Phone-Accessories Reviews

Okay. Here is a write up, that I did, on the comparisons/contrasts on MP3 players. Mainly, the Harddrive versions (I.E. Rio Riot/Apple IPOD -both of which I own) and the flash memory type... (I.E. Memorex 3642 Mp3 Player, of which I own as well).
What prompted this little jaunt (of which you may send to as many people as you like) My $499 Apple IPOD died during a sync last month. Just me copying files over to it, and the battery ran out of juice. I would have not attempted to copy music had I known the battery was low, but the battery read FULL STRENGTH. Anyhoo, I called Apple, they said return it for maintenance.

I did. Sent it back.

They returned it, still broke.

To my suprise, there is only a TEN DAY return policy.

TEN DAYS.

I did not realize this at all... and it was a costly realization.

So, after a month or so of messing around trying to find another MP3 player... I decided to go with a flash memory MP3 player, the ones that use memory sticks.

SO, here are the pro and cons of these devices.

Pro's for the Memory Stick Mp3 players

-Cheaper. WAY CHEAPER than Hard drive types.

-If you go into music match and file convert to MP3 Pro and shrink the size of your MP3 to like, say 3o percent... you can really make a good Kompression. Example. My Memorex MP3 player has 32mbs of memory on board. It is expandable to 256mb. 32 mb will basically let you put one cd's worth of music. It is easy to put music on and off of them, due to your computer reading the USB as just another hard drive, so you drag and drop to put on, delete them to take them off. But, after you shrink your files to MP3 Pro 30 percent, you can put twice as many. So, basically a 256mb chip will allow me to put 208 songs on my little less than palm size MP3 player. And it wieghs like 3 ounces.

- More on memory. These little chips are the size of the upper part of your thumb, at least my thumb anyway. They come in 128mb, 256mb, 512mb and even though there aren't any MP3 machines out there to handle them YET, you can even buy a 1.5gig thumb size chip thingy. Considering the size of the chips and the shrinking kompression I told you about earlier, I could shrink my whole KOLLEKTION down to 10 of those 1.5gig chips. At the current shrink rate I am at 5 DVD's, which are way bigger and more fragile than these little chips.

- Not as fragile as hard drive type. You can drop one of these chips and not scratch it. I wouldn't stomp on one with my foot, nor get one in water, but they are encased in plastic. Ruggedish.

- Batteries last for like two days. There isn't much going on here, no moving parts, no laser or hard drive to put power to. Most of these flash Memory types have a single AA battery. I use a rechargeable type, so we are talking very low cost here.
In comparison to the hard drive types, where you will get a solid 8 hours of playing, this really whupps up.

- Size. Small. Very small. Mine is three inches by three inches. A square. But, you can get smaller ones. And the memory chips that go in them are the same ones you use for your camera. And you can put files on them. If you want to put a word doc on your memory chip, you can. Your Mp3 won't recognize it, but it is nifty storage.

COMPARISON/CONTRAST

- Size does matter. In the case of hard drive Mp3 players... lets face it, you can, if you so chose to, put a library of congress on these monsters. They are the caddilacs of the hand held devices, and guzzle batteries like gasoline. But when it comes down to it, size is the only thing they have going for them. I don't mean to downplay the hard drive types, but don't drop them, don't shake them, and after shelling out $499 to Apple you might consider insurance. Apple doesn't care about you or your apple after 10 days of ownership.

- Price/Komparison. IPOD ran me $499 bucks. My memorex MP3 player ran me 45 dollars. The 128 memory chip runs you 50 bucks. Owch. There really isn't a comparison to the two. The memory stick Mp3 players just kick butt on this issue. And, you get MORE than a ten day return policy, since you buy these things at Target/Wal Mart etc...

So, that is my review in a nutshell
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Not completely sure why I am getting such a roasting on this review. I am only reporting what happened to me, and how I bought another product and compared the two.... I am not trying to change anyones mind, but letting someone know what happened to me.

