its in-car Bluetooth accessories.

Design

There's no point having a colour in your company name, if you don't use it in your products somewhere. And bright, bold colours are all the rage at the moment - look at that Beats Audio trademark red for one. Depending on how you feel about blue, will depend very much on how pleased or disappointed you are that the only sign of blue here, is on the cable that connects your MP3 player to the headphones.

And only one of the cables provided, at that. But the fact that BlueAnt provides two cables is a very good thing. The blue one is for iPod, iPhone and iPad users. It has an in-line remote control that allows you access to Apple's standard controls. The black cable is just a straight-through affair, with no fancy controls.

A standard 3.5mm jack socket is provided on the headphones for these cables, so if they break, replacing them is as simple as just buying a replacement, or finding a cable that you already have knocking around somewhere.

But BlueAnt also provides an adaptor with its cans, which it says will allow the microphone and controls to be used on more devices than just an iPod. That's pretty considerate of it, and we're always pleased to see companies thinking about more than just the half-eaten-fruit brand.

The headphones are made solidly. The headband is a solid, sturdy feeling metal and both it, and the earpads are wrapped in a leather-effect material. Blue-ant also uses a memory foam for its earpads, which it claims improves sound by blocking out external noise. They are comfortable to wear though, which is very important.

The earpads also rotate to allow the headphones to be stored flat. A carry case is included for this purpose too, so if you travel a lot, you'll find that they can take up a modest enough amount of space. Although, obviously, never as compact as in-ear style headphones.

Comfort

Wearing the BlueAnt Embrace is a pleasure. Well, it is in as much as any headphones are. The ear pads cover your ear, but don't surround them, for us, this meant our ears stayed cool, and we liked that. They get the sound to your ear-drum with gusto too, so there's no disadvantage to the design.

The memory foam is incredibly comfortable too, giving our ears a nice time of things. The adjustable head-band makes it nice and easy to get the headphones positioned well, and although the metal band makes these headphones quite heavy, they aren't too weighty to wear for long periods, and they don't drop off when you tilt your head.

Sound quality

But, we can talk about design and comfort but the main event is the sound quality. And here, the BlueAnt really does very well indeed. The company boasts that the sound is flat, and untuned, leaving you able to apply EQ via your MP3 player. This will suit iPhone and iPod users, because those devices give decent control over equaliser settings. The same, sadly, can't be said of every music device.

We did find that they did a very good job with our Motorola Razr, which does some EQ, upon request, but also has a flat mode too. Even so, we felt these headphones did add a little more low end, especially when compared to a set of headphones like the Phonak Audeo PFE 232 we reviewed recently.

So, a word of caution, if you're looking for vivid bass to the point of excluding anything else, then you might find that these headphones aren't for you. They are certainly capable of producing some amazing low-end sounds, but you'll probably need to help them along with some EQ.

Verdict:

We've very much come to like the BlueAnt Embrace in the time we've spent with them. The sound is very clean, they're an ideal partner for the iPod and music has a depth and quality that should suit even those with picky ears.

They aren't cheap though, and we do wonder who will pick these over, say, a set of Beats, with all the branding and street-cred that those cans carry. One thing is for sure, audiophiles will be a lot less disappointed with the sound from these BlueAnt headphones than from the bass-heavy Beats.

?170 is always a tough decision, but we can't see anyone who does buy these headphones being disappointed with them. They certainly produce a quality of sound that equals that of cans that cost a lot more. Plus, they should last a long time, with their modular earpieces and cables, and that's what you'd want in expensive headphones.

Tags: Headphones BlueAnt Wireless BlueAnt Embrace

BlueAnt Embrace headphones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:42:50 +0000

We like music. We like it even more when it is beamed to our ear-holes via super high end headphones. Until recently our set of Atomic Floyd SuperDarts have remained our go to kit for music listening. Sennheiser thinks they can replace them with the IE80s, the company’s top end set of in-ear audiophile headphones.

Before we even get started on the IE80 review a crucial point needs to be made. When we first stuck these headphones in our ears, they just didn’t sound that great. This is because, as we discovered, they need about 3 or 4 hours play to properly "burn in" and get themselves sounding juicy. So don’t worry yourself if they sound dodgy out of the box, this will change very quickly.

Packed to perfection

Talking about the box, what exactly do you get with a set of headphones that costs more than ?200? Quite a bit as it happens. A veritable buffet of possible earbuds is laid out for you, on opening the IE80’s box. Also there's an extremely swish, brushed aluminium, carrying case. All this accessorising can overshadow one of the nicest bits of kit included with the headphones. Sat on the other end of the included earwax cleaning skewer is a small screw driver.

What does this screwdriver do exactly? Well it lets you tune the amount of bass the IE80s will pour into your music. The theory is that you can adjust the headphones to sound just right for each specific genre, adding bass for dance music and taking it away for acoustic stuff. While the adjustment is fairly subtle, it works brilliantly.

