Headphones Reviews

This is the non-USB (that is to say, analog) version of the Telex M-560. Like its USB sibling, it cancels background noise and offers the convenience of a headphone-free existence. Still, for voice recognition applications, it may be slightly inferior to the M-560, in that the virtue of the USB design is that it doesn't pick up any undesirable noise off the sound card.

Where the M-60 may be preferable to some users, however, is if you already have a high-end sound card installed in your machine, and you plan on doing a lot of voice recording. Top-of-the-line sound cards offer many recording options that wouldn't be available with a USB microphone that bypassed the card. To be sure, you could probably emulate these features in some other way with a USB recording, but if you've already made the investment in a high quality sound card, it may make greater sense to get this version of the microphone.

Likewise, this is your version-of-choice if you're running a version of Windows earlier than Windows 98. They view their USB model as a "non legacy" device, and so aren't going to try to support it with early versions of Windows. It's a logical stance, given the power-hungry nature of voice recognition software, so if you're looking primarily for a voice-recording microphone and don't want to switch to a later version of Windows, this is your gig.

Overall, this is the best overall value, IMO, for a portable headphone. Small and lightweight, the KSC-35s also sound better than any of their competitors, including the S/Portapros. They have OVERALLY bloated bass, the kind that gives me headaches. The KSC-35s would, too, if it wasn't for their very interesting design. Unlike usual headphones which go over your head, or even the neck-band types, the KSC-35s have no headband whatsoever! They hang around your ear - clip is the word most people use, but that sounds painful, and the KSC-35s are the most comfortable headphones i've ever worn. Ever.

To the most important part: Sound. These things ound great. With only 32 ohms of resistance, they will be driven easily from any portable, including MP3/MD players with low output strength. The clip design, as i mentioned above, changes the acoustic properties of the KSC-35s. They are no longer exerting pressure on your ears; they instead simply drape the earlobe. Because of this "loose" grip (when compared to the S/Portapros), they lose some of the boominess in the bass department. They do, however, have a peak in frequency response favoring bass, so bass lovers will truly enjoy these headphones. I prefer the mid-range, and the KSC-35s have a decent midrange presentation, as well a good treble presentation. The excessive bass, while less than the S/Portapros, is still too much to allow the the other frequencies to shine.

All in all, a very active-use friendly design, excellent sound for minimal price, and a superiority over other models in the same price range BY THE SAME COMPANY (KOSS), won me over. These headphones are perfect for an active listener who wants to get great sound out of his portable.

NOTE: I have been constantly comparing the KSC-35s to the Sportapro and Portapro models because all three models have the same drivers. In fact, the S/Portaprose tend to be highly reccommended, while actually their sporty-looking cousin, the KSC-35, sound better! For less! The only draw-back being a slightly unusual design, which I have grown to love!

The Koss KSC-50s, along with the other Koss headphones that use the PortaPro drivers are truly giant killers. These include the KSC-50, KSC-55, KSC-35, Porta Pro, Sporta Pro, KTX Pro, and also some Radio Shack models.

Most cheap headphones sound terrible, but I find these quite enjoyable. I use them when I don't want to take my Sennheiser HD600s out, and while they don't compare to the Senns, they are very plesant to listen to.

First comes the bass. Bass is very good for an inexpensive headphone. While they won't play as deep as a good subwoofer, they play much deeper then most cheap headphones I have tried, and the upper bass is not very boomy (Most cheap headphones have exaggerated upper bass to make them sound like they play deeper, many more expensive headphones do too, such as the Sony MDR-V600).

The midrange is probably the KSC-50s biggest weakness, in particular the lower mids - they just don't have the presence my HD600s have. They also seem to sound slightly colored, which is bad, but it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, I am comparing them to my HD600s. This isn't a fair comparison at all, comparing some (dollar amount) headphones to some (dollar amount) headphones, it is like comparing a Hyundai to a Ferrari.

Highs aren't very airy, but treble is played up fairly high (Most cheap headphones barely play upper treble), and it isn't overpowering at all.

Comfort: These are relatively comfortable headphones, sometimes the earclips can be annoying, but they are extremely light and you usually barely feel them on you.

In short, everything sounds pretty good on these headphones. You really can't compare to them at anywhere this price range. They literally sound better then every Sony headphone from the MDR-Vxxx line which goes from the (dollar amount) V-150 through the V-900s, yes, they sound better then all of them, also they sound better then the Sennheiser HD490 and 500. If you are looking for something under (dollar amount), one of this series of headphones is your best bet. The next real step up from them would be the Grado SR-60 around (dollar amount) and the Sennheiser HD495 around (dollar amount), or the Sony MDR-V7506 around (dollar amount).

The one potential drawback is that these are an open design, which leaks sound out, and lets sound in. The problem is that most cheap closed headphones like the Sony MDR-Vxxx and CD-xxx series sound terrible in comparison. If you are willing to let some sound leak out, and have no isolation from outside noise, these are the headphones for you at this price. The only closed headphone of the above three I reccomend are the Sonys, both the Grados and Sennheisers are open. Most high end headphones other then monitors like the MDR-v7506, or Beyerdynamic DT831 are open. These include the Sennheiser HD600, the AKG K1000, Beyerdynamic DT931, Sony CD3000, and the rather expensive (At (dollar amount)) Sennheiser Orpheus.

As always, be careful with volume levels when listening on headphones, you can damage your hearing very easily. If you can't hear someone at all when they are talking to you, or screaming at you, I would highly reccomend you turn the volume down some, unless you want to wear a hearing aid later.

