Fostex HP-P1 Headphone Amplifier

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $549.00
Today's Bonus:

• Digital connection from iPod/iPhone to HP-P1 via 30-pin dock connector
• High quality 32-bit DAC (AKM4480) and headphone amp for maximum sound quality
• S/PDIF Digital Out for professional recording
• Hi/Mid/Low 3-step gain control on the headphone out drives all headphone types
• Auxiliary analog Line Input for other MP3 players

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I have both the Fostex HP P1 and the combination ALO Continental/Cyperlab Algorhythm Solo. So I believe that I can compare both. The Fostex is an exceptionally well designed piece. It is good looking and relatively small. It is bigger than an Ipod, but will comfortably fit in a pocket with an Ipod. It is an all in one piece. As such, the battery is called upon to do a lot. The charge does not last very long. I think I get about 5-7 hours from a single charge. It comes with a USB cable and appears to be designed to be charged from the bus on your computer through USB. No problem. It takes longer to charge, but you can simply do it overnight.

With in ear monitors, the Fostex is a splendid performer. An Ipod with recordings in "loss-less" setting or better is simply deadly. I just about never listen to an Ipod (outside of a gym setting) without either the ALO Continental portable headphone amplifier/Cypher Labs Algorhythm Solo DAC/digital transport combination or the Fostex HP-P1. The performance enhancement is revolutionary.

However, the Fostex does not have the juice to make an inefficient headphone sing. For instance, the Sennheiser 650 or Audese LCD2 sounds much better on the ALO/Cypher Labs Algorhythm Solo combo. The Fostex sounds fantastic on probably all earphones and many efficient headphones. The ALO is two pieces and therefore is both bigger and heavier. It is not as convenient for truly portable use. I have the JH Audio-13 and the Fostex drives them extraordinarily well as does the ALO/Cypher Labs Algorhythm Solo.

I have to say that I often prefer (slightly) the sound signature of the ALO/Cypherlab combination. It competes very favorably with an excellent desktop Dac and headphone amplifier. While the ALO combination can fit in a big pocket, it is too big to be truly comfortable or to be easily portable.

In conclusion, the ALO combination will fit all headphones wherein the Fostex will probably drive some headphones well. The Fostex will not make an inefficient headphone truly sing. The Fostex costs approximately half of the cost of the ALO Continental/Cypherlabs Algorhythm Solo. They are both superb performers.

Post Script

I have found that the Fostex HP-P1 has a wonderful synergy with the Shure 530 and Westone 4. I also really love the Fostex with the Sennheiser IE8, Audeo 232, and the Sony MDR 1000. The sound signature is full with great sound across the board. There is plenty of power for a full bass response, albeit tight and not exaggerated. The rest of the sound spectrum sounds great. The synergy of the Fostex and any of these really read earphone monitors is astounding--really astounding.

The charge lasts for 3-5 hours. I know that a this is not as long as all of us we would like to have, but this one gadget is: 1) an Ipod transport which in essence converts the Ipod into a harddrive or an independent stereo component (which of course disengages both the DAC and amplifier on the Ipod itself); 2) a DAC far superior to the DAC in the Ipod itself; and (3)headphone amplifier which is the sole means of controlling the volume once you have bypassed the DAC and headphone jack on the Ipod. Most of the great portable headphone amplifiers last much longer on a single charge. This is especially true of the Ray Samuels Audio, Leckerton, TTVJ, and Headamp Pico portable amps. These other portable amps are fabulous and keep a charge a lot longer, but then are not DACs or Ipod transports.

Considering that the Fostex HP-P1 is a great piece of equipment and at approximately $650.00, it is really a good buy!!

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Let us begin:

WHY:

It is believed that iPods are made for the great unwashed A Lossy digital signal is put through a second rate DAC, then a third rate amplifier and the signal is finally made available to your earbuds.

