Headphones Reviews

I recently bought the Plantronics LS1 headset because of poor experiences with the microphones of other 'noise-canceling' headsets I had tried. The LS1 was much better in that respect, and shows more attention to detail than most. The volume control and microphone mute, plus a comfortable headband attest to that. It has one serious flaw, however, in the speaker sound quality. If the volume is set more than moderately high, it is obvious that the speakers are being over-driven. Poor voice quality is the result, and don't even think about using this headset for gaming or listening to music. The quality just isn't there. Even a ($) ... 'noise-canceling' headset sounds better, though it won't stand up to the LS1 in other important ways.

My one reservation with this product is that it isn't built much more sturdily than any dirt-cheap headset you could find, though the LS1 is more than twice as expensive as the cheapies. I don't expect spring-steel for ($), but it just doesn't look like it will hold up to much abuse. Time will tell.

Overall I would say that if they just used slightly better speakers I would feel much more satisfied, but it's still a good buy.

I purchased this headset for two reasons only: to use with Internet telephony, and to use with my language learning programs. I have been pleased, especially since it wasn't very expensive and I wasn't expecting much. Here are what I consider the pros and cons to be:

THE GOOD: 1) It is lightweight and comfortable. It is easy to adjust the headband and the boom microphone. There have been a few times where I have gone for hours without realizing that they are on my head! 2) Convenience has to be its greatest asset! It is much more convenient to use than a hand held microphone and speakers. I have been using Dialpad.com, and this headset has taken care of the echo that other people hear. It also doesn't pick up as much background noise as my other mic did. As for the language programs, it is much nicer using this headset! Now I can type on the keyboard, or use the mouse, while I am practicing my Spanish! (And my wife doesn't have to listen along with me!)

THE BAD: 1) The cord is a little bit inconvenient. The 3 meters are nice - if you like walking around while you talk. But I am almost always sitting right in front of the computer, and the cord does present itself as quite a bundle. The cord connecting the boom microphone to the headset sometimes pokes me right behind my ear, but I have been trying to tame it so that it will stay down in place, and it is starting to work now. 2) If you want to use your speakers then you have to unplug the microphone and plug the speakers back in. This probably isn't too much of a problem, unless you're like me and you have your computer crammed into a corner!

OVERALL: This was the best headset/microphone combo that we could find for this price - and it has been well worth putting up with all the little inconveniences! Go for it! (Oh, did I mention that it comes with a one-year warranty?)

Whoa, when i used these on counterstrike, it was a breeze using the voice com during the game. I didnt have to lean over to get close enough to a non head band mic, and i didnt have to put up with an annoying [inexpensive]headphone mic. These are great. Real gg's ppl. And if any of u...have sweet sound on ur comps, you can just leave the headphones off and enjoy the use of a great mic. Also, this mic/headset is hugely recommended on a bunch of CS sites...

The sound quality from the MDR-G57 is excellent, with crystal clear output at the highest volume and minimal distortion. These headphones were obviously designed with portable CD players in mind. While the sound quality is nice, the design is, to say the least, unique. Rather than forcing the user to ruin their carefully sculpted hair style by putting headphones over it, these phones go behind the neck, saving face and hair.

The design does present a few problems, though. The first is the lack of size adjustment. Luckily, my head is neither too big or too small, but it can definitely be a problem to people with smaller or larger heads. Sounds silly, I know, but being too tight or too big can seriously cause discomfort. My friend bought these headphones and had the problem with her ears getting sore because she couldn't adjust the earpieces. One warning to all, though, prolonged use does cause irritation on the tops of the ears. Also, to people with glasses, you might want to reconsider buying these particular headphones, because the phones themselves take over the whole ear, preventing you from properly putting on your glasses.

The other drawback in the design is the bleedthrough, more so on these than other open-ear design headphones. Be careful of the volume if travelling on a bus or a plane, because the people sitting around you will definitely hear what you are listening to.

But all that said, I am happy with these headphones, though I see the drawbacks for many people, and experienced a few of them myself. For the price, these are a great deal. For sound quality, these have it where it counts, for design, it's depends on the person.

