UrbanEars – the name is as unique as the look, with surprisingly good performance. UrbanEars ‘Medis’ is the name of a line of earbuds from Sweden that are completely different from any other earphone I have ever listened through.  Don’t let the UrbanEars Medis ‘toys r us’ look, shape and color throw you off.  These UrbanEars are not only well constructed, they actually produce exceptionally good quality audio reproduction – spacious, natural and distortion free. Once you get the hang of how to position the UrbanEars Medis onto each ear, the listening pleasure begins.

Your first look at the Medis by Urban Ears will be a bit of a double take. Unlike conventional style earbuds, these Urban Ears don’t fit into the ear canal surface like the usual Apple ear buds or  deep into the ear canal like the ‘in ear’ style earbuds which make your ears all sweaty inside. As a set of ear buds, the Urban Ears Medis have a unique shape and style that is at first quite puzzling. It’s all worth a bit of initial fiddling and concentration. The Urban Ears Medis kind of gently twist into the natural shape of the outer most part of the ear just over the ear canal and ultimately the ‘speaker’ portion (the driver) of the Urban Ear Medis is actually suspended above the surface of the ear canal.

Upon plugging a pair of Urban Ears Medis to my iPod, I was immediately impressed with what I heard. So much so that I wanted to start ‘A / B’ ing the sound quality and physical fit of the UrbanEars Medis with several other earbuds I had on hand from other manufacturers in a variety of price ranges. These Urban Ears Medis came in first place for me in every comparison for general listening.

The Urban Ears product catalogue describes it this way:

‘Medis (UrbanEars model name) is an unprecedented experience in ergonomics and functionality. The patented EarClick solution secures the earpiece on two separate points rather than one, relieving pressure to a nearly non-existent level while keeping it firmly in place. Additionally, the Medis rests a small distance from the ear canal and therefore doesn’t affect your balance. Naturally the Medis features a dynamic  sound and the sleek and minimal design that is synonymous with Urbanears.’

The description above can only really be appreciated once you have actually tried a pair of Urban Ears yourself. The sound quality has a marvellous spacious natural audio characteristic and in my opinion is superior, largely a due to the manner is which the speaker portion (drivers) of the UrbanEar Medis is suspended in the tiny space above the ear canal and not jammed into the ear canal like most other conventional earbud designs.

The UrbanEars Medis are surprisingly comfortable to wear,   letting your ear ‘breath’ by allowing air to circulate between the driver and the surface of your ear. The hi-quality design and attention to detail is evident from the braided fabric cord down to the soft supple ‘silicone like’ housing which encases the hand made drivers. Urban Ears Medis ship with a variety of changeable inserts to ensure a comfortable fit for ears of all sizes as well as a couple of adapter cables. And of course, the Urban Ears are iPhone compatible as they have an excellent built in microphone and remote for mobile phone convenience.

‘A Better Mouse Trap’

In my opinion, the design of the UrbanEars Medis is revolutionary in the world of ear buds for fit as well as for audio quality. As it says on the box, ‘Function quality and acoustic performance together with a unique design.’

Had I not tried the Urban Ears personally, I would never have been able to appreciate the crisp natural sound quality and comfortable design of these exceptional headphones.

‘Not simply some gimmicky fashion statement’

Don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself and try a pair of these UrbanEars Medis. My apologies if this is sounding cliché but the truth is, after using these Urban Ears, all other conventional earbuds are only second best for general listening of music and voice reproduction. Naturally, because they are so unique, a pair of UrbanEars Medis are a great gift for the music lover in your life who has everything…

(Yes this product gets a 5 star rating)

Key Features:

Ear click construction for ultimate comfort

Interchangeable pads in a variety of sizes

Hand made drivers

Fabric Cord

Microphone and remote compatible with most cell phones

One year premium replacement warranty

A variety of attractive colours to choose from

Approximately $50.00 retail

http://www.urbanears.com/

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Can’t get enough of the Hova? Well then it’s your lucky day, because you can now wear headphones designed by the rapper himself.

Jay-Z has joined the latest celebrity-designed headphone trend, reports PerezHilton, following such other artists as Dr. Dre and Lady Gaga.

Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, partnered with Skullcandy to create the snazzy-looking headphones that come in black, brown and white.

“Our passion is creating amazing music,” Jay-Z said. “We’re dedicated to delivering the best in live performances and now with the Roc Nation / Skullcandy partnership, we’re offering the best way for people to experience the soundtrack of their lives.”

These headphones are going for $149.95 (US). Apparently listening to the soundtrack of your life costs quite a pretty penny.