DIGITAL AND ANALOG STUFF:

An iPod plays a digital signal. The digital signal goes into a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter). The analog signal from the DAC is then Amplified. (EXAMPLE: MP3>DAC>Amp> Headphones).

The Apple Dock Connector can bypass either the Internal Amp (Analog Line Out (ALO)) or bypass the DAC and the Amp (Digital Line Out (DLO)).

An ALO is used by many third party amp makers to provide a cleaner signal to the headphones. (EXAMPLE: MP3>DAC>Apple Dock Analog Line Out>Third Party Amp>Headphones).

A DLO sends the digital signal out of the iPod to be both converted to analog and amplified. (EXAMPLE: MP3>Apple Dock Digital Out>Third Party DAC>Third Party Amp>Headphones).

FOSTEX HP-P1:

Just about every Apple dock connector cable is analog out.

One of the few exceptions is the Fostex HP-P1. It uses a proprietary Apple Dock Connector that is digital line out. An iPod makes the digital signal available to the HP-P1. The digital to analog and the amplification is done within the Fostex.

MAKING SENSE:

To justify buying the HP-P1, your source MUST be Lossless and the headphones should have a MSRP North of $300.00. Anything less is a total waste of money. Sorry.

REVIEW:

Pros: In many respects, this is as good as it gets with portable music.

Cons:

Weight and Size: The Fostex HP-P1 is half again as big and heavy as an Apple Classic.

Cost: Even with a street price of $650.00, it is still a lot of money.

No Music Shaping: Remember, the signal coming out of the iPod is digital. You cannot run it through EQ.

Battery: HP-P1 will provide a day of "normal" listening (5 to 8 hours), but will run dry long before a players.

Amp: The amp will not drive high ohm headphones with authority.

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Using this with a new Ipod Classic and Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones; the sound is awesome. First time I can really hear longer decay of notes, better separation in a chorus, and more voices within the chorus. More separation and depth of bass. The construction is superb; the volume knob extending out is helpful with adjusting the volume from within a case; It trickle charges your IOS device, so you basically have to charge one item only, if you leave the ipod plugged in. Quality construction and performance!

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As a direct DAC for iPod it is a great option to get music direct from the iPod in digital format. Using FLAC utility for iPod you can listen hd traks, which is great!

Simply put,if you've read about this product(& honestly know how well recorded the music you listen to is & can benefit from using this)This product lives up to it's reviews. I had a Hifiman HM-602 for a while(It had a very"buggy"UI)that I don't believe sounded anywhere as detailed as the HP P1 does (& you are using the smooth Apple UI with it)

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Beats Tour 2.0 In-Ear Headphone (Black)

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $149.95
Today's Bonus:

The sound quality and the comfort of this earphones are flabbergasting, although durability is horrible (for a pair of 150 dollar earphones). Between the black part, which the cable splits into two (for left and right ears), and the red rubber-ish coating over the cable, there was a gap. I could actually see the copper wires, which were inside the rubber coating. Also the cable is so thin that it looks weak, and the jack was also tiny. Which was intended from beatsbydre, but come on.. If they are going to make the cable smaller, then make it durable and small, not small and brittle.

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I was wondering it was a fake one or not but It's real beats but I don't like sound compared with the old Beats tour...

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Just bought the Beats Tours2.0. Great sound! For those who stated the first tours are better, they don't know sound. How did they pack the large sound in these small buds. Being 150.00 is a bit much but you can't beat the sound quality. To me they sound better than the over the ear beats. For the most part, they are noise cancelling. Love this product.

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The earphones have clear sound performance with the extra deep bass. They are well worth the purchase.

Would recommend to anyone looking for good quality earphones

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I buyed this earphones for my HTC New One, and first the volumen control doesnt work, second the sound quality (i used to wear the Bowers & Wilkins C5) compare to B&W are not to good, actually the earphones have great quality material, colors, accesories, great box, etc and for to listen pretty loud music is great.

