Panasonic RP-HTX7-G1 Monitor Headphones (green) Review

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(More customer reviews)The people that are saying these headphones are as good as the more expensive ones must be tone deaf or something. They are good headphones but are not worth more than what they cost ~$40. I got mine for around $21 so they are a bargain at that price. Sound quality is good for most people, the headphones do not isolate outside noise as you might imagine, you can easily hear what's going on around you when the volume is low. These do not come with the extension cable so you'll need to buy an extension if you plan to use these with anything other than a portable MP3 player cable is only 4ft enough to go from your head to your waist. These are also very light, which makes them feel cheap but perfect for portable use. They also seem very delicate with the thin metal wires and plastic construction, but I can't judge on that as I've only had them for a few days now. Bottom line if you are looking for audiophile sound quality and something that feels like it's built well spend the money on the expensive stuff. If you want a good set of headphones you won't feel bad about abusing, letting your kids use them or losing them then get these, perfect for work.

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Old-school style monitor headphones Frequency response: 7Hz-22kHz40mm driversNeodymium magnets4' single-sided cordMade with leather and durable piano wire24k gold-plated plug

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Sennheiser HD448 Closed Circumaural Hi-Fi Headphone Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought these headphones after returning the Bose Triports Bose? around-ear headphones, for personal and portable listening, which have good sound but are flimsy. Even out of the box, without time for break-in, they are stunning. The sound is precise, clear, and natural. Listening to Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, I hear each instrument beautifully and in surprising detail.
You can buy these with great confidence. An audiophile vendor not associated with Amazon gives these headphones 5/5, and that company has ears trained on equipment costing thousands of dollars. Of course, if you are prepared to buy Sennheiser HD 600 Sennheiser HD600 Over-Ear Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Professional Stereo Headphones (Black) or HD 650 Sennheiser HD650 Audiophile Open Dynamic Stereo Headphone, you will hear something else again, a magical liquidity - but only if you couple them with a dedicated headphone amplifier. If you use headphones to listen to music, rather than music to listen to headphones, you will be very happy with the 448 for portables and home listening.
PS: It's a year since I posted this review, and I have just made a surprising discovery (surprising to me, at any rate). I knew these were good headphones without an amplifier. What I did not realize is that with a headphone amplifier, they are in another league. I have a small headphone amplifier, and I was getting only fair results with my high impedance headphones (which are outstanding on my other, larger amplifier). So just as an experiment, when frankly I was ready to buy a better amplifier, I asked myself what would happen if I took out the Sennheiser HD 530 (300 ohm impedance) and tried the HD 448. They're stunning. I thought it wouldn't be necessary, because the HD 448 has just a 32 ohm impedance. And it isn't necessary, but it certainly makes a huge difference. Put the HD 448 together with -- say -- a Headroom Airhead or Bithead and you have an excellent little rig.