I have found that I do not like earbuds, the little "clip on" individual ear headphones, and pretty much anything other than traditional "over the head" stereophones, so I was pleasantly suprised when the Sony MDR-G series actually fit me well. I have the MDR-G57 and MDR-G52 and enjoy both. The G52s were very tough and lasted over three years before the bass started to rattle and the earpeice started to come undone.

Overall, these are very good heaphones but seem a bit overpriced. Many people with long hair or earings may find them uncomfortable or hard to put on and take off because the headband goes *behind* your head not over your head. However, big heads and big ears are not a problem as I have both.

Some major pros to the design is that it is very comfortable for me (even for long term use for homework and stuff), very durable (mine have lived in my backpack for the years they survived), and generally nice looking (especially the G52 -- I could do without the yellow on the G57s).

However, no matter how you slice it you are definitely paying a premium for the Sony name. They are durable and sound very good, but for the money you could buy better sounding headphones from Koss or Aiwa and enjoy your music more. Definitely look at other brands, and if you like these Sony's the most go for it. You won't be disappointed.

I love this style of Sony headphones! I have been looking all over for them b/c they are too expensive at Sony.com. They are so comfortable, I can even sleep with them on. I hightly reccomend these!

I first bought the Sony MDR V6 over a decade ago and was so taken by their performance, that I invested in the V600 a few months ago. I have not been disappointed. If you are looking to combine your digital music listening experience (CDs, MP3s, etc) with a top notch pair of headphones or looking to enhance your movie watching experience (on a laptop for example) with a state of the art pair of headphones, look no further.

The highs and the lows are captured perfectly, adding a hithero unknown dimension to your listening (and viewing) pleasure. You certainly cannot go wrong with the price either!

Be warned, however, that these headphones are heavy. While, not a problem, should you be sitting in one place and listening to the audio, by no means will you be comfortable walking around in these headphones. (Hence the four and not five stars.)

These headphones produce good sound and are comfortable for long stints (12-hour paper-wrting marathons, anyone?). However, two things bother me about them. First of all, they produce a lot of static when not playing anything -- since this static does not come out of my Klipsch ProMedia 5.1s, I have to attribute it to the headphone electronics. And secondly, although I have only had them for a bit more than a year, the right earpad is already coming apart, which gives me doubts about long-term durability. A lesser problem is that they are hard to transport because of their size, but they keep out plane noise so well that I can't really complain that much. Overall, I give them an A- for sound quality, an A+ for comfort, and a C for durability.

Headphones are highly personal devices, so don't be surprised to see wide variances of opinion. In fact, I have yet to discover an "all-purpose" pair. Imagine an equalizer board with 8-16 slider switches adjustable in any number of configurations. Boost the treble and upper mid-range while cutting back on the bass and you have the Panasonic 850's, which are perfect for concentrating on Ella's voice or Tony Williams' ride cymbal but not on Nelson Riddle's orchestral arrangements or Ray Brown's bass.

The Sony MDR-V600's may be as close to a "universal," accurate set of headphones as you can get for under a hundred and fifty. Compared to my MDR-6's, which my son "borrowed," they're more comfortable and the sound is more "flat" (i.e. accurate, faithful, undoctored). If your tastes extend beyond contemporary pop and you're serious about sound "fidelity," beware of those "DJ" models, with the bass boost, brain-shaker and virtual-reality features. And as a previous reviewer has pointed out, this model is identical with the higher-priced "professional" phones Sony is listing as model 7506. Perhaps Sony plans to make the 700's the only available models (call it "cost-effective marketing), because there are currently some great deals on the MDR-V600's.

My only "complaint" is the extreme degree to which the V600's seal off all outside sound, making me feel like I'm trapped in a cocoon (they're ideal for anti-social or solipsist personalities). These phones are a pleasure now and then, but I'm still happy with my Sennheiser PX-100's for 80% of my listening.