Built quality

In terms of build quality, the IE80s also do a pretty decent job. They have replaceable cabling, which is something we have wanted to see in headphones for ages. It just saves any worries you have of the extremely expensive pieces kit getting damaged and being irreparable.

The actual in-ear element of the headphones actually feels slightly flimsy and lightweight. The only real let-down in what is a pretty impressive audio package, they just don’t feel weighty enough. Things appear slightly too breakable, although without actually accidentally breaking them, this is a point we can’t really prove.?

Beautiful sound

We normally test headphones using three different albums: Radiohead’s Ok Computer; The XX's self-titled album and then some Nick Drake. Trimming the bass levels for each album accordingly revealed levels of detail we just simply hadn't heard before.

So the audio quality is there as are the accessories and most of the hardware package. Is it enough for the IE80s to justify the ?200 plus price tag? In a word: yes. The sound quality is most definitely what you could call audiophile. It is customisable to your liking via the tunable earpieces and offers more detail than nearly any other set of headphones we have used.

What we will say is that the quality jump might not be worth the price increase above the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts for those on a budget. If you want a hardy set of headphones that sound great, the the AFs are still our favourites. However if you have money to spend, then the extra cash needed for the IE80s most definitely makes them worth it.

Verdict:

?200 is a lot to spend on headphones, but these come with decent accessories, sound terrific and have customisation potential most headphones can only dream of.?

In short, we like them, a great deal.?

Tags: Headphones Sennheiser Sennheiser IE80

Sennheiser IE80 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:23:00 +0000

Although it's been beaten to the punch as the first manufacturer to release Android-specific headphones (by Klipsch), Philips is, to our knowledge, the first to offer an entire range of, what it calls, Made for Android headsets.

The range includes two sets of ear buds, some earhooks and a pair of cans, all of which coming in at reasonable price points, and all featuring full remote control and in-line microphone for Android devices.

Better still, they each offer full functionality for a large number of Android handsets and tablets, regardless of manufacturer, as they are linked to a free application that will be available on the Android Market. This app can be told which specific device you own, and will therefore ensure that the user can programme their headset with music management capabilities - such as?play/pause, previous track, next track, fast forward, fast backward and volume control - while call management features are present too. There will also be the ability to launch the app from the on-cable remote.

The application also offers some audio equaliser properties, and different sound modes. It is compatible, at present, with phones and devices from HTC, Samsung, Motorola and LG.

The cheapest headset is the Philips SHE7005A, a pair of in-ear buds that will retail for $29.99 in the US (as Pocket-lint saw these at CES in Las Vegas, we're still to be told of the UK prices). They feature?8.6mm micro-efficient speakers and passive noise?isolation.

For those who run or go to the gym, the Philips SHE8105A buds are similarly specified but have earhooks to keep them more firmly in place. They also come with a 24k gold-plated plug for an "ultra-reliable" connection, and weigh in at $39.99.

As a step-up model to the SHE7005A pair, the Philips SHE9005A earbuds offer?10mm high performance speakers, a "premium" metal housing to reduce vibration, the company's proprietary?Comply foam tips to improve comfort, and an anti-tangle fabric cable. They cost $49.99.

Lastly, the Philips SHL9705A headset is of the headband/can variety, and comes with?40mm speakers, on-ear memory foam cushions,?aluminium?outer ear shells for durability (and decent aesthetics, from our showing), and they fold flat for easy storage. They come in at $99.99.

All of the Made for Android range will hit stores in Q2 - that's spring in modern money.

Tags: Philips Audio Headphones Philips Made for Android Android Philips SHE7005A Philips SHS8105A Philips SHE9005A Philips SHL9705A CES2012

Philips Made for Android headphones coming for spring (pictures) originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:49:00 +0000

Monster and Beats have brought their long running headphone partnership to an end, marking a big change in the direction that Dre's company could be taking.?

The split is the end of what has been a 5 year partnership with Monster, a well known cable and high end Hi-Fi manufacturer. The expertise gained will remain, but the decision not to renew the contract with Monster will likely change the way that Beats are manufactured.

Those who enjoy the look of the Beats headphones will probably find they follow a similar style, particularly given that design has been a major reason for their popularity.?

HTC owns the largest stake in Beats at $300 million, but is not the only company involved in the technology. HP uses Beats Audio in its laptops to bring better quality sound to its portables.?

The real future of Beats is on the mobile. Integration with handsets like the HTC Sensation XE and XL will likely continue as the company further focusses on smartphones. Plans to expand to fitness and TV are also in the works.

Tags: Headphones Monster Beats by Dr Dre

Monster and Beats go their separate ways originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:46:00 +0000

Monster, in partnership with Diesel, has announced the Vektr series of headphones and earphones, which claim to offer a "premium-quality listening solution that expertly blends the worlds of fashion and great sound."