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Audio Technica ATHM40FS Precision Studio Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)This review is for:
Audio Technica ATHM40FS Precision StudioPhones
First of all right out of the package they look expensive. They do not look cheaply made and the matte black coloring and shape of these headphones is pleasing to the eye.
From the top down:
The headband is approximately two inches wide and covered even on the top with some type of soft to the touch material. The underside of the headband is very well padded and the padding extends almost down to the hinge where the earpieces are connected to the headpiece. The padding is nice and squishy, but not so much that you can feel the hardness underneath. The thickness of the padding is approximately 3/4 of an inch thick.
These earphones are very light, I've been wearing them all day with no neck fatigue, or headache from too much pressure around the ears.
The tension of the headband is enough to hold the earphones on my head, but they rest comfortably without pressure around my ears.
The hinges where the earpieces meet the body are made from some type of heavy duty, hard plastic(I don't know the technical name for it). The hinges are nice and thick. They look well made and able to take a lot of use.
The earpieces:
The shape is sort of an elongated oval. They are lined all the way around by padding that is approximately 3/4 of an inch thick, and one inch wide, and they're covered by the same velvety soft material as the headband padding. This padding feels wonderful against the skin. The padding that touches the skin is flattened to fit against the head better, giving these headphones excellent sound squelching qualities.
The inside of each earpiece is oval in shape and the inside depth is between 1/2 and inch and 3/4 of an inch. The inside wells that hold the speakers are covered with some type of soft fabric as well.
The holes under the fabric where the speakers are located are shifted slightly toward the back side of the ear pieces.
The outside housing is a some type of matte black high density plastic, and the R and L on each one is molded into the plastic rather than being painted on so that it won't rub off eventually.
The hinges:
Move smoothly and easily. There are two sets of them. One allows the earpieces to be rotated out when they're being worn, so outside noises or conversation can be heard without taking them completely off. They're made of matte black high density plastic also. They're nice and thick, and the part that attaches the earpieces to the headband meets the headband smoothly. If you didn't know the seam was there, you'd probably miss it. Each earpiece can be rotated out to the front approximately 180 degrees, and to the back considerably less.
The other set of hinges are the same color and material, and they fit sleekly against the earpieces in their own grooves, giving the earpieces a smooth appearance when on the head. There is nothing sticking out, and it's very aesthetic. When they're on the head the hinges and earpieces look like they're all one piece. I don't know who designed them, but whoever it is they're smart, LOL.The Cord:
Runs from the left earpiece, and is not reinforced at the point it meets the earpiece. The cord is very long and has a nice thickness to it. It's not flimsy at all. If you don't need the length, I suggest tying it up with a zip it, or something similar, to keep it out of the way. I like the length personally. If you're like me and you forget you're wearing these headphones and get out of your chair to get something it doesn't pull everything off the shelf:D
The cord terminates in a 1/4 stereo plug, and is reinforced at the back end of the plug with a flexible metal spring that's approximately an inch long. The plug itself is textured for easy gripping.
If you're going to use these headphones for your: computer, tv, portable CD player or whatever. You're going to need to buy a 3.5 mm adapter because these headphones don't come with one in the box, like some of the other Audio Tecnica headphones.
But it's easy to find an adpater, and not much hassle. You can buy adapter kits. There is an adapter kit with four different sizes of adapters, right here on Amazon for 5.00 or so. Sound and audio stores should have them as well as electronics stores, I think even Wally World has them. Radio Shack has a kit that's a little different from the one here on Amazon, but it still has four different sized adapters. Just make sure you get a stereo to stereo adapter, not stereo to mono adapter. Isolation:
These really do a good job. When I'm listening to music I don't hear anything else unless the sound is extremely loud.
The sound:
The sound of music through these is excellent. I can hear everything the way it was meant to be heard. Nothing added or taken away. But listening pleasure is subjective. I really enjoy the music I hear through these headphones just playing MP3s on my computer without a fancy sound card on my computer. DVD movies sound very good also. The soundtracks sound great.
The longer I listen the better music sounds through these headphones.
The highs aren't sharp and grating, and the mid range is there, the lows are smooth and present. Nothing is muddy sounding to me. All the sounds are separated and discernible but not so sharply delineated that it picks the music to pieces with one drowning out the other. Everything is nicely balanced and flows together like music should. It sounds like I'm hearing a live performance. The bass is there, but it is NOT very pronounced and isn't the focus.
I don't hear any distortion at a higher volume, but then again I can't stand very loud music, it hurts my ears. You don't have to turn these all the way up to hear decently. I'm listening to Illumination by Hemi- Sync right now and I've got my system volume turned up to 3/4 and Winamp volume is at 9%, and that's quite enough to enjoy the music. I can still hear everything very well with no interference from outside noise.
The music accompanies the singer rather than drowning them out. If you enjoy the lyrics, like me, as much as the music, then these headphones are fantastic. The lyrics are very easy to understand,and the voice of the singer is perfectly presented.
Meatloaf "Life is a Lemon" sounds heavenly through these, and so does Garth Brooks "Friends in Low Places". Pink Floyd sounds divine, and so does John Denver. Mozart sounds great too. PussyCat Dolls "Don'tcha" sounds just as good to me. Rammstein - Blade Theme (Techno Remix) sounds as good as all the rest. Roberta Flack is as close to blues as I've gotten yet, and she sounds amazing. Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You" Sounds good too. I haven't listened to anything jazzier. Pantera sounds good, and so do the Heavy Metal soundtracks( 1 and 2). I hope that gives you some idea about the range of music that sounds great with these headphones. Meditation music sounds great also.Summation:
These are excellent quality headphones for the price. Someone put a lot of thought and effort into designing these. I always look at the details, and if someone paid attention to those I know they care about their product.
These headphones are light and comfortable on the head, and about the ears. They can be worn comfortably for extended periods of time without causing a headache. I believe they provide enough isolation, and outside sound dampening, to satisfy most music afficianados.
If you're looking for very pronounced bass, don't buy these unless you want to adjust the the bass to your satisfaction on your music source.
All in all I'm very pleased with these headphones, and I would buy them again. The price and the quality make this set of headphones an excellent buy.
On a sidenote: The customer service people are very nice. I emailed the customer service department for the amplitude range on another set I was eyeballing which are also made by audio Technica. The frequency response of headphones means nothing if the amplitude is way out of whack. It took about a week for them to answer but he very nice fellow who answered sent me JPGs of the amplitude graphs for the set I asked about, and another set. I'm sure he probably had to hunt the graphs down and then make a file to attach it to the email he sent me. Now that is customer service! Kudos to Audio Technica for their customer service. And that was before the sale!
The two sets were: Audio Technica ATH-A700 Closed-Back Dynamic Headphones With Double Air Damping and Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Headphones.
If you're interested the amplitude range on the ATH-AD700 was much more flat than the ATH-A700, with less variation overall.
Alrighty then, that's all I can think of at the moment.
I'm enjoying my music on these very same headphones while I'm typing away.