I note that some of the complaints about the menu setups of the Nomad 3 reflect the fact that the users did not know that the first thing they could have done is go to Nomad's website and download an upgrade for the firmware which make the players menu display the individual albums or track for each artist.
I frequently check their site for upgrades but the capacity is enormous, I even have audiobooks downloaded onto this thing. I've owned all the Nomads since the first 6 Gig unit and this one is by far the best.

I purchased this product about 2 months ago right here from amazon.com, and have no regretted it for an instant. As soon as I received it, I couldn't put all the CD's I owned onto it fast enough. You may think 40 gigs will never be utilized, but that's the great part. I'm going to own this thing till I drop or go deaf. The mechanics of it are great, as well as easy to use. The sheer sturdiness of the player enables me to take it anywhere, in my car (there goes the need for a CD stereo in the car!) to the gym every day, and in bed at night, and hooked up to the stereo in my room. What a time and money saver this thing really is in the long run. I highly recommend the product to anyone who enjoys a lot of music. Amazing product overall

Let me start this review by saying that I cannot possibly explain just how much I like the NOMAD 3. Having said that, let me explain just how much I like the NOMAD 3. This player is unbelievable...everything a music-lover needs. I don't want to ramble on about all of its features, besides, there's too many (and they're all listed on Amazon). Maybe the best feature of this player is its upgradability (besides the sound quality, wheel button interface, I could go on...). For example, look back at all the other reviews that have been written on it, and focus on all the negatives. Now, forget the negatives, because the NOMAD 3's latest firmware upgrades solve these problems! When I first bought the NOMAD 3, I was dissapointed by it's lack of a graphic equalizer...I figured an equalizer would be essential in a player like this. After a few months, however, Creative Labs announced a new upgrade...and guess what? Now my player has an on-screen 4-band graphic equalizer! I'm already looking forward to the next upgrade!

Transferring songs is easier than you might think. Hook the NOMAD to your computer, and the file-transferring software automatically opens. The screen is divided into two windows, with selectable sources of music for each (for example, CD track listing on the left, NOMAD 3 track listing on the right). Simply select the tracks you want to copy from the CD, hit "Transfer", and that's it!!

For the inexperienced, let me give you an idea of how much music this thing holds. My player is a little over half full. If I load up all the tracks, and set it to "shuffle", I could listen to no-repeat music for 27 days. Non-stop.

Finally, I can safely say this is the last MP3 player (or any kind of music player, for that matter) that I will ever buy. Ever. This is my second one (my first was destroyed, long story)...and if anything ever happened to it, I would be right back here that day to order another one.

This refers to the HP-X223 version of the headphones.

I needed headphones for my PC because I live in a dorm and dont want to bother my roommate with my Digital Audio projects and such. I bought these because of thier impressive 5-25,000 hz frequency response. These headphones are great. They provide a "true to source" reproduction of the sound. That means that all the flaws of MP3s can be heard through these headphones. It also means that these headphones wont boost bass or cut treble, you will have to do that yourself with your source EQ. Not a problem with me.

What did bother me was the amount of interference I heard from the headphones. My desktop computer is all crammed on my small desk. These headphones are SO GOOD at a wide range of frequencies that it was picking up frequencies within the computer and monitor. I could hear my mouse cursor move across the screen, for example. It was a light fuzzy noise, not a big deal when listening to loud music, but when the audio is off or I was working with editing audio, it became annoying.

I plugged these headphones to the rear audio jack of my sound card, and the interference was less, but that is where i plug in my speakers and I didnt want to have to change the plugs out every time I wanted to switch between speakers and headphones.

So the moral of the story is, these headphones are GREAT if you have a high end, high quality sound coming into them from a high quality source with minimal interference.

Comfort wise, I have a huge head and these headphones were comfortable, they are huge.

I returned them and will probably get a model with less frequency response and an in-line volume control, which is helpful for computers you dont have to keep changing your system volume every time you want the headphone volume to change.

