Gadget Girl

Many pieces of portable equipment on offer today come with their own headphones as standard. But that is exactly what they are-standard!

For a little extra spending the sound quality can be improved tremendously.

Many ipods and mp3 players come with the “ear-bud” type headphones but for as little as $20 dollars you can get a “clip-on” style that fits over the ear much like a pair of spectacles.

Design has improved of late and the earpiece does tend to stay where it was supposed to stay. Read the rest of this entry »

Canalphones

- those that fit directly into the ear channel

- are probably the best choice if you want to cut out peripheral noise.

When these headphones are used in a very noisy environment they are much safer for the user since the volume does not have to set very high.

The canalphones cut out much of the background noise thereby alleviating the need for volume which potentially could damage the listener’s hearing. Read the rest of this entry »

Headphones have been around for many years but in these days of health and fitness regimes it has become apparent that specialized headsets are necessary.

Normal portable headsets virtually bounce off the head when the user is jogging or such like and can distract from the aim of the exercise.

Others are far too big or cut out all of the peripheral sound potentially placing the user in a dangerous position.

Imagine being deep into the exercise with the music adding to the intensity. The user could easily run into a busy road or into another dangerous position without being fully aware. Read the rest of this entry »

Perhaps the last thing that anyone would think of when it comes to buying headphones is comfort. With all the information out there on the net and in shops no one tells you the most obvious fact and that is “try it on before your buy it”.

It is all very well spending upwards of $1,000 dollars - for you super rich out there! - on a new set of headphones only to find them so uncomfortable that you avoid putting them on!

So what do you look for in comfort? Well, first decide if you like the sound right inside your ears or outside. If outside, do you want the “circum” style which sits around the ear or the “supra” style which sits right on the ear? Read the rest of this entry »

Of all the headphones that are on offer, which of them physically damages hearing? Or is it down to the individual to monitor their own safety?

Well, some companies have offered a safe alternative - but some have been discontinued due to poor sales.

Some companies produced equipment which limited volume automatically or warned the user when the sound was set too high.

The public rejected the idea with the response that it was up to the user how loud their music should be. That line of equipment was quickly discontinued. Read the rest of this entry »

Headphones come in four styles but for the avid music listener the choice really comes down to two styles.

Circum-aural

- pads that sit around the ear, or supra-aural

- pads that sit directly on the ear.

Both have good and bad points and choice can also depend on how much you want to pay.

With the supra-aural headphones the user can feel that the instrument is playing next to the ear giving good and sharp clarity However, this may sound strange to some people since we are used to a more muffled sound. Read the rest of this entry »

Headphones have come a long way in the past one hundred years. Back then they consisted of a single earpiece held tightly against one ear and was the only way anyone could listen to transmitted sound.

This was before the days of amplifiers. Headphones were usually use in radio stations and not the home market.

Today, however, there is virtually no one who has not heard of, or used, a set of headphones. They have literally exploded in popularity since the onset of mobile phones, mp3 players, ipods and the like. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever been the victim of suffering unwanted noise whether it be in the home or your work environment?

The answer is in a set of headphones that are specifically made to cancel out the offending sound.

They work by producing an “anti-noise” device in the headset. Simply speaking, if a noise is made with the opposite polarity of the offending noise then it cancels it out!

This means that music can be listened to at a lower volume or indeed the intrepid air traveler can sleep on a noisy aircraft. Read the rest of this entry »