2 comments about Skullcandy INK'D Earbuds - Mac Red.

1. Comfortable and work well. Good sound quality. Much superior to the original iPod ear buds.



2. These earbuds like most other sound isolating earbuds I have tried can be annoying to wear if you are moving around a lot. Since the earbuds make a tight seal inside your ear, any movement in the cable will be conducted through to your ears. Therefore, I would not recommend these for wearing during a workout. This is not a fault of these earbuds alone but every pair that I have ever tried, so I will not knock these earbuds on that basis. That being said these are great earbuds, just don't buy them for jogging.
   
   The sensitivity of these buds is much better than my standard iPod earbuds and several other aftermarket earbuds that I have tried (Panasonic, Altec Lansing, Phillips). I have probably tried 5 or so different sets of earbuds in the $20-$40 range over the last few years and after a little break-in time and finding the right size gel pad (3 sizes are included) to fit your ears these easily blow them all away. The bass, midrange and high end are all good. These really shine in the bass and low mids compared to most other earbuds and since they are so sensitive you can keep the volume lower and save battery life on your player. You will hear things that you have never heard before in your music, especially if you are using the standard issue buds.
   
   Since there are 3 different gels to choose from as far as fit, these are also more comfortable for long listening sessions then other earbuds I have tried. They also offer good sound isolation, so these are great for work or in a moving vehicle.
   
   They are light in your ears, light on your battery and light on your wallet while providing excellent sound. Give them a little break-in time and you will love them... I did.

2 comments about JVC HAFX34G Marshmallow headphones.

1. I had a set of the prior version of this product (FX-33). It appears JVC introduced this new version (FX-34) in January 2008. I was very happy with the FX-33's except that the "consumable" foam ear buds, and spares, were consumed. I tried home-made buds by drilling a hole in foam ear plugs, but it didn't work very well.
   
   These new FX-34's are the same basic design. The biggest difference is that the package comes with 2 sizes of foam ear buds. You still get 4 buds total (2 pairs), but one pair tapers to a slightly smaller diameter on the end that goes in your ear. I think the spare pair of buds with the FX-33's were the same size.
   
   I think the rest of the construction is the same as the FX-33's. Speakers look and sound the same (i.e. sound much better than you would expect for $20). The plastic around the plug is smaller; not necessarily anything wrong with that. The wire is a little stiffer and looks a little thinner when I lay it next to my old ones, but I think they may be be swelled because they've been abused in dirt and sweat for 6 months+ (with no problem other than looking dirty and getting a bit soft).
   
   I like the green, and the FX-34 greens are all green (wire, buds, etc) where the FX-33's had a white wire and yellow-ish buds.
   
   Sorry Amazon, I bought these at Best Buy because I needed them today. Interestingly enough Best Buy had a bunch of FX-33's in stock for $25. They only had this one pair of FX-34's, and they were off to the side in the wrong spot (label on the shelf said Panasonic). I had to ask them to scan the price, and it wasn't even in their system. They figured out how to sell them to me for $20...
   
   Summary is that I like them so far - great sound and love the foam buds. I've only had them for a couple of hours; if that changes later I'll update my review.



2. These were a good value for the money, however, they provide no where near the quality of sound of the ear buds that came with my ipod. Unfortunately, the ones that came with the Ipod would not stay in my ears. These come with two sizes of foam and I use the small ones. They are very comfortable, stay in my ears, and match the ipod in color perfectly. The sound is certainly adequate but if you do a lot of listening with them, you'll be disappointed in the sound quality. I use them mainly while walking at lunchtime so I can put up with the sound quality for an hour. Still a good value for the money since I was not about to spend $30-$40 for a pair of the same quality that came with the ipod.

5 comments about Shure PA755 Triple-Flange Sleeves for Shure Sound-Isolating Earphones (1 Pair).

1. I love these. They fit great and isolate great.
   
   The retail price is $10 for 3 or 4 pair. Do not buy 1 pair for $10. Someone's opening the retail box and making 75% profit over the retail price.



2. I am a frequent traveler and I was looking for a more portable alternative to Bose headset for short trips. My expectations were low that the triple flange sleeves would block out enough noise to be useful, but after reading many reviews I decided to try them. What I found is that the triple flange sleeves do an excellent job blocking out the noise and one my most recent trip overseas, I chose to use the Shure E2C ear buds with the triple flange sleeves over the Bose headset and I was pleasantly surprised. The delivery of the product from the vendor was prompt and you will have to work the flange sleeves a bit to fit the E2C ear buds. I strongly recommend trying this product and vendor.



