Recent Headphone Reviews

When we were alerted to the Sync headphones hitting the market at an inexpensive price point, we were intrigued. We decided to give them a review, particularly since Howard Leight appeared to be a division of Honeywell and bent on protecting ears and promoting safety in environments and conditions where the ears are assaulted by outdoor noise and high ambient SPLs. At Audioholics we care about your ears (as well as our own), so this seemed like a great product for the market. In particular, the Sync headphones were apparently designed to "manage" the output of portable devices (think iPods, etc) to a manageable 82dBA and perform sound isolation via isolation, making them a passive solution requiring no batteries.

With a B&W product, we often expect to see premium pricing based on their name and reputation. At $180, the C5 in-ear headphones are quite reasonable. While we're sure some consumers would expect noise-canceling and not just isolation at this price point, the fact is that a well-designed isolation system will work very well in all but the most extreme environments. With a quilted bag for storage, Micro Porous Filter, rating down to a dubious 10Hz, Made for iPhone certification, and a focus on comfort for long listening sessions, the C5 headphones are sure to appeal to many.

We review a lot of earphones and headphones, but we wanted to take a little time and talk about the JAYS a-Jays Four earphones. These are earphones that feature a unique flat rubberized cable that renders them almost tangle-free - and aside from good sound, that's about the #1 feature I want in my headphones. You can stuff them in your pocket, and actually pull them out and use them without having to untie a huge knot. But more than that, these in-ear headphones fit. They actually fit into the constrained hole on my industrial Ballistic iPhone 4 case. Very few earphones can make that claim and it's worth noting.

WeSC, a Stockholm-based street-fashion brand short for "We Are the Superlative Conspiracy," unveiled its Fall 2011 premium headphone collection at CES, expanding the brand's extensive line of seasonal and non-seasonal headphones and earbuds. The WeSC brand is built on the philosophy of innovating authentic, high-quality and sophisticated products with a dash of punk mentality, while uniting a worldwide community of like-minded people sharing similar values and lifestyles – the WeActivists. WeSC seasonal collections are inspired by the brand's collaborations with visionaries across the different genres of culture, art, sports, music and creativity.

Many people think of the Zen MP3 player when you mention Creative Labs. But over the past few years, Creative has established themselves as a legitimate player in the headphone market. Recently I was asked to review the Aurvana In-Ear 2 earbuds, and I jumped at the chance to evaluate the $99 offering from a company that continues to impress me. The first thing that grabbed my attention about the Aurvana In-Ear 2 is the price point of $99. This seems like a sweet spot. High-end 'buds can easily cost more than your iPod, and most earbuds under $30 are not any better than the cheap pair that comes with your iPod (or other MP3 player). Show me a well-built, comfortable, great sounding pair of in-ears, and I might show you a Benjamin.

I've always been interested in reference quality music being delivered directly to my ears. Perhaps this is a leftover desire from watching The Matrix - I mean, there should be a way to get that sound to your brain uninterrupted, right? I desire the kind of music that would take me away from where I was and plant me squarely in front of the orchestra, concert, or action of a feature film. The ER-4 MicroPro earphones promised to offer transparent, reference quality music reproduction in a system designed (in particular) for audiophiles, musicians, and those who just want the most clear unblemished sound you can possibly get.

Overall, the Audio-Technica M50s headphones represent a very good value for what they offer - an accurate, if lively, presentation of music. Uncompromising in their musical reproduction, don't expect that basement recorded podcast to sound good on them but your uncompressed music will come through with all the clarity and impact of the original masters. While the price might be outside the realm of the casual buyer, the $200 price point is probably considered by the hardcore as an entry level purchase.

Altec Lansing has been known as a manufacturer of both pro audio and consumer audio loudspeakers and equipment for many years. Purchased by Plantronics in 2005, Altec Lansing's pro line develops such products as powered speakers, ceiling speakers and full-range speakers. Their consumer line, under which fall their Backbeat line of earphones, includes comprehensive line of headphones, computer speakers and home audio products. We were interested to see that they extended their Backbeat line of earphones to include a new “Pro” line that promises musician-quality earphones that will satisfy professionals and consumers alike. I know a lot of musicians – many of whom aren't even deaf yet – so I set out at once to see if these earphones were a marked improvement and worth their $99 asking price.

The other gadget we're into is the Psyko 5.1 gaming headphones, which 'won' the best design and engineering award for headphones. The headsets come with a 5.1 surround sound and promise to have zero latency, since they come without the crap digital processing that usually gets in the way of easy listening.According to the manufacturer, these also come with precision directional audio that realistically positions a player within the audio space of a game. This means it could allow a player to react faster to a nearby blown shell in a shooting game and hear it a moment before another player.

Want custom fitted earphones? Sleek Audio offered more than products this year at CES. Guests and members of the media had the opportunity to fill their ears with silicone as impressions were made for custom, wireless compatible earphones. Sleek Audio specialists demonstrated their SA6 acoustically customizable earphone at the show as well as took ear impressions for those interested in seeing what the combination of hearing aid science and loudspeaker technology sounds like with the Sleek Customs.

The Beats by Dr. Dre headphones from Monster claim to be designed for today's digital music. And you know that product with Grammy Award- winning artist and producer Dr. Dre should handle Hip Hop and R&B with aplomb. These headphones make a statement with their styling, features, and Monster price tag. Are they worth it?

The Denon AH-NC732 noise canceling headphones join a crowded category of products that frequent flyers are finding they cannot live without. It seems that only a few years ago your only choice for active noise canceling headphones was from the four-letter marketing machine, and you were paying top dollar for a mediocre product and lots of advertising. Denon took it's time entering the fray, but they have delivered some strong competition with the introduction of the AH-NC732 headphones.

The Denon AH-C551K represents the middle of the pack of Denon's recently introduced line of in-ear headphones. Denon brings their reputation for high fidelity to the table with these in-ears that feature an 11 mm Nedodymium magnet driver that provides fantastic bass response. While they sound great, the fit will depend on how well you tolerate earbud-type headphones.

The Creative Aurvana Live! headphones are designed for people who are looking for a comfortable and full ranged headphone that is priced right. They are lightweight and are equally suited for your two-channel rig at home or your iPod, as long as you don't mind a big set of traditional cans on your ears.