Category: Headphones / Earphones
Jay's c-JAYS headphones are lightweight, but heavy hitters
The world of mid-range headphones has just got a little more cluttered with the release of the c-JAYS, from Swedish manufacturer Jay’s Headphones. They’re over-the-head jobbies and they come with three sizes of foam cushion, from small to whopping (whopping pictured above).
You’ve got to love that way that whenever technology companies invent something, they give it a silly name and acronym. In this case, Jay’s has invented something called the Elastic Multi Layer (EML) Membrane, which apparently makes things sound nice, and SGSCC (Single Crystal Copper) cables, which reduce distortions.
For those keeping score, that’s the second time today that an abbreviation doesn’t match up with what it’s abbreviating. I’m not a happy bunny.
SHINY VIDEO REVIEW: Noise-proof headphones test
Annoyed with your current headphones? Bothered by people yapping and eating Rice Crispies on the bus in the morning, and need to replace the crappy pair of earbuds that came bundled with your MP3 player? You need to see this video.
Lucy, Zara and I tested out some of the noise cancelling and noise isolating earphones on the market. Dan made some noise. You can see the results above – the Shure SE102s won out, thanks to their low price and extreme effectiveness. Highly recommended.
Shure SE102s
Related posts: Don’t buy them if you use a pacemaker | Semicircular headphones, so you don’t get hit by a bus
Klipsch launches new Image X5 earphones, and price cuts for rest of range
High-end audio manufacturer Klipsch has just announced a new set of earphones to sit alongside its prosumer X10 and budget Custom-1 models.They’re called the X5s, and they’re ever so slightly larger than the X10s.
That slight embiggening saves £50 in the manufacturing process, which they’ve passed on to the consumer, so the X5s will cost £130. For that, you’re getting 50 ohm impedence, 110dB sensitivity, and -26 dB noise isolation. Klipsch are calling these “the least fatiguing in-ear headphones around”, and they’ll be available in ‘late November’.
Sennheiser VMX100 Office Kit – Bluetooth headset with 35m range
Sennheiser has brought out the office kit version of their Voice Max Bluetooth headset and just in time for Christmas too. The Sennheiser VMX100 Office will set you back £199.99, so you’d better like that special someone a whole lot to chuck in this 15g high end device as a stocking filler.
It’s ergonomically crafted…
iPod headphones a possible KISS OF DEATH for users with pacemakers
Dr William Maisel, a cardiologist at the Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, caused heart-murmurs across the internet this weekend thanks to his claim that music player headphones could break pacemakers – and stop defibrillators restarting dodgy hearts.
It’s all because of the magnets in headphones, which could, possibly, if held very close to them, make pacemakers and other “embedded” medical devices stop working. After testing eight models of headphones on 60 patients with pacemakers, the doctor found that nearly a quarter of patients’ heart devices suffered some sort of interference…
Pioneer announces HDJ-2000 professional DJ headphones
I should probably have left this announcement for our resident DJ Duncan, but as an aspiring one (and resident trumpeter) I’ll bring you the news that Pioneer has just announced its HDJ-2000 professional DJ headphones.
Let’s take a look at the specs:
These fully-enclosed dynamic headphones have a decent frequency response of 5Hz-30kHz, 36Ω impedance, 107dB sensitivity, and 3,500mW maximum power input. They are constructed with 50mm dome type drive units and come with a 1.2m-long coiled type connecting lead which connects via mini-XLR…
New Panasonic RP-HNJ150, RP-HJE700, and RP-HJE900 earphones
Panasonic has just dropped a bunch of new earphones on the world, the RP-HNJ150, RP-HJE700, and RP-HJE900. The RP-HNJ150 are the low-end model, feature a frequency response of 6Hz-23,000Hz, with an impedance of 16Ω. They’re available in pink, white, blue and black. They’ll cost you US$34.92 (£25 or so).
Audio-Technica launches triple-driver ATH-CK100 and entry-level ATH-CKM30 earphones
Audio-Technica’s new earbuds, the ATH-CK100s, feature a slightly-ridiculous triple-driver system. Why would anyone need three speakers in an earbud, especially when even the best sound-isolating earbuds don’t block out enough noise to hear sophisticated sound improvements on the bus?
Diamond-encrusted earphone covers – what financial crisis?
I suppose there are two schools of thought with regards to the current whirlwind around the stock markets. One group of people will save every penny they have, so that they’re sure of being able to afford to eat in a year’s time still.
Humans hit evolutionary limit – here's how SCIENCE should intervene and make man BETTER
According to some scientist, humans have stopped evolving. This means we’re not going to get any better – at least not naturally.
So I propose science steps in to make us better, seeing as Mother Nature can’t be bothered any more. Here’s how. These are the evolutionary steps scientists need to introduce to our gene pool ASAP.
1. SIDE EYES
Seeing as our ears are always in use listening to MP3s of 1980s cover versions, it’s hard to hear cars, bicycles and lorries coming toward you. I therefore suggest moving our eyes to the sides of our heads, like horses, so we’re less likely to step out in front of buses because we can’t hear them coming. You never hear about horses never get run over because they’re too busy listening to the new Oasis album to listen out for cars, do you?
2. WIDER EAR CANALS
Dunno about you, but my ear holes are never big enough to accommodate all these so-called “in ear” earphones. You know, the ones you’re supposed to ram right in. I ram them in so hard it hurts and my brain pops, yet they still fall out after three minutes when the cable snags on my shirt. I therefore suggest we evolve wider ear holes for better audio clarity and comfort “on the go”…
