2 comments about Orienteering (Essential Guides (Stackpole)) (Essential Guides (Stackpole)).

1. My opinion in summary: attractive, appealing, draws you to read it, inspires you to do it.
   
   This book is one of an Adventure Sport series and that is exactly how orienteering is refreshingly portrayed by Ian Bratt. Ian doesn't say who the book is intended for but the Adventure Sport series and the style indicate a youth to adult target.
   Forget your dry `how to' chapters and dreary photos of people in funny nylon suits. This book combines photography, text, charts and artwork to portray orienteering as appealing to readers as it is to practitioners.
   
   The range of topics is extensive yet thanks to well crafted text that is concise, precise and clear, at less than 100 pages this is not a heavy tome. Examples of extended scope include "Trends in orienteering" in the description of the sport and also a chapter that covers general and orienteering specific training, nutrition, stretching through to the mental angle. The final chapter covers various forms of orienteering including rogaining and an intriguing look at new developments.
   
   The photography is outstanding and is exemplified by the cover action shot of an orienteer in modern, trendy gear. No nerdy look here! The action/trendy theme is complemented by superb scene shots and backgrounds. For example verdant foliage and lichen covered roots amongst rapids or the multi green-blue hued plants and reflections in underwater orienteering. The photos alone make you want to get out there now.
   
   Extensive use of diagrams helps keep text minimal while improving clarity of explanation.
   
   If there is one negative, it is that it is not in enough book shops and libraries.
   
   If I had to choose one book to introduce people to the sport, it would be this attractive and appealing book without question. And get one for your own coffee table and work place.
   
   (Written from the perspective of an orienteer).



2. After my husband and I did our first go at orienteering a few weeks ago at a Scout-O with our son and throughly enjoyed it. As fans of "the Amazing Race" on TV we really got into it. I rushed home to find some books or websites on this sport/activity to learn more and found a wealth of stuff. It is a whole huge subculture of activities (hiking, kayaking, underwater, night races, etc...) that we knew nothing about. I ordered this book along with others (on this site) about orienteering as well as checking out a few books from the library.
   
   After combing through all of them this is the only book we kept and have used it quite a few more times to look map symbols up or read more about some aspect. This is a very inspiring -- everyone can do it -- kind of book. Great pictures and helpful short section that were easy to manuver around in and find what I was looking for.
   
   Skip the other books and buy this one. This is the one you will actually pick up and read and USE!

5 comments about Koss KEB24 Portable Isolation Earbud (Pink).

1. I read a review about these somewhere -- New York Times? Airline magazine? -- and decided to try them out. Night and day from the standard Apple white earbuds. These lodge inside the ear (once you chose your right size from the three sizes of rubber covers), and block out most of the outside noise. Inside in a quiet room you hear details of your music you've never noticed before; in the gym, on the street or in the subway you can listen to your music without distractions. I have a set of the very expensive Bose noise-cancelling earphone which I'm going to leave behind next time I take a plane trip. Only gripe is that the cord is thinner and more kink-prone than Apple's ubiquitous white iTunes cord and has a cheap feel. If you've paid your $150+ for an iPod you should invest in a pair of these and hear all the music has to offer.



2. I do not understand how they have the nerve to put anything about "good bass" in the technical and product descriptions for this item. I got these to replace my Koss Sparkplug earphones, and what a disappointment! My old Sparkplugs have pretty darn good bass response, but they are kind of a hassle to get into the ear. When I first put in these Koss KEB24 earbuds I was *ecstatic* over how well they fit into my ears and how easy they are to put in. I thought: man, with such a good fit these are sure bound to sound great! Wrong. Once I tried listening to some bass-heavy mp3s--big letdown! If you want good bass--stay away! Even with the lousy fit the Sparkplugs had much better bass. I'm new to this type of earbud so I'll have to keep searching for something better.



3. In the words of a 14 year old girl, "like, oh-my-god.. these are like so awesome! they have like the best sound so when I'm totally rocking out to.. hmm who do the kids listen to these days.. rocking out to N*SYNC!"
   The sound really is great, and to come from such a small product is outstanding. These were bought for a MP3 player on a cell phone, and it's like having great music from your $300 MP3 player or that other product that's out there but I will not give a title too because an Apple a day is the reasons we have doctors.



4. I've been using Koss "The Plug" Portable Headphones (colors vary)forever. When I saw these headphones I was so excited and when I got them I was amazed by the sound. But two weeks later the right plug stopped working properly.
   
   I thought maybe I had just got a bad pair, but when I bought another pair the same thing happened again. You want some great earbuds, go for Koss "The Plug" Portable Headphones (colors vary).



5. I've test rap, metal, country, rock, and a few other genres. The sound is about average. The headphones themselves are very lightweight, which is good I guess, but they feel cheap. The bass sound very deep, but not solid. The vocals sound a little above average and are very tolerable. If you strictly listen to rap or r&b, you may want to go with a different set.