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Noise cancellation headphones have been on the market for many years and if you don’t own a pair by now then the time has come to think about getting on board. Designed to cut down background noise in active environments like airplanes, buses, subways or fitness Centres, decent noise cancellation headphones should effectively cancel out ambient sounds to allow the listener better enjoyment of the music itself without the distractions from the likes of droning engines or motor rumblings.

In essence, I believe that noise cancellation headphones primarily use some sort of audio signal to balance out certain frequencies. Active noise cancellation headsets must be powered by batteries or AC/DC in order to accomplish this task, and not all noise cancellation technologies are created equal. As one can imagine, there are various types of noise cancellation technologies available but as far as the actual headphones themselves are concerned, it  boils down to two basic styles – over the ear models – ‘Headphones’ and in ear models – ‘Earphones’.

The Blackbox C14 earphones by Phitek are the latest in the family of noise cancellation headphones from this company which includes models M14, M10, i10. The Blackbox C14 noise cancellation eardphones are an ‘in ear’ style using ‘Active Noise Rejection’ (ANR) and are powered by a AAA battery.

ANR technology is the system developed by Phitek to reduce ambient noise. From my experience, the technology works. Having brought the C14 headphones with me on international flight in order to experience first hand, the noise cancellation effect, I am happy to report that ANR does block out ambient noise of the airplane engine. Most of the audio interference one would want to eliminate would be sounds such as engine rumblings or the whirling of a treadmill motor for example. These frequencies are on the low of the audio spectrum and ANR makes listening to audio a much more pleasant experience.

The C14 comes with a number of handy accessories and adapters to provide connectivity to many audio devices – 3.5mm stereo connector (mini), 6.5mm audio adapter (stereo quarter inch) and the 3.5mm dual-pin for use on an aircraft. A single AAA battery  provides 40 hours of sound satisfaction is also included. All these items fit into a zip up Black Box travel case, for storage and mobile convenience.

The Lanyard (neck strap) that is included with the C14 however, is difficult to attach to the Blackbox compartment and the battery compartment is a little too well hidden. Better documentation would be helpful dealing with these two issues. Basically, the front panel of the ‘BlackBOX’ slides over to reveal the AAA battery compartment – easy when you know how. The photo here shows the front battery panel half open revealing a look at the battery compartment, as well as an attached lanyard – good luck!

For clarification, a description of the Blackbox C14 Earbuds would go like this: The C14 as you can see from the photo, is a regular looking set of ‘in ear’ headphones (a tad larger than normal with a definite angled design). Somewhere along the wire, about half way between the earbuds and the ‘plug in jack’ there is a plastic box about 1 inch Wide x 1.75 inches High x 3/8th inch thick with BLACKBOX printed on the cover. This plastic box houses the AAA battery and probably has some circuitry contained in it. Slide open this cover to reveal or change the AAA battery. On the top of this box there is a small green indicator light and on the side of the box there is a volume slider a s well as an ON/OFF slider. The lanyard mentioned is an included accessory which can be optionally attached for convenience to the tiniest possible little receptacle hole.

The Backbox C14 deals effectively with ambient noise and the C14’s also sound great! Providing quality sounding audio these C14 ‘in ear” earphones come with a 30 day money back guarantee. If you have been waiting to try out a pair of noise cancellation headphones, there is now, no excuse, no barrier – get a hold of a pair of C14 to find out what you’ve been missing all these years!

C14 ANR™ in ear Earphones

$99.00 CDN

Technical Specifications:
Active noise cancellation
Phitek Systems ANR^TM
Up to 18dB under 1kHz
Up to 25dB from 1kHz
Audio frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz +/-3dB
Driver unit: 9mm diameter, dome type
Magnet type: Neodymium
Speaker impedance: 50 Ohm
Medallion Dimensions (mm): 53 x 33 x 15 (LxWxH)
Weight: 60g

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Noise Isolating Earphone Monitors - ‘Don’t leave home without ‘em’

The Triple Fi 10vi noise isolating earphone monitors, with voice capability, from Ultimate Ears (UE) are no ordinary pair of earbuds.  These are marvelous headphones that provide a totally satisfying listening experience, without the gimmicks and colored sound. The audio experience from the Triple Fi 10vi  is a smooth all around sound, absent of harsh overtones devoid of mushy bass. The Triple Fi 10vi, penetrating well into the ear canal, actually feel good and are comfortable to wear. The silicone material used for the fittings allows these headphones to feel as close to a ‘custom fit’ as possible, contributing greatly to what I discovered to be a quite satisfying listening experience. The fine sound quality, beyond initial expectations, was no doubt, due in part to having been accustomed to listening to music with the standard iPod earbuds. Be that as it may, this fact cannot steal the thunder from the UE Triple Fi 10vi’s excellence, as I immediately appreciated the rich audio quality as well as the custom fit of these pro level, isolating earphone monitors.