OK, this is a splitter. You can buy a cheap one anywhere but this one is well-made. The design matches the iPod well but it's functional as well. The black circle is a rubberized material with ridges that provide a good place to hold the splitter while you plug or unplug headphones. It works great.

I bought the splitter to use with a laptop playing DVD's while on vacation so that my wife and I could both listen with headphones (extremely important not to wake kids, especially while trying to enjoy a quiet moment on vacation). It works well on the plane too where you must use headphones to not disturb other passengers.

This thing is sweet, it works great to play your ipod through your stereo!!!

These buds sound great. My only complaint is the short cord since I listen from a PC not a personal player.

I had a great time at the office using these little incognito ear buds. One day, I need to keep an ear out for the phone and somehow I dropped one of the ear buds in my coffee. I tried to dry it out, but to no avail. it is now crackly and sounds bad. I guess I will buy another set!!

SONY's Fontopia Ear Bud Headphones provide a wide range of natural sound. They have a sleek black and silver finish, a Y-shaped cord that is a little over three feet long, and an L-shaped Stereo Mini Plug. The ultra compact headphones fit snugly, and comfortably, inside the ear, eliminating the need for a headband. The MDR-E818LPs come with slip-on ear pads. These are in a small plastic pouch hidden behind the cardboard insert in the clear packaging. Be careful when you first open the container, as it would be easy to throw out the ear pads by mistake.

These particular headphones would be especially good for movement -- such as while jogging, mowing the lawn, running, or lifting weights. They only weigh 5 grams. After a few minutes, you will scarcely notice you are wearing them. The Silent Cap on the ear buds stops sound leakage, so you're less likely to disturb someone sitting next to you while you enjoy your music. I use these with my laptop if someone else in the room is watching TV, or sometimes when I take my laptop out to a cafe, eatery, or Starbucks

The MDR-E818LPs use Neodymium Magnets for powerful bass, and clear treble in a compact design. Neodymium is far more powerful than conventional Samarium Cobalt or Aluminum Magnets, two other kinds of magnets commonly used in the production of headphones and other personal electronics. Neodymium is also common in the production of bass amps, boat speakers, car audio products, computer hard drives, flat panel speakers, game systems, microphones, motorcycle parts, mp3 jukebox players, and travel speakers, in addition to headphones.

Neodymium is not just some marketing tag invented by SONY either, I did some research on the internet and found out it is actually a rare earth metal, and can be found on the Periodic Table of Elements (60Nd). Neodymium is a component of didymium used for coloring glass to make welder's goggles, Neodymium salts are used as a colorant for enamel paints, Neodymium is also used to color glass in delicate shades ranging from pure violet through wine-red and warm gray, and Neodymium is also used in doped glass lasers. Neodymium is also used in electric switches, lense filters, junkyard magnets, phone receivers, refrigerator magnets, magnetic or non-magnetic screwdrivers, and a host of other everyday products you wouldn't suspect. Considering it is a "rare" earth metal, I'm surprised that it's used in so many products.

Other brands of bass amps, boat speakers, car audio products, computer hard drives, flat panel speakers, game systems, headphones, microphones, motorcycle parts, mp3 jukebox players, and travel speakers also make use of Neodymium, such as: Altec Lansing, Apple, Audio Technica, Boston Acoustic, Coby, Creative, Directed, Dynaudio Acoustics, Hitachi, JBL, Kenwood, Koss, Labtec, Microsoft, Morel, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Polk, Sennheiser, Skylon, Stanton, Tech 21, and others. It's not like this feature is unique to SONY.

Neodymium Magnets are apparently the strongest that can be found. I couldn't find a really technically proficient explanation as to why Neodymium produces better sound, but after a little research, I'll accept that as fact.

These SONY Fontopia Headphones were Made in Korea. If you need to exchange them, they can be replaced through the SONY Parts Center in Kansas City, Missouri. SONY has a toll-free line for frequently asked questions. Dial 1-800-222-7669 if you need to know more about their products. If SONY can't answer your question over the phone, you can always write them at their SONY Direct Response Center in Fort Myers, Florida.

