December 31, 2014

Alpine Over-Ear Headphones Review

December 31, 2014/ Nir Schneider

Many of you may know them by their top of the line in-car audio and Apple CarPlay-supported navigation systems, but Alpine is now starting its journey into the personal audio gear realm with the Alpine over-ear headphones. It's the company's first ever pair of headphones with an aggressive plan to outshine all other headphones in the higher-end category with unique proprietary technology and a distinct design. Starting with Alpine's "feel your music" slogan for its headphones. Powered by a set of built-in amplifiers, digital signal processing and Alpine's TKR3 Full Frequency Immersion technology, the high-performance 40mm drivers are engineered to deliver deep and powerful immersive audio quality that you can feel reverberating throughout your head. The selling point in Alpine's TKR3 technology is that the Alpine headphones are capable of producing very rich low frequencies without damaging your ears or sacrificing detail. Bundle that in with the Alpine's posh styling and you've got yourself a seriously attractive pair of headphones. We spent a fair amount of time with these, so be sure to jump below for our full and in-depth review to find out if they're worth your $300 investment!

November 17, 2014

Nocs NS500 Aluminum In-Ear Headphones Review

November 17, 2014/ Nir Schneider

In the market for a new pair of in-ear headphones under $100? Nocs has got you covered with its most recent offering – the NS500 Aluminum. Let's face it, if you're an iPhone user you probably still haven't taken your EarPods out of the packaging and that's perfectly understandable. The EarPods have an outstanding microphone and audio clarity, but they also lack isolation, and therefore bass. Almost any third party alternative is going to offer you better overall sound quality and a more secure in-ear fit. Over the years Nocs has consistently amazed us with its in-ear headphones, most notably the dual dynamic driver-equipped NS600 Crush model that we reviewed a couple of years ago. Unlike the NS600 Crush, the newer NS500 Aluminum feature a solid build made entirely out of CNC-machined lightweight aluminum that has been given an Apple-esque quality finish complete with a jewelry-like chamfer-cut highlight that literally begs to be paired up with an iPhone or iPad.

The NS500's titanium-coated diaphragm 8mm dynamic drivers claim to deliver the listener with an "amazing sonic experience that offers impeccable balance, rich detail and a deep bass". A flat tangle-free Kevlar reinforced cable features Nocs' slim and lightweight, Apple iDevice-compatible 3-button remote with MEMS microphone for headset use and music playback control. Don't fret though, there's also an Android-supported version of the NS500 available as well. Be sure to catch the full and in-depth review to find out if Nocs' impressively made NS500 Aluminum sound as phenomenal as they are stunningly beautiful.

November 01, 2014

Elevation Lab Anchor Under-Desk Headphone Mount Review

November 01, 2014/ Nir Schneider

Ever thought about treating yourself to a headphone stand? You know, one of those platforms with a tall hanger attached to a space-wasting base that you place on your desk to proudly show off and hang your headphones on when you're not using them. But if you care more about saving valuable desk space and less about displaying your on-ear or over-ear cans, there's an even better way of doing just that. The Anchor by Elevation Lab, the same company that brought you the hugely popular aluminum-made Elevation Dock for iPhone and recently the Elevation Stand for iMac, is a new under-desk headphone hanger that essentially mounts your headphones underneath your desk or any table for that matter. Unlike traditional headphone stands, the Anchor is purposely designed to put an end to headphone clutter in that it will hide your headphones away from plain sight, yet within a convenient arms reach all while freeing up more valuable workspace. Needless to say it's every headphone user's ideal desk accessory. Be sure to catch our full review on the Anchor down under!

July 01, 2014

Beats Solo 2 Headphones (2014) Review

July 01, 2014/ Nir Schneider

Beats is without question the world's most marketed headphone and audio brand in recent years. The company took a step in the right direction when it released the Studio 2 over-ear headphones late last year with much needed improvements in audio performance with the addition of a built-in rechargeable battery, and a polished redesign. And now Beats is repeating this revamping processes with the introduction of the Solo 2 headphones, which are coincidentally also the last pair Beats released as an independent company right before Apple acquired the brand for $3 billion.

As the successor of the Solo HD, the Solo 2 have an improved audio quality and share the same slick design language and a more resilient build quality of the Studio 2 headphones, but with a smaller and lighter portable on-ear style form factor. Can a new design and fine tuning persuade Beats skeptics into jumping onboard the Beats bandwagon that is high-priced, celebrity-endorsed headphones? There's only one way to find out.

June 28, 2014

JDS Labs C5 Portable Headphone Amplifier Review

June 28, 2014/ Nir Schneider

It's not every day that we get to review an amp. And if you know anything about headphone amps it's that they make things sound...a whole lot nicer. Headphone amps made by JDS Labs are in particular a favorite of ours purely because they are engineered with a magical switch that reads "switch on for the ultimate audio experience of your life". Well not exactly, it's more of a bass toggle that takes your headphones into a whole new set piece of unimaginable, untapped potential. If there's ever was a small headphone amplifier company that knew exactly what portable headphone amp users were looking for it's JDS Labs. Much has changed since our review of the company's famous Altoids tinned CmoyBB amp from a few years ago. And in that time JDS Labs introduces a number of new and improved offerings including the C5, a portable headphone amp that's powered by Arduino firmware and built to audiophile standards with an explosive driving ability and great all-day battery life.

Want to take your headphones to the next step? Have you found the perfect pair of headphones that fit comfortably, look great and sound amazing, yet you still wish the bass was as impressively brilliant as the all the rest? Then be sure to check out the full review down below and we just might be able to help you find what you were missing out on this whole time!

May 12, 2014

Bose FreeStyle In-Ear Headphones Review

May 12, 2014/ Nir Schneider

Although it never really disappeared, Bose is back with a new and refreshing line of audio gear designed to be more stylish compared to the company's previous mundane yet iconic products. The newly redesigned SoundTrue series of on-ear and over-ear headphones, which replace Bose's tried and true AE2i model, are being offered in a wide range of color styles and two-tone designs. And then there are the FreeStyle in-ear headphones, Bose's most pretentiously designed headset yet. But don't worry, unlike the SoundTrue they aren't going to be replacing the MIE2i or the SIE2i models anytime soon. Instead, the FreeStyle are an amalgamation of the two. They are Bose's most stylish, sweat-resistant earbuds the company has ever put into mass production. Offered in two acceptably garish yet excitingly different paint jobs, you'll either really like them or won't be able to stand the sight of them. Either way, we have got an in-depth freestyle review for you just a scroll away.

May 01, 2014

Jabra Rox Wireless In-Ear Headphones Review

May 01, 2014/ Nir Schneider

Jabra. Hearing the name will make any tech-savvy person think of a Bluetooth headset. Jabra is famous for its headsets for one reason, they're one of the best on the market. And like Jawbone, Jabra has recently made a push towards portable wireless speakers and even headphones with its Solemate and Revo series, which combine decades of experience in voice communication technologies. Jabra's new Rox Wireless are the company's first wireless stereo Bluetooth 4.0 in-ear headphones to offer users a more discrete and familiar way of listening to music compared to the behind-the-ear design of the Jabra Sport Wireless+, along with more advanced features and improved battery life. The Rox Wireless pack impressive wireless headset pedigree and high-definition Dolby-enhanced audio capability into a relaively small impervious form factor. But will it be enough to face steep competition from notable rivals such as JayBird's BlueBuds X and Plantronic's affordably priced BackBeat Go 2? If you're looking to stream your music wirelessly with the added benefit of ultra-portability, you should definitely tune into our in-depth Rox Wireless review after the jump!