First let me say that I regularly entrust Aiwa to all my audio needs, so I guess I'm a devoted customer. Still, that fact aside, this is a great purchase, and it certainly fulfills the need for a pair of superb headphones. As someone who can't stand bass, it is [always] nearly impossible to find a pair of closed-cup headphones that doesn't have "enhanced bass," "extra bass," or the like. However, even though this pair claims to provide a "deeper, stronger bass sound," it isn't as bad as the other headphones I've had the immense displeasure of trying, and tweaking one's equalizer can easily compensate for the unwanted bass. Rephrased, I hate bass and bass-heavy music, and I don't understand why headphones have built-in mechanisms to add bass; companies could at least allow you to turn it off at will, but I digress. Nevertheless, these headphones provide good-quality sound (minus the excessive bass), they block out your surroundings, thereby allowing you to be enveloped in your music, and the cord is of an adequate length. Moreover, the price is quite affordable--certainly worth the sound quality that you receive--and the headset is both comfortable, as well as flexible and articulated. These headphones do lack the volume control option I've seen elsewhere, but so what?! Likewise, the 'mute' button must be held down to be employed, but that doesn't bother me because it's a rather useless option.
In conclusion, I'm not going to claim that this product is perfect, however they are the best closed-cup headphones I've tried (hence the 5 star rating), and I recommend them to all whom are willing to listen (no pun intended)!

I got these headphone because I had HP-CN5's (aiwa's noise canceling ones), but I managed to snap the headband, so thats [money] down the drain. So I looked around and got the HP-X222's.

First - The sound is terrific, I havn't heard sound like this out of headphones before.

Second - I think these are very comfortable, heck I wear them even if i dont have them plugged in, in the 2 day's I've had them I can't even tell their on anymore.

Third - The sound quality is great like I stated before, it handles high's well, and also lows alot better then I thought they would. Although they can't get DEEP bass, they do not get distorded at hi volumes either. I also have a pair of Sony's that cost [more] and I believe the HP-X222's sound just as good if not better.

* - Only thing I don't like is the mute button on the left side, I constantly accidently press it while adjusting the headphones.

I first bought the LS1 model because the HS1 seemed too bulky and large. My primary interest was to use it for Internet telephony and gaming. The sound quality for music and gaming was disappointing for the LS1 so I got the HS1 to compare.

I found the HS1 much more uncomfortable. Admittedly, my head is large. However, the LS1 fit extremely well. So much so, that it was easy to forget it was there. Great for making phone calls.

The HS1 felt very bulky in comparison. I didn't like the automatic tension system where you don't adjust the headphones, you just pull it down over your head. I could feel a constant pressure on the top of my head. Also, the unit I had tended to push the right earphones towards the front. When I took it off, I could see it was slightly lopsided.

Usually, I am very inclined to buy the higher-priced model, especially in this case since the HS1 has better sound quality. However, I didn't think I could stand having it on my head more than a few minutes.

Well, It has the absolute best microphone I ever used. Absolutely perfect for voice chat, telephone calls, and voice recognition. The headsets are, however, uncomfortable to wear because it puts too much pressure on your ears. They don't fit over your ears, they go ON them. The tension system is annoying. As far as sound goes; they seem fine for music, have good bass response, but when I play Quake, the bass is washed out and distorted. But still, the mic is the most important thing here. Even with it's flaws; it is still by far the best headset/mic combo I have ever used. Rat Shack Pro-50MX headset is much better sounding, and has awesome bass, but the mic is absolutely worthless. Now if you could somehow mate the mic from the HS1 to the headphones of the PRO-50MX, THEN you would have THE headset. Sigh...

These are terrific headphones for their sound quality and the microphone. I absolutely love the sound they produce. The bass is very deep (perhaps too deep for some -- but it's the way I like my music :) and highs are good as well.

They can be a little uncomfortable because the earpads press against your ears too much.

After purchasing the DSP-500 from Amazon.com (which saved me LOTS of money!), I installed on my XP system. I had to visit Plantronics website to try to get my speakers to work again. Like other users have said, switching between headset and pc speakers are a pain! Not like the external switch I've been use to. Tech support was friendly, but pretty much useless.

Overall I'm very happy with this headset. It delivers great sound and is reasonably priced - a great value IMO.