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Audio-Technica's premium professional studiophones offer a flat, extended frequency response for professional studio monitoring. Superior components provide very high SPL capabilities while maintaining exceptional clarity of sound. Exterior design features include sturdy strain-relief cable and comfortable circumaural earpieces that can be rotated 180 degrees to permit one-ear monitoring. The studiophones utilize 40-millimeter drives with neodymium magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils for lowest mass. They are equipped with an 11-foot cable terminated in a standard 1/4-inch connector. This field-serviceable model allows elements, cables, and earpads to be replaced in the field if needed.

ATH-M40fs Features
Flat, extended frequency response for mixing/monitoring
Field-replaceable cables, drivers and ear pads
1,600 mW of power handling, high SPL capability
40 mm diameter drivers, neodymium magnets and CCAW voice coils
OFC litz wire cables, convenient one-side exit
Rotating earpieces for easy one-ear monitoring

ATH-M40fs Specifications
Type: Closed-back dynamic
Driver Diameter: 40 mm
Magnet: Neodymium
Voice Coil: Copper-clad aluminum wire
Frequency Response: 5 - 28,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power: 1,600 mW at 1 kHz
Sensitivity: 100 dB
Impedance: 60 ohms
Weight: 8.8 oz (250 g) without cable
Cable: 11-foot (3.4 m) (OFC litz wire, left-side exit)
Connector: 1/4-inch (6.3 mm) phone plug

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Bose?AE2 audio headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)These are the first headphones that I have bought that have broken the $100 barrier. I have always had quality stereo equipment and speakers so quality sound reproduction if very important for me. These headphones are very balanced and I like balance. I don't like headphones that are too heavy on bass even though these produce very tight accurate bass when pushed. These earphones sound great with all kinds of music. I have played metal, jazz, classical, blues, classic rock and contemporary rock through them and they always sounded great. Jazz sounds particularly good. They're crystal clear and you'll notice things you've never heard come through on these. I should also say that they are very confortable and can be used for hours at a time. Like any other set of around ear headphones, they will eventually warm up your ears. This is to be expected though.

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Dedication to research and excellence. It's been the Bose approach to better sound since Dr. Amar G. Bose founded the company in 1964. Since those early days, Bose engineers have kept their focus on creating better technology. You'll find that focus exemplified in Bose AE2 audio headphones. Immerse yourself in your music with the improved audio performance of Bose AE2 headphones. You'll hear smoother audio throughout the entire frequency range, from full lows to clear highs. AE2 headphones can enhance your listening at home and on the go from your favorite audio sources, including portable players and laptops. Sound and Comfort AE2 headphones, with enhanced, proprietary TriPort acoustic headphone structure, deliver sound reproduction that conventional headphones can't match. And improved ear cushions, in both design and materials, give you a more comfortable fit. In addition, the adjustable, cushioned headband has been redesigned to distribute weight more evenly across the top of the head. As a result, AE2 headphones can provide hours of comfortable listening. Convenience and Durability The earcups are angled for a comfortable fit. And they rotate to fold flat, allowing for easy storage and transport in the carry bag. The audio cable attaches on a single earcup for greater freedom of movement and less tangling, and detaches for convenient storage.