3. These ear bud covers work very well. They may take a few times of wearing them to get used to the feeling (alittle more pressure then the soft foam)but they stay in. I run on a treadmill and it's hard to find buds that stay in the ear.



4. I bought these for Westone UM1s and they work great! Thanks to reviewer Pedro for the tip on cutting off the top (smallest) flange. Before I trimmed, they had a terrible seal (airy, no bass) and hurt my ears. After I cut off the small top and trimmed the stem to even with the 3rd (largest) flange, they work perfectly. They are much easier to put in than the comply tips that came with the UM1s. They do not block quick as much exterior sound as the comply foam tips in my opinion, but they take 2 seconds to insert for me vs having to squish the hard foam over and over to put those other ones in. I am hoping they do not get as nasty from ear dirt as the Complys did (I often wore them shortly after showering. Foamies don't work so well when wet!)
   
   Unless you have large ears, follow the directions and cut them. It's a 10x improvement. The sound is terrific.



5. These are great! An absolute must for anyone who uses in-ear monitors and can't afford $500 or more for custom ear molds. Using these was almost like being in a near-field monitoring (i.e., studio) environment.

1 comments about Sentry 2.1 Surround Sound Headphones with Subwoofers - HO2.1.

1. I loved these headphones!!! They are great for those in a band. Or if you are like me and love BASS! It has volume control so you can turn it up higher. These are so loud you can hear them throughout my 2 story house. Its crazy. But ONE thing, The cord is WAYYYYY too long! I was standing up and someone accidentally tripped over them and now they dont work. But overall it is worth the price. Just be careful with them

No comments about Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10vi Earbuds / Headset (iPhone Compatible).

5 comments about Koss QZ50 Stereophone.

1. I was very disappointed with the Koss QZ50. They do not fit on the head very well, and the noise cancellation is very slight. The sound quality is good, but not exceptional. I would suggest looking for another option.



2. I am a research and development engineer for CTI / (computer and telephone) call center technologies.

   I purchased the stereophones because of their low price and usefulness of noise cancel technology for use with cross-talk on an operations floor in an office environment.

   The noise cancel seems to work well for the price. The bass response is absolutely the best I've heard for a pair of headphones under $100. Clarity is excellent.

   If you can get over the EXTREME discomfort. The plastic bracket around the back provides pressure against my outer ear cartilage. Of the test subjects from the pool of 100 employees, have confirmed this issue.

   Most of what I found is that the bass response is so impressive; it's worth putting up with the irritation. However, after long periods of time this pain can irritate.

   The stereophones themselves are excellent, but the bracket that holds them to your head is very poor design. Also, does not make a complete airtight seal around your ear, which can also provide some outside noise interference.

   I called KOSS and spoke with JESSICA from marketing 5-14-2004, 12:00 EST. Her response is that this design was not a mistake. She had no excuse and assured me this is the way it is. I could not get very many words from her in regards to answers. I was told these are a "STREET LEVEL" series product - and that the way it is. She did explain a new product from koss is currently in production to be released to the open market within the month.

   I would like to see the same set of stereophones released with a different bracket that is away from my ears.

   There is a weird sensation of what I can only explain as being underwater, or being inside of a custom-fitted car with super-loud bass amplified subwoofers w/ the windows up. The pressure of the sound created from the bass of the stereophones in my ears causes some type of unusual feeling inside the cavity of my ears. You may need to be aware of this sensation, especially if you intend your children to use the KOSS QZ50 STEREOPHONES.

   I will be conducting a series of tests with a professional otologist, in an attempt to resolve my concern for health issues in the internal ear. I would not want to have someone close to me suffer from painful side-effects from long-term use of a product which has engineering issues.




3. This was an impulse buy because they were being liquidated at a local store and so I got them for half the Amazon price. But after hearing them I have to say that the sound is amazing even if they were full retail. I also own the Bose noise canceling headset which sells for $300 and they are incredible at disposing background noise; much more so than these QZ50's. Noise canceling on these is really silly to expect. That being said, I really think the actual sound reproduction is similar, which is unbelievable since the Bose cost almost 10 times as much. I don't use the Bose headset unless I am sitting in one place since it has a very inconvenient two square inch box on the cord that holds the battery and the on/off switch which would just hang like an anchor if you were walking or moving around. The over-the-ear design of the Koss seemed like they would be uncomfortable, but after wearing them for an hour or more at a time, I almost forget that they are there. The sound reproduction is clear, smooth and consistent. I think they are incredible for the price and would highly recommend them. This is being added months later: I find that I rarely use the Koss now, mostly because of their size and the fact that I looked in the mirror and I look like a Star Trek Borg wearing them. Also, they do require a lot to push them, so the volume is at best modest.