Its OK

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Korg EMX1SD Electribe Music Production Station

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $750.00
Sale Price: $499.00
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

• 5 Synth Parts (+1 Accent), 9 Drum parts (+1 Accent); MMT modeling + PCM: 207 Drums & 76 Synth waves
• Valve Force circuit with two 12AX7 vacuum tubes adds warmth or snarl; 3 chainable FX (16 types per)
• 256 Patterns, 64 Songs; Step or real-time sequencing, motion sequencing, sync able modulation
• Arpeggiator tied to ribbon and slider for fast song creation; Internal, Tap, MIDI or BPM-detect sync
• Stereo + 2 Individual outs, Audio In, Headphone out (All 1/4"); SD data storage

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To understand what this is, you have to understand what it is not. It's not simply a drum machine or rhythm box to be used by instrumentalists looking for accompaniment nor is it really meant for people looking for a midi-sequencer for composition. This machine tends to push you away from more traditional chords and melody and more towards playing w/ sonic textures and rhythms. In some ways, it's limitations are what's great about it.

As far as the sounds, they are as good as the time you put into them. You start w/ a simple, cheesy (cool cheesy but cheesy) sounding waveform and sculpt it into whatever you want. There are some really great analogue synth sounds from bubbly baselines to whiny leads to be had from this unit but you aren't necessarily going to find them right away. The sculpt-ability of the sounds is almost to the degree where it's a weakness because it's sometimes more fun to play w/ the settings than to write songs. There are included effects which add even more things to play w/. Not all of them sound spectacular in a traditional sense (I would not, for example, rout my guitar through this thing to use the reverb) but each can add it's own particular something to any given part, which is really all you need anyway. (Yet to find a use for the compressor though. Who needs a compressor on something that's not touch sensitive?). You get eight decent sounding drum tracks and five synth tracks. The synth tracks are not polyphonic so a standard piano part is not feasible but since there are five of them, there is really no trouble getting your tracks sounding thick and full. (You can have the thing play chords but it is one chord per part so they have to all major chords or all add7 chords or whatever.) The filters provide means of getting sonic separation between different interlocking parts and I've found I can have all five sounding clearly and distinctly in the mix which really gives you a lot to work w/ sonically--more than I need almost always.

My major complaint as far as sound quality is the limited sample library. It seems like w/ very little effort, Korg could have expanded this to be a lot more useful for more traditional instrument sounds. Still, w/o polyphony there will not be too much you can do w/ them. I do find myself missing to ability to get bass-guitar-like and piano like sounds sounds out of this though. It is just not really wired to do that so trying it just leads to frustration mostly.

What is really great about this box is how much fun it is to play w/ patterns. I find myself endlessly tweaking sounds and retweeking not because I don't like how it is but just because it's so easy to do. W/o polyphony, I tend towards manipulating the arpegiator and getting textures as much as I come up w/ ordinary melodies or basslines. Again, this box is more about texture and pure sound than anything else. It does odd time signatures (though it is naturally in 4/4) and you can set it either to use a pattern tempo when composing songs so tempo changes are super easy and natural. Speaking of song mode, it's decent, simple step-based sequencing but you can do a lot of tweaks to get what you want and I believe you can program it to save mutes and tweaks based on what you want but I think most people will find themselves wanting to put their hands on it and manipulate it live as it plays. It is just too much fun not too.

I would recommend this as a path of least resistance to great analogue-like synth textures and rhythmic accompaniment. If you want to compose symphonies, you will need a more serious midi-sequencer and synths that can do polyphony. If you want something that sounds like a real drummer, there are better boxes for that though this could do in a pinch. Software does better at either of these things these days anyway. What this is is a hands on instrument for creating music through sonic textures. You can use it on it's own or in the context of a band or a more advanced recording/sequencing setup. It has limitless possibilities but it can't do everything.

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Are you currently using ProTools, Cubase, Sonar, Ableton Live, or some other DAW? Delete it. Format your hard drive. Sell your laptop.

