It seems that headphone fans are being spoiled this September, not only is there a Head-fi meet (September 15th) in Cambridge but this years National Audio Show ’12 will also feature a Headphone area for the first time.
Sponsored by the organisers, Headzones is set to launch this Autumn at the National Audio Show, Whittlebury Hall, Northampton on the 22nd and 23rd of September.
See & Hear the very latest in an exciting line up of some of the best headphones and accessories from around the world!
“This year we have introduced an exciting and long awaited addition known as ‘HEADZONES’ which will feature a large range of Headphones and accessories from around the world. In fact this new feature is proving to be so popular that we’re already having to consider increasing the space we first allocated. This along with additional features that put ‘MUSIC’ at the heart of everything we do.” – Chester Group
HiFiHeadphones.co.uk will also be attending with a few bits of interesting gear and we will also be selling products on behalf of some of the brands who will be there. Because we have a special offer available for people attending the Head-fi meet in Cambridge (the weekend before), we will be extending this offer for people visiting our stand in the ‘HEADZONES’ area!
Head-Fi is widely seen as the best forum to discuss everything headphone and earphone related. The American contingent have been holding large meet ups for years now, forum members try out each others equipment and discover what all the fuss is about without spending thousands on an item they have no way to demo. Although there have been a few small events in the UK it looks like the largest to date will take place this September in Cambridge on the 15th of September. Click here to read a Blog about the 2012 Head-fi meet up.
Headzones will be located on the ground floor of the main show. See below for National Audio Show tickets.
The National Audio Show ’12 is held at Whittlebury Hall Hotel & Spa, an ideal location for a top quality Audio Show; geographically perfect, being equidistant between two key arterial motorways (M40 & M1) and also equidistant from the M25 and South Midlands.
Whittlebury Hall benefits from free parking for up to 500 cars and over 65 suites of various sizes – the vast majority of which are on the Ground floor. Onsite you will also find five restaurants and bars, extensive day spa and leisure facilities, a superb support team, and a whole range of exhibitor accommodation packages.
For those that choose not to drive, there will be regular shuttle buses from Milton Keynes Railway station for just £4 return.
It seems that headphone fans are being spoiled this September, not only is there a Headphone area for the first time at this years National Audio Show but also a Head-fi meet up in Cambridge!
Head-Fi is widely seen as the best forum to discuss everything headphone and earphone related. The American contingent have been holding large meet ups, forum members try out each others equipment and discover what all the fuss is about without spending thousands on an item they have no way to demo. Although there have been a few small events in the UK it looks like the largest to date will take place this September in Cambridge.
Last years head-fi meet in London was so successful many people expressed an interest in attending one this year, one forum member decided to take things into his own hands. With the help of other members and several Audio companies the UK meet up has been organised for Saturday 15th of September in Bar Hill Village hall in Cambridgeshire.
Doors are open at 10:00am with a trully incredible raffle draw taking place at 4pm, the meet will then finish at 5pm. The list of equipment on show is too huge to place here – Visit the Thread on Head-fi to get you excited.
Although HiFiHeadphones.co.uk cannot attend due to prior commitments, as a head-fi sponsor we have donated some raffle prizes and we will be running a special discount offer through the website for those who attend the meet up. We will run this for two weeks so that anyone attending either the Head-fi meet up or National Audio Show ’12 has the chance to use it.
Headphone fans are being spoiled this September
The National Audio Show ’12 is held at Whittlebury Hall Hotel & Spa, a geographically perfect location, being equidistant between two key arterial motorways (M40 & M1) and also equidistant from the M25 and South Midlands. For those that choose not to drive, there will be regular shuttle buses from Milton Keynes Railway station for just £4 return.
This year they have introduced an exciting and long awaited addition known as ‘HEADZONES’ which will feature a large range of Headphones and accessories from around the world. In fact this idea has been so popular that the organisers have had to increase the space originally allocated. Click here to read a Blog post about the The National Audio Show ’12.
Bar Hill village hall, which has good access to the M11 and A1(M) via the A14, has been booked for Saturday 15th September. There is ample onsite parking, tables/chairs, a kitchen, spacious hall and accessible toilets. The hall address is – 171 The Spinney, Bar Hill, Cambridge, CB23 8SU.
The hall is accessed via a residential area, so Sat Nav users enter the postcode and 171 The Spinney to pinpoint the exact location. Bar Hill village is well served by buses from Cambridge bus depot. The Citi 5 (operated by Stagecoach) leaves every 20 minutes on Saturdays. The closest stop to the village hall is near Apple Trees.
Relatively inexpensive accommodation is available at the nearby Travelodge.
Custom molded IEMs and pro monitoring specialists, EarSonics, are a French company making waves in the world of universal IEMs. The new EarSonics SM3 v2 is equipped with a triple balanced armature, three-way crossover design.
Despite being a new name in the UK EarSonics have a huge following amoungst French musicians, audio engineers, and celebs who use EarSonics products on-stage, or while mixing or monitoring.
The original SM3 was a little less slick looking but the version 2 has an ergonomically shaped body which sits comfortably in the ear and they are comfy to wear even for extended listening sessions. The SM3 v2 share the same long thin sound tube design of the Shure and Westone ranges. EarSonics uses a similar twisted cable on the SM3 v2 as most other pro IEM manufacturers use with custom IEMs, there is little cable noise and tangling is not a problem either. The cable is replaceable, an excellent lifeline for the more clumsy among us.
The EarSonics SM3 v2 is very clean sounding with an impressively dark background. With their surprisingly wide soundstage, superb handle on detail and instrument separation they are without doubt one of the best IEMs currently available. They feel very lively without fatiguing the listener, very natural sounding for IEMs, which can suffer from unrealistic soundstage and movement within the stereo image. Bottom end is superb but the mids are very special – a hard to describe sound but they feel “right”.
Comply foam tips, medium and large and double flanged silicone tips are accompanied by a small neat zip up case, a cleaning tool. There are also dual (SM2) and single (SM1) models from EarSonics as well.
PSB has launched its first pair of headphones, the noise-cancelling PSB M4U 2 over-ear cans.
Better known for their speaker designs, the Canadian manufacturer says the headphones result from a “multi-year research program” at the Acoustics Laboratory at Canada’s National Research Council.
The headphones are sturdy with a solid feel but don’t feel any heavier than the avrage passive headphone. Comfort is great, well chosen pads isolate properly and PSB have not let the slick design get in the way of functionality anywhere else either. Nice touches a foldable frame for portability and the cord’s ability to plug into either earcup.
The PSB M4U 2’s are powered headphones, with built-in amplification. The closed-back design uses a four-microphone active noise cancelling system to help remove a broad spectrum of noise. The drop is over 18dB of reduction in ambient sound, plenty enough to keep a long flight relaxing.
The PSB M4U 2 headphones also promise to reduce distortion from portable devices and extend the battery life, they should give around 55 hours of music and will also work in passive mode should you run out of juice. They also feature a monitor button allowing you to rejoin the outside world without taking them off.
PSB M4U 2 Headphones
The place where they really shine is the sound quality. These are one of the best noise cancellers we have ever tried! They have a relaxed sound without feeling boring, gaining a natural timbre from their solid yet precise feeling bass and pretty mids. Detail is articulated well, there is just something a bit more Hifi in the presentation over other active noise cancellers which are often bass heavy and un-natural.
The PSB M4U 2 comes with a protective travel case, two cables and stereo and in flight adapters. Now available in black with a white model is due by September.
More Information
For more information on the PSB Headphones range please visit the HiFi Headphones store.
Pioneers current range of DJ headphones is crowned by the fantastic HDJ-2000, which are without doubt one of the nicest DJ headphones around at the moment. The range caters for everyone from bedroom heroes right up to the Professional gigging DJ.