I'm purchasing my 2nd pair of these. Only one other lightweight headphone that I've owned has beaten the sound quality of these. My general advice on buying lightweight headphones with the best sound (learned through experimentation):<br /> <br /> 1. Frequency Response: I believe this is the most important specification. The wider the range, the better the sound. I wouldn't even bother with any headphone that starts above 16hz or ends below 23,000hz, because you'll lose some of the high-end and low-end sounds. For instance, when I played the soundtrack from Star Wars on headphones that didn't meet this criteria, I noticed that I couldn't hear some of the background instruments.<br /> <br /> 2. Gold Plated Plug: The sound from non-gold plated headphones doesn't seem as good.<br /> <br /> I'd encourage you to read the other reviews here, too. These headphones fit very comfortably for me, but I guess that's not the case with everyone. Also, I wouldn't know how well these headphones handle heavy wear & tear, because I don't use them in such situations.

Overall, this is the best overall value, IMO, for a portable headphone. Small and lightweight, the KSC-35s also sound better than any of their competitors, including the S/Portapros. They have OVERALLY bloated bass, the kind that gives me headaches. The KSC-35s would, too, if it wasn't for their very interesting design. Unlike usual headphones which go over your head, or even the neck-band types, the KSC-35s have no headband whatsoever! They hang around your ear - clip is the word most people use, but that sounds painful, and the KSC-35s are the most comfortable headphones i've ever worn. Ever.

To the most important part: Sound. These things ound great. With only 32 ohms of resistance, they will be driven easily from any portable, including MP3/MD players with low output strength. The clip design, as i mentioned above, changes the acoustic properties of the KSC-35s. They are no longer exerting pressure on your ears; they instead simply drape the earlobe. Because of this "loose" grip (when compared to the S/Portapros), they lose some of the boominess in the bass department. They do, however, have a peak in frequency response favoring bass, so bass lovers will truly enjoy these headphones. I prefer the mid-range, and the KSC-35s have a decent midrange presentation, as well a good treble presentation. The excessive bass, while less than the S/Portapros, is still too much to allow the the other frequencies to shine.

All in all, a very active-use friendly design, excellent sound for minimal price, and a superiority over other models in the same price range BY THE SAME COMPANY (KOSS), won me over. These headphones are perfect for an active listener who wants to get great sound out of his portable.

NOTE: I have been constantly comparing the KSC-35s to the Sportapro and Portapro models because all three models have the same drivers. In fact, the S/Portaprose tend to be highly reccommended, while actually their sporty-looking cousin, the KSC-35, sound better! For less! The only draw-back being a slightly unusual design, which I have grown to love!

The Koss KSC-50s, along with the other Koss headphones that use the PortaPro drivers are truly giant killers. These include the KSC-50, KSC-55, KSC-35, Porta Pro, Sporta Pro, KTX Pro, and also some Radio Shack models.

Most cheap headphones sound terrible, but I find these quite enjoyable. I use them when I don't want to take my Sennheiser HD600s out, and while they don't compare to the Senns, they are very plesant to listen to.

First comes the bass. Bass is very good for an inexpensive headphone. While they won't play as deep as a good subwoofer, they play much deeper then most cheap headphones I have tried, and the upper bass is not very boomy (Most cheap headphones have exaggerated upper bass to make them sound like they play deeper, many more expensive headphones do too, such as the Sony MDR-V600).

The midrange is probably the KSC-50s biggest weakness, in particular the lower mids - they just don't have the presence my HD600s have. They also seem to sound slightly colored, which is bad, but it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, I am comparing them to my HD600s. This isn't a fair comparison at all, comparing some (dollar amount) headphones to some (dollar amount) headphones, it is like comparing a Hyundai to a Ferrari.

Highs aren't very airy, but treble is played up fairly high (Most cheap headphones barely play upper treble), and it isn't overpowering at all.

Comfort: These are relatively comfortable headphones, sometimes the earclips can be annoying, but they are extremely light and you usually barely feel them on you.

In short, everything sounds pretty good on these headphones. You really can't compare to them at anywhere this price range. They literally sound better then every Sony headphone from the MDR-Vxxx line which goes from the (dollar amount) V-150 through the V-900s, yes, they sound better then all of them, also they sound better then the Sennheiser HD490 and 500. If you are looking for something under (dollar amount), one of this series of headphones is your best bet. The next real step up from them would be the Grado SR-60 around (dollar amount) and the Sennheiser HD495 around (dollar amount), or the Sony MDR-V7506 around (dollar amount).

The one potential drawback is that these are an open design, which leaks sound out, and lets sound in. The problem is that most cheap closed headphones like the Sony MDR-Vxxx and CD-xxx series sound terrible in comparison. If you are willing to let some sound leak out, and have no isolation from outside noise, these are the headphones for you at this price. The only closed headphone of the above three I reccomend are the Sonys, both the Grados and Sennheisers are open. Most high end headphones other then monitors like the MDR-v7506, or Beyerdynamic DT831 are open. These include the Sennheiser HD600, the AKG K1000, Beyerdynamic DT931, Sony CD3000, and the rather expensive (At (dollar amount)) Sennheiser Orpheus.

As always, be careful with volume levels when listening on headphones, you can damage your hearing very easily. If you can't hear someone at all when they are talking to you, or screaming at you, I would highly reccomend you turn the volume down some, unless you want to wear a hearing aid later.

I'm purchasing my 2nd pair of these. Only one other lightweight headphone that I've owned has beaten the sound quality of these. My general advice on buying lightweight headphones with the best sound (learned through experimentation):<br /> <br /> 1. Frequency Response: I believe this is the most important specification. The wider the range, the better the sound. I wouldn't even bother with any headphone that starts above 16hz or ends below 23,000hz, because you'll lose some of the high-end and low-end sounds. For instance, when I played the soundtrack from Star Wars on headphones that didn't meet this criteria, I noticed that I couldn't hear some of the background instruments.<br /> <br /> 2. Gold Plated Plug: The sound from non-gold plated headphones doesn't seem as good.<br /> <br /> I'd encourage you to read the other reviews here, too. These headphones fit very comfortably for me, but I guess that's not the case with everyone. Also, I wouldn't know how well these headphones handle heavy wear & tear, because I don't use them in such situations.