I'd just like to point out that these headphones are actually a replacement for an older pair of ear buds from SONY that I can no longer find, and as such were purchased from FYE for only $8.99. They are the best little pair of cheap ear buds you are likely to encounter.

Specifications:

Product Type: Headphones
Features: Silver-plated plug, L-shaped plug
Form Factor: Ear-bud
Frequency Response: 16 - 22,000Hz
Impedance: 16 ohms
Magnet: Neodymium
Power handling capacity: 50mW
Recommended Use: Portable Audio
Sensitivity: 104dB/mW
Weight: 5 grams

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 8.99

I'm back to Amazon to try to find a higher quality replacement for this earphone. I get numerous complaints about the terrible quality of my "cellphone" and my "cellphone signal" when using this product. When leaving others messages the message is typically inaudible.

I am now at the point where I only use this product when checking my voicemail.

Great in quiet environments. However, with the microphone relatively far from your mouth, the high sensitivity of the mic picks up lots of background noise. Road noise was unacceptably loud while talking to my wife in her car.

If you're using this device exclusively at home without the TV in the backgound, you can't beat the comfort of this almost featherweight headphone.

I got one of these and I think it is the best value for a cell phone headset. It makes any easy hands free option with out having to buy an adaptor and stores in your glove box or center console easily.

Well all I can say is that I thought I was getting a deal but I was wrong, these headphones look and feel great. The sound is another issue though. It's a pretty hollow sound. The bass crackles and treble is low. I should have waited and got some Koss heaphones or something. The other reviews are pretty correct (the one about the bass cracking is dead on!) Consider something besides these wanna be's.

These headphones are real value for money. Very useful in my office as well as home. For all those people who really like to chill off, this piece is a excellent buy for its price which it is being offered for. I am simply in love with my JVC headphones.

Well I feel these headphones are GREAT bang for your buck, very pleased with my purchase and honestly thinking of picking up another pair for home use.

These are horrible. I wouldn't recommend them to anybody. A lot of people I know don't even fit into these. I have a friend name Carly, she has a very awkward-shaped head. Her head won't fit into these and when she puts them on they just fall off her head.

These new model Sennheiser headphones HD-515 sound have a sound that has much depth and richness. There are no others in their price range that sound as good. These are really very comfortable, lightweight, and reasonably priced. They are easily adjustable to comfortably fit any type of head!. The quality of the HD-515 construction is an obvious upgrade when compared to many less expensive models of headphones. The headband pad on the HD-515 is a comfy foam padded cover. At 9oz the Sennheiser HD-515 headphones are fairly light-weight. The ear paddings are comfortably large and are made of soft velour. Long use comfort of the HD-515 is very high. Thanks to the new ultra-efficient drivers it doesn't take much amp power to drive these Headphones to give you a full loud sound. So they should work well with portable audio devices. They are perfect for the high demands of audiophiles who listen to CD,SACD,DVD Audio. Sennheiser is right to call the HD-515 audiophile quality. These headphones are also the first to incorporate a new feature that Sennheiser calls Eargonomic Acoustic Refinement system. Which slightly angles the acoustic baffle within each ear cup to assure that sound projects precisely parallel to the ear. This improved acoustic coupling is meant to help optimize the ergonomic participation of ears in the listening process. The bass is very clear and not muddy like some headphones in this price range. But it is not really deep sounding bass. Treble is sharp, crisp and clean,not too forward. For best results I really recommend giving any headphones a break in period of a minmum of 40 hours. After this break in period you will fully appreciate these headphones outstanding sound quality.

I just got these a couple days ago. Wo!!!!!!!!! This was good stuff. Let me tell U. The sound is incredible like your really at a concert. I used them for this one classical song and I could have sworn I heard people pressing down the valves of their instruments. These are great for the price!