DJ headphones are often used for a wide variety of tasks and have to satisfy a tough set of criteria, this makes creating the perfect DJ headphone quite difficult.
Essential Features
DJ Headphones need to have the option of a 6.3mm or ¼” jack plug (this can be a screw on adaptor) as this is what you will find at the headphone output of a mixer and other Pro Audio devices.
Closed back headphones keep other noises out and your noise in. DJ Headphones should isolate you from background noise, this helps with cueing up the next track or getting that clever new mix perfect. It also means you can use the same headphones for studio performance or if you make your own music or remix other peoples work they will help here too!
The Importance of Comfort
If you’re going to spend many hours DJing then comfort is obviously a key factor to consider. Some headphone headbands cause a clamping effect that can cause fatigue, this type of distraction will not aid the creative process. Other headphones have a very light grip on the head and will move around, again not an aid to concentration. You should aim for somewhere in the middle, comfy but you don’t want them falling off mid set. DJ headphones might also have articulated cups to help with single ear monitoring. As you will probably be wearing them for hours on end, the cups should feel good on your ears, also think about where the cable will be if you have an unconventional DJ style, they can be single or double sided.
Build Quality and Storage DJ headphones must be tough, if you are gigging they will be stepped on, dragged around by the cable, stuffed in a bag or record box and will probably get very sweaty! If space in your travelling bag or case is limited then pick a small or folding model. Try not to choose your headphones by looks alone, sometimes it is much better to look professional than to look cool.
Pioneer HDJ Series
The logic seems to be that the models underneath the HDJ-2000 have benefited from the innovation and developments for the Flagship model. This always impresses me as not everyone can afford the top model in a range but it is nice to know you are benefiting from the same technology. Pioneer have made the HDJ range for live or studio monitoring but all the models work very well for listening to music on the go. DJ headphones do lend themselves to general portable use – Great sound, small size, folding parts, replaceable cables and tough construction. Whether you are a bedroom DJ or a Globe trotting superstar DJ you will probably use DJ headphones for listening to music too and possibly even making a little of your own. Pioneer have achieved three excellent models which could easily become the only pair of headphones you need.
Pioneer HDJ-2000
The HDJ-2000 itself is quite a hansom affair. Pioneer have straddled the difficult gap between Consumer and Pro Audio looks with impressive results. The magnesium alloy used in the swivel mechanism for the cups feels solid and lightweight. The Auto return feature, or i-hinge as they call it, swivels the cups back to their original position. This works really well and feels like it should be there. The headband is un-fussy and practical, it can be bent until it is nearly flat without any damage and the retractable arms for fit sizing are simple but sensible. The folding system works perfectly, the unit is actually quite small when folded. The Ear pads are made of an artificial Protein Leather, which I found convincingly leather like and comfy, these are filled with a heat reactive memory foam, not unlike the ever popular Comply tips. The heavy-duty build quality makes the HDJ-2000 durable and portable. The cable is fully replaceable, fitted to the headphone with a Mini XLR at the business end of a tough coiled 3m cable and a 3.5mm gold plated jack plug with 6.3mm adaptor at the other.
First Impressions
On first impressions, the sound is not exactly what I have come to expect from a DJ headphone, they have a more Hifi feel due to the level of detail, the sound feels pretty sophisticated. Although they have the typically short stereo imaging of a Closed back Headphone giving an inverted U shape to the audio, the separation is fantastic. You do not perceive that the sound extends far beyond your head but they feel uncluttered and the sense of space within the soundstage feels natural also the background is relatively dark.
The HDJ-2000s’ 50mm driver units with high-flux magnets create convincing resolution, the top end feels bright but not aggressive, there is plenty of detail here but it never becomes constantly oppressive. Cymbals are handled really well. The bottom end is bigger than necessary for a balanced sound. The bass has body – there is decent weight but it is not excessive – the overall response is definitely big and warm but textured and controlled. The transition to the lower mids is well achieved with little evidence of mud. Mids follow a similar theme to the bass, warm and immediate, textured believable and engaging. Vocals were the big surprise, sweet and lush, quite forward but not overbearing. As the volume gets loud some elements can leap out as a little brash which makes them exciting, in quieter numbers the same effect comes across as sweetness. I would describe the sound as at the technically impressive end of fun sounding – a contemporary HiFi sound that suits the fan of complex Electronic music.
Verdict The HDJ-2000 have superb clarity, clear instrument separation and maximum comfort whether you’re performing in a packed club, listening for fun or practising at home. Even though they are very detailed, their fresh feel does not seem to fatigue or overpower. They definitely go a lot further than the average DJ headphone by offering greater fidelity, a few really innovative features and a tough but comfy build.
Pioneer HDJ-1000
Pioneer HDJ-1000 has become a common choice for the Pro DJ over the last few years but also appeal to serious music fans too. This headphone works well for basic studio applications and making music at home. They offer great sound quality, lightweight design and are not bad looking either. The 50mm driver units have the same high-flux magnet technology found in the HDJ-2000 creating a very decent level of detail and bass that is deep, warm and lush.
To improve monitoring, there is also a convenient stereo/mono switch. Each ear-cup gives excellent isolation and swivels a full 90 degrees, supporting DJs who prefer the ‘on-shoulder’ method of monitoring. When not in use the HDJ-1000 folds to reduce size, the cable is a 3m coiled type which terminates in a 3.5mm jack and comes with a 6.3mm adaptor.
A great sounding and well thought out unit which certainly fits the brief of the contemporary DJ. Robust build and great sound quality, folding cups and decent cable should put this on your shortlist.
Pioneer HDJ-500
Pioneer HDJ-500 Closed Back headphones are the junior model in the Pioneer range. They have been designed for a flexible DJ lifestyle by adapting to both DJing at home, in a club or listening on the go.The HDJ-500 is engineered with 40mm driver units to strongly reproduce a rich low-range and the mid level frequencies needed for accurate monitoring. The lightweight stylish design utilises technology from the Pioneer flagship model the HDJ-2000.
With its 60º rotating arm structure and flexible headband, the HDJ-500 is also completely adaptable to your personal DJing style. Top quality and style and sound are no longer reserved solely for professional DJs, but are now available to anyone who wants to get the most out of their Electronic music. Included are a 3m cord for DJ use and a 1.2m Single-sided coiled cable with 3.5 mm gold-plated jack plug and a screw-on 6.35mm stereo adapter.Professional sounding and looking headphones which will work on the train, in the bedroom or at the club.
ClarityOne™ Earphones will be the first product from PureSound Technologies Inc, a forward thinking collective of audio experts and self proclaimed audiophiles, committed to pushing back the boundaries of sound reproduction. This is the most exciting new earphone for a very long time!
ClarityOne™ earphones aim to deliver the clearest, truest, best sound on the market today. Developed out of the belief that better speakers are needed to accurately reproduce what the artist has recorded. The technology for sound reproduction has not had any major advancement in decades. It took 12 years, 6-patents with more pending, but they believe they have come up with the perfect solution, enter the PureSound Processor and the ClarityOne™ earphones. Here is the short version of how they do this.
“Your music is a signal. Every other speaker in the world is made the same, based on ideas dating back to before there were cars. When your player sends the signal to your earbuds a field is built around the voice coil and it robs you of harmonics, volume and creates distortion. Our patented processor holds this field in a magnetic gap and does not allow it to alter the signal in any way so you have all the music that was recorded in perfect Clarity. The industry benchmark for testing this is a square wave test. The reason is the only a square wave has all harmonics and the associated sub harmonics. We are THE ONLY audio reproduction company that can achieve this and promise perfect sound quality. Square wave in, square wave out. A bonus is that it actually makes your players battery last longer because we can use 8 ohms, less resistance, and we have no counter EMF back to your player.” – ClarityOne
This is breakthrough technology. The earphones sound incredibly clean – So clean they make you question what you have heard from every single earphone you have previously spent time with. The difference is so shocking its hard to even make comparisons in the same price bracket, in fact, the general feel of Electrostatics and Magna-planers is the closest I can come.