Sadly within the press release there wasn't an awful lot of information on exactly what is going to make these cans such a great listening experience, and so we'll just have to rely on Monster to deliver up its usual high standard.

There is, however, an awful lot of spiel on the Diesel design, which consists of comments like: "a trendsetting personal listening solution that dramatically breaks conventional headphone style".

And to an extent this is true, they should indeed make your tunes personal by blocking out the noise of your music to outsiders - the public - as is usuallt the case with headphones.. However they only break headphone style to the extent that they have a distinct diamond-cut pattern on the outside coated in different shades of black and grey. The design remains pretty conventional in that you'll get two comfortable earcups attached to a band that fits around the top of your head.

There are also in-ear 'phones available which thankfully, for comfort's sake, lack the diamond-cut style in favour of a "jet black appearance with a single bold yellow accent and a prominent Diesel logo".

The Vektr headphones will set you back around $250, whilst the earphones should be on shelves for around $150.

Tags: Headphones Monster Monster Vektr Diesel Earphones CES2012

Monster Vektr headphones announced with Diesel design originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:40:41 +0000

You may have read on Pocket-lint about the launch of the Monster iSport in-ear headphones back in August, and as it happened we managed to get hold of one of the first pairs to hit UK shores. Well, over in Vegas at CES, the iSport buds have had a shiny yellow makeover, all in aid of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which aims to serve people affected by cancer and empower them to take action against the world's leading cause of death.

Once again, we got up close and personal with a pair and, just like the originals, they look fantastic. They boast a patented in-ear clip design that is designed to fit nicely with your ear's inner curve, rather than fixing over the top.

It's a bit awkward getting them in the first time, but once you've cracked it, it's a doddle. The iSport also comes with a load of buds and clips of all manner of shapes and sizes so you're bound to find a pair that fit.

Music quality is great as well thanks to a tight audio seal to keep your tunes locked up in your ear and there's also noise isolation on board, which seemed to do the job when we tested the original's out last year

Controlling playback on your phone is easy, as the iSport have Monster's ControlTalk function that works particularly well with Apple devices. With iDevices it will not only let you answer and make calls, but also give you media controls as well.

Monster teamed up with RadioShack for the launch of the new iSport Livestrong branded in-ear headphones. They are sweatproof and washable, and?it's not only music fans that get to benefit from these new earphones as a portion of the proceeds from sales will go to the famous cyclist's charity.

They will be available at RadioShack in the US, starting in February 2012, for $179.95. A UK launch is planned for later in the year - the original iSport buds cost ?130, so expect about the same.

Tags: Headphones Monster Audio Monster iSport CES2012 Earphones

Monster iSport Livestrong earphones pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:04:00 +0000

Parrot has revealed its new Zik headphones designed by Phillipe Starck, which bring together a massive amount of audio technology in smooth, standout styling.

And when we say packed with cutting edge tech, we mean it. First off, the Zik headphones are touch activated so there are no obtrusive buttons ruining the design, swiping the panel vertically will set the volume, or swiping it horizontally will skip music forward/rewind.

Bluetooth connectivity, noise cancellation and DSP (Digital Signal Processing) are par for the course - the DSP giving a "Parrot Concert Hall" effect, with the music coming in front of you.

The introduction of NFC into the headset is further evidence of the innovation that's gone into the device as, to our knowledge, it's the first time the tech has been used in headphones. Basically all you need to do to connect your NFC-phone is to tap it to one of the ear pieces - that's it. Admittedly the tech isn't ubiquitous on all phones, by any means, but it's a nice touch nonetheless.

Further innovation comes in the form of a noise cancelling sensor that monitors your jaw's movements making your voice that little bit clearer for the person on the other end of a call, whilst there's also a sensor for pausing your tunes when you remove the headphones from your ears; replacing them and the music springs back to life.

These could really be a big hit, if punters are prepared to take a hit on their wallet, come launch sometime in 2012.

Tags: Audio Headphones Parrot Parrot Zik NFC CES2012

Parrot Starck-designed Zik headphones bring NFC to your ears originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:13:00 +0000

Monster has announced that it is to team up with RadioShack for the launch of the new iSport Livestrong branded in-ear headphones, which are specifically designed for athletes and enthusiasts.

However, the design of the headphones might not be everyone's cup of tea as they "boldly feature Livestrong's iconic bright yellow on both the cable and earpieces".

Being headphones designed for the sportsman, they are sweatproof and washable and feature a variety of innovations that set them apart from all others. One of these is the the nagging problem of in-ear headphones that slip out during strenuous use. Monster deals with this through a patented in-ear clip anchor system, which fits the curve of the inner ear securely.

Monster's iSport Livestrong headphones also feature the Company's ControlTalk, an innovative in-line control system that gives users music and movie playback control of their smartphones.