4. I have been on a bit of a quest for decent and user-friendly noise cancelling cans for a few months. I use trains and subways to commute, and I think I did damage to my hearing years ago when I would drown out the subway noise with my headphones. I figure noise cancellation (or reduction) technology would help prevent further damage. I had the Sennheisser PCX-250 (list $150), which sounded reasonably good and had fairly effective noise cancellation, but was very cumbersome to use, with a lot of cords to get tangled with the remote cords on my CD player (iRiver SlimX 450). They were fairly comfortable. I then moved to the Aiwa branded Sony noise cancellation phones (list ~$60). These do not have a separate battery/circuitry compartment like the Sennheissers, but instead, like the Koss QZ-50, have these built into the headset. They are moderately comfortable but bulky. The noise cancellation is pretty effective, although it adds a significant amount of hiss (more than the Sennheissers). The sound overall is balanced, a little bass-heavy and ragged in the treble range, but overall quite listenable. Best of all, the Aiwa is very sensitive, so it is easy to drive, and saves CD player batteries (since you run the player at lower volume levels to achieve the same loudness). I tried the Koss QZ-50 because I hoped the behind-the-neck design would be more comfortable and less geeky looking. Also, I love the Porta-Pros, and was hoping the QZ-50 would sound like them. The QZ-50s sound just OK. Not very extended in the bass, no better than the Aiwas up top. They are fairly comfortable, although the earcups tended to slip down off my ears when I walked. Unfortunately, while the noise cancellation processing does not add any significant hiss, it also doesn't seem to reduce noise at all. Add to that the QZ-50s high impedance (which requires higher volume settings on the player), and the QZ-50 is not worth keeping. I'd try the more expensive Koss QZ based on the Porta-Pro, but it, too, uses a separate, wired compartment for batteries and circuitry. I do not recommend the QZ-50 as a solution for listening in noisy environments.



5. When I recieved my order I was so excited but when I opened it, i was so disappointed!! The eairpieces of it are over 1 and a half inches thick, I looked like a robot wearing them! When I put the battery into them, they weren't lightweight, they kept falling off my ears when I walked! Plus, get this, they didn't even work, when i tried to turn on the noise canceling function, the red light didn't even turn on!! These would be great if you're looking for a geeky looking pair of stereophones! Good luck, if you them!

1 comments about Street Style Headphones.

1. SONY MDRG74SL STREET STYLE FOLDING NECKBAND HEADPHONES
   
   The headphones sound GREAT!!!. The only reason I didn't give them a full 5 stars is they don't adjust for size. They fit me fine, but are a tiny bit short for my wife, who also got a pair.

5 comments about JVC Lightweight Headphone with Volume Control (Silver).

1. W O W .
   
   These are the finest portable headphones it's ever been my pleasure to clap over my ears. The sound is amazing. I tried it out initially on Rob Zombie's "More Human Than Human" and discovered that there are actual intelligible lyrics associated with the song. The next try-it-out piece was from "The Lion in Winter" soundtrack, and I was equally surprised to learn that what I had always thought was an ethereal background la-la-la from the women's choir was, in fact, a mixed chorus whose phonemes are pure. Sound barely leaks from them to disturb the people next to you (like I care, but that's a consideration in an office).
   
   The little thumbwheel volume thingy is surprisingly controllable--more so than the sliders I've been accustomed to.
   
   The headband is indeed a little fragile, I'll give 'em that. But... but they fold up so eentsy! As long as you don't store them in the pocket of jeans that are a size too small, I can't see that it would be a problem. Plus, if you do bust them to flinders, they're only ten bucks a pair. What's not to like?
   
   'Scuse me, Poulenc's Organ Concerto is calling...



2. I was looking for a pair of inexpensive headphones that had a five star rating. From the glowing reviews on the sound quality, I figured this was a good buy. I normally don't spend less than twenty dollars on headphones, but I decided to take a chance here--something I shouldn't have done.
   
   The headphones seemed to be good quality in the picture, but in real life they are made of a cheap, flimsy plastic. They look like they would easily break even with normal use. The earpads are paper thin and rough. They probably would have to be replaced within a month, if not sooner. Also, something that surprised me, is how small the headband is. I had to put the headband on its largest setting and it barely fit. Most of the time with headband earphones, I have to put it on one of the smaller settings. I doubt these headphones would fit the vast majority of adults. It seems like these were made for a child or something.
   