PureSound Processor – IEMs may never be the same!
The PureSound Processor circuit provides an economical solution for achieving perfect phase unity between amplifiers and multiple driver systems, it is not a crossover, it is a coupling unit. Unlike traditional crossovers, PureSound Processor´s patented technology cancels out the Counter EMF and at the same time provides a two way magnetic brake on the voice coil which “couple” it to the amplifier, therefore allowing it to operate freely with no added distortions allowing for pure sound to enter the system (at Crossover) and pure sound to exit (to the speaker).
The sound signature is a gentle smile curve with tons of bottom end and a rich cool feel to the mids and highs. Talking about sound with this product is tough because they really do sound very different, really open and spacious. The result is a very natural sweet sound which is really quite compelling. The worst part is going back to your original earphones, I have what I consider to be very good earphones but it is just not possible to feel that the ClarityOnes’s are anything other than a huge step forward.
“Modern day speakers use a simple voice coil or a single coil crossover, a technology that was developed almost a century ago. Its original design was for electric motors. Early audio engineering pioneers found a way they could make it work in a new speaker design at the time but in doing so they also created audio’s greatest Achilles heel. The reason is that all audio signals that go through a voice coil or a coil crossover are subject to interference. We know of this evil as distortion and loss of harmonics or your sound.” – ClarityOne
ClarityOne™ aim to test all traditionally accepted limits of technical beliefs and design, they say they didn’t want to create just good headphones, they wanted to create the best headphones ever. ClarityOne™ are well aware that sound is a very subjective area, the best IEM in the world is a noble goal, at the moment they will have to be happy with possibly revolutionising the market.
More Information
More information on the full range of ClarityOne™ can be found here.
Compared to giant PA stacks at festivals and floor standing HiFi Speakers, headphones and earphones look small and harmless. But what matters is how much the sound makes your eardrums vibrate. In fact, most earphones can produce a louder sound at the eardrum than all but the largest and most powerful studio monitoring loudspeakers, and can easily give noise exposures well above the accepted safety limits.
Earphones don’t sound as loud as loudspeakers even when the sound level at the eardrum is the same. This may happen because the brain isn’t fooled into thinking the sound is “outside” – it can work out that that the music is right next to your head and so expects it to sound loud and compensates.
Unlike loudspeakers neighbours will not complain if kids are listening at high volumes, with earphones people can get an excessive dose of sound without themselves or anyone else realising it! You can’t assume that equipment made for the domestic market will be safe to do a lot of listening. A 2010 study found that an iPod Nano set on maximum volume, using the standard ear-buds, produced a one-hour average sound level of 96 dB with a popular album, a higher average than is allowed in the workplace.
Should MP3 player use be limited?
Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by two types of noise. Sudden bursts, such as firearms and fireworks, can immediately cause hearing loss in children, who are often reluctant to report such exposures to their parents. The other type is continuous exposure to loud noise, which can damage the ears over time. Sources of continuous noise include motorized recreational vehicles, loud sporting events, power tools and amplified music.
Although the maximum volume limit is adjustable on many current MP3 players you cannot be certain children will not disable this function. A survey sponsored by the Australian government found that about 25 percent of people using portable stereos had daily noise exposures high enough to cause long term hearing damage. Further research from the Netherlands reports that 90 percent of adolescents listened to music through earphones on MP3 players, almost half used high-volume settings, and only 7 percent used a noise limiter.
Medical Studies
Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital determined that listening to a portable music player with headphones at 60 percent of their potential volume for one hour a day is relatively safe. For continuous noise exposure such as music, the level and duration of exposure are important. It takes repeated exposures over many years to cause a gradual onset of noise-induced hearing loss in both children and adults
Portable music players have sparked recent concern since they are used frequently and with earphones that deliver the sound directly to the ear. This is however not the whole of the story as the MP3 player used is not the only factor in deciding the actual volume at the ear. Headphones themselves have an electrical resistance, the higher this resistance the lower the volume outcome for the power of the MP3 Player. Choosing Headphones correctly can stop hearing damage from occurring at all.
MP3 players were investigated thoroughly by Portnuff, a graduate student at the University of Colorado, and Fligor, Director of Diagnostic Audiology at Children’s Medical Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Portnuff and Fligor measured specific sound levels that come out of five common portable music players including the Apple iPod, the Creative Zen Micro and the SanDisk Sansa. For each player, they measured sound levels in music transmitted by several different types of headphones. Interestingly, they found that all five music players output very similar sound levels, especially at the highest volume levels. The highest volumes can be so dangerous that the researchers only recommend listening at those levels a few minutes a day, if at all.
“Damage to hearing occurs when a person is exposed to loud sounds over time…the risk of hearing loss increases as sound is played louder and louder for longer durations.” explains Portnuff.
“It is important to note, though, that not everyone shares the same risk of hearing loss,” Portnuff explains. Some people have “tougher” ears, for them the recommendations are overly cautious. For other people with more “tender” ears, these recommendations do not eliminate the risk of hearing loss.
Do speech and music affect hearing differently from industrial noise?
Many people find it difficult to believe that listening to music can be a hazard to hearing. But there’s little evidence that loud music, however harmonious, is actually safer than unpleasant noise that would measure the same on a sound level meter. So far as the law protecting people at work is concerned, loud music or speech is just another hazardous noise. Speech on earphones can give an excessive noise dose, just as much as music so when people are working with reproduced sound, safety must be taken seriously.
Noise and the causes of hearing loss?
The American National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports approximately 28 million Americans have lost some or all of their hearing, including 17 in 1,000 children under age 18. Overexposure to noise can cause both temporary and permanent hearing loss, sadly very little has been reported on the risk of such hearing loss in children.
Very loud sounds damage the inner ear by damaging the hair cells of the cochlea. When loud sounds are exposed to the ear for a short time, one may experience what’s called a temporary threshold shift, or a temporary hearing loss. This hearing loss may be accompanied by tinnitus (a ringing in the ears). One may recover from the temporary loss. But if the ear is exposed to loud sounds over longer periods of time, the hair cells can be permanently damaged, causing permanent sensorineural hearing loss.
Effects on preschool Children and School age Children
The following effects on preschool children and schoolchildren have been
considered by researchers from around the world:
-Hearing impairment
-Effects on sleep
-Stress-related somatic effects
-Cognitive effects
-Vocal nodules
Noise-induced somatic effects (such as on blood pressure and hormone levels) can best be considered as part of a stress response of children to their noisy environment.
Psychological and cognitive processes also play a role in this stress response of children. Somatic (physiological) results should therefore be considered together with psychological outcomes to give an overall insight in the problem. As in adults, children can react very differently to stimulus. Some children can find loud noises terrifying whilst others do not seem bothered, this is not an indication that damage is or is not occurring.
Hearing impairment
Young children may be more susceptible to noise-induced hearing impairment than adults. Results of experiments with mice, an animal with the same physiology of the hearing organ as humans, give the effect of exposure to very high noise levels as a function of the age of the mouse. The effect has been assessed by counting hair cell loss in exposed mice killed after noise exposure or by measuring cochlear microphonics in living mice. The effect is presented relative to the effect at the age of 4 days. If developmental stage of mice is converted to that of human children (the lower figure), susceptibility to hearing impairment in preschool and school children is greater than that of adults, at least for very high levels of noise exposure. Whether this also applies to the real-life noise exposure of children is currently unknown.