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Sennheiser HD438 Closed Circumaural Hi-Fi Headphone with Enhanced Bass Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned these headphones for about a month and feel I'm ready to review them.
If I could pick two words to describe these headphones, the words would be Natural & Immersive.
I own a couple other Sennheiser products: the EH350 and the HD560. Comparing the three, the HD438 is my favorite. They're easier to drive than the HD560 and they sound better & are more comfortable than the EH350.
Sources:
ipod 5.5g 30GB - Apple Lossless files
ipod 7g 160GB - Apple Lossless files
Denon PMA-250 Integrated Amp & Powermac - Apple Lossless files
Sound Quality:
Detail is very important to me, and the HD438 does disappoint. I hear all the little nuances in music that other lesser headphones (like the EH350) tend to smooth over. The HD438 has a pretty wide soundstage for a sealed headphone as well. Instruments are well separated as well. They have good bass, better than both the EH350 and HD560. I'd say the bass is neutral, not too boosted. Highs are clean and crisp, but not harsh in any way. These are the headphones you want for long, non-fatiguing listening sessions. Before breaking the headphones in, the mids seemed a bit recessed, but as they've broken in that problem no longer exists. Just beautiful, immersive, detailed music.
I listen to a lot of electronic music, and I find them very immersive and clear. They sound great listening to jazz too, cymbals sound very crisp and clear, and the other instruments sound natural. I also listen to some rock and ska, and I've been happy with their performance there as well. Bass is crisp and tight and the other instruments sound as they should. Since they sound so natural, they're quite intimate as well with other styles, like folk and classical.
There is one downside to these headphones I've found (if you can call it that). They're very revealing. If you have a bad recording or a bad source player, it's going to let you know. I tried em with some lower bitrate mp3s and AAC files, (128-192kbps) you'll hear graininess and artifacts that some other headphones smooth over.
With my ipod 5.5g, the bass is a bit lacking and the overall volume level is a bit lower than I'd like. In my opinion, you have to turn it up past 75% to get a reasonable level of volume.
With my ipod 7g, the bass is a bit fuller and there's a bit more detail and separation and there's a bit more headroom in the volume. I'd say 70% is where you'd want to be for a reasonable level.
My Denon PMA-250 has a ton of headroom. I only have to turn it up about 20% or 25% to get to a reasonable level. Given that, it has fuller and stronger deep bass when driven by this powerful amp.
Overall, I think they sound as good as my audiophile-grade HD560's, but they have a slightly darker sonic profile. I'd say these are headphones that will benefit from an amp, but it's not necessary in most circumstances. Design & Isolation:
These are very, very comfortable headphones. I've had multi-hour listening sessions and have had no comfort issues whatsoever. The velour pads have a soft texture, but are firm enough so they cup your ears rather than sinking into your head.
They're sturdy headphones, with a single cable running out the left side. Included is a shorter & a longer cable that is easy to swap out depending on your needs. It also comes with a 1/4" adapter. At first I thought the outside design would bother me, but they're not as flashy as I thought they would be, which makes me happy.
In terms of sound isolation, they isolate a fair amount, but not enough to completely isolate you from the outside environment. They have a small amount of sound leakage, but really not very much at all.
Overall:
I think this is a great pair of headphones. They come with a 2 year warranty, and I've had very good luck with Sennheiser's quality in the past. If you're looking for a great sealed headphone that's comfortable, sounds beautiful & natural, from a quality brand, these would be a great choice!

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The HD 438 is part of a series of headphones designed to be an extension of consumers lifestyles.

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Sennheiser HD218 Closed Back Headphone Optimized for iPod/iPhone/MP3/ and Music Players Review

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(More customer reviews)After struggling for a while with the average quality of a few models of closed headphones and the piercing pain in my earlobes when using them for more than an hour, I believe I've found what I wanted: A good quality, good sound, reasonable priced earphones that won't hurt my humanity. But beware audiophiles: The sound coming from these guys even if rich and clear, with realistic deep bass and sharp high notes will never match those you can get from professional headphones, nor is their intention nor their price. These are nice mid-level workhorses that do their job pretty good, so keep your expectations on that level. If you want professional sound get ready to pay three or four times more. Just be realistic
After the "disclaimer" above, I bumped into these headphones while looking to replace a pair of Sony's, my third pair of closed headphones that not only sounded average but made me ended up with swollen, red earlobes after a little more than an hour of use. I tried everything, from forcing the top bridge to open and release the pressure to using the cup in different areas of my earlobes with no success. I even tried stuffing some cotton yarn on the cups and the only result was me looking ridiculous. Then I read a review on this pair from a reputable source attending the latest CES in Vegas and I gave them a try
They are good, really good. I use them mostly for PC gaming and the sound effects as well as the music and dialogue is very clear and deep. I also tried them a couple of times on my iPod listening to classical music and they behave decently, not as good as I wanted but at this price I doubt there are any headphones that can deliver classical music with the needed fidelity. They also provide good isolation from external noises with a thick layer of foam and synthetic fiber that to my surprise doesn't make you feel that you put your ears on the kitchen range. They do warm your ears a bit, but noting you can't stand or even notice after you get accustomed to them
But the best part for me is the fit. No pain, no discomfort whatsoever. The combination of a good layer of soft material with a multiple point adjusting cups provides a very close fit yet mimic the shape of your earlobes good enough to avoid the pain other earphones can get you. If you add I use them while wearing glasses, then the result is astounding: No pressure on your head from the glasses or any ache or soreness from the cups. Overall the best pair of closed headphones I owned in a while. Five stars considering they last for at least three years at my heavy use, but that's too early to tell