And it's not only music fans that get to benefit from these new headphones, as a portion of the proceeds from sales will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which aims to serve people affected by cancer and empower them to take action against the world's leading cause of death.

They will be available at RadioShack, starting in February 2012, for a suggested retail price of $179.95, followed by rollout at other retailers later this year

Tags: Headphones Monster Audio Monster iSport

Monster iSport Livestrong headphones give you charitable beats originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:57:00 +0000

CES might be in full swing now, but that hasn't stopped Sony from suddenly announcing a bunch of new in-ear headphones.

The range features four sets of high-quality earphones, designed with quality in mind. There are four pairs with iPhone and iPod in-line remote controls, some washable sports headphones, a wireless bluetooth pair and a new, battery-box-free noise cancelling set.

Meet the Balanced Armature

But the key to all these headphones is the new Balanced Armature. These are a quarter of the size of a normal earphone driver but still deliver the same sensitivity, in a minuscule package. Sony points out that, these new drivers can be specially tuned to respond to specific frequencies. And, you could have more than one unit per earphone, giving you Hi-Fi speaker style separation of bass, treble and mid-range audio.

Sony also says that the sealed design means these headphones leak less sound outward, so don't annoy people near you. And, as part of the same design, they also keep external sounds out, reducing the interference and audio tedium of everyday life.

The XBA range has four specific models, designated XBA-1 and up to, surprisingly, 4. These numbers also indicate how many BA drivers the earphones have. The XBA-1 features one, the XBA-2 has two. You get the picture. The configuration varies though, so the two driver, XBA-2 has an armature aimed at delivering punchy bass. The XBA-3 has high, mid and low drivers and the XBA-4 offers drivers that deliver full-range, high-end treble, mid-range and a "subwoofer" for very deep bass.

The XBA-1iP, 2iP etc are all the same, but add that much-loved in-line iPhone remote and microphone. Good if you've got an iDevice, less interesting to everyone else.

Noise cancelling and Bluetooth

Perhaps most exciting though, are the XBA-NC85D noise cancelling headphones. These are the first in the world that don't feature a bulky battery box. Instead, the space savings of the new Balanced Armature mean that you get a single driver, noise cancellation chip and a rechargeable battery, all tucked away in the earphone.

What's more, this tiny battery pack manages to power the headphones for 20 hours before running out of juice. You can't argue that's impressive miniaturisation.

The XBA-BT75 bluetooth headphones have a similar design. Their electronics is built in to the earpieces themselves too. There's room for the Bluetooth antenna as well as a battery that can drive the cans for three and a half hours on one charge. Not a massive time, but enough to see you through a nice long run. The headphones will go on sale in April this year, pricing has yet to be announced. We will, of course, bring you reviews as soon as we're able.

Tags: Audio Headphones Sony CES2012

Sony announces 11 new sets of headphones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:01:00 +0000

Ferrari?fans listen up. Logic 3 has teamed up with Ferrari to launch a range of Ferrari-branded?iPhone speaker docks?and headphones so you can show your love for the brand when it comes to listening to your favourite music.

Ferrari by Logic3, announced at CES on Monday, comprises a range of earphones, headphones and speaker docks that celebrate Ferrari without going all out red, well not too much.

On the speaker front there are two models in two very different ranges - the Ferrari Cavallino Collection and the Scuderia Ferrari Collection.

The first is influenced by GT road cars and take their design inspiration from the "premium textures and materials" found in the Ferrari cars while the Scuderia Ferrari Collection is inspired by the competition, speed, and technological innovation of the Ferrari F1 team and therefore is a bit more brazen carrying the bright yellow Scuderia Ferrari badge.

The Ferrari?Scuderia FS1 speaker dock

The Ferrari team has been closely involved with Logic3 throughout the entire process, ensuring the marque’s characteristic style, design and personality are captured within every product.

So what do you get? Well the Cavallino GT1 (pictured top) is a speaker dock that comes with a 250W RMS class HD AMP in a multi speaker unit with a 6.5-inch (165mm) subwoofer. In addition to an Apple dock connector, the GT1 also features wireless Bluetooth connectivity for Android and Windows-based devices. Priced at ?399 for an extra ?100 you'll be able to get Apple AirPlay support. The iPhone docks via a sliding tray where the prancing horse is if you are wondering.?

The Scuderia FS1 on the other hand, is a 2.1 Speaker Dock offering 120W RMS class HD Amp with twin passive bass radiators and Bluetooth. Like the GT1, if you are will to spend a further ?100 on top of the ?499 price tag you'll get AirPlay support.

If speaker docks aren't your cup of tea, then you can also get the prancing horse in your ear with a range of earphones and headphones also being announced.

There are four models within the Ferrari Cavallino range and a further five in the Scuderia Ferrari range with the latter showing off the bolder colour scheme.