Acoustic Shock – Could Children be safer wearing Headphones?
Acoustic Shock is a temporary or permanent disturbance of the functioning of the ear, or of the nervous system. It is noted that an acoustic shock usually results from the occurrence, in abnormal circumstances, of short-lived high voltages at the terminals of a telephone headset or similar.
There are several different design approaches to combating these occurrences, including low-powered active circuits, but all provide the same protection for the end user. Some use signal processing to significantly enhance the user’s listening comfort and require batteries. Now power free acoustic technology is beginning to appear more readily – this is a passive form of protection using a fast acting system which closes in response to high sound pressure levels. This type of is likely to be recommended for children as there are no batteries and the products are hard to damage in normal use. These types of headphones may even protect a child from external noise as closed back headphones give a reduction in the region of 17db – 27db, enough to avoid acoustic shock in some circumstances.
What does the law say about high sound levels?
Noise at work in the UK is governed by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations (part of the Health and Safety at Work Act.) The regulations affect employers, employed people, and the self-employed (who count as both). The current UK law came into force on 6 April 2006.
The new Noise at Work Directive, introduced on 6 April 2006, stipulates that employees must not be exposed to more than a maximum 87dB(A) when at work. This is really important as agents need reassurance that hours of headset use won’t damage their health.
The directive defines two critical levels for noise exposure throughout a working day. For up to 80dB(A) the employer has no obligations. Between 80dB(A) and 85dB(A) the employer should offer hearing protection and education. For levels exceeding 85dB the employees must be provided with and wear hearing protective equipment. Employees of companies producing high noise levels must even attend formal courses with safety training.
How can I Protect Children from excessive noise in Headphones?
If children will be using portable audio equipment (you try to stop them!) then responsible parents will want a safety method that limits noise exposure without constant supervision. Protection in the form of powered adapter using signal processing to significantly enhance the user’s listening comfort is a safe method but requires batteries to work. Modern headphones are usually very sensitive as they have to work with battery powered mp3 players and similar devices. So when you plug them into a mains operated unit they can usually produce very high sound levels!
Passive Acoustic limiting technology is beginning to appear more readily (dB Logic Childrens headphones) which is a form of protection which pulls volume back in response to high sound pressure levels. This technology is likely to become commonly recommended for children as there are no batteries and the units are very robust and resistant to play use.
dB Logic HP-100 Closed Back Sound Pressure Limiting Headphones with No Batteries! Limited to 85dB of Sound Pressure
More Information
More information on the full range of dB Logic products can be found here.
GermanMAESTRO are loudspeaker and headphone experts with years of experience in their previous company MB Quart. They now have their own HiFi and Pro audio brand founded by members of the management and leading employees of the recent German MB Quart enterprise.
Hand built in Germany and supplied with a 3 year warranty, the German Maestro headphone range is designed to be suitable for studio and home listening.
After the ultra successful MB Quart speaker Brand was purchased (and it’s operations moved to the USA) it was decided that the team responsible for the designs should carry on creating beautifully engineered German products.
The GermanMAESTRO Team are continuing their tradition of best-in-class loudspeaker and headphone design, hand crafting in their renowned Obrigheim German factory, and now their products are here available in the UK.
GermanMAESTRO creates
for audio enthusiasts
The new products are designed to deliver superior levels of detail, long term product durability, and high SPL capabilities for ProAudio. GermanMAESTRO promise nothing about their new listening systems will be anything less than extraordinary and say their goal is “ultimate satisfaction” for the end user.
“To hear is to distinguish. The human ear receives acoustic vibrations and translates every whisper, thunderclap and minute detail into the listening experience. When our auditory senses are stimulated by an acoustic source that satisfies the spirit, a feeling of true listening pleasure is achieved.” GermanMAESTRO
GermanMAESTRO seem to have a real love of invention and pursue new design technologies and materials in their search for excellence. The use of titanium, fiberglass reinforced ABS, unique Poly-comp cone material, and special crossover technologies were key to the development of this new range of headphones. Plastics which cannot tear or shatter and are near impossible to deform are used for the housing construction. Equipped with high-grade drivers, lightweight sandwich diaphragms and copper-plated aluminium voice coils, there are some serious ideas at work inside these cans. Some models, like the GMP400 and GMP450 Pro, have the driver suspended and isolated from the frame, just like a high end vocal microphone sitting in it’s nest. This is called “cardamatic suspension” and is designed to stop external vibration translating to the voice coil but also increases comfort for the wearer too.
It has become fashionable to claim products are used by the professionals, GermanMAESTRO headphones can genuinely be found performing a multitude of Pro Audio tasks. The GMP 8.35 D is part of the 8.000 Series which encompasses similar looking but differently featured pro models. Each model within the 8.000 Series has a distinct job and therefore individual features, they are diverse in application with uses from Pilot headsets to high end display units in National chain stores. There is a high impedance 8.000 Series model, the GMP 8.300 D, which has a nominal impedance of 300ohms and might be of interest to audiophiles or studio musicians.
Almost to temper the hard edge of scientific invention, handcrafted precision is incorporated into the GermanMAESTRO final assembly process. This guarantees that in both form and function every headphone will meet or exceed performance expectations, in fact every headphone has it’s own unique serial number. We might call this level of attention to detail German Engineering, but they insist it is nothing more than the passion of the GermanMAESTRO Team who feel you can hear the difference this makes.
Standout GermanMAESTRO models
GMP 400 –The GMP 400 is designed as an Open Back Studio mix tool and for Audiophile listening. Uncompromising sound reproduction with crystal clear trebles, rich detail in the mid-range and precise dynamic response of bass reproduction. The technical features are very impressive: Sandwich-diaphragm, copper plated aluminium voice coils, ear cups with cardamatic suspension. Immediately I find myself comparing the build, sound and feel to that of the Beyerdynamic DT880 250ohm (housing is near indestructible plastic rather than metal), there is plenty of space with excellent sound stage, tons of detail but a natural and ‘real’ weight to the sound. The DT880 is slightly more musical with a bit more speed and presence, slightly prettier sounding I guess. Pro Audio is the natural stomping ground for these very accurate cans, I believe they would make a fantastic mix tool with plenty enough definition to really get to the bottom of serious mix problems. For Audiophile listening a powerful well chosen amp (the drivers are 300ohm) will light up the GMP 400′, twinned with the excellent Icon Audio HP8 MkII they completely blew our pair of Sennheiser HD650’s away. Ear pads made of a top-quality soft velour and a gold plated screw on 3.5mm – 6.3mm Jack plug give an extra touch of comfort and functionality.
GMP 450 PRO – The GMP 450 like the GMP 400, the GMP 450 follows the specific needs of professional users in special environments, all the characteristics of the GMP 400 have been packed into an acoustically closed version. Ideally suited for a variety of studio applications and recording sessions where noise shielding is required. Perfect for monitoring playback during performance, although sound stage is inevitably shortened due to the closed back there is still a clean clear stereo image to work with, in fact it is surprising how much of the character of the open backed GMP400 the closed GMP450’s retain. Audiophiles who are listening in a room where noise from others will interfere with a listening session will find them similarly accomplished to an Audio Technica ATH-M50 or a slightly livelier version of Beyers excellent DT770 with much lighter housing. 300ohm drivers will again need a powerful amp, the model is finished with soft leatherette ear pads which musicians or any active wearer will certainly find practical.