Professional musicians will be most likely be familiar with the Ultimate Ears Brand, as this is THE Ultimate Ears company who provides the ‘custom fitted’ monitor ear buds used worldwide by pro recording artists as well as live concert musicians. Next time you are at a live musical concert or watching your favorite live music concert on DVD, notice the tiny earphones each performer, musician is wearing. These ‘tiny hearing aids’ are probably UE Custom Series monitor headsets designed for touring musicians and serious audiophiles. I have seen James Taylor use them, Gwen Stephanie and many more.  The UE product line is divided into four series, ‘Metro’,‘Super’, ‘Triple’ and ‘Custom’ providing a headset solution to suit every budget – fortunately there is in fact, a pair of UE’s available ‘for the rest of us’.

The Triple Fi 10vi is in the upper-mid to semi pro range, a worthy member of the UE family that ships with more accessories that one can initially identify. To obtain the most out of the Triple Fi 10vi experience, the first thing to do after unpacking and taking a close look at the headphones is to inspect all the accompanying contents. I highly recommend, even before ever wearing the new buds for the first time, pay a visit the UE website and view the brief online demonstration video which will explain all one needs to know about the product, from how they should be worn, the memory wire, to what all this stuff is that you will find in the box.

Here is a ‘heads up’ as to what you will find in the box:

A pocket sized 3 inch by 2 inch hard shell metal case to store the numerous accessories: silicone and foam ear cushions for the “magic seal” effect, an extender cable, a sound level attenuator, a cleaning tool and last but not least, a 1/4 inch adapter, to connect the Triple Fi 10vi’s 3.5 mm to equipment where necessary.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. The sound quality of the Triple Fi 10vi is strongly related to the fit. If the earphones are properly set into the ears the sound will be rich and full. The earbud cables have what is called ‘memory’ wire, knowledge of which is integral to creating a proper fit.

2. The Triple Fi 10vi with voice capability has built in microphone for use as a headset with the iPhone and as a recording mic on the iPod Touch 2G. Used with an iPhone the audio transmission was clearer than than ever for the usual telephone conversation.

3. The Multifunction button answers a call on the iPhone or pauses/resumes music and video play and works with the entire current iPod family of products.

4. The sound attenuator converter will adapt the FOUR section 3mm end that you would see on earbud/mic headsets that are usually used with the iPhone, to the THREE section end that you would see on the standard stereo iPod headphone jack. Use of the enclosed sound level attenuator converter, might be useful in re-solving unusual mechanical issues in some cases.

Technically, the clear sonic quality of the UE Triple Fi 10vi is primarily facilitated through state of the art audio design. Three drivers, directed to their designated speaker combined with an audio filtration system, shapes the sound of the Triple Fi 10vi. The goal is to provide the listener with an experience that is as close as possible to that of custom personal monitors.

The look and feel of the Triple Fi 10vi with voice capability can confidently be described as solid, and the sound quality is rich an creamy. The biggest dilemma which will arise, is that after using the Triple Fi 10vi, the ‘pleasure’  of listening to an iPod with the ‘standard buds’ will pretty much be lost forever. As one might say, “Once you go blue you can’t go back”, or something like that.

With the ‘Triple Fi 10vi with voice capability’ offering a whole new listening standard, the next time you take your iPod out for a walk, you’ll will likely be finding yourself sharing my headspace, thinking the very same thing: ‘don’t leave home without ‘em’. Visit the Utimate Ears website to experience the complete line up of  headphone monitors available for  every budget.

MSRP $419.00 USD

For more information visit  http://www.ultimateears.com/

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Over the last few weeks, I’ve been listening to my music through iFrogz’s EarPollution ThrowBax line of headphones. I couldn’t stand using earbuds anymore, so I went on a mission to find a set a headphones that I would be proud to wear.

I’m really enjoying both the look and feel of these headphones. They fit comfortably and the sound is great. They also do a great job of blocking outside noises from creating a soundtrack to my music. The headband can also be adjusted for a more secure fit around your head.

The earphones come in 4 colours: orange, red, pink and blue.

Some other specs include:

- Driver Unit: 44mm
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Sensitivity: 108dB+/-3dB
- Frequency Response: 5Hz to 20 KHz
- Cord Length: 1.2M
- Plug: 3.5 mm

Priced at US$29.95 (plus 20% off at the time this article went to press), the headphones become even more attractive. To purchase your own pair visit iFrogz.com.

