I can't help but cringe every time I get an e-mail blast referring to "special" gadgets made "just for women!" Maybe this is because I was around during a time when this meant splashing some Pepto-pink paint onto an otherwise unchanged piece of tech. Or perhaps it's more that many of these efforts are still so often misguided. Show me one woman who likes shimmery tech with an interface made of bubble writing and I'll show you another who loves matte-black gear that uses only analog knobs.
Now, I'm not accusing Audio-Technica of taking either path, as the headphones it's currently pushing at females do offer sleek, metallic designs that appeal to my eye (and I am a card-carrying member of said group). But I'm willing to bet there are plenty of men who would be plenty pleased with a shiny blue, orange, green, or gray set of earphones, especially ones with specially made loops to keep them in the ear. OK, I digress...it's Monday, and maybe I'm cranky. For an objective take based purely on specs, click on through to the gallery of Audio-Technica's latest portable headphones.
(Credit:
Audio-Technica)
Last year, we reviewed the Audio-Technica QuietPoint ATH-ANC7 noise-canceling headphones, and editor Jasmine France thought they were a good value, offering decent, but not great, sound for the money. Well, when we heard that Audio-Technica was releasing a new, improved version of these headphones with a "b" tacked on to the model name, we were eager to get our hands on a pair.
What exactly has the company improved? According to the news release, these 'phones are supposed to sound better, offer a more comfortable fit (the earcups have been redesigned), and deliver some additional design tweaks, including an easier-to-access battery bay and two detachable cables of varying lengths: 1.6 meters (5.2 feet) and 1 meter (3.3 feet). Also, according to Audio-Technica's release, the ATH-ANC7b headphones deliver "smoother, richer, and more natural tonal balance...with impactful bass, a detailed midrange, extended treble and accurate imaging in an immersive soundfield."
All that sounds good and a lot of people have their eyes on the $200 ATH-ANC7b headphones as good alternatives to the Bose QuietComfort 15s and QuietComfort 3s that cost significantly more ($300 and $350, respectively). So we decided to see if the Audio-Technicas measure up to that hype.
Read the full review of the Audio-Technica QuietPoint ATH-ANC7 headphones to see if they do.
On Sale Now: $179.00 - $199.99
View the latest prices for Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint
The hand-built JH 13 Pro in-ear headphone.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)If you have ears, prepare to open them now.
I've just reviewed a bunch of contenders for the world's best full-size, over-the-ear headphone: Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Grado PS-1000, Sennheiser HD 800, Stax SR-007Mk2, and Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones--and all boast higher MSRPs than the JH Audio JH 13 Pro in-ear headphone.
Sure, full-size headphones can be used with iPods and MP3 players with varying degrees of success, but they're a lot more of a hassle to lug around than the JH 13 Pro. Honestly, I prefer the sound and comfort of over-the-ear models compared with in-ear headphones. Then again, the JH 13 Pro is a very different type of in-ear design, it uses six drivers--two woofers, two midranges, and two tweeters--to lower distortion compared with other in-ear designs. It's a difference I can hear.
The JH 13 Pro's resolution of fine detail is extraordinary, drums sound more realistic than I've heard from any other type of headphone. The JH 13 Pro is "fast," cymbals' shimmer and sparkle the way they do in real life, and when a drummer whacks his sticks against the drums' metal rims, the sound is more realistic. Dynamic oomph and slam are the best I've heard from an in-ear headphone.
The JH 13 Pro's bass goes deeper than any in-ear headphone to date, but it's the way these headphones decode palpable bass textures that's highly addictive. Electric, acoustic, and keyboard basses sound more different from each other with the JH 13 Pro. Switching over to Monster's excellent new Turbine Pro Gold in-ear headphone ($299) is startling, the Turbines sound mushy and muddled by comparison. The Monster has more mid-bass fullness, which some listeners may prefer. I do not.
The JH 13 Pro's midrange clarity is radically better than any in-ear 'phones I've used to date. Its bass, midrange, and treble are better balanced and accurate than what I'm used to from in-ear designs.
... Read more
The Woo WES: eight tubes on top, two in the lower half.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)Lucky me, I've reviewed most of the world's very best headphones, including the Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, and Sennheiser HD 800. But now there's something even better: the Woo Audio WES headphone amplifier ($4,500) and Stax SR-007Mk2 headphone ($2,410). The complete review can be found on the Home Entertainment Web site.
Yeah, it's a lot of dough, but the Woo/Stax combo creams the other contenders for world's best headphone sound, and the pair goes for less than the price of a world class, high-end camera, like the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. The camera's great now, but in a couple of years it'll be hopelessly out of date. Great audio is simply a better long-term investment.
Stax headphones use a very different operating principle than dynamic headphones (pretty much every headphone from lowly earbuds to full-size headphones are dynamic designs). Stax has been making electrostatic headphones since 1960 in Japan, and the company's current flagship model, the SR-007Mk2, is what I'm using with the Woo WES amplifier. The Stax is a big and comfy design.
The Stax SR-007Mk2 headphone
(Credit: Stax)The Woo WES is an all-triode tube drive, fully balanced design; the prototype unit I'm reviewing has a total of 10 tubes (four EL34 power tubes, four 6SL7 drive tubes, and two 5AR4 rectifier tubes), but production models will have 11 tubes. It works with Stax and Sennheiser electrostatic headphones only. The machined, all-metal dual chassis is beautifully crafted.