The Cavallino range consists of the T350 (?299) over-ear headphones which include active noise cancelling, the T250 (?249) on-ear headphones, and the G150 (?149) and T150 (?149) earphones, which feature something called TFAT, which stands for?Thin Film Acoustic Technology,?and noise isolating technology.

The Ferrari Scuderia?P200 On-Ear Headphones

The Scuderia Ferrari headphones and earphones range consists of the R300 (?249) over-ear headphones, which offer active noise cancellation, the R200 (?199) and P200 (?199) on-ear headphones, and the S100 (?99) and R100 (?119) earphones, which feature TFAT and noise isolating technology.

The P200s, if you are a Ferrari fan, will be on the ones you'll want.

The Ferrari by Logic3 collection will be available from April 2012.

Tags: Audio iPhone docks Ferrari Logic3 Speakers Headphones Earphones

Ferrari iPhone docks and headphones show your love for beautiful sound originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:51:00 +0000

How much would you spend on earphones? Is your budget ?20, ?50 or ?100? How about ?400? Well, if you want these Audeo PFE 232 earphones we've got in our lug-holes right now, that's how much you you'd have to fork out. It might seem like a lot, but as you'll find out, there are a lot of reasons you should consider it.

From the packaging, you might be fooled in to thinking there is not much different about these headphones. They go in your ear, which is standard - earphones that go elsewhere have little or no effect, it seems - and they look like most other pairs of cans we've seen. So what's going on here to justify that asking price?

Clever, very clever

Well, for one thing, it seems that Phonak has thought of just about everything. With most headphones and earphones we've used it's entirely possible to spend ?80 and have them break a few months later. Most smart companies offer some sort of lifetime warranty, but we're inclined to just move on when this happens.

Phonak has a different approach, because these headphones have a replaceable cable. It sounds like such a small thing, but given the only way most headphones fail is through a broken cable, it's just about the smartest idea we've ever seen applied to earphones. Of course, it's not unique, but it's quite rare.

In the box you get a second cable, but it doesn't have the iPod/iPhone inline remote and volume control. You might prefer this if you're an Android or Windows Phone user, or if you have an MP3 player that doesn't do a million and one other things. But if nothing else, it's a good backup if anything does go wrong with the other cable.

This isn't where the clever ends either. Because also supplied in the box are a set of passive filters. These are tiny - really, really tiny - little caps that fit into the very end of the headphones, just before the foam/rubber tips. These clever little things will alter, subtly, the sound you hear.

Quality is what counts

You want to know that your ?400 is going to get you something to blow your mind. And these Audeo 232s really do offer that. In spades.

Headphones generally fall in to two categories. Those which sound good, but do so through altering the sound to give a little boost to bass. A lot of people favour bass-heavy response, so this is a good trick for headphones to pull as it implies quality - although, in fact, this isn't the case. The other aproach, is to give a flat sound, the recreates what was originally put down in the recording studio. The Audeo PFE232, happily, fall in to this camp.

This clarity gives you access to every facet of the track you're listening to. Sound is so clear that you'll notice things that you'd never hear on a set of speakers, or through inferior head- or earphones.

For example, we listened to Oaklahoma Town, by Josh Gabriel and Winter Kills and there is an incredible amount of extra information to take in. Even the crackling, at the end of the track, is more involving and clear than anything we've heard by speakers. It makes for a much less confused sound, and we were sold completely.

To assist with the skill of these earphones, we opted to use the foam tips. These aren't to everyone's taste. They are, however, exquisite at blocking external noise and keeping you and your music in a wonderful bubble. If you do hate them, then some more traditional rubber ends are provided too. These are a little easier to keep clean, and can be washed if they get any ear wax on them.

There's plenty of power here too. The isolation helps with that, but at 75 per cent of the iPod's maximum power we found more than ample, and there was still more than enough power at lower volumes as well.

EQ might be to your taste

The flatness and clarity of these earphones means that they do a minimal amount to change the overall sound you'll hear. The passive acoustic filters will change that, but if you stick with the ones that come fitted, you'll be getting a very clear and flat sound.

On our Nokia Lumia 800, which sounds great but has no EQ, these headphones were a delight. Giving a sound that, despite being flat, wasn't boring or lifeless. There was so much detail in this audio that we nearly jumped for joy.

Hooking it up to an iPod touch, with the EQ set to push a little more low end, they really came alive, delivering what, to us, was the perfect sound. A little enhanced bass, but while still maintaining a level of detail that most headphones would really struggle to provide.

We applaud this though, because it means that you, as a customer, will be able to get the sound that you want. The filters supplied offer another route, should you want to take it, and fitting the black set will give a boost to both the high and low ends.

The price hurts

We adore these earphones. With the right music player - one that you can tweak the EQ slightly - they produce an out of this world sound. They are so clear, undistorted and pleasant to listen to, once we had them in, we never wanted to take them back out again.