5 comments about Altec Lansing AHP-712 Headphones.

1. Out of the box, the AHP-712's noise cancelation feature didn't work. No sound at all. Well, maybe that means it totally worked (ha!). Anyway, with cancelation switch off, they did sound pretty good. Awaiting replacement and better results.
   
   Update 12 April 2006: Received replacement headphones. They are working as expected in noise cancel mode.



2. I purchaced the headphones a couple of weeks ago looking for a good sounding pair of headphones with a decent noise canceling feature.
   
   I was very happy with the sound of the headphones without the active noise canceling feature turned on. I loved the phones ability to produce low level frequencys, somthing I look for when I purchace headphones. The low level didnt get mudded out by a high midrange song or sound. I currently use these headphones for gameing.
   
   I am currently sitting In a room with them on, there is a pump running behind me pumping water out of my flooded room. The pump is very loud and annoying, there is also a dehumidifier running just to my left. With the active noise canceling on I cant hear the dehumidifier whatsoever even during silent periods between songs ect. I can barely hear the pump running and without these phones I would be driven up a wall and back. This said however....
   When I turn on the noise canceling feature I have to completely adjust the equalizer on my X-FI so the sound still remains correct, it really takes the high end out and fills up the midrange so it sounds like my dads car stereo.
   
   I love the phones for the price but having to change my equalizer to compensate for the noise cancelation is a hassle, 4 stars.



3. Just broke my headphones in on a long business trip.
   
   No, they don't shut out 100% of the background noise (duh), they aren't the most dynamically responsive headphones on the market (double-duh), and they aren't so comfortable that you don't know they are there.
   
   They *are* a good pair of headphones and do noticeably reduce the low frequency background noise typically found in a jet cabin environment, all for a very affordable price.
   
   Battery life was good - maybe 20 hours worth.
   
   They don't fold into a terribly compact arrangement - essentially the cups swivel 90 degrees so the unit is more flat. I don't think that's unreasonable, but some may think that's it's still too bulky.
   
   Good ear and headband padding. All-in-all, I think I got my money's worth.



4. I don't know what headphones you people are talking about, but I got the Altec lansing AHP-712 ones and both of the earphones fell off within 15 minutes of having them out of the package.
   
   They are taped in with 4 small bits of cheap double sided tape. This is an outward sign of poor crafstmanship that is an indication of what is inside as well. Sure it comes with some trinkets, but the audio isn't that great. I haven't tried it with a battery in though so I don't know what they sound like with that. I have a huge head and they do fit!



5. The ear pads both came off within a few weeks--it looks like they were glued into place with a few dabs from a glue stick. I replaced them with additional glue, which has met with limited success. The shoddy ear pads, coupled with the poor noise-reduction quality (it hisses--how is hissing better than ambient noise?), was absolutely no match for the final straw: the left ear piece broke off. That's not glue-able and nobody is interested in refunding me the money. Do not buy this product! Get a Bose or Sennheiser--those guys are serious about their noise-reduction headphones. They may be pricier but they're definitely worth it.

1 comments about Panasonic RP-HV260 Portable Earbud Headphones with Shock Wave Technology.

1. Considering the cost of these the quality is quite good. The sound volume is high, not muffled, and crisp to the ears. Bass is adequate since it is not the noise canceling type.

No comments about Direct Sound EX-29 Extreme Isolation Headphones.

No comments about Kodak C813 8 Megapixel Digital Camera.

5 comments about Stanton DJ PRO 2000 S DJ Pro 2000 Headphones.

1. Stanton is absolutely the best headphone at this price. Better than Sennheiser, Sony, etc. With the Stanton, you can crank up the bass and still hear high notes like a triangle. Nothing else compares for under $100.



2. Good, now it was that I received prodcto bought (Stanton DJ PRO 2000S DJ Headphones). I have proven it and it seems to me good quality.
   
   Greetings.
   
   Grellysvir Lunar



3. First, the sound on these is very good from many points
   of view, but not phenomenal or outstanding.
   
   Secondly, the audio plug I received was of the large turn-table
   type, needing an adaptor to fit into a mini-jack used by mp3
   players, the walkman, ipod, etc. They are also bulky, heavy ...and
   the audio wire extended 2 meters perhaps.
   
   Third, the plastic that is used is fragile. In the grey sections
   at the top of the headset, the entire plastic bracket will crack
   right off, just because (for example) they were dropped on a carpet
   too many times, or over-stretched when placed over the head
   
   Fourth, after 1.5 or 2 hours, the ears get hot, and definitely need a breather, as there's lack of air.
   
   Fifth, the vinyl covering of the cans themselves, in black, are
   enormously fragile, and over time (1 or 2 years) seem to dry up,
   flake and fall off. Perhaps they need to be moistened but ..since it's
   plastic, I don't see how a material not made of leather could benefit
   from a lubricant.
   
   Sixth, the sound leekage is too much ...in fast, if listening to
   a DJ mix, the other rooms in your apartment or home, will be hearing
   your mix from 30 meters away.
   