GMP 8.35 D Monitor – The GMP 8.35 D Professional music production and monitoring is the intended application for this model, acoustically the GMP 8.35 D Monitor has dynamic bass response and overall transparency in the midrange with plenty of detail and control throughout. The headphone’s low-impedance and highly sensitive drivers are able to adapt to the widest range of equipment, at home with a mixing desk or your iPod. The sound is similar to a Beyer DT770 but a little brighter with slightly less weight at the bottom. Superior diaphragms with copper-plated voice coils create a precise resolution across the frequency-range. With a closed leatherette ear cup and one-sided cable design the GMP 8.35 D is the ideal partner for the project studio or Field Recordist. The GMP 8.35 D is constructed from durable PE material which makes them nearly indestructible. The padded headband and leatherette earpads create a really comfortable listening experience, they would work well as an everyday headphone for the Audiophile who requires awesome sound quality and low impedance with maximum durability for portable use.
The GermanMAESTRO Look
Apparently a favourite for many German engineers, their commitment to technical detail has enabled GermanMAESTRO to produce a range of accurate headphones which are not clinical in sound but actually quite natural feeling. They see their goal as providing the listener access to every nuance, an excellent sound experience for Audio Professionals or enthusiasts alike. If I had to find a fault with these I would probably say that the Germans should have had a brief word with the Italians before they styled them, they do lack sex appeal. I don’t see this as a problem though. These days everything from your soap dish to your stapler has had the designer treatment. In a market where recent brands want (Justin Bieber) to convince you that their fashionable noise cancellers are actually studio headphones in disguise, many feel it refreshing when an object looks like it should. GermanMAESTRO have (intentionally or un-intentionally) given their range an Anti-Fashion appeal – they look like studio quality headphones because they are studio quality headphones.
More Information
More information on the full range of GermanMAESTRO can be found here.
SoundMAGIC is a brand that has charmed many headphone users in the last couple of years. Their great sounding and good looking inexpensive earphones, like the SoundMAGIC PL11, have had reviewers compare them to products several times their price. It seems they have definitely not been resting on their laurels, in fact success has spurred them on to greater invention. After the release of their tiny mini amp, the SoundMAGIC A10 earlier this year, there are now three new earphones and surprisingly for the first time an On-Ear Headphone!
Meet the New
SoundMAGIC Earphones
The new range updates some existing models but also adds some completely new ideas, some previously unused materials and more colour choices.
The SoundMAGIC E10 is a beautifully finished in-ear sound isolating earphone made from brushed metal with a choice of four vibrant colours. The E10’s internal acoustic design follows on from the massively popular PL11, but with some serious improvements to the aesthetics and sound. The earphone body is made from metal, features high quality cabling and a robust metal jack plug to give a long life.
The SoundMAGIC E30 is for those who are serious about their portable listening the E30 in-ear monitor features pro-fit over ear cabling and a robust metal jack plug. Why compromise with audio quality when listening to music on the move, when you can enjoy a high definition audio experience from these pocket sized earphones.
The SoundMAGIC EH11 is a rugged sports headphone designed for serious everyday use by sports men and women. Made from a lightweight metal frame the EH11 headphone stays in the ear no matter how hard you are training thanks to an over ear design that can be adjusted to fit perfectly.
Finally and possibly most interesting is the SoundMAGIC P30, is a serious portable headphone featuring an on-ear closed back design with soft, comfortable ear pads that also ensure maximum noise isolation.
These new products will appear over the Summer of 2011, expect reviewers to urge you to upgrade your present SoundMAGICs, or if you’re new to the brand, to grab yourself some inexpensive audio treasure!
More Information
More information on the full range of SoundMAGIC products can be found here.
Just Audio specialise in creating smaller scale audio products that enable an uncoloured, natural and precise listening experience. Their initial product offerings consist of a compact battery powered class A headphone amplifier and a smaller pocket sized class AB headphone amplifier. There is also a range of Studio quality interconnects to suit different configurations.
Who are Just Audio?
Just Audio is the brain child of Justin Harris, an experienced electronics/embedded software engineer with a love of Music and Hi Fi, whom previously has worked professionally in the mobile/wireless devices product creation domain. His passion is infectious, he obviously relishes the chance to talk about his ideas, electronics in general and getting the very best out of Hi Fi gear. Justin has worked for some of the mobile phone manufacturing giants, you may even have some kit he was involved in already.
“This all started with designing some functionality to incorporate into my modified Quad 405 power amplifiers, to enable standby and best in class audio detection and wake-up functionality, with the intention to make this in such a way that it could be retro-fitted without making a mess of the existing internals. ”
It was a desire to get the very best of his own Hi Fi kit which lead to the ground up designs for the uHA-120 and now it’s Class A big brother the AHA-120.
In 2009 he decided to start his own company. “The main theme originally was modularity and utilisation of surface mount technology to enable making the modules small enough to fit in tight spaces. I wanted to make operation seem natural and intuitive to the end-user and perform better than other implementations that I’d experienced myself.”
Having such a strong engineering background seems to have provided Justin with an understanding that individuality, through modularity and customisation, will develop products with the end user always in mind. It can take a long time to find the bit of kit which has all the required abilities and compliments existing headphones or source. By understanding the wants and needs of the enthusiast he hopes to be able to bridge these difficult gaps for customers whilst keeping an eye on the shifting sands of the audiophile landscape.
“By early 2010 We had started to think along the lines of making a complete product that could be tested to the relevant standards. We had already built up a library of components and a capability to produce electronics modules. I’d been studying on various audio amplifier topologies and experimenting with my own Hi-Fi system at home, attaining both measurable and perceivable improvements. I’d also been looking at headphone amplification projects and products out of passing interest for some time and had already built my own headphone amp for use when I was working at the office. The idea occurred too me, why not use the technological advances to make a pocket sized headphone amplifier more akin to the standard one would expect from a respectable desktop amplifier. Of course, the idea of creating a pocket sized amp isn’t new, but we noticed that everyone in this market seemed to be just using an operational amplifier or some form of dedicated amplifier IC combination. Coming more from a Hi-Fi power amplifier interest area, we felt that using a commercial IC would never provide the same level of audio quality as a carefully crafted discrete circuit, so I set about building some prototypes of more discrete topologies usually found in larger power amplifiers. A few months later we had determined most of the system level components (battery, charging, connectors, volume control pot), along with a hybrid class AB topology that we had built in enough flexibility to fine tune and provide what I felt is a more High Fidelity sound, yet able to operate from a low voltage power source.”
With a direction that many enthusiasts will recognise Justin is still committed to customisation and the minor adjustments that provide the best possible performance. So far he has carried out many mods working closely with customers requirements. Several such projects have seen him build a range of Studio quality cabling and adding mods to hardware which have helped him shape the future direction of the Just Audio range and additional services. More about Justin’s big plans for the future of Just Audio and functionality upgrades (which will be available for existing Just Audio amp owners too) later on.
AHA-120 Put To The Test
Having a Pair of the truly excellent Beyerdynamic 600ohm Tesla T1 Headphones at my disposal, Justin suggested he send me the Just Audio Class A AHA-120 to test. Quite a few manufacturers have products in this small niche market, some fail to deliver improved sound quality or improved player usability with hard to power headphones, Justin expects the AHA-120 will be a great match to the T1’s. I have been using the excellent iBasso D10 with headphones regularly and also other acclaimed portable amps for some time now, this will be the first proper portable test with the Beyer T1’s.