Overall, this is the best overall value, IMO, for a portable headphone. Small and lightweight, the KSC-35s also sound better than any of their competitors, including the S/Portapros. They have OVERALLY bloated bass, the kind that gives me headaches. The KSC-35s would, too, if it wasn't for their very interesting design. Unlike usual headphones which go over your head, or even the neck-band types, the KSC-35s have no headband whatsoever! They hang around your ear - clip is the word most people use, but that sounds painful, and the KSC-35s are the most comfortable headphones i've ever worn. Ever.

To the most important part: Sound. These things ound great. With only 32 ohms of resistance, they will be driven easily from any portable, including MP3/MD players with low output strength. The clip design, as i mentioned above, changes the acoustic properties of the KSC-35s. They are no longer exerting pressure on your ears; they instead simply drape the earlobe. Because of this "loose" grip (when compared to the S/Portapros), they lose some of the boominess in the bass department. They do, however, have a peak in frequency response favoring bass, so bass lovers will truly enjoy these headphones. I prefer the mid-range, and the KSC-35s have a decent midrange presentation, as well a good treble presentation. The excessive bass, while less than the S/Portapros, is still too much to allow the the other frequencies to shine.

All in all, a very active-use friendly design, excellent sound for minimal price, and a superiority over other models in the same price range BY THE SAME COMPANY (KOSS), won me over. These headphones are perfect for an active listener who wants to get great sound out of his portable.

NOTE: I have been constantly comparing the KSC-35s to the Sportapro and Portapro models because all three models have the same drivers. In fact, the S/Portaprose tend to be highly reccommended, while actually their sporty-looking cousin, the KSC-35, sound better! For less! The only draw-back being a slightly unusual design, which I have grown to love!

The Koss KSC-50s, along with the other Koss headphones that use the PortaPro drivers are truly giant killers. These include the KSC-50, KSC-55, KSC-35, Porta Pro, Sporta Pro, KTX Pro, and also some Radio Shack models.

Most cheap headphones sound terrible, but I find these quite enjoyable. I use them when I don't want to take my Sennheiser HD600s out, and while they don't compare to the Senns, they are very plesant to listen to.

First comes the bass. Bass is very good for an inexpensive headphone. While they won't play as deep as a good subwoofer, they play much deeper then most cheap headphones I have tried, and the upper bass is not very boomy (Most cheap headphones have exaggerated upper bass to make them sound like they play deeper, many more expensive headphones do too, such as the Sony MDR-V600).

The midrange is probably the KSC-50s biggest weakness, in particular the lower mids - they just don't have the presence my HD600s have. They also seem to sound slightly colored, which is bad, but it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, I am comparing them to my HD600s. This isn't a fair comparison at all, comparing some (dollar amount) headphones to some (dollar amount) headphones, it is like comparing a Hyundai to a Ferrari.

Highs aren't very airy, but treble is played up fairly high (Most cheap headphones barely play upper treble), and it isn't overpowering at all.

Comfort: These are relatively comfortable headphones, sometimes the earclips can be annoying, but they are extremely light and you usually barely feel them on you.

In short, everything sounds pretty good on these headphones. You really can't compare to them at anywhere this price range. They literally sound better then every Sony headphone from the MDR-Vxxx line which goes from the (dollar amount) V-150 through the V-900s, yes, they sound better then all of them, also they sound better then the Sennheiser HD490 and 500. If you are looking for something under (dollar amount), one of this series of headphones is your best bet. The next real step up from them would be the Grado SR-60 around (dollar amount) and the Sennheiser HD495 around (dollar amount), or the Sony MDR-V7506 around (dollar amount).

The one potential drawback is that these are an open design, which leaks sound out, and lets sound in. The problem is that most cheap closed headphones like the Sony MDR-Vxxx and CD-xxx series sound terrible in comparison. If you are willing to let some sound leak out, and have no isolation from outside noise, these are the headphones for you at this price. The only closed headphone of the above three I reccomend are the Sonys, both the Grados and Sennheisers are open. Most high end headphones other then monitors like the MDR-v7506, or Beyerdynamic DT831 are open. These include the Sennheiser HD600, the AKG K1000, Beyerdynamic DT931, Sony CD3000, and the rather expensive (At (dollar amount)) Sennheiser Orpheus.

As always, be careful with volume levels when listening on headphones, you can damage your hearing very easily. If you can't hear someone at all when they are talking to you, or screaming at you, I would highly reccomend you turn the volume down some, unless you want to wear a hearing aid later.

I'm purchasing my 2nd pair of these. Only one other lightweight headphone that I've owned has beaten the sound quality of these. My general advice on buying lightweight headphones with the best sound (learned through experimentation):<br /> <br /> 1. Frequency Response: I believe this is the most important specification. The wider the range, the better the sound. I wouldn't even bother with any headphone that starts above 16hz or ends below 23,000hz, because you'll lose some of the high-end and low-end sounds. For instance, when I played the soundtrack from Star Wars on headphones that didn't meet this criteria, I noticed that I couldn't hear some of the background instruments.<br /> <br /> 2. Gold Plated Plug: The sound from non-gold plated headphones doesn't seem as good.<br /> <br /> I'd encourage you to read the other reviews here, too. These headphones fit very comfortably for me, but I guess that's not the case with everyone. Also, I wouldn't know how well these headphones handle heavy wear & tear, because I don't use them in such situations.