But, there's no doubt ?400 is a lot of money. But then there's no doubt that these earphones are the best we've heard, and can compete in terms of clarity, with open backed over-ear headphones that cost twice as much. We've no doubt that your decision to buy will be a difficult one, even people with plenty of money might double-take at the price label.

Verdict:

If you do decide to take the plunge, you will be amazed by these earphones. Their comfort is second-to-none, and the flexibility and longevity offered by the replaceable parts really should mean that these earphones will last you for a very long time indeed.

There are cheaper Audeo headphones out there, so if ?400 is just too much, consider a cheaper pair as you're unlikely to be disappointed.

Tags: Audio Headphones Earphones Phonak Audeo Phonak Audeo PFE 232

Phonak Audeo PFE 232 earphones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:29:10 +0000

We all like noise when it comes to headphones. But only the noise coming out of our earbuds, we've no time for ghastly outside noise such as traffic, noisy commuters and helpful people shouting at us when we're about to walk into a lamp-post.

So, to keep the peace, we thought it best we took the Sony MDR-NC13 noise cancelling headphones for a spin. Noise cancelling tech is becoming ever more common, with advances in technology meaning that the feature is often available in smaller in-ear buds, rather than just over the head cans, and at a price that isn't going to break the bank.

The NC13s tick both of these boxes coming in at a price that shouldn't top ?45 online (despite their ?82 RRP).

The noise-cancelling tech works by sensing outside noise using tiny, built-in microphones, positioned on the earpieces, and sending out an “equal-but-opposite cancelling signal”, effectively blocking continuous noise. Sony claims it will cut outside nonsense down by 87 per cent.

Design and Practicalities

“Fugly” would probably be too harsh a word to describe the NC13's look. So we'll go with “different” instead. But, as Pocket-lint's teachers and parents always told us when we were growing up, different is good. The difference, at least in terms of comparisons with other in-ear buds, comes by the way of the rather obvious housing for the 13.5mm driver unit behind the buds themselves.

Their size and positioning give the impression that the buds may be uncomfortable and heavy and, whilst they're certainly bigger than your average in-ear setup, there's no noticeable strain whilst they are stuffed in your lug-holes and, with the three different sized bud options included, you're bound to find a decent, if not perfect, fit.

You will need to make use of the clip on the back of the noise cancelling engine room though, as this part is rather bulky and will weigh down the (rather long, it has to be said) chord. It's where the AAA battery that powers the technology is housed. It also contains an on/off button and a red LED light which should help you to remember to turn it off. The battery life is said to be up to 100 hours and we won't argue with that. We've accidentally left it switched on overnight a couple of times and it is still good to go the next day.

Sound Quality

Good, but not spectacular. But these are not designed with audiophiles in mind. We tested the NC13s on an iPhone - and fiddled about with the EQ to get the desired result - directly into a laptop running 320kbps streams from Spotify and finally, plugged into an amp playing back a lossless audio file.

Bass is deep and not too shaky, the mids and trebles really come through when they need to and there is a definite warmth to the sound through the earpieces that defy their size. Once you get the EQ setting right that is.

Noise Cancelling

The noise cancelling tech on-board the NC13 earphones isn't the greatest that we've come across, but at ?45 or less, it certainly does the job. It doesn't cut out background chatter, loud traffic or the like too well, but then that that's not really its job. It is tasked with making ambient, consistent noises more tolerable and, tested against the hum of a modern electric train and the annoying whir of a desktop PC, we have to say they worked with aplomb.

However, having the noise cancelling switched on does come with a slight cost – in that some loudness and warmness is emitted from your tunes. It's not massively noticeable and, after a few seconds you'll probably forget, but a slight drop in quality is definitely there – so we thought it best to warn you.

Verdict:

The Sony NC13 earphones are a good, mid-level option that offers some, if not comprehensive, noise-cancelling and a decent sound performance. Also, you don't have to worry about the buds running out of juice as you can use them as regular 'phones without the microphones in operation.

The design is not the NC13's strong point, the ear buds themselves look rather bulky and the control box is pretty hefty considering it has no mic or remote options - just a power button for the noise cancelling.

But again, we have to come back to the price and at less than ?45 you can't really go wrong. Although there are plenty of earphones in the same price region, some with a slightly better sound but no noise-cancelling tech, so be sure to asses whether the hum of an aeroplane or your office's air conditioning is really that much of a burden to you first.

Tags: Headphones Sony Sony NC-13

Sony NC13 noise cancelling headphones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

The Klipsch Image S4a are specifically designed for Android devices, which makes them something of a rare breed. "Made for iPhone" has been around for a number of years, but "Made for Android" hasn't. It's only really in 2011 that we've seen the move to accommodate Androider's needs through the likes of the Philips Fidelio AS851.

The Klipsch Image line does also cover those Apple products, as well as generic PC uses, coming from a line of headphones that are no stranger to quality, so we have high expectations. But will these meet the demands of the discerning Android user?