My dad bought me these last year for my birthday because I always have headsets on and he's worried I'm going to go deaf. At the time, it seemed like the ultimate, spectacular gift.... I couldn't wait to pull my cd player out of my bag and listen. As soon as we got to our usual company selves shouting and throwing things, I decided to put them on. I have never been so disappointed in my life. the sound quality is no better than that of a very simple pair of Sony's I got with a .... portable tape player.... after the rebate. These squeeze my head so badly I always get a headache after wearing them, and while the sound qaulity is good, it's not worth [it]...! Look, if you want a nice pair of headphones, try something from Koss, a cheap pair of Memmorex or a nice set of earhuggers( Although I find those very uncomfortable, too.) Maybe I just have a big head, maybe you'll think this is the dandiest product made, maybe you'll love them, but I would save my money for something better.

i already have three pairs of "quality" sony headphones, and was ready to go to the next level.

they are far more comfy than the MDR-V600 for extended listening once one gets accustomed to the "self-adjusting" head band.

this is going to seem crazy, but i can hear my hair brushing against the cloth covered ear pad and that is distracting. i'm usually rocking in my chair whilst listening so that, not doubt, adds to the slight movement of the headphones. once stabilized the noise subsides.

overall i like them. are they twice as good (should be they cost more than twice the price!) as my two pairs of MDR-V600 headphones? not really. i love the detachable cord. it actually plugs into the headset, quite securely i might add. i also adore the fact that the cord is not coiled. i abhor those pesky coils. they are more comfy and the industrial design is nicer. when putting one's head against a high back chair it takes some getting used to as the massive ear pieces move forward a bit as you place your head against the headrest.

thats' all i have to say for now.

When I first got these, I plugged them into my portable CD player and.... was dissapointed. I began to agree with another reviewer that they were not much different in sound to say, a pair under $100.00. Yeah, there was more clarity and dynamic sound, but nothing too spectacular. Was Sony crazy? Why weren't these high price things knocking my socks off? I couldn't figure it out.

Then I got smart. You have to plug them into a good sound source to get good sound! These are really professional headphones, and your fifty dollar portable CD player or tape recorder is not going to show off their potential. I tried a system with an amplifier, and then a computer with a good SOUND BLASTER that lets you manipulate sound effects and....oh my god... The things came alive, I could hear every detail with incredible clarity... Plug them into a simple system, you'll get a simpler sound. What sets these apart is that they have the CAPABILITY to handle being connected to good sound systems, where cheaper headphones don't. Maybe I'm missing something, But it doesn't matter, they sound great plugged into the regular analog plug.

I've tried Sony MDR CD models below this one, and they are not as good. These give excellent 3-D imaging, excellent hi-frequency resolution, and clear, smooth bass. I like 'em!

One last thing. Some complained that these have an open back and that will disturb people, and he wondered why Sony would do such a thing. They have an "open" back to help give the effect of 3-D sound/imaging! The makers didn't make them with open back design to save plastic.

I have had many problems with my phone. I have only had it for 1.5 years and no one can hear me. I have to reset the system each time this happens. Has anyone else run into this problem?hipcheckjeep@yahoo.com

AFTER READING THE REVIEWS HERE I REALIZED THAT I TOO HAD A BATTERY REPLACEMENT PROBLEM. I HAD ONLY TRIED A FEW LOCAL STORES TO FIND IT, BUT HAD NO LUCK. NOW I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER HANDSET UNLESS I FIND THE BATTERY FOR THIS ONE. THAT IS BAD.I WILL CALL PANASONIC NOW AND LET THEM KNOW MY DISPLEASURE.

go to mysimon.com and enter HHR-P506A in the search field. you should be able to find a replacement battery for less than $20.

purchased the item for 1 month now. still haven't recieved it yet. it would be easier to write a review if i have the item.

This is an excellent headphone. This is mainly from the "code holder". It is something found on more expensive headphones like the ones ... Great noise cancelation, sometimes too good. I couldn't hear things like people comming into the house, phone ringing, etc... It also puts out great, full sound which is good for any type of music/genre. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is construction. It does look nice but I wouldn't take them out excercising or out in public. Aiwa makes good headphones w/ good sound and deep/low bass response but their construciton is shotty, especially the connectors. If you are using these for use in the home they are great. Otherwise get something more sturdy for outdoor use.