Overall, this is the best overall value, IMO, for a portable headphone. Small and lightweight, the KSC-35s also sound better than any of their competitors, including the S/Portapros. They have OVERALLY bloated bass, the kind that gives me headaches. The KSC-35s would, too, if it wasn't for their very interesting design. Unlike usual headphones which go over your head, or even the neck-band types, the KSC-35s have no headband whatsoever! They hang around your ear - clip is the word most people use, but that sounds painful, and the KSC-35s are the most comfortable headphones i've ever worn. Ever.

To the most important part: Sound. These things ound great. With only 32 ohms of resistance, they will be driven easily from any portable, including MP3/MD players with low output strength. The clip design, as i mentioned above, changes the acoustic properties of the KSC-35s. They are no longer exerting pressure on your ears; they instead simply drape the earlobe. Because of this "loose" grip (when compared to the S/Portapros), they lose some of the boominess in the bass department. They do, however, have a peak in frequency response favoring bass, so bass lovers will truly enjoy these headphones. I prefer the mid-range, and the KSC-35s have a decent midrange presentation, as well a good treble presentation. The excessive bass, while less than the S/Portapros, is still too much to allow the the other frequencies to shine.

All in all, a very active-use friendly design, excellent sound for minimal price, and a superiority over other models in the same price range BY THE SAME COMPANY (KOSS), won me over. These headphones are perfect for an active listener who wants to get great sound out of his portable.

NOTE: I have been constantly comparing the KSC-35s to the Sportapro and Portapro models because all three models have the same drivers. In fact, the S/Portaprose tend to be highly reccommended, while actually their sporty-looking cousin, the KSC-35, sound better! For less! The only draw-back being a slightly unusual design, which I have grown to love!

The Koss KSC-50s, along with the other Koss headphones that use the PortaPro drivers are truly giant killers. These include the KSC-50, KSC-55, KSC-35, Porta Pro, Sporta Pro, KTX Pro, and also some Radio Shack models.

Most cheap headphones sound terrible, but I find these quite enjoyable. I use them when I don't want to take my Sennheiser HD600s out, and while they don't compare to the Senns, they are very plesant to listen to.

First comes the bass. Bass is very good for an inexpensive headphone. While they won't play as deep as a good subwoofer, they play much deeper then most cheap headphones I have tried, and the upper bass is not very boomy (Most cheap headphones have exaggerated upper bass to make them sound like they play deeper, many more expensive headphones do too, such as the Sony MDR-V600).

The midrange is probably the KSC-50s biggest weakness, in particular the lower mids - they just don't have the presence my HD600s have. They also seem to sound slightly colored, which is bad, but it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, I am comparing them to my HD600s. This isn't a fair comparison at all, comparing some (dollar amount) headphones to some (dollar amount) headphones, it is like comparing a Hyundai to a Ferrari.

Highs aren't very airy, but treble is played up fairly high (Most cheap headphones barely play upper treble), and it isn't overpowering at all.

Comfort: These are relatively comfortable headphones, sometimes the earclips can be annoying, but they are extremely light and you usually barely feel them on you.

In short, everything sounds pretty good on these headphones. You really can't compare to them at anywhere this price range. They literally sound better then every Sony headphone from the MDR-Vxxx line which goes from the (dollar amount) V-150 through the V-900s, yes, they sound better then all of them, also they sound better then the Sennheiser HD490 and 500. If you are looking for something under (dollar amount), one of this series of headphones is your best bet. The next real step up from them would be the Grado SR-60 around (dollar amount) and the Sennheiser HD495 around (dollar amount), or the Sony MDR-V7506 around (dollar amount).

The one potential drawback is that these are an open design, which leaks sound out, and lets sound in. The problem is that most cheap closed headphones like the Sony MDR-Vxxx and CD-xxx series sound terrible in comparison. If you are willing to let some sound leak out, and have no isolation from outside noise, these are the headphones for you at this price. The only closed headphone of the above three I reccomend are the Sonys, both the Grados and Sennheisers are open. Most high end headphones other then monitors like the MDR-v7506, or Beyerdynamic DT831 are open. These include the Sennheiser HD600, the AKG K1000, Beyerdynamic DT931, Sony CD3000, and the rather expensive (At (dollar amount)) Sennheiser Orpheus.

As always, be careful with volume levels when listening on headphones, you can damage your hearing very easily. If you can't hear someone at all when they are talking to you, or screaming at you, I would highly reccomend you turn the volume down some, unless you want to wear a hearing aid later.

I'm purchasing my 2nd pair of these. Only one other lightweight headphone that I've owned has beaten the sound quality of these. My general advice on buying lightweight headphones with the best sound (learned through experimentation):<br /> <br /> 1. Frequency Response: I believe this is the most important specification. The wider the range, the better the sound. I wouldn't even bother with any headphone that starts above 16hz or ends below 23,000hz, because you'll lose some of the high-end and low-end sounds. For instance, when I played the soundtrack from Star Wars on headphones that didn't meet this criteria, I noticed that I couldn't hear some of the background instruments.<br /> <br /> 2. Gold Plated Plug: The sound from non-gold plated headphones doesn't seem as good.<br /> <br /> I'd encourage you to read the other reviews here, too. These headphones fit very comfortably for me, but I guess that's not the case with everyone. Also, I wouldn't know how well these headphones handle heavy wear & tear, because I don't use them in such situations.