Design

The Klipsch Image S4a are designed with a bend in the body. This means the in-ear element is slightly angled from the body of the headphones. Although we've seen more substantial cable connections on headphones, the s4As feel solid enough. The bodies are light but feel like they will withstand a certain amount of abuse.

The earphones can be worn in two ways, either conventionally by plugging straight into the ear, or with the cable looped over the top of your ears. The latter route fits the angled design of the monitors, so they fit into the recess of your outer ear, rather than projecting forwards.

Looping the cables over your ears also means increased stability and this is suggested as "sport fit". There is a slider on the cable that can be used to reduce cable movement and keep everything in place. However this may not be the most practical, as the in-line mic and controller is then held tight against your neck and isn't as easy to get to.

You get a range of different tips in the box, special oval tips designed to increase comfort over long periods, which should help you get the perfect fit for your lugholes.

Don't worry, be Appy

There is a control button on the Klipsch Image S4a, which uses a series of presses for different actions. This isn't all natively supported by Android, however, so to unlock the full potential of these headphones you'll have to download an app. Inside the packaging you'll find a QR code.

Strangely this QR code doesn't take you to the app it's asking you to download, but to the Klipsch website, so it's not really worth the effort. However, searching for Klipsch on the Android Market works fine.

This app then enables the button controls, and lets you customise various features. You can have a default music app that launches when you connect your headphones, you can set what a double press does and so on, as well as defining the speed of a double press. This is well worth doing, as initially the double press wasn't detected for us - lightening fast, you see. Conveniently there is a "custom" setting that will detect the speed and set the app accordingly.

After that, things work as they should. You simply use the headphones and everything works. Should you decide not to use the app, you'll find that you probably only get play/pause functions, but essentially, the headphones work perfectly well with other devices. Should you also happen to have an Apple device, you'll find the single button works as it should, but obviously there are no volume controls.

Despite the lack of proper volume controls, volume can be changed on your Android device with a long press of the button. This cycles through different volumes, so whilst it isn't as direct as simply pressing a button to step up or down a notch, the end result is more or less the same in an round-about sort of way. The Klipsch app also lets you define maximum and minimum volumes, as well as the starting volume, so you'll never find yourself deafened.

Sweet beats

If you've never used oval tips before you might find them a little unusual, but we didn't have a problem fitting or wearing them. They were comfortable, although at times we had to give them a wiggle as they felt they were a little too deep into our ears. They did an excellent job of isolating external noise however, which is the more important point.

That sets up the Klipsch S4a to a great start, leading onto great all round performance. Klipsch have something of a reputation for great headphones and that's true of the S4a too. Bass is handled with skill, making these a good choice if you enjoy a lively low range. But this isn't to the detriment of mid and high range. It's a sound profile that we like very much. They perhaps aren't the most accomplished of in-ear headphones when it comes to clarity, but they leave us little to complain about.

The volumes they will produce is certainly louder than we'd ever want to listen to, so we're grateful the app can be used to set a limit. They're also more affordable than some at ?89, which sounds like a sweet deal.

Verdict:

Good performance and an app that really helps, the Klipsch Image S4a are a set of headphones that will do your Android device proud, whilst not sacrificing compatibility with other devices.

That said, we did note that they didn't work properly on the Samsung Galaxy S – something we've experienced before and something worth checking before you part with your cash.

The lack of a proper volume control is also a bit of an irritation in reality. Although the single button press gets you where you want to be, having used the S4a for about a month, we're left wishing for a regular volume rocker.

Definitely worthy of consideration if your music device of choice is Android-powered.

Tags: Audio Headphones Klipsch Klipsch Image S4A Android

Klipsch Image S4A originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Headphones, or more accurately in the case of the Digital Silence DS-321D, earphones, with noise cancellation technology are nothing especially new. But the technology continues to improve, and more importantly they are getting less bulky and consume less power.

But style is nothing without performance, so we need to establish how good the DS-321Ds are at filtering the nonsense of travel and other unwanted noise. So we put these earphones to the test, because, as they say, silence is golden.

Design

Physically, the Digital Silence headphones are small and easily portable. The earphones are a pretty standard design, and to look at them alone, you'd never know these are noise cancelling headphones. There's an iPhone compatible microphone and control button attached to the cable too, and it hangs down to just below your jawline during use.

A little further down the cable, you'll find a small box with a belt clip on the back. It's very compact though, and weighs virtually nothing. This is important, as to carry around a large box to handle the noise cancelling is annoying. There's a single switch to turn the noise cancellation on, and a small button marked "monitor".

Pressing this monitor button mutes your music, and gives you a way to hear what's going on around you. This is handy if you're on a plane, and the air host wants to know if you need more Gin, and pretty useful if your significant other needs to urgently ask you if you've taken the washing out of the machine.