I've been through several pairs of in-ear headphones and these bring them to a new level. As 'an electronics fan' mentioned, the frequency response is incredible at all ranges. I was blown away when I first put them on. Not sure why they are so hard to get ahold of, but they are worth hunting down. I finally found them online at Dealznet.com. They took forever to show up and I had to pay almost as much as the cost just for shipping and handling, but worth the wait and cost.

This thing is junk! It constantly cuts out, the mike is woefully lacking, and the quality of my phone reception tends to decrease when plugged into this unit. I am unhappy with my purchase.

After a month of searching for a hands-free solution for my Qualcom 820 phone I came across this product. It was exactly what I wanted -- I wasn't interested in something that had to be permanently installed (not to mention way over my budget) and I didn't want anything with an earpiece. This product was the perfect fit for me.

The TravelSpeak is simple to install and use. One end plugs into your cigarette lighter and the other plugs into your phone. That's it! The sound quality is excellent. However, my one complaint with this unit is the sound clarity for people on the other side of the conservation: it tends to pick up EVERY background noise while you're talking, then goes completely silent when your party is talking to you. This can be somewhat distracting for your caller, but I consider this a minor annoyance compared to the safety this unit brings to you. Your money will be well spent if you buy this product.

I have wanted a hands free speakerphone kit (that works) for my Qualcomm cell phone since the day I bought it. The Cellular phone store wanted $420 to permanently install a speakerphone kit for it! Astounded, I called my car dealer, who said it would cost even more. I bought a hands free kit (NOT the Travelspeak) from some catalog I received, and when it came, it didn't even work. Although now skeptical, finally I bought this Travelspeak from Amazon, and amazingly it sounds as good as the one that was wired permanently in my old car that I traded in last year, which if I remember correctly, costed several hundred dollars to install, and I couldn't take that phone with me.

The included visor mic with this model adds even more clarity to the sound being transmitted. You should offer extra visor mics as an accessory so people can put them in different vehicles they own. Anyway, this is a wonderful product at a great price that performs much better than I thought it would...a rare accomplishment for any product nowadays. It makes me a safer driver because I can talk with both hands on the steering wheel,the quality of the sound and the product is outstanding and it charges my phone too. Buy it...you won't be sorry!

I had a previous good experience with a Jabra headset. This one was recommended for my Panasonic cordless phone by Jabra. However, the sound quality is terrible. It lacks any kind of high frequency response, and so sounds very boomy and full of bass, making it almost impossible to use. It also needs a foam cover, since any kind of slight wind movement makes it extremely noisy. I contacted Jabra about this product, but received no response. Maybe it would work better with a different phone, but definitely NOT with my Panasonic.

Really good sound quality for the price range. Suppresses outside noise very well due to such a snug fit. Since there are six (three different sizes for each ear), most people should find a decent match. Some of my friends found it kinda' hard to get used to sticking it in their ear but I thought it was rather soft and comfortable. It also stays in the ear quite well even while shaking one's head (Yep, I tried. I like a good tight headset.) According to everyone I called, the voice quality was also pretty good. Never had anyone complain to me about not being able to hear me unless it was windy or lots of background noise. (Don't think any other phones really do well in those conditions anyway.) The one downside is that due to the cylindrical design of the wire, the wiring came apart on the inside (took it apart to figure out why) because I used to wind the cord when not in use. Lasted about six months though. All in all, a pretty good headset . . just don't wind it up or fold it too much.

I've had two (broke one and lost one) and am ordering two more today. Nothing beats the simplicity of this gem. I use for my cellular phone (an LG 4400) and for my cordless house phones. Input sound is great, noise blanking fine for the recipient of my calls. Get very positive feedback from everyone I call. One of the best things I like is that there is nothing needed over the ear. It fits nice and snug in the ear.