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Headroom recently announced the release of a variety of headphone and speaker devices for the upcoming holiday season. These products include the following devices:

Sennheiser RS140
These headphones are designed keep the sound in and to not disturb others, and is ideal for those who like to watch TV or movies late at night. $219.99 USD

Total BitHead Amp
The Total BitHead Amp makes headphones compatible with an iPod or other portable player. The BitHead’s USH input also improves the sound of computer audio. (Pricing not immediately available)

Shure SE530
These high-quality in-ear canal headphones are the best headphones available on the market sort of custom-modeled products. $499.99 USD

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Wi-Gear, a wireless hardware and accessories company, announced last week the release of its new iMuffs wireless headphones. Marketed towards people who like to exercise with music or who are constantly on-the-go, the iMuffs allows users to listen to their iPods or Bluetooth phone through ergonomically-designed, wireless headphones.

“iMuffs represent the massive convergence of two great technologies: the iPod and Bluetooth cell phone technology,” said Mark Pundsack, Founder and CEO of Wi-Gear, in a press release from the company. “We saw an opportunity to fill a gap and put the two things together, for a product that provides fantastic sound quality and functionality without all of the hassle of wires.”

Volume, track and pause controls are placed on the headphones, eliminating the need to fumble with your iPod to change settings while on-the-move. The iMuffs features Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and Bluetooth 2.0 technology, allowing users to listen to music via headphones that can be up to 10 m away from the iPod or Bluetooth device. When the headphones are paired with a Bluetooth phone, the iMuffs will automatically stop the iPod and ring in the headphones, allowing the user to speak through an integrated microphone.

This latest model of the iMuffs, MB210, is compatible with iPod nano, iPod classic, iPod touch, iPod photo, iPod mini and all 3rd generation iPods. The headphones are available in black or white, and are selling for $179.99. The product is available at www.wi-gear.com.

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Listening to audio recordings through a good set of headphones has always been an enjoyable experience and a way to hear a ‘lot more’ out of your favorite recordings. The Linx Audio headphones represent the most recent marketing advances in consumer headphone technology through the use of what is called ‘noise cancellation’.

In short, the benefits of using headphones with noise cancellation headphones is essentially to keep out unwanted external sounds while listening to a recording, thereby increasing the enjoyment of the audio experience. Noise cancellation is also supposed to allow you to hear the music at lower volumes. Theoretically, using a pair of Noise canceling headphones in a noisy vehicle or in an airplane would increase the pleasure of the listening experience while keeping the outside noise to a minimum.

Noise cancellation headphone specifications will vary from vendor to vendor and will therefore vary in quality and features. These headphones also characteristically have certain limitations. For one, noise canceling headphones require batteries for power and which have to be replaced or recharged regularly. If you forget to turn off the on – off switch after use, you will be replacing the batteries more often than you expect. I have also found that certain audio players interact with these ‘powered’ headphones in a way that causes an unexpected and unpleasant ‘hum’. These facts as well as other considerations aside, the Clear Harmony Linx Audio Headphones by AblePlanet compare favorably to the competition, that being ‘BOSE’ in both price and quality.

For this review I actually used a pair of good old standard Sony MDR- V600’s (not noise cancellation featured) for comparison with the Clear Harmony Linx Audio Headphones and although I wouldn’t permanently replace my Sony’s with the Linx, I occasionally like to switch around from time to time, if not just for variety. I especially liked using the Linx with my iPod as they are better sounding and way better noise canceling than the usual ‘in ear’ brand of iPod headphones while at the same time not as bulky at the less mobile looking Sony MDR-600. If I wanted to take a pair of headphones on a road trip in a vehicle (as a passenger not the driver of course) I would take the Clear Harmony Linx Noise canceling Headphones to take advantage of the opportunity to use them in a useful manner. Personally I wouldn’t take them with me on an airplane, but someone traveling regularly on an airplane such as a business traveler may be very happy to do so.

Clear Harmony Linx Audio Noise canceling Headphones have a four foot straight cable attachment cord with an In-Line Volume Control and a one eighth stereo tip. With the one quarter inch stereo adapter included, the headphones are typically capable of patching into almost every standard audio environment. These headphones come as a neat little package complete with a snug carrying case and several adapters. The Linx actually sound pretty good and sound to me, less colored sounding than the BOSE.

Consumer quality noise canceling Headphones will not replace yesterdays headphone technology like the iPod replaced CD’s but The Clear Harmony Linx Audio package is an impressive gift for the person in your life who already has every other kind of appliance in their possession.

Giving someone who means something to you a set of these noise canceling headphones which sell around town for $349.99 will quite likely leave a very positive impression.

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