Many audiophiles believe that class A gives the best sound quality with its absence of crossover distortion and reduced harmonic distortion. Class A amplifiers are typically more linear and less complex than other types, but they are very inefficient. This type of amplifier is perfect though for driving sensitive low distortion headphones where the listener wants the very best audio quality, without the massive electricity bill potential of a full sized class A HiFi system at home! Operating in class A means that the amplifier is always passing current through upper and lower sections of the electronics even when there is no signal, negating any artifacts as a result of the transistors turning off and back on again during the amplification process. The Amp arrives in it’s plain box – usually an exciting sign. Inside the box there is bubble wrapped AHA-120, a mini usb cable and four self adhesive stick on feet. Inside the bubble wrap bag with the amp is a silica gel sachet, included to prevent any moisture in the air from condensing and damaging the product. Removing the amp from the bubble wrap bag it becomes clear that extruded aluminium case is flawless with a soft anodised finish, and ultra fine print on both the front and rear panels. The company logo on the front panel is in colour and the serial number on the rear panel is engraved, which is a nice touch. The version I have is a product sample and is already burned in.
I can’t resist turning the large volume knob, switching the unit on revealing two things – a warm Amber glow from the LED and the silky smoothness with which the volume turns. The Aluminium case with soft anodised finish is solid and picking it up the unit weighs neither more nor less than expected – it is a little large though compared to most portable amps (26mm x 80mm x126mm, the uHA-120 is much smaller – 23mm x 52mm x 85mm) but still has a very small footprint when used as a desktop amp. Print work is detailed is flawless with all controls well labelled, panel fixings appear to be stainless steel. At the front, right to left, you have the chunky volume knob with accompanying Amber on/off LED, next the 3.5mm output then the input and finally a five-way selector nob for impedance matching your headphones. This feature is probably more accurately described as class A biasing level, most users would like to match current setting to their headphones, this is simplified by just providing a selector for selecting the amount of bias needed to maintain class A operation for a given headphone impedance. Without this feature the battery would apparently only last around 18 hours whereas now you can get up to 60 hours of battery operation when driving 600 ohm headphones. Round the back there is an engraved serial number, USB charging socket and red to Green Charge LED and two small charging operation switches for charging management with other USB devices. The AHA-120 contains a Vishay P11 potentiometer mounted on a solid ground plain PCB, low ESR Capacitors, Burr Brown Opamp to provide a FET input stage and Alps switches. The flat front panel sockets feel rather nice and connection seems very solid and reliable with a very positive feel to the connection.
The first device I connect to the AHA-120 is my iPod touch via an iBasso CB07 pure Oxy sealed LOD cable, I plug in the Beyer T1’s and turn the five-way switch to 600. Firing up the first lossless track, Radiohead – Pyramid Song, I am instantly impressed with the balance of weight and air, there is an instant feeling of synergy between amp and headphones. As the song unfolds I find myself closing my eyes and feeling my way around the stereo image. There is real texture to the sound which is vivid, heavy and fluid – detail is is apparent but subtle giving structure and very accurate movement to each instrument. The piano in this track is distractingly pretty and I am already excited to try plenty of other favourite music. There is a ton of headroom and I never get the white marker on the volume control much past 12 o’ clock.The iPod touch is surprisingly charged twice in two days before the amps lithium polymer battery runs flat, which I had not expected at all. It isn’t the best I’ve heard from the T1’s, but the iPod is the most likely culprit and I will put that to the test next. After a decent couple of hours with this initial setup I connect the AHA-120 to the analogue outs on a broadcast quality sound card (running .WAVs from a Mac Book Pro) and revisit the first track I heard. Within seconds I’m glaring at my iPod and shaking my head in disappointment as if it had just kicked a football through my kitchen window. This shows the pairing has real merit, as inferior sources are often shown up by a great headphone/amp combination. The sound is more lush with even more realistic texture and structure, solid and powerful but lighter, quicker. I run through a few classical favourites (this is, to date, the best I have heard Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No2) and the first bad thing I think is when I realise that I have to give the amp back. It follows me everywhere with the iPod touch, great results with Ultrasone Pro 900, Beyer DT770 and DT880, Sennheiser HD650 and HD600 and fantastic in 32ohm mode with my Grado 325is, until sadly it has to go back. Just Audio have a balanced configuration ,using two AHA-120, which includes either balanced XLR or Jack output into the amps and a HD650 balanced cable. Justin expects Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD800 users will be interested in a cable mod or replacement cable to use this configuration too.
The AHA-120 is very accurate but has a lush warmth which adds to its very real sound. It seemed to encourage the already super clean Beyer T1’s to find convincing sculptural depth in some quite difficult recordings. As promised Just Audio seem to have built a portable Class A which can contribute the power and finesse needed for high impedance, flagship model headphones.
Future Just Audio Projects
Just Audio have some exciting projects under way. They are currently designing a very forward thinking DAC which may be modular, new Balanced operation cables are available now with more cable variants to come and Balanced amps may eventually appear. Due to customer demand some iPod modifications may be added to their service repertoire and customisation of Just Audio amps will continue to be carried out for the best possible operation with specific headphones. Thanks to Justin for talking to me, the loan of the AHA-120 and for the use of the Photos.
Just Audio at Head-fi Meet
Just Audio will be attending the London Head-fi meet where you can try the AHA-120 and uHA-120 for yourself and pick Justin’s brain about his approach to Audio Design. He will be there with another of our favourite HiFi people, Mark Dolbear who will have the latest HiFiMan HE-5LE and HE-6 and Schiit Audio amps on display and for you to try.
More Information
More information on the full range of Just Audio Products can be found here.
The Fanny Wang Headphone Company are the latest fashion brand to stake a claim for superb audio experience as well as cool contemporary urban looks. At this point you are probably either re-reading the product name in case you misread it or giggling to yourself heartily. This is a brand that is having fun, not taking itself too seriously and inviting everyone to join in, hence the slightly rude sounding name.
Who is Fanny Wang?
Fanny Wang is an imaginary eastern lady who wants everybody to enjoy her headphones. The brand is being fronted by attractive young women (the Fanny Wang Girlz) who seem to have been very well trained in demonstrating the headphones, seen at January’s CES Show, talking to the public about what to expect from a headphone.
If you think they look a bit familiar, that’s because they are! Fanny Wang is the brainchild of Tim Hickman and David Adam, who after making some of the best known iPhone cases and accessories around with their Hard Candy brand, decided to research what the public at large wanted from audio accessories. After looking at the ultra successful Monster Beats by Dre range, they thought that although Monster had made headway in opening up better sounds to the mass market, they had also got some important details really wrong.
For the On-Ear Wang (yes that is what their first headphone is called!) they consulted the original Engineer and Sound designer behind the Monster Beats and asked him to come up with a sound that was more natural, neutral and better suited to the serious music fanatic. Before audiophiles scoff at this idea, the titanium drivers found inside the On-Ear Wangs is inspired by the Denon AH-D2000! This I think was aimed at fixing the most common critique of the Monster Beats – For most they are simply too bass heavy and therefore struggle with Rock, Classical and Jazz.
For their design they took their cue from the Beats and attempted a sturdier more comfortable frame with a fun finish similar to the popular designs of their iPhone, iPod and Mac accessories. Another factor that is generally backed up by the popular opinions of Audio enthusiasts was that the main thrust of the Monster Beats marketing is a little misleading. Slogans like “… hear music how artists intend you to – like you’re in a studio” and “People are not hearing all of the music” are a very bold claim for bass heavy noise cancellers especially when actual studio headphones can be bought at half the price. The Fanny Wang Brand is attempting a less bombastic and more fun approach with another crucial difference – price! The aim seems to be realistic sound at a realistic price.
Sound
There is an obvious attempt to bridge the gap between the fashion headphone market and the audiophile serious listener, it seems like this balance is achieved quite well. I cannot see the on-ear Wang joining the Grado SR-325is or the Ultrasone Edition 8 as an audiophile classic but I have to admit, as a less than serious audio manufacturer, they have made a great sounding headphone! Bass is present but not dominating, the mids are clean and clear and there is also plenty of detail with an impressive sound stage for a closed back headphone. Complex stereo imaging does not seem to bother them too much and these easy to drive on ears have a comfy warm feel which is not tiring at all. The audio is provided by custom paired 40mm titanium drivers and the On-Ear Wangs are supplied with a “Custom high-fashion dust bag” don’t you know.