   I would suggest a different headset ....at the time I though $100
   was a lot of money to spent on headsets ...but ... sometimes money
   is not the most important factor.



4. There are both good and bad things about these cans like there is for practically every set of headphones out there. First off these headphones are NOT BULKY OR HEAVY and have no idea what the guy below me was thinking. Part of the reason that I like these guys is because they are so lightweight and you can toss them on and off so quickly and easily. They are smaller compared to your average set of cans like the Sony's, or the Technics, Pioneers, etc. They are not as Bassy or punchy as the Sony's but come quite close. The Mids, and Highs to me sound in the same ballpark. To me the first thing to go was the padding in the headband which fell apart rather quickly (about 3 months) which I crazy glued back on and problem solved. Then the headband itself started cracking and although this didnt affect the peformance of the cans themselves, I didnt understand why the material cracked except from normal usage. What I like about these Cans is that it has a stereo/Mono switch which assists in precise mixes ( at least for me anyway) and the fact that they are sooolight and comfortable on the head. I do 4-5 hour sets and hardly notice they are even on at times. They fit so snug on my head compared to the Bulky Sonys or other versions. I personally dont like the way I look DJing with Huge headphones on my head when I take pictures. Stanton actually came out with the newer version 3000s series and I think they pale in comparison. They dont have the mono/stereo switch, they are heavy and bulky like the Sony's and sound exactly the same. The reason they still sell these older 2000s series is because they are popular and sell a lot. I like them for their convenience of being so light and so snug. Besides some things I mention, they dont break as often as the Sony's or pioneer's. Puit it this way, these are Tiesto's trademark headphones which he uses at every single show and I doubt he would use anything but quality. Dont let the price fool you, these are quality headphones!



5. I have owned a pair of these for about 18 months and I find them to be a great value. I bought them for their great sound, but I soon discovered that they offer about 20 dB of sound attenuation, so I use them on airplanes, and they are great. I haven't had any durability problems, and I have brought them to Europe twice and across the US several times with no problems.
   
   I think they are fairly light for their size. They do get a bit uncomfortable after several hours on a long flight, but i think any over the ear headphone would for me.
   
   I have only two complaints, both minor. First of all. the headphone plug is a bit large; I would have designed it differently. This may seem minor, but in an airplane seat it does get in the way, and I worry about bending it if I move. Secondly, I wish it came with a padded case for travel, though I have found they just fit into an old CD player case I already had. If it weren't for these two things, I would give this five stars.

1 comments about Sennheiser FLX 70 Mobile Bluetooth Headset.

1. Sound quality (my end and their end):
   I am very pleased with how well I can hear others, even with background noise around me. My dad mumbles, and I can hear him more clearly on this headset than others I've tried. However, the folks I talk to tell me that they can't tell any difference between how I sound when I talk to them with this headset compared to my previous Jabra 5020 (which cost $30). I had to shell out $$$ for this item because my phone is nearly incompatible with bluetooth headsets, but if I didn't have a Sprint Treo 755p (fellow 755p owners see below), I would have stuck with the Jabra 5020's comparable sound (although my 5020 literally fell apart after 1 month).
   If I make too much background noise on my end (crumpling newspaper, running water, shuffling papers, moving dishes etc), it's painfully loud for folks on the other end. But that has been the case for my Jabra 5020, Motorola H700, Plantronics Voyager 510, Gennum NX6000 and even a wired Jabra. And they can turn their headsets down.
   
   Comfort and fit:
   I find this VERY comfortable. It's made for user's to nestle the ear bud in your ear. It comes with ear gels in 3 sizes, and the medium fits my medium-small ear well. It will NOT stay in my ear without the flexible ear loop. The ear loop is bendable and did not break when I bent it to fit my ear. It has held its shape. Now I can shake my head and the headset won't budge.
   
   Battery life:
   The battery life is VERY poor and disappointing. I can only get a max of 60 minutes of talk time out of it. Even if I leave it turned on but don't use it, the battery drains in less than a day. I would have expected more battery life for this much money. I'm thinking of returning it for that reason. Note: I left the headset plugged into the charger all night. When I went to bed, the light was blue (indicates full charge, but when I retrieved it this morning, the light was red (low charge). Go figure.
   
   FOR TREO 755p USERS:
   I have a Sprint Treo 755p and finding a headset that is compatible with it has been a nightmare. I have only had this headset for a week, but so far it seems to be causing fewer problems than my previous 4 headset attempts. The headset picks up calls when it's supposed to about 85-90% of the time, which is by far the best I've experienced. FYI, I do not route calls directly to the headset, I press the button on the headset when I get or make a call. My Treo soft resets itself a whole lot, but it's hard to say if that has anything to do with the headset or not. It does it more frequently when the headset is on, but still does it when the headset's turned off.

No comments about The Plug Earbuds.

No comments about Dynex DX-HPADI Headphone Adapter for Iphone.