Overall, this is the best overall value, IMO, for a portable headphone. Small and lightweight, the KSC-35s also sound better than any of their competitors, including the S/Portapros. They have OVERALLY bloated bass, the kind that gives me headaches. The KSC-35s would, too, if it wasn't for their very interesting design. Unlike usual headphones which go over your head, or even the neck-band types, the KSC-35s have no headband whatsoever! They hang around your ear - clip is the word most people use, but that sounds painful, and the KSC-35s are the most comfortable headphones i've ever worn. Ever.

To the most important part: Sound. These things ound great. With only 32 ohms of resistance, they will be driven easily from any portable, including MP3/MD players with low output strength. The clip design, as i mentioned above, changes the acoustic properties of the KSC-35s. They are no longer exerting pressure on your ears; they instead simply drape the earlobe. Because of this "loose" grip (when compared to the S/Portapros), they lose some of the boominess in the bass department. They do, however, have a peak in frequency response favoring bass, so bass lovers will truly enjoy these headphones. I prefer the mid-range, and the KSC-35s have a decent midrange presentation, as well a good treble presentation. The excessive bass, while less than the S/Portapros, is still too much to allow the the other frequencies to shine.

All in all, a very active-use friendly design, excellent sound for minimal price, and a superiority over other models in the same price range BY THE SAME COMPANY (KOSS), won me over. These headphones are perfect for an active listener who wants to get great sound out of his portable.

NOTE: I have been constantly comparing the KSC-35s to the Sportapro and Portapro models because all three models have the same drivers. In fact, the S/Portaprose tend to be highly reccommended, while actually their sporty-looking cousin, the KSC-35, sound better! For less! The only draw-back being a slightly unusual design, which I have grown to love!

The Koss KSC-50s, along with the other Koss headphones that use the PortaPro drivers are truly giant killers. These include the KSC-50, KSC-55, KSC-35, Porta Pro, Sporta Pro, KTX Pro, and also some Radio Shack models.

Most cheap headphones sound terrible, but I find these quite enjoyable. I use them when I don't want to take my Sennheiser HD600s out, and while they don't compare to the Senns, they are very plesant to listen to.

First comes the bass. Bass is very good for an inexpensive headphone. While they won't play as deep as a good subwoofer, they play much deeper then most cheap headphones I have tried, and the upper bass is not very boomy (Most cheap headphones have exaggerated upper bass to make them sound like they play deeper, many more expensive headphones do too, such as the Sony MDR-V600).

The midrange is probably the KSC-50s biggest weakness, in particular the lower mids - they just don't have the presence my HD600s have. They also seem to sound slightly colored, which is bad, but it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, I am comparing them to my HD600s. This isn't a fair comparison at all, comparing some (dollar amount) headphones to some (dollar amount) headphones, it is like comparing a Hyundai to a Ferrari.

Highs aren't very airy, but treble is played up fairly high (Most cheap headphones barely play upper treble), and it isn't overpowering at all.

Comfort: These are relatively comfortable headphones, sometimes the earclips can be annoying, but they are extremely light and you usually barely feel them on you.

In short, everything sounds pretty good on these headphones. You really can't compare to them at anywhere this price range. They literally sound better then every Sony headphone from the MDR-Vxxx line which goes from the (dollar amount) V-150 through the V-900s, yes, they sound better then all of them, also they sound better then the Sennheiser HD490 and 500. If you are looking for something under (dollar amount), one of this series of headphones is your best bet. The next real step up from them would be the Grado SR-60 around (dollar amount) and the Sennheiser HD495 around (dollar amount), or the Sony MDR-V7506 around (dollar amount).

The one potential drawback is that these are an open design, which leaks sound out, and lets sound in. The problem is that most cheap closed headphones like the Sony MDR-Vxxx and CD-xxx series sound terrible in comparison. If you are willing to let some sound leak out, and have no isolation from outside noise, these are the headphones for you at this price. The only closed headphone of the above three I reccomend are the Sonys, both the Grados and Sennheisers are open. Most high end headphones other then monitors like the MDR-v7506, or Beyerdynamic DT831 are open. These include the Sennheiser HD600, the AKG K1000, Beyerdynamic DT931, Sony CD3000, and the rather expensive (At (dollar amount)) Sennheiser Orpheus.

As always, be careful with volume levels when listening on headphones, you can damage your hearing very easily. If you can't hear someone at all when they are talking to you, or screaming at you, I would highly reccomend you turn the volume down some, unless you want to wear a hearing aid later.

I'm purchasing my 2nd pair of these. Only one other lightweight headphone that I've owned has beaten the sound quality of these. My general advice on buying lightweight headphones with the best sound (learned through experimentation):<br /> <br /> 1. Frequency Response: I believe this is the most important specification. The wider the range, the better the sound. I wouldn't even bother with any headphone that starts above 16hz or ends below 23,000hz, because you'll lose some of the high-end and low-end sounds. For instance, when I played the soundtrack from Star Wars on headphones that didn't meet this criteria, I noticed that I couldn't hear some of the background instruments.<br /> <br /> 2. Gold Plated Plug: The sound from non-gold plated headphones doesn't seem as good.<br /> <br /> I'd encourage you to read the other reviews here, too. These headphones fit very comfortably for me, but I guess that's not the case with everyone. Also, I wouldn't know how well these headphones handle heavy wear & tear, because I don't use them in such situations.

I'll keep this concise and pertinent...

GOOD
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1. Very good sound (esp. for the price), just make sure you are not using any bass expansion/extension equalization. Even with old Sinatra (as in Frank, "ol' blue eyes"), using my TDK Mojo's bass expansion sometimes causes distortion, simply because The Plug has exceptional low frequency response. Rap obviously causes a lot of distortion w/ extra bass emphasis; I wonder if this is the 'muddiness' about which some have complained. Flat equalization (at least for bass) is a requirement for these headphones.
2. Excellent isolation and efficiency due to the foam sealing design. Just don't blow your eardrum turning the music up too loud, nor get run over by a bus 'cuz you can't hear it comin'!
3. Excellent overall sound quality; no tinny sound other reviewers have mentioned, unless The Plug is inserted incorrectly (ie - off-axis, or not "aimed" correctly).