Duo Jack
Taking social media to the next level, apparently. Fanny Wang’s Duo Jack (patent pending) means a friend can “Jack in” sharing music through this interesting 3.5mm output addition to the cable. The Duo Jack comes standard with every set of Fanny Wang On-Ear Headphones.
Tri Fold Design
Perfect for travelling the sturdy tri-fold design makes Fanny Wang headphones easy fit into a bag. Although on-ear, they are still a decent size so this is a welcome feature.
Rock Your Wangs?
With a controversial start, bumping legal heads with Monster Beats, this brand may at first seem like a copy of an existing idea – the trouble with that assessment is, when compared, the On-Ear Wang feels a bit more substantial, has comfort improvements and most importantly sounds considerably better. The pricey fashion headphone may be Monster Cables creation but being first to market is not normally a guarantee of quality. As most musicians know the first take is not always the best – sometimes you have to relax and have a bit of fun before the real magic happens. One thing is certain though, fashion headphones are growing up and they want to be taken seriously – but not too seriously.
STAX Earspeakers return with a new range of their world famous STAX Electrostatic headphones for 2011
Founded in 1938, originally manufacturing high frequency condenser microphones and later Record Player cartridges, in 1960 STAX launched the Electrostatic Earspeaker with the STAX SR-1 and has been building amazing headphones ever since.
Electrostatic Technology
Electrostatic drivers consist of a very thin electrically charged diaphragm, typically stretched and coated polyethylene terephthalate (a unique STAX polymer formula) is used for its high tensile strength to create the membrane. This is suspended between two perforated metal plates (the electrodes), when an electrical sound signal is applied to the electrodes, creating an electrical field, the diaphragm is drawn towards one of the plates depending on the polarity of the field. Air is then forced through the perforations, when combined with the continuously fluctuating electrical signal driving the membrane a sound wave is generated.
Due to the extremely thin diaphragm membrane, which is only a few micrometers thick, the frequency response of electrostatic headphones usually extends far beyond the normal human hearing range of up to 20kHz. The high frequency response means that the low mid band distortion level is maintained right to the top of our audible frequency band. The peaks regularly seen in higher frequency regions with moving coil drivers is almost completely absent with the result being much more stable and accurate sound reproduction.
Electrostatic headphones are powered by a special amplifier that is required to create the signal to deflect the membrane and needs electrical potential in the range of 100 to 1000 volts, these are often referred to as energisers. With this amount of power in proximity to a user’s head the usual method of making this safe is to limit the possible fault current to a low value with resistors.
What do they sound like?
Well, they sound great! Fast and fluid with superb separation – it is this separation of the instruments which really provides the difference between dynamic headphones and Electrostatics. You have the same sense of space normally associated with open backs but each instrument really feels contained in its own bubble, the incredible detail gives the sharpest image that seems vivid and realistic, strangely natural in its lack of grain. The precision of the sound, their natural airy feel and the sculptural solidity they give to instruments lends itself to Classical music, Vocal and Choral music, Folk and Acoustic and Jazz. Classic Rock and Pop mostly work well but the Contemporary love of heavy limiting and compression means many recent recordings have too little space and punch too hard to take advantage of the subtlety on offer.
STAX New range for 2011
This is the biggest shake up of the STAX range for a very long time. New features include –
-10 position ratchet adjustment on headband (SR-507 Only)
-New Diaphragm assembly (higher resolution)
-Casing is now a less resonant resin formula
-Sheepskin cushions (SR-507 Only)
Basic SystemSRS-2170–This is a combination of the SR-207 Earspeaker and SRM-252S compact size Driver unit. The SR-207 employs the same elements developed for the new Lambda Series. The LC-OFC cable of the SR207 gives clear high-frequency sound and lowered capacitance. The SRM-252S Driver unit incorporates an all-stage balanced circuit DC amplifier configuration despite its diminutive size.
Classic System SRS-3170–This is a standard combination of SR-307and SRM-323Swith all-stage direct-coupled balanced output. The SR-307 has a completely new diaphragm, now sharing more features with the Signature System there has been a fundamental change of specification, low capacity PC-OCC cable, gold plated terminals and open air enclosure all appear in the Classic System.
Signature System SRS-4170–This is the high-quality combination of the SR-407 Earspeaker and the SRM-006tS Driver unit with balanced input. The SR-407 features the same membrane technology as the SR-507, the top model of the lambda series.The SRM-006tS Driver unit with balanced input boasts a fully balanced circuit configuration from input to output through the custom made double-axis 4-gang volume controller.
Ultrasone Germany announces the release of the Edition 10, their first open back special edition headphone and it is their most luxurious to date.
The Edition 10 feature Zebrano wood ear cup inlays, Ethiopian Sheepskin ear pads, Titanium Plated Drivers, Kevlar coated cabling and are limited to a run of 2010 individually numbered units.
The ear cups are a beautifully designed combination of form and function, this low resonance lightweight design is finished in galvanic Ruthenium plating and Zebrano coated with four layers of clear lacquer for protection. The inner cup and headband pad is adorned with reddish brown Ethiopian Sheepskin – the worlds softest leather.
The individually matched (tolerance +/-0.4) and specially tuned 40mm Titanium plated drivers have been designed specially for this open backed design. Cabling is silver-plated oxygen free (99.99%) pure copper with Kevlar casing and is designed to be balanced input ready so you do not have to change the entire cable for balanced configuration.
Edition series headphones have Ultrasone´s newest S-Logic™ Plus technology. Edition 10 headphones also contain MU-Metal shielding that reduces magnetic field emissions by up to 98% as compared to conventional headphones.
Finally each Edition 10 comes with a striking hand crafted Zebrano wood headphone stand and its own wooden storage box.
Ultrasone Edition 10 will be available from November 2010! RRP to be confirmed.
Klipsch have for a long time been developing high quality in-ear earphones for the consumer market and iPod generation. For those not familiar with this exciting company, Klipsch were founded shortly after World War II by American Paul W Klipsch, with the view to becoming the market leader in all things HiFi related. Their range of in-ears are widely regarded as some of the best available and the new Klipsch models look set to bolster this reputation. Causing a stir at HiFi Headphones HQ this month are the new offerings from Klipsch, including a very intriguing new addition…
Klipsch Image S3
The latest addition to the Klipsch Image range, the S3 will be introduced as a stripped down version of the Klipsch S4. Sporting a fabulous Gun Metal Grey finish the S3 will be available from October 2010.
Klipsch Pro Media In-Ear: Gaming Earphone
This cool Black/Red design looks set to be another popular new model from Klipsch, based along the same lines as the S4, but with a MAC/PC compatible VOIP/gaming adaptor. This will be particularly interesting as In-Ear manufacturers have not fully embraced the gaming market with full-size Headphones being the current weapon of choice for gamers, so we await this addition with interest.
Klipsch S5i Rugged
This Earphone from Klipsch has been specifically designed for use whilst playing Sport or any physical activity. Designed to restrict Water, the S5i Rugged also boasts tangle resistant cables, easy to use enlarged Transport Buttons with included 360 degree mic and a very futuristic water resistant carry case. Available November 2010 these look set to be a favourite for anyone looking for high quality audio whilst exercising.
There are also mods and tweaks to the S4/S4i so watch this space for further details.
Klipsch Image One
Then, right out of the blue came this… the first On Ear Headphone from Klipsch. Yes, On Ear! Based on the sound signature of the S4, the new Image One has a sleek/stylish appearance crossed somewhere between Bose On Ear and the B&W P5, and comes complete with three button transport control, microphone and a crush resistant travel case, these foldable on-ears have whipped up a lot of interest. More reviews to follow when we get our hands on these exciting new products.