The monitor button means you don't have to pause your music, which is handy, and when you turn off your noise cancellation, your music won't stop, because the DS-321Ds work fine, even when they aren't cancelling noise around you.

Good sound quality

Musically, when connected to a decent audio source, the Digital Silence DS-321Ds perform very nicely indeed. We tested with a Nokia Lumia 800 and an iPod touch.

As always, there are some things to remember. The Nokia has quite a flat default EQ output. So that means that these earphones sound a bit flat with it. That's not a failing of either device. Indeed, it could be seen as a strength, because it means the audio reproduction is faithful, with the earphones adding none of their own "colour".

With the iPod, which has customisable EQ settings, we were able to tune the music to our taste a little more. For us, that meant a little push on the low end, and a slight reduction in the highs. But there are no problems here, and the sound was delightful, with lots of bass ready to please our ears.

And although we liked the overall sound, if you are a bass freak, then these probably aren't the headphones for you. They are crisp, clear and subtle though, perfect if you're into more thoughtful music, or speech.

Noise cancellation shines

The real star though, as it should be, is the noise cancellation on these earphones. Firstly, the snugly-fitting earphones block out a little of the ambient noise - like noise isolating headphones do - so that gets you off to a good start.

Flick the switch to "on" though, and things take a turn for the remarkable. As with all noise cancelling headphones, we tried these without any music to see how they did with the sounds out and about. And the result was impressive. The over-loud fan in our old desktop computer vanished - it permeates all other headphones, and is very annoying - so test one passed easily.

Out and about, both overground and underground trains were rendered significantly less bothersome than usual. Of course, there's not much you can do about people talking, or those godawful announcements that happen every three milliseconds on trains, but the dull noise of the train moving disappears totally.

So good is the noise cancellation, that we sometimes didn't bother listening to anything, we just enjoyed the silence.?

Comfort and practicality

There are three sets of tips provided with the DS-321Ds. As you might expect, these are small medium and large. We would really have liked to see different end materials used. We get on well with foam, for example, and they are often more comfortable than rubber tips for prolonged use.

We did find that the belt clip was a touch stiff too. If you want to clip the battery component to your belt, you're in for quite a session of fiddling to do it. And once it's on, if you need to take your phone out of your pocket, you won't be able to move it far, because the cable from the pack is short, and will restrict you.

And the worst thing we found, was that the harsh metal clip will scratch anything you put it in your pocket with. So bear that in mind, as you don't want to mess up your lovely new phone. Do you?

Verdict:

Great headphones. Perhaps not the most comfortable in-ear 'phones we've used, but fine for most use. The noise cancellation here is the star though, it's very good and the rechargeable unit makes sense, especially given how compact it is.

Also excellent is the fact that when the power runs out, you'll still have a great pair of headphones, albeit without any noise cancellation. Battery life is good at 10-14 hours though, and that's enough to get you through a flight to Vegas. Recharge of 2 hours is respectable too, although you can't use the headphones while they're charging, which rules out an extra, portable, battery pack for long flights.

Most importantly though, the sound quality is excellent, and these headphones cost only ?60. We've seen competitors that command double that, and aren't as competent, or compact.

Tags: Headphones Digital Silence Digital Silence DS-321D

Digital Silence DS-321D noise cancelling headphones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:54:49 +0000

Klipsch has introduced noise cancellation into its headphone range for the first time, with the super stylish Mode M40 cans. And, it has included an in-line microphone and volume controls for iPhone, iPod and iPad users.

The 'phones are made of the same durable material used in high-end eyewear and come with a cloth covered cable, more often seen on home hi-fi gear. The ear cups are made of leather, and the active noise cancellation system employed can run for up to 45 hours on a single battery.

Unlike some other headphones, such as the Beats by Dr Dre Studio, the Mode M40 also work, even when there is no power for the ANC, albeit with no cancellation effect. This is important for those on long flights who have no access to spare batteries.

Each earpiece includes a 40mm woofer with active crossover, while a 15mm tweeter provides clarity for high frequencies. Frequency response, therefore, is?20Hz - 20kHz.

Input impedance (@ 1kHz) is 32ohms, while sensitivity?(@ 1mW, 15mm) is 97.5dB. The whole shebang weighs just 356g.

Compatibility for the three-button in-line mic is wide-ranging across iDevices, including iPod nano (from 4th generation), iPod touch (from 2nd generation), iPhone 3GS and 4, and both iPads. Do note that the iPhone 4S is not currently listed as being supported, but we've been reliably informed that it does work. We've tested a few rival microphones on the 4S, and rather than answer calls, they access Siri, so this comes as great news.

The Klipsch Mode M40 headphones are available for ?299.99 from www.klipsch.com, Amazon and individual stockists. Check the company's website for more details.

Tags: Klipsch Headphones Klipsch Mode M40 Audio

Klipsch Mode M40 noise cancelling headphones: Take to the skies in style originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:26:37 +0000