headphones - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Mar

JayBird BlueBuds X Deep Dive Review: Ultraportable Perfection Comes At A Price

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Accessories, Other Reviews, Reviews

I have a confession to make: I'm obsessed with wireless portable audio gear. Bluetooth earbuds, headphones, and portable speakers excite me more than they probably should. And I'm OK with that. My wife, however, gives me "the look" every time a new gadget arrives, rolling her eyes so far up her skull she could have easily become a soap opera star or an extra on The Walking Dead. She doesn't get it - she's not a geek who loves to get to the bottom of every feature, spot every miniscule detail, and figure out if we have something special on our hands.

Feb

sony-xperia-z-up-for-pre-order-on-three-uk-from-34-a-month-on-contract-available-on-february-28t

[Deal Alert] Pre-Order The Sony Xperia Z, Get A Free Pair Of MDR-1R Headphones Worth £299 (UK Only)

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Deals, News, Sony, Xperia Z

United Kingdom readers, never say we didn't do anything for you. If you've been patiently waiting for Sony's new flagship phone, you can pick up some pretty sweet studio-quality headphones at the same time. If you pre-order the Xperia Z through one of Sony's partners, you can pick up a pair of Sony MDR-1R headphones for free, gratis, and nothing.

You don't even have to buy it outright - O2 and Three UK are both offering subsidized versions which qualify for the free headphones. If you'd rather go for an unlocked model, both Carphone Warehouse and Phones4u are participating in the pre-order.

Nov

V-MODA Crossfade M-80 Review: The Sound Quality Is Exceeded Only By The Durability

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Other Reviews

Most headphones are relatively straightforward. They're usually built around a simple metal or plastic frame, have leather or pleather ear pads, and if you're lucky, are comfortable. Hopefully they sound good, too. What they aren't, usually, is bendable or droppable. Nor do they have Kevlar-coated cables, steel frames, or military-level testing.

That's exactly what makes the M-80's so unique. That military testing certainly means they're durable, but with a $230 price tag, you would hope they sound great, too.

Specs:

On-ear noise isolating headphones
40mm dual-diaphragm drivers
Two detachable Kevlar-wrapped headphone cables - a 3-button and a 1-button, both with 24k gold 45° plugs
Flexible steel headband, brushed aluminum cans
Microfiber suede covering the headband, memory foam on the headphones
Hard rubberized carrying case

The Good

They sound absolutely fantastic.

Sep

I-MEGO THRONE Gold Headphones: $130 Of Great Sound And Loud Style

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Other Reviews

It seems like headphones have become more of a fashion statement, most commonly demonstrated by the Beats-equipped youth that traipse around as if their $100 Bluetooth headphones are a premium product. They've become as much of a fashion statement as clothing, with a pricing system to match - that is, many of the more expensive fashionable brands are simply the same materials with a fancier name. Short story long, the focus isn't so much on sound and comfort anymore, but rather on panache.

The THRONE headphones from I-MEGO seem to blend both form and function better than most competitors. Do they stand out in a crowded playing field of visually loud headphones?

Sep

[Quick Review] Satechi BT Lite Headphones: Cutting The Wrong Corner

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Other Reviews

Satechi is known for offering good products for a good price. Recent examples: an awesome $30 portable Bluetooth speaker, a high-quality headrest mount for tablets, and a whopping 10,000mAh portable charger for just $50. So when the company announced some new lightweight Bluetooth headphones (creatively named "BT Lite Headphones"), it caught my attention.

With the promise of light weight, good features, and quality sound at $45, I cracked open the package with high expectations. At first, the sound produced by the BT Lites is impressive. But run through a range of songs and you start to notice a fatal flaw - one severe enough to prevent a buy recommendation entirely.

Jul

[Quick Review] BBP Mobiband Bluetooth Headphones: A Budget Product With A Mid-Range Price

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Accessories, Other Reviews

Bluetooth may be a mature technology, but it's far from perfect. It follows, then, that headphones that use the standard would share the same imperfections in addition to their own. Such is the case with the Mobiband Bluetooth Headphones made by BBP; while they're certainly not bad, they're not good, either. Unfortunately, the performance simply doesn't justify the $60 price tag of the headphones. In fact, mediocrity is the theme across the board, which is unfortunate if not entirely surprising.

Take a look at Amazon and it becomes immediately obvious that BBP is a company that has made its name selling generic accessories and is now trying to move into new markets.

Jun

Beats Me: Why HTC's "Amazing Sound" On The International One X Isn't Amazing At All - Even By The Numbers

Posted by David Ruddock in Editorials, HTC, News, One X (Endeavor)

HTC's marketing of Beats Audio on its One Series handsets has rapidly become a joke among critics and internet commentators alike. And that's probably putting it nicely. The fact that the entirety of the Beats "enhancements" found on aforementioned phones has been zipped up and packaged to flash on any Android 2.3+ handset has, at least in the collective minds of the internet, exposed the Beats partnership for what it is: equalization software and a fancy logo.

I've used all of HTC's One Series products aside from the One V; that is to say, the One X, XL (AT&T One X), and S.

Jun

[Lightning Review] Philips SHL9705A On-Ear Headphones With In-Line Controls And Control App

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Other Reviews, Reviews

While earbuds and wireless headsets are an ever-expanding consumer electronic market thanks to the proliferation of smartphones, on-ear cans remain something of a niche (unless you count Beats - I don't). Even more niche than that are smartphone-friendly on-ear headphones. And somewhere between particularly obscure red wine varietals from Germany and Super Audio CDs lies the selection of specifically Android-friendly wired on-ear headphones. (Not really, but I wanted to make a ridiculous analogy.) The point is, if you're looking for wired on-ear headphones with Android in-line controls, your options aren't exactly endless.

The big houses such as Sennheiser either still only make in-line control products for iOS devices, or like Grado have forsaken the notion of such things altogether.

Jun

[Update: Winners] Win One Of Ten Pairs Of Really Awesome Nocs NS200 Earbuds

Posted by David Ruddock in Contests / Giveaways

Last Updated: June 7th, 2012

The winners have been selected. Check the list below to see if you won!

Do you like listening to music on the go but find that your headphones, for lack of a better word, suck? Then today is (potentially) your lucky day, because Nocs and Android Police are giving away ten pairs of Nocs NS200 earbuds (a $70 value each - find them at Amazon here), and they rock. In fact, check out our review of the NS200s, because you might just end up skipping this giveaway and buying a pair right now.

Never heard of Nocs? Neither had I until a few weeks ago, but I was stunned by the fidelity, character, and comfort of the NS200s, and I'm really looking forward to any more Android products they have coming down the line.

Apr

[Lightning Review] Nocs NS200 Android Earbuds: Solid Hi-Fi Equipment, On The Cheap

Posted by David Ruddock in Other Reviews, Reviews

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of headphones as part of my hardware review routine. I've listened to expensive ones. Slightly less expensive ones. Hilariously cheap ones. You get the picture.

So when a Swedish headphone company by the name of Nocs got in touch with me, I was a bit surprised - because I didn't know they existed. And there's a good reason for that (sort of): Nocs has specialized in making solely Apple-friendly headphone products. Until now.

The NS200 earbuds represent Nocs' first Android-compatible headphones (basically, just minor changes to the 3-button controls), and are a variant of the company's standard NS200 iOS earbuds.