Installation was super easy. The instructions give you step by step details on what to do, not that you really need them. I just pop'd in the install CD, installed their software, plugged in the headset to the USB port. Done. (FYI, I'm using Windows XP)

I have no issues going between speakers / headset. Again, it's very easy. A switch on the little control panel would have been nice to disable it, rather than using the software or unplugging it, but not a big deal, as I'm already conditioned to this.

I think the sound quality is excellent! I basically use mine for playing games and have played a few dozens games since I've got this headset and have been impressed with the nice bass response and very clear sound. It really puts you in the action!

The microphone boom works great too. My friends on Roger Wilco can actually hear me and I don't have to shout (makes the wife happy!). It seems to be a tad hard to 'twist' the boom down into position, but I'd rather have it a little stiff than loose and it always falling out of place (like my old headset).

I enjoy the speakers enclosing the ear which gives a nice solid fit. They feel natural and haven't encumbered anything I do with game playing for the most part (switching rapidly between mouse/keyboard/joystick on games like BattleField 1942 can be tricky without touching the headset wires). My only wish is that they would have made it cordless to match my keyboard, mouse, and flight stick.

Enjoy!

idk why that person says that don't get loud enough . . .
They get loud enough for me to listen with them only around my neck. Mic is good i say its good

Perhaps I placed too much hope on these headphones from reading the rave customer reviews but the earbuds were disappointing.
The Good Stuff:
1. Cord length (not too short or long)
2. Delivers good enough surround sound for earbuds
3. Volume control on cord (especially if you have your player away from your immediate person in backpack or purse)
4. Decent bass
5. Price (can't be beat!)
The Bad Stuff:
1. Music tends to sound a little muddled
2. Fit (keeps falling out of my ears)
3. Wish it had a gold plated stereo plug
4. Feels a bit plasticky
5. Does not block out enough external noise (I have to turn my music way up in public areas or on public transportation)
Overall, these are good stopover headphones as I make my way (and save up cash) towards earbuds like the Shure E2c or the Etys ER-6.

Overall, I'm dissapointed! I have the MX300 and they sound identical and they are like $10 less! Don't get me wrong, they are great earbuds, but I was expecting an improvement from the MX300... save yourself $10, buy the MX300 instead, the volume control doesn't change the level that much anyway.

I've tried any number of earbuds, and these are the best I've heard by a wide margin. I think the bass is quite decent for an earbud -- but since bass response depends quite heavily on fit, I suppose some others might have a different experience. Overall, I find the MX500's sound to be clear and warm compared to other earbuds I've listened to. I disagree with the reviewer who said these are the same as the MX300. I have both and I can hear a moderate but definite difference in sound quality. On the other hand the MX300 is quite decent and at about half the price of the MX500 might be a good choice for some. It should be noted, however, that the MX400 and MX500 *are* the same, differing only in that the former doesn't have a built-in volume control.

Everybody hears headphones and earphones slightly differently, but the MX500 is consistently rated as the top value in its category in headphone chat rooms and is probably the place to start if you're looking for a pair of earbuds.

I read about these "terrific" headphones only to find out they were low quality. After a few months, one speaker stopped working. In order to get it to work, I had to wiggle the wire. It got very frustrating. I wish I could send them back to Amazon but I accidently ripped the headphone wire trying to get the right speaker to work. Get something better.

I'm very satisfied with these headphones. I was looking for a closed type of headphone, yet didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars. The models above this seemed to all be open ear models, so I selected this model.

I've had them up pretty loud, and the only problem I've noticed is that they will start to overload if the bass is pushed too hard a a high volume.

For my ears, they seem to require a bit of a push on the high end as well, but that's not a problem to adjust with EQ.

They're comfortable to wear for hours, though the closed design does tend to make your ears a bit warm and it can get uncomfortable after long periods of wearing.

The cord is thin, and detachable, which is a great feature.

If you're looking for low cost headphones for just about any but the most demanding use, these will fit the bill.

For ..., I think these are an excellent value- a good way for non-audiophiles to upgrade to better phones.

The sound is crisp and clear, and compares very well to more expensive phones I've heard in stores. Bass response is good, so much so that I don't use the Megabass as much on my portable.