BAD
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1. True, the black foamy material does not stay compressed very long, so you have to 'roll' it in your fingers then immediately put it in your ear. I'd say I have average ears and have no problem using these, but I could see that those with small ears may have problems fitting these properly; problem solved by retrofitting a standard foam-type earplug (as others have mentioned). Whether you would or should do this is another question. The packaging does include a few different styles of foam inserts to try; angled, straight, etc.
2. The first pair of these I bought had uneven bass; the left earplug's bass was a lower sound pressure than the right; treble was fine. I verified this with both ears and then with a function generator. I exchanged them and the subsequent pair is perfectly balanced.
3. If The Plug is not inserted straight (not 'aimed' into your ear canal) the sound will lose its midrange (the 'tinny' thing some have mentioned). This would depends a lot on how your ears are 'designed.' I personally don't have an issue with this.

Overall, I think these earbud headphones are excellent, especially for the price.

First, while I'm no audiophile and won't attempt to offer comments about the smooth, deep bass or crisp highs...your results may vary...I will say that I'm personally very pleased with the sound from these earbuds and find the isolation they offer is a real plus. In fact, that's partly why I bought them: Working sometimes in a very noisy environment that necessitates wearing hearing protectors, I thought it would be nice if I could turn them into headphones and at least enjoy some music while working. I've never cared for earbuds that rest in your outer ear, so prone to falling out. With the hearing protectors on over them, it was still rather easy to tug the earbug out of position. "The Plug" stays quite well put, thanks to the soft foam cushions. Away from work, the noise isolation of these stereophones continues to serve a great function, especially when travelling on airplanes or in any noisy environment.

It is the isolation offered by the ear cushions that surely attribute to their efficiency. Even low-powered headphone outputs on portable music players will likely still have all it needs to drive these plugs sufficiently for enjoyable listening. The drawback of the ear cushions is, as others have said, that they do mean you must be careful about how you position the plugs in your ears, as that will affect overall sound quality. The bass is excellent yet can become "boomy". That is why I say "your results may vary". But, for anyone willing to spend some time getting familiar with "The Plug", I think they will be happy with the sound potential provided.

Now...about the custom fit. Yes, they really do custom fit to your ear canal if you choose the appropriate size cushions from those included. However, again as mentioned, the provided cushions do not remain compressed very well while attempting to insert the plugs in your ears. Moreover, while the foam does seem to be the best I've experimented with in terms of comfort against the skin and general acoustic performance, it doesn't hold up very well over time. So, this led me to exploring for a substitute, and learning in the process what a difference in sound the type of foam makes.

As I write this, I'm wearing my plugs, modified by replacing the Koss foam cushions with some I made myself from Aearo E-A-R Classic foam ear plugs. The beauty of this approach is that as the ear plugs are designed for hearing protection, they do compress very well and hold their compressed shape longer, making it easier to insert the plugs into your ear canal, for a better and deeper fit. But, therein lies the rub...it is that more deep, secure fit that affect sound quality. My observation is that the impact is primarily upon the bass...making it even deeper and risking again a potential "boomy" quality. I'm pleased with the results I obtained from the Aearo ear plugs after trimming them down in diameter so there wasn't quite so much foam to "bulk up" in my ear. While the Aearo plugs work well and sound good, I've found an even more comfortable and better-sounding (I think) alternative in using Howard Leight Laser Lite foam ear plugs. The latter have a Noise Reduction Rating of 32 and are made of a softer, smoother-textured foam than the Aearos. I think the Aearos have a similar NRR, but they are not labeled with it.

Now, how do you go about making your own ear cushion? The approach I took was to compress one end of the foam ear plug down until it was basically flattened squarely against the other end on a flat surface. Then, holding the "pancaked" plug in place, I heated a large nail over a flame and then pierced the center of the ear plug with the tip of the nail, pushing it gently through the foam so as not to tear the foam. Rotating the nail tended to help. Once the hole was pierced through the foam to the other end, I lifted the foam off the surface and pushed the nail fully through, this also serving to tug the foam along enough that it helped it to stretch back out along the nail shaft. Once the nail cooled a bit, I slid the plug off the nail and had a rather cleanly pierced ear plug that I could then slip onto "The Plug". If the new ear cushion was too long or too thick to fit my ear well, I'd trim it down gradually with sharp scissors. In the end, I made up several pairs of cushions to interchange as I like. The Aearo plugs were rather easy to modify since the foam is stiffer and thus easier to pierce with the hot nail. But, with care, the Laser Lite plugs could also be pierced without tearing the foam and they are smaller in diameter such that I found no need to trim them, except in length. When the modified plugs are slipped over the sound delivery tube of "The Plug" earpieces, ensure the tube does not get crimped and extends fully through the cushion so as to deliver the best quality sound.

This may sound like a lot of work for such inexpensive headphones, but they are great-sounding headphones for a small price and can be customized to your own liking with a similar approach to what I describe.

When I'm not using "The Plug", I switch to my Koss KTXPRO1 Titanium headphones...another pair of excellent headphones that I don't think can be beat for the price. They too sound great and have very good efficiency, at about the same price as "The Plug". They are better-suited for an office environment where you need an open-air type earpiece to hear conversation through, rather than being isolated. The volume control on the cord is also a real convenience and is the only thing I find missing from "The Plug".