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Versatile closed-back headphones

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Sennheiser HD428 Closed Circumaural Hi-Fi Headphone Review

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(More customer reviews)Sennheiser HD 428 review highlights:
Pros:
Great price
Feels great on head
Lightweight
Perfect length cord
Fits a 5-year-old's head too!
Sound quality just below that of the Bose QC 2
Cons:
Ears won't fold flat
No case

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The HD 428 is part of a series of boldly designed headphones designed to be an extension of consumers lifestyles.

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Sennheiser HD 485 Open Air Over-Ear Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)Before purchasing these headphones, I tried and returned the hd-215 "dj" headphones, which had insipid, lifeless bass and midrange --though crisp and sparkling highs. Definitely useless for dj's despite their 32ohm rating. their subjective volume and projection were somehow incredibly weak --perhaps the set was a lemon.Now for the 485's:
At first I was divided about these cans. For headphones with 32 ohm impedance & 1/8" outputs --i.e. portable player ready--, they are the first phones I had heard with any appreciable soundstage. That is amazing considering the price of the phones; I paid U$ 70.00.
Since I was not expecting anything resembling soundstaging --or spatial placement of the different voices/instruments--, I initially mistook the sound as uneven and biased toward certain frequencies, especially the bass. (note: the 485's sound phenomenal for electronic music right from the beginning.)
I even tried --unsuccessfully-- to return the headphones.
Resigned to using them with as many different kinds of music as possible, even those with "trouble spots" for the phones, I thought they might sound different upon passing the 30-60 hour "break-in" stage.
This proved correct, both subjectively and in my concept of how headphones should sound. The bass, which had been a bit up front, but always tight and defined --the dynamic range well beyond human hearing in both directions--, smoothed out considerably.
The previously hidden frequencies became distinctly audible and, thanks to the soundstaging, revealed more about the music than I had previously heard. The players I used were an iRiver slimX 350 --main unit--, a top of the line riovolt player, and the humble, but mighty Sony Psyc 320.
These phones ultimately blew away all expectations for something in this pricerange; I quickly forgot about my Sony mdrv-600's.
Don't be put off by the initial apparent distance of certain elements of the sound; they make it to the forefront in about 35 hours of listening time. Use an appreciable volume for the entire process.
These phones fit over the average ear are very comfortable unless, perhaps, you have large earlobes --but even then, I can only imagine that the gentle earpads exert less pressure than most against-the-ear units.
The cord (which is thicker than on any sets I've seen for under several hundred dollars) is detachable and replacable, as are the earpads. The 485's are very aesthetically pleasing and unpretentious looking. The attached adjustable undertable hanger is not likely to be useful to anyone.
Nonetheless, these are phenomenal headphones for --well-- under $250.00. I can't imagine anything in this price range even approaching the combination of sensitive and aggressive sound qualities of the Sennheiser HD 485's. Anything resembling a sound stage at this price is simply unheard-of, and these headphones are, somehow, top notch in that respect. They excel --perhaps even sound better-- at lower volumes as well.
I have heard many different phones in different price ranges, both with and without preamps, and I really think these stand up to some high-end units. They are comfortable with all different genres of music --I have over 1800 cd's. Just give them a little time.
BTW, I don't recommend the "express" method of breaking-in headphones --wherein one plugs them into a stereo, puts a cd on repeat and leaves them for hours on end (they are not catcher's mitts) If you want to truly acclimate a set of headphones, you must take the time to listen to them with whatever different kinds of music you like (or even different artists, if you listen only to one genre). Also take into account that I have yet to hear these on my home system through a 1/4" connection --that will undoubtedly push them beyond what I have heard with the little, but formidable, iRiver.
Lucky me for encountering a strict return policy :)
Lucky you if you have a similar experience with these headphones.

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The Sennheiser HD 485 Headphones are open, circumaural stereo headphones with exceptional sound characteristics and outstanding comfort. The HD 485 uses the latest diaphragm geometry for detailed stereo sound, lightweight aluminum voice coils for excellent dynamics and high efficiency, and a gold-plated adapter for superior connections. The HD 485 comes with a headphone holder that you can attach to a table or shelf, as well as a three-meter single-sided cable.

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