Speaking of portables, these will work adequately with a portable player (max volume just a tad bit low), unlike many premium headphones. Of course, you will get best results playing these with a regular stereo.

They are very comfortable and lightweight, so you don't notice them too much. The light weight also helps a little in the portability factor.

One note- Headphones sound a lot better after you break them in for at least a few hours. This one is no different-

I bought these for listening to classical music late at night without disturbing my apartment neighbors. I use a computer to play all my music, and hate being tied to my workstation while listening by a cord, so I was willing to compromise on audio quality for the sake of wireless convenience. In fact I was pleasantly suprised by the sound, which is rich and full, and not at all lacking in bass. Range is adequate for my small apartment, and interference noise has not been any problem for me.
But, there is one problem which makes them almost useless; they have Automatic Gain Control (AGC), which compresses the dynamic range of the output. To explain a little -- popular songs are recorded at a near-constant level, so setting the output amplification automatically to give a constant average signal is not noticeable, but most classical music varies very widely in audio level. A big orchestral climax, with every instrument going full blast, might be followed by a solo flute playing very quietly. Or, a long diminuendo in a piano sonata might fade to a brief silence, and then, for dramatic effect, comes a big fortissimo chord. What happens here is that the volume automatically cranks up during the diminuendo keeping it almost as loud as the loudest of passages, then I hear hiss during the silence, as the gain is too high, and then the loud chord that follows is momentarily deafeningly distorted, and then very quickly the AGC cuts down the volume to be about the same as the overly amplified preceding very quiet passage. This largely ruins the music for me.
If I could only turn the AGC off, these headphones would be fine for me, but it is not even mentioned anywhere in the tech specs nor in the user manual.
I believe in fact all wireless headphones have this feature, although it is seldom mentioned. I now wish I had bought the AKG brand, because I found in their user forums a hack to disable the AGC on the transmitter unit, although this requires soldering on the circuit board. Unfortunately Sennheiser does not seem to have forums, so I guess I'm out of luck with these.

I work around ridiculously loud coworkers, so I always listen to headphones at work. Problem was, I hated being tethered to my computer.After reading reviews on amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and circuitcity.com, I decided to try the Sennheisers. They were definitely the best choice of quality and value.

I admit I've only had them for a day, but they sound as good as my wired headphones and were a breeze to begin using. They also help tune out everyone else (bonus!). I don't know what was going on with the few bad reviews I read - operator error maybe? I was listening to music within 2 minutes (literally) of plugging into my PC. The headphones are not heavy and they are nicely padded - really comfy to use.

As of right now, I highly recommend these headphones. The only reason I gave them four stars instead of five is because of my limited time having them and the battery is limited to four hours of continous listening. I'm planning to buy an additional battery pack since it can charge while I'm using the headphones (also available on Amazon) and that way I can listen all 8 hours while at work.

If you're still skeptical, the vendor who sends the product through Amazon has a return policy of 30 days (just double check this) so they're definitely worth trying.

It's time to cut the cord - wireless is the way to go.

If you're going for audiophile quality sound, then these probably aren't for you. If you want a convenient wireless headphone system to watch TV or casually listen to music while moving about the house, then these are great. The sound quality is comparable to most inexpensive corded headphones and these sound better than other wireless headphones I've tried. They're light and comfortable and you just stick them back into the base to recharge. Supposedly the batteries last 4 hours per charge, but I've never tested that. The base features a slot to charge an additional battery (that can be purchased ...) and you can swap batteries quite easily.

This model has 3 frequencies that you can choose from by pressing a button on the base. If you have two of these, then you can use them both by leaving the bases on different frequencies. The headsets can then be tuned to either frequency (so both headsets can be tuned to listen to the same base signal). Unlike a cordless phone, where the handset switches frequency channels simultaneouly with the base station, this headset requires you to tune the headset to the frequency of the base station. This isn't hard at all, but this might explain why that other reviewer couldn't get a signal out of this (so read the manual). Along with the tuning dial, the headset also has a volume dial built-in.