For the price, these earbuds are great. My ears are big enough that I could usually get the buds to fit okay with the included foam pads. Having said that, as several reviewers have mentioned, it can still be a pain to get them to feel like they fit perfectly. If you're willing to do a little modification work (I know, extra work is a pain), they can be great. If not, I would guess the $40 sony's would be a nice choice, though I've not tried them personally. I'm a broke student, and the price was the major attractant for me. I did a google search for "koss plug mod", and checked out the "headwize" link (I have no idea who the guy is, I have no vested interest in his site, he just has good photos). I used cheap foam earplugs for it ($3 or so at your local drugstore), and they work great. They block out the noise (I can't hear a thing going on around me with my music on) and the sound is quite good. Plus, I can keep my volume a good bit lower, thereby saving my ears somewhat.

At the price, you are more or less buying an entry level MP3 CD Player. Of course one can only expect so much from entry level - but this player goes beyond!

Panasonic's new anti-skip technology is quite impressive. I've run miles and miles with this player without ANY skips. The remote is extremely handy, and the clip helps keep wires out of your way.

I'd recommend supplying your own headphones as the ones included are a bit sub-par. Battery life is astounding. I've never had a portable device that lasts like this!

As far as MP3 capability goes - sure it doesnt have ID3 tag support, but not much does in this price range. It loads a disc of almost 200 songs VERY fast, and of course the anti skip is great on MP3's.

I came from an MP3 CD player that was twice as much money when I bought it, and the SX420 blows it away in EVERY category. I especially like the EQ settings. I use this in my car as well as while working out, and like the option of changing from a flat setting in my car, to XBS in my headphones.

This player is ALL pro's. My only complaint is that I wish they came up with it years ago!

This CD player is a great choice, especially for its price. Here are the pros and cons:

*Pros*

1. Quick to load the CD (at least for an MP3/CD player)
2. Good extra features -- for example, the EQ, and shuffle options.
3. The remote is very easy to use and easier to access than the actual player itself, especially if you have the cd player in a bag.
4. Excellent sound quality and the EQ adds extra effects that make it better.
5. Good volume if you get better headphones.
6. Good battery life
7. It's cheap!!!!!

*Cons*

1. I wasn't too crazy about its colors, metallic light blue.
2. The headphones weren't too great.
3. No ID3 tags. That wasn't too big of a problem for me because usually i knew what song was playing. You can always write down the order of the songs on a peice of paper.

BUY THIS CD PLAYER
YOU WON"T REGRET IT

Panasonic really knew what they were doing when they came up with this little gadget. I have had alomst no problems whatsoever with this item. It has a few minor drawbacks but what product doesn't.

Pros: Anti-skip works perfeclty, plays MP3's well when put on disk in as a music file, romote control saves buttons on player itself and it has many features to enhance your listening experience.

Cons: Goes through batteries fairy quickly, especially on MP3 mode and the speakers are not super well equiped for loud listening.

Overall, this MP3/CD player is a great value and probably works as well or better than others that you would be likely to pay twice as much for.

I remember as soon as I laid eyes on this seemingly magnificant player, I wanted it so bad, I got a part time job and I saved up about 4 weeks worth of pay to get this. The moment I had enough money I went to my local CompUSA to get it, and drove back home. As soon as I franticly tore it out of the package, I did everything the instructions told me to, hook up AC adapter and plug it in the wall, and plug the USB in excetra excetra. Well, the installation took me a few tries because my MP3 player kept shutting down on me, I finally managed to get it to work, I put a few of my CD's I had on it and it worked great... for about a month. Coincidence that Creative's MP3 player would start to f*uck up after it's warranty? I think not. After about of months worth of frustration with the player freezing up, shutting down, and then the USB not even working at all, I decided to send it to their customer service only to find that it was all a gimmik. I sent in the player so they can fix whatever problems it was having, only to have it returned with the EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. Lets face it, Creative is a company of a Creative scheme, not MP3 players, if you want to get a good MP3 player, I would try GoPo RipDrive, this is a great player that won't f*uck up after it's warranty.

After looking at every portable jukebox as well as home audio servers, I found that Creative Nomad 3 is the best product today.

I initiallly ordered one player. Then I went back and ordered 4 more. Two of them will be used as audio servers in 2 different rooms of my house - other 2 as gifts.

-- Setting it up
I downloaded and upgraded to the latest firmware release v1.20.06. To do that I had to first upgrade to the 2 previous releases.

I found the software that comes with this player, Creative Playcenter to be useless for ripping and organizing music. I downloaded Media Jukebox 8.0 based on on-line reviews. Music Jukebox is a promising music manager program - although I haven't found one that I really like so far. I ripped all my CDs at 192Kbps - about 15GB worth so far. I then diligently got the Genre, Artist, Album and Track information right - a lot of it initially filled in from the on-line CDDB database. What I found that even though this organization is becoming the standard in the industry, it is a lot of hard work to get it right, and doesn't reconcile with my usage. I then resorted to a straightforward playlist organization.

For uploading to Nomad Jukebox, I used the Firewire connection - USB 1.1 is simply too slow. I had to go and buy a Firewire card for my PC - about $50. Then I found that the upload plug-in that comes with Music Jukebox doesn't upload Playlists, only tracks. What a bummer!!! I then bought Notmad software ($20) - and it does upload Playlists. As a side note, Notmad's license enforcement mechanism is bizzare and cumbersome.

-- Using It
After all this hard work, the payback was huge. The sound from this device is excellent. EAX capabilities are great - try them all out. The user interface is easy, the button layout is intuitive. The features are plentiful, yet not in the way. I do think they should increase the size of the LCD display.

