Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Product Category: Earphones Manufacturer: Shure

Where to Buy: Amazon [Affiliate]

Price: $97.78

System Requirements: Any MP3 player with a 3.5mm headphone jack

Specifications: Headphones have a frequency range of 25Hz - 18.5kHz with a 26 ohm impedance. They come in black or white and have an 18 inch cable with a 36 inch extension. The headphones pack up easily in a small travel case and come with a deluxe fit kit of 7 different tips to easily fit almost any ear size.

Pros:

• Amazing sound, it blew me away;
• Lots of fit options, ensuring a comfortable, tight seal;
• High quality construction that should stand up to long term use.

Cons:

• Somewhat expensive;
• In-ear design takes getting used to.

Summary: No matter what you use as an MP3 player there is a universal law that applies to your device of choice. The included ear buds suck. Sure, there’s different levels of suck, but in the end they’re all pretty horrible. There was a brief period of time when the Zune came with the premium sound isolating earphones and those were certainly a step up from the usual throwaways you get. Still, to really appreciate your Zune or "other" MP3 player you only have two avenues to really get the most out of your music. Read more...

What do you get for headphones for under $65? Let's compare two options, one of them twice as expensive as the other. Is that a fair comparison? $65 is affordable for most people who purchase something capable of digital audio playback, so I think it's fair game. I was using my set of Ultimate Ears' Metro.fi 2 earphones ($62.99 from Amazon.com) this morning, and I decided to throw the Zune Premium Headphones into the mix - you know, the ones that come with the Zune 80, but not the Zune 120 - and I was quite disappointed with how poor the Zune headphones sounded. I normally wouldn't criticize free headphones that come with a player, because it's always my advice to toss them and buy a good pair of headphones, but in this case the premium headphones are a product normally sold separately for $39.99 MSRP (retailing for $30 from Amazon) so I think they're fair game for comparison - especially now that there's no modern Zune that includes them. Read more...

"People with Windows Mobile devices � whether they be network-connected smartphones with the latest EVDO or UMTS wireless technology, or PDAs using 802.11b WiFi � all have one thing in common: they want to get rid of all the wires. I can recall the days when PDAs required connecting to a phone line or CAT5 Ethernet cable in order to get Internet access (yes, I am getting old). Now that we have the wireless networking part more or less nailed, there�s just one more wire that�s got to go: the cable connecting headphones for listening to music. Helium Digital�s HDBT-700 Bluetooth headphones aim to do exactly that."



The Two Inch View has a review on the HDBT-700 Bluetooth stereo headphones. The article states they were tested on the Dash and Treo 750 and it's interesting that they apparently sound better on the 750 than they do the Dash. I use the Motorola HT820 BT stereo headphones on my Dash while they sound great, they make me look like I have the Princess Leia hairdoo. :oops: So how about it? Do any of you use bluetooth stereo headphones with your A2DP device? Let us hear from you.

UPDATE: Want to save $10 off the purchase price? Use the code Thoughts-HD (valid until the end of May) when buying the product directly from Helium Digital.

"Logitech today introduced the Logitech� FreePulse� Wireless headphones, its stylish second-generation cordless headphones for iPod� and MP3 players, which deliver the complete freedom of experiencing digital music with no strings attached. The FreePulse Wireless headphones are half the weight (only 2.1 ounces/60 grams) and size of Logitech�s award-winning first-generation product � but, they are more flexible and durable, thanks to the high-carbon spring-steel headband. The new version delivers twice the performance as well as enhanced bass with its special bass boost feature. And it offers improved wireless performance with Bluetooth� 2.0 Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) wireless technology. People can simply plug in the adapter to any player with a 3.5 mm headphone jack, put their player in their pocket and enjoy their music wirelessly. No more cord tangles, snags or kinks."



I'd like to hear from Smartphone Thoughts readers that have Bluetooth headphones - I've never used a pair before, largely because I strongly prefer the in-ear headphones. Do most Bluetooth headphones sound decent, or does it vary widely based on brand? Anyone own the previous version of this Logitech product? And how do you feel about having the big Logitech logo on the side of your head?

"The i-PHONO mini headphone allows users to anwser or make a phone call while listening to music. Besides the Bluetooth A2DP for stereo wireless transmission and the Bluetooth HSP/HFP for handsfree communication, the i-PHONO mini headphone also supports Bluetooth AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile), meaning consumes can use the i-PHONO mini headphone remote control (ex. Play, Pause, Next, Previous...) media device if the paired source also supports AVRCP."



I am fascinated by the remote control aspect of this. Does anyone have any experience with AVRCP? I really like the idea of wireless stereo earphones. Most of the time when I'm listening to music I'm at the gym and the wires are always in the way.

First, we have the cute-as-a-button I-Volution X4, which holds four Secure Digital cards. It features a magnetic closure, four SD slots, the same "Push Push" system as their hard cases, and comes in a variety of colours. The size is 2-5/8" x 2" x 6/8". I'm not sure how often you'll need to carry four SD cards with your Smartphone, but hey, you never know. ;-)



Lastly, Vaja has released the GE11 Pouch for Bluetooth Headphones. I don't know if they meant headphones or headsets, but it looks like it would likely fit either one. It comes with a snap closure, an Ultra Clip, and is available in several colours. The size is 2-4/8" x 2-2/8" x 1-4/8" inch. [Affiliate]

"JAVOedge is proud to announce the JAVOeBuds � 2.5mm Retractable Stereo Headphones! This headset is perfect if you are trying to find one for your device without adding an extra adapter plug. With a sleek black color, you will never have to deal with tangled cords again."



Most (if not all) Smartphones use the 2.5mm jack for headsets. If you want to know more about Javo's retractable ear-buds you can check out the review by Kevin Remhof over at Pocket PC Thoughts. His review deals with the 3.5mm version, but I think it's safe to say they would preform the same. Retractable cables are the way to go for the mobile user. My current ear-buds have a month or so more before I toss them out and replace them with a set of these bad-boys! 8)

"The 'SONORIX' Bluetooth Audio Player OBH-0100, the first of its kind in the world, is a multi-functional wireless audio player that functions as a Wireless Headphone for PC enabling voice chatting and high quality music streaming, Wireless Headset for handsfree operation with mobile phones and Standalone Audio Player for listening to music anytime, anywhere.

� World's first Bluetooth stereo audio player
� Bluetooth technology for complete wirelessness
� CD quality sound
� Wireless PC stereo headphone feature
� Standalone music player (MP3/WMA) function
� Compressed music (MP3/WMA)
� Streaming function, voice chatting function
� High capacity flash memory embedded
� Uses high density Li-Ion Polymer battery for long lasting play
� UFO shaped battery charger
� Bluetooth USB Dongle(OBU-0100) included"

There's a review published in French, and here's a link to the Google translation into English, but isn't it amazing how far automated translations services still have to come? Look at this gibberish:

"As of l?ouverture of its beautiful limps worthy of the largest marks of the world of audio-visual, one of course discovers the helmet, a base of refill (for the removable battery included in the helmet), a dongle bluetooth, a extension bluetooth, a food for the base of refill and finally a cover." :lol:

Anyway, getting back to the subject at hand, this looks like a solid, useful product for getting rid of the wires if you want to listen to MP3/WMA files on your Smartphone.