More Information
For more information on the Klipsch range of products, On Ear Headphones and in ear earphones please visit HiFi Headphones.
ULTRASONE headphones have been available in the UK for a while finding favour with Audio professionals and Audiophiles alike. 2010 sees new vigour in their desire to become one of the big boys of the buoyant UK headphone market. ULTRASONE began in 1991, seeking to brand itself as an innovative company, their research and invention has seen them apply for several interesting patents. ULTRASONE are located in Tutzing, close to the Alps in South Germany, and are sold in more than 50 countries Worldwide. Production is separated at locations in Germany, the USA, Austria and Taiwan.
Headphones that protect you from Electromagnetic radiation?
In 1997 ULTRASONE began developing their first ULE shielded headphones. Electronic equipment emits low and high frequency electromagnetic radiation which experts agree can be harmful to our health. Most headphone drivers produce low-frequency magnetic fields as they convert an electrical signal into the acoustic signal we hear as music. ULTRASONE has developed an MU Metal shielding called ULE (for Ultra Low Emissions) that reduces this radiation by up to 98% in comparison to conventional headphones. ULTRASONE’s patented ULE-technology brings magnetic field emissions of headphones down to around 90 nT, that’s ten times less than many headsets and headphones!
S Logic is Natural Surround Sound
S-LogicTM is ULTRASONE‘s attempt to create a Natural Surround Sound, they want the listening experience to be 3 dimensional. Basically it is a passive type of surround sound, requiring no extra equipment, it creates the illusion of space and movement increasing soundstage impressively in closed back headphones. This is achieved with off center driver placement and earcups which allow the shape of the outer ear to perform it’s natural job of aiding directional hearing. S-Logic™ allows a reduction of sound pressure levels at the eardrum by up to 40% (3 – 4 dB) reducing the risk of hearing damage while providing hours of fatigue-free listening.
Pro, DJ, Hifi and Edition 8
ULTRASONE break their range into four different areas which are Pro, DJ, Hifi and Edition 8. This is typical German efficiency in action, a brilliantly simple method of helping you narrow your choices and providing a headphone for every purpose.
ULTRASONE PRO headphones are exclusively designed and equipped for the professional audio sector. Each model in the PRO range demonstrates faithful sound reproduction to meet the most exacting needs of musicians and critical listeners alike.
The ULTRASONE DJ range were developed with the very specific way Mix Masters use their headphones in mind. Bringing together Durability, high output, a massive clear sound and distinguished looks, ULTRASONE asked what DJ’s wanted and gave it to them!
ULTRASONE’s HFI consumer-range reflects their professional heritage, fine quality sound is complemented by striking design in this versatile series. Uncompromising headphones for music, personal cinema, and gaming; at home, work, or on-the-go…
Edition 8 incorporates stunning attention to detail in every aspect of headphone design. Each Ultrasone Edition model’s extensive development additionally brings together the latest progression in technologies, brilliance in design, premium quality of materials and long-standing expert knowledge in natural sound performance. Ultrasone invite you to enjoy the composition of the new Edition 8.
Edition 8 Ruthenium is hand-made in Germany. The outer ear cups are covered in Ruthenium, this precious metal is known for its brilliant metallic sheen and durable properties. The outer ear cups are emblazoned with a decorative clasp of noble metal.
The greatest Closed back headphone of all time? No manufacturer has ever put this level of effort and attention to detail into this section of the headphone market. Ultrasone have produced a supremely comfortable, light and undeniably handsome unit which has to be heard to be believed. Although many high end headphones are instantly impressive to the ear few genuinely surprise, the effect of the Edition 8 is instant, leaving you with the belief that the earcups and drivers may have been designed by the alien race who made the TARDIS. It’s all there, from the lowest sub bass rumble to the near in-audible sonic sparkle at the top of our hearing, but it’s the holographic stereo imaging that simply defies belief.
The interior ear cups of Edition 8 headphones and the headband are covered in very soft genuine dark grey Ethiopian sheepskin leather. This is the finest leather available and provides the finest isolation of any leather. In addition to a new titanium plated tri-bass-tube driver, this is the first Edition series headphone that follows Ultrasone´s newest S-Logic™ Plus technology. Edition 8 headphones also contain MU-Metal shielding that reduces magnetic field emissions. Finally, these headphones come with an exclusively manufactured carry bag made from smooth, fine grain Madras goatskin produced in France. Ultrasone travelled the world in search of the finest materials, only those manufacturers that have proven their high standards of quality by working with the most exclusive and luxurious automotive and clothing brands were chosen as suppliers for the Edition 8 series.
Pro 900
The foldable PRO 900 is the first closed pair of Ultrasone PRO headphones with the patented S-Logic Plus technology. This sophisticated new technology combines precision dampening with micro-acoustic reinforcement, allowing driver, buffer-board, and spatial parameters to complement one another in an optimal manner. So the acoustical design of S-Logic Plus models and their tonal fine-tuning result in maximum neutral sound impression with more vivid perception of voices and instruments.
The Pro900’s have a smooth, warm feel and just the right amount of treble sparkle, they bristle with an engaging musicality. The bass is big but not overbearing, powerful yet capable of communicating subtlety. The midrange is warm, refined, articulate and although there is a massive amount of detail they seem to refrain from becoming overly analytical. The top end is detailed and crisp adding up to a surprisingly wide sound stage for a closed set of headphones ( S-LogicTM), thereby giving a broad presentation with excellent instrument separation.
The Pro900 has a rich yet balanced sound with powerful bass response that is complimented by detailed and controlled treble and mid range frequencies.
HFi 780
It’s the age old problem, you want to have a pair of open-back headphones that offer a wide, natural sound but at the same time want to keep your music within the confines of your cans. Open-back Sound with Closed-back convenience – is this too much to ask? Not at all! Loaded with all the Ultrasone Technology you could wish for, as well as a handy foldable design and a 1m cable for portable use plus 3m Extension Cable for home listening, the 780’s will suit just about any application.
Ultrasone claim the HFI-780 has been “specifically tuned for DVD and gaming”, the low frequency ranges being risen in order to reach the highest possible synergies with DSP-Systems like DOLBY HEADPHONE™. This does these fantastic Headphones somewhat of a disservice as they would sit happily within any HiFi/Studio environment, the level of detail being a particular plus point for professional engineers and hifi enthusiasts alike. However, the real masterstroke is the size of the Soundstage; the width and weight from the wings through to the Phantom Centre is huge – then you remember this is a closed back! Bass is well represented, accurate and deep. The top end shimmers with excitement, backed up with a warm and precise mid range that would suit any genre from pop/rock through to Classical and Dance making the HFI-780’s a stand out model in this very impressive Ultrasone stable.
DJ1
Tested by some of the worlds finest DJ’s The Ultrasone DJ1 are the final word in cans for mixologists everywhere. Ultrasone have used not only the patented S-Logic™ Plus technology but also also Ultra Low Emission Technology. Safer hearing aspects have become very important for DJs. With its heavy duty Mylar driver the DJ1 provides powerful sound. The DJ1 is made for compact storage (transportation bag included) and one-ear-listening due to the folding-mechanism.
15G
Ultrasone 15G lightweight headphones are unbelievably comfortable. This is the smallest headphone of the Ultrasone HFI line, punching well above their weight they’re excellent for mobile applications or as a hearing aid for watching TV. Outclassing Sennheisers excellent PX100, is this the headphone to knock Grado’s iGrado from it’s perch of portable superiority?
More Information
For more information on the Ultrasone Headphone range please visit the HiFi Headphones store.