The WES, like all Woo amps, was designed by Wei Wu, and handcrafted in Woo Audio's factory in New York City. Each WES will be built to order over a four-day period; it's slated for release in October 2009. The preintroduction price is $4,500, and full retail is expected to be $4,990. Woo prices start at $470 for the WA 3. All Woo Audio electronics are sold direct from the factory, the waiting list is three to four weeks.
A look inside reveals no circuit boards; all wiring will be "point to point." That's a very expensive way to manufacture amplifiers, but Woo Audio thinks point-to-point wiring makes for better-sounding amps. The amp also features handmade inductors, and even the machined cone feet are designed specifically for the WES.
The clarity of the Woo/Stax combo with acoustic jazz mimics the way live, unamplified music sounds in a good concert hall or club. The Woo/Stax is the closest thing to being there I've heard to date.
... Read more
(Credit:
Honeyee)
In the time-tested tradition of bedazzling every article of clothing on your person, Audio-Technica has teamed up with Bless jewelers to bring you an exclusive line of headphones wrapped in uniquely gaudy decorative sleeves.
Now I can understand snazzing up your headphone cable with some beads or lace, but I struggle to think who would wear the one that looks like something you'd pick up off the floor of a Wookieean barber shop, especially considering that they cost 12,600 yen (or $129)!
Sounds nuts to me, but if you're truly desperate to show off your riches, you can buy a set of Bless/Audio-Technica's headphones here.
Audio-Technica's CES booth was littered with new headphone models for 2009. One reason for the glut is the addition of a whole new line of headphones made just for women, which, unlike the cheap, pink monstrosities we sometimes see from manufacturers, actually pull off some style--and without skimping on fidelity. There are also some gorgeous gender-neutral cans on offer. Hit the photo gallery for more details.
...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
(Credit:
Audio-Technica)
In the realm of sub-$100 headphones, audio quality can vary significantly from model to model. It can be a challenge to find a pair that's music to your ears, though there are quite a few in the price range that offer good-to-excellent sound.
One such set is the Audio-Technica ATH-CKM50A In-Ear Headphones, an $80 model that comes in a choice of three colors: black, white, or red. The name may not be catchy, and the plastic design leaves something to be desired, but if you can get a good fit, you'll be rewarded with exceptionally rich and balanced audio with a surprising amount of bass.
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
Bose has built quite the reputation for its entire audio line, so it's no surprise that the third version of the company's noise-canceling headphones, the QuietComfort 3, has a following. These earpad-style cans are supercomfortable and offer a sleek design that's significantly trimmed down in size from previous models. However, Bose made no move to lower the luxury pricing of the QuietComfort, which is where the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint headphones come in. These full-size 'phones sound good, can be used with or without noise-cancellation turned on, and include a handy hard-shell carrying case--all at half the price of the QuietComfort 3. Some users have even gone so far as to dub the ATs Bose killers. Well, we'll just see about that. Let the battle begin!
(Credit:
Crave UK)
We've been having a bit of an Audio Technica headphone fest over the last few weeks. Today extends it to the ATH-A900s--a pair of closed-back reference cans priced around 200 pounds (about $392).
Placing the 'phones over the old Uncle Ned, we felt a similar level of comfort to the ATH-W1000s, which got a excellent rating in our review last week. They're snug without too much tightness.
Inside are decent specifications: a 53-millimeter neodymium-backed driver responding to frequencies between 5Hz-40kHz, an impedance of 40ohms, sensitivity of 101dB and an excellent maximum power input of 2,000mW. Click here to see more.
(Source: Crave UK)
Last week we introduced you to Audio Technica's ATH-W5000s--a pair of closed-back headphones for serious audiophiles. They stepped up to Denon's AH-D5000s with not only a remarkably similar name, but also the intention of dethroning the Denon's from their status as "Favorite Crave headphones." The AT's will need some big cojones to make that challenge, so we decided to do an extensive investigation.
(Credit:
Crave UK)
The W5000s offer wooden enclosures, a frequency response of 5Hz-45kHz, 102 dB/mW sensitivity, 40 ohms impedance, 53mm drivers and a neodymium magnet. In addition, 3-millimeter gold-tipped, oxygen-free cabling helps ensure excellent delivery of sound to the sensitive drivers. We're used to these specifications in high-end cans, but what always differs is comfort and sound quality.
Although the W5000s are certainly comfortable, the D5000s are more so. We borrowed three audio fans' heads from the Crave office to decide between the two, and the D5000s were unanimously declared to be the most enjoyable to wear.
Bear in mind we're operating on first impressions here--our full review after exhaustive listening and testing will be with you next week--but we're pleased so far with the performance from these cans. Immediately, the W5000s demonstrate their strengths with clarity, high-frequency emphasis and an enjoyable mid-range, making them undeniably capable of conveying blistering detail.
Yet despite AT's patented "Double Air Damping System," we feel the low-end performance was less prominent. It's an extremely clear bass, full of beefiness in the mid- and upper-bass, but that low-end rumble doesn't deliver the skull-shaking, club-mimicking explosiveness needed by bass nuts. This won't be an issue, we feel, to many listeners, but if you crave more boom for your buck, you may well prefer Denon's bass-heavy D5000s.
Overall, the W5000s deliver a crystal-clear sound with a fairly warm voice, but noticeable emphasis in the treble. Expect the full lowdown next week when our review drops, but the 'phones are on sale now for around 415 pounds ($819).
Until the review's ready, feel free to check out our round-up of high-end heaphones, our article about why lossless audio is important (we're looking at you, iTunes shoppers) and of course, our review of two high-end headphone favorites: Denon's AH-D5000s and Sennheiser's open-backed HD 650s.
May peace and massaged ear drums be with you.
(Source: Crave UK)