I use it as a portable player. It is a little bulky, but with the buttons locked (get the latest firmware), I can shove it in my jacket or jeans pockets. I use the headphones that come with it, and they are pretty good.

I use it as a car player, although the only way to hook it up to my expensive car stereo is through an audio tape - with great loss of sound quality. What a bummer. So I sometimes used headphones in the car. Luckily I am about to buy a new car - and its car stereo system must have front audio input.

Mostly, I use it as a player at home. I have speakers set up in 4 different rooms and I just take it with me and hook it up to the speakers. I have used it in 2 and 4 speaker settings. I use a wire to hook it up my home stereo. Now I have ordered 2 more so that I don't have to lug it around.

It has transformed my music experience. I've become an avid listener. It has expanded my range of music. I'm now looking to buy a lot more CDs to fill gaps in my collection and to experiment new types of music.

Positives:
- Great sound
- Great feature set
- Great transfer speed - using Firewire
- Good user interface
- Good music organization - I primarily use Playlists.
- Ability to drive 2 or 4 speakers.
- Decent headphones
- Remote control with the optional home kit
- Long battery life - with the optional battery
- Voice recording capability - with the optional accessory. I haven't tried it yet
- You can use it as hard drive storage
- Excellent value compared to iPod

Negatives
- Size is a little bulky
- Creative Playcenter software that comes with it is useless - but you dont need it - download something else
- LCD display is too small

I highly recommend it. As a portable, I would also consider Creative Nomad Zen.

Well, back in the day, I used to own the original Nomad. Granted the battery life was horrid, but the thing had more than decent sound. I had that for about a year and half (no lie) but I finally filled it up and had to upgrade. Two days ago, after drooling over it for an eternity, I got my Nomad Jukebox 3. Lets start with sound quality. This thing's headphone amp is the most powerful I've ever heard. It can drive any pair of headphones to ear shattering levels, and I listen to a lot of hardcore metal (among other things). The sound quality itself is phenomenal. There's no distortion at high volume, and that's a huge plus for me. Of course, by the unwritten law of bundled headphones, the ones that come with this MP3 player [are not good]. I bought new ones the next day. Now, the software. The bundled software was what I was used to using for the first Nomad. The software isn't buggy for me, even though my computer is ancient. To tell you the truth, I love Creative Playcenter. It's very easy to use and it's organized. Windows Media Player will work too, but I don't like it, its fast but you cant organize anything with it. I have to use USB 1.1 because my OS (Windows 98) is too old to use FireWire. The CD encoding goes slow too, but I have a slow computer. I installed all the software on my Grandmas computer as well (who has Windows XP). I experienced no problems with Windows XP, and the CD encoding went insanely fast. The transfer was still slow because she doesnt have FireWire, but other than that it's very nice. Basically it all depends on your style whether or not you want to use the bundled software. Back to the player itself. It's very easy to use. It's icon diven and the menu is set up nicely, but one word of advice. DOWNLOAD FIRMWARE AHEAD OF TIME. I didnt even bother trying to use it until my firmware was up to date. If you scan throught the rest of these reviews you will see why. The blue backlight is pretty, and you can change it to green too! The display size is nice, it works for me at least. The EAX is nice too, but mainly for the EQ. The OS boots up quite fast, especially compared to the first Nomad. Granted I dont have all my CD's on there yet, but there is a more than noticable difference. The thing also loads songs really fast, and there is almost no noticable gap when the songs switch. The scroller thing was something I was a little worried about, I thought it would be excruciatingly annoying to use. Supprisingly, it's not. As long as you aren't trying to browse through a playlist of 5000 songs, the thing works great. Again, download firmware first. For accesories, I bought the extra battery and leather case (also ahead of time) and I strongly recommend both. Also, if your computer can support it (which it probably can), get a FireWire adapter, it will make it so much better. Now I know that some people's NJB3's apparently died on them after a month or so, but I think if you take care of it, it will last you forever like my orginal Nomad did (which people also claimed to die after a month). I say if you have the money, BUY THIS! It really is great. I love it so much; I consider it my child. "You need look no further", this is the god of MP3 players. Remeber though, buy headphones, the extra battery, and the case; and get the firmware ahead of time. If you are thinking of the iPod, it's way too over-rated. The five GB iPod is the same price as the NJB3, and it has a quarter of the space. The Archos isn't any better, infact, its worse. The sound [is not good] on the Archos. The iPod has sound ALMOST as good as the NJB3, but not quite as good. So...buy the Nomad Jukebox 3!

If you like the slightest bit of bass in your music, DO NOT purchase these earbuds. My ipod now sounds like a cheap, battery powered, one speakered AM radio. Each of my ears gave them a star for the comfort factor. That's the only good thing I can say about these overpriced headphones.

Unlike most people, I'm actually quite satisfied whith these earphones. They have excellent bass response, and the music sounds a lot more full and realistic than the stock earphones that come with the iPod. I can hear parts of songs that I've never heard before!! These phones also do an excellent job of canceling out background noise, so this is especially good for commuters on noisy subways or buses. The only way that you'd get a bad sound with these things is if you aren't wearing them properly....unlike earbuds, you can't just set these in your ears, you have to pull on your ear to open the ear canal, and then insert the plugs. If not inserted propery, you'll get crappy sound and tinny bass. Don't skip out on these!

Okay after reading reviews on another web site, I decided to give these another try. I must say they are a bit tricky to get in your ears, as you must pull back the top of your ear away from your head and "seal" the plugs in. After this is achieved, the result is astounding. No "tinny" sounds and a lot more bass. MUCH better than the original plugs you get with your ipod. Outside noise is eliminated almost completely, which means you don't have to "up" your volume as much for these. And they didn't fall out as I cycled this morning, so that's another plus.