   The biggest disappointment, though, is the sound quality. I was expecting the sound quality was pretty good from the other reviews. That is not the case at all. The sound is absolutely terrible! There's no bass, and music sounds very tinny. I'm not sure why the other reviewers thought they sounded fantastic. All I know is that I definitely received the headphones pictured here. If you're looking for cheap headphones and don't care what they sound like, you'll probably be happy with these (though you can get BETTER sounding headphones that are cheaper). But if you want inexpensive headphones that are made well and that sound halfway decent, I would look elsewhere.
   
   Things did end well, though. My daughter wanted headphones for her Leappad, but we couldn't never find any that were small enough. These fit her perfectly, so luckily we did find a use for them. She doesn't care what they sound like, and it doesn't matter anyway, because her Leappad isn't in stereo. So, if you're looking for headphones that would fit a young child, I would recommend these. Other than that, I would definitely keep looking.



3. I purchased these headphones mainly to do medical transcription because it has a separate volume control, but found they are also great for listening to music (especially if you want to drown out annoying videogame sounds!!). I was amazed at how great the sound quality was for such a cheap price. I highly recommend them for business or personal use. Be sure you check out all the different color options!



4. I purchased these because of the inline volume control which works as described. The sound is fine too. The headphones are only good if you are not moving your head or body. They are light and kinda flimsy and keep slipping around when I move. I use earphones for outside gardening and walking and working where I don't want to disturb others and these just don't work.



5. I bought this as a christmas gift for my husband and he was really pleased with it. He does a radio show on Saturdays and he uses these headphones. He asked for headphones that had volume control. The price was right because he doesn't need the expensive ones. Also being compact and lightweight works because he has to pack his equipment. Great buy and it made him happy.

No comments about Arriva cordless iPod Shuffle headphones with ipod-type earbuds.

5 comments about Panasonic RP-HC150 Noise-Canceling Headphones.

1. I got these at a nice discount on Amazon. However, I only use them in the gym. They do not cancel noise that well on the plane. You still hear quite a bit of engine noise when the noise reduction switch is turned on and the batteries only lasted for about 4 hours. I usually must turn the volume on the mp3 player I use at the maximum setting. Great stereo sound quality, however.



2. Here is my review on these inexpensive headphones after one 3 hour flight:
   
   ADVANTAGES:
   - Quality build and good materials
   - Very comfortable over the ear design with large earcups. I'm sure you can use them for 10+ hours without pain, since there is no pressure on the ears.
   - Lightweight
   - Folds to a compact size and stores in an included leatherette bag
   - Sound quality seems good although I'm not an audiophile to make a good judgement on this
   - Only little hissing when noise cancellation is on (the Bose don't have any hissing by the way)
   - Headphones even work without noise cancellation in passive mode (some other brands don't)
   
   DISADVANTAGES:
   - Noise cancellation is not very good. It does drown out very low frequencies on the airplane but you can still hear the jet engines and everything else. I tried the Bose QC2 and QC3 on a trip and their noise cancellation works much better. When you activate the Bose noise cancellation you get this numbing sensation and everything is calm and quiet. With these there is only a slight change in the noise, but enough of a change to make the engine noise less annoying.
   - Since the noise cancellation isn't very good and they hiss, they're not something to use in the office to drown out background noise (again, the Bose are very good for that).
   
   So overall I'm pleased, mainly because of the comfort and low price (you can get 10 of these for one Bose!). I tried several other brands and returned them because they were either uncomfortable, had ineffective noise cancellation or were too expensive.



3. I didn't notice a difference between puting them on and putting my hands over my ears.
   Want one for cutting out/down the background noise of the TV so I can concentrate on reading. Don't want to listen to music, want to hear nothing/little so I can concentrate on what I'm doing, so I never tried listening to music through them.
   Returned them.



4. These headphones are lightweight and comfortable, and the cord is long enough, and they came with an airplane adapter included. These are the good things I can say.
   
   Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good.
   
   The cord is very thin and flimsy, and I'm afraid it would not last very long. I bought these at a store and they are going back. The noise cancellation does not work well. When you turn it on, a hissing noise starts, and the outside noise is not perceptibly diminished. In addition to normal household noise, I tested them with a violin playing in the same room, and they failed that test spectacularly.



5. I bought this product that it would have good quality, but no. There is a lot of background noise, which probably means poor materials. Also the noise canceling is weak. I can still hear a lot of noise in the background. I should have shelled out for a more expensive one.