One word: inspiration. You can create songs and patterns so quickly on the Electribe that it will leave you lightheaded. Giddy, even. The user interface is a wet dream, no joke. The visionaries at Korg spent some serious time making this beast intuitive, user-friendly, and fun. And it shows.

Yes, this machine has some limitations -but they are limitations that ultimately help you. Your creativity will be focused like so many laser beams, because only the truly important parameters can be tweaked. Everything else falls by the wayside, and that is good, especially for recovering DAW fiends. Stop trying to tweak and customize every freaking setting, and get on with writing your song. The Electribe is waiting.

Now let's talk about the sounds: The drums and bass parts are phat enough to produce a hip hop album, and you know that's saying something. There are copious effects and oscillators. I mean, even the preset songs sound good.

Other users have talked about swapping out the valves (i.e. vacuum tubes) to get various flavors of analog overdrive, and that is certainly an option, but I think you'll find the default valves to be more than satisfying.

After experiencing the Korg Electribe EMX1SD, I can say that my approach to song writing and producing has been radically changed. And for the better.

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I bought the older version used on Ebay. It is just super fun to create cool loops and twist the knobs.

Yes, one knob is a little flimsy, but who knows what the previous owner did with it, since it has dents all over the place. However, the device runs still like a charm.

This device is targeted to producers of electronic dance music. You can produce complete tracks with it. On YouTube you can find plenty of videos with amazing E-MX tracks.

With the E-MX, you have a great sounding drum machine with 9 drum tracks, as well as five synthesizer tracks. You can build your own sounds for all five synthesizer tracks and also influence the sound of the drum tracks. On top of this, you have three effects which you can assign to the drums and synthesizers.

The device has also samples of more natural sounds like piano, guitar etc. When I use them, I have a hard time to get some of them sound right. I do not know what I am doing wrong, but they sound better in the factory demos. However, the new version might be different. Regarding to Korg's website, the sounds have been updated. But what do you expect? This device is not initially made to sound like real instruments. It is made for modern dance music with really good synthesizer sounds.

At this point, I have to make one thing clear: Even though the E-MX has amazing synthesizer sounds and the tubes are adding some analog feel to it, you can not expect that it sounds like a TB-303. When you want 303 sound, you need to go with a real TB-303 or a well built x0xb0x.

The only thing which I really miss is a sampler. Korg should add this to it and the world would be perfect. The E-SX is not an option for me, since the synthesizers of the E-MX are better. However, Korg did a great job on both of them.

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Even still being new at this, I found the Korg EMX1SD to be very entertaining. Anyone new in the music production, don't be afraid to let this be a starter piece.

But the ESX-1 is better because you can load your own samples into it (that's the Red one that looks just like this).

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Rode BAGBP Microphone BoomPole Gig Bag

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.95
Sale Price: $39.95
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

• Designed to carry Rode's Boom-Pole
• Plenty of room to leave your Rode mic attached
• Ideal for mobile Audio and Video rigs
• Compatible with Mini or Standard Boom Poles
• Excellent for transport and storage

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The off brand boom pole I also got off Amazon fit perfectly into this bag. Although it's a little snug, I also managed to fit a leather case of spare parts, my XLR cable, and my two windcovers. It's nice and doesn't take up a lot of space at all. I don't think I could fit the boompole with microphone still attached on the end of it though.

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I've bought this lovely bag to put the Boompole with the Blimp in it,and i was sure Rode has thought about this before me,but unfortunately i found the bag fits the boompole only with another thing else,maybe with a shock mount icluding the Mic,but not with the Blimp,so every day you have to remove the Blimp from the Boompole and put the Blimp in any other place,i hope one day Rode will release a bag that fits both of them together.

On the other side its material is very nice,the zipper is very smooth,so its not just a normal bag.

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Traveler Guitar Pro-Series Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar with Gig Bag

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $542.99
Sale Price: $379.99
Today's Bonus: 30% Off

• One-piece maple neck and body with natural finish
• Includes listening Stethophone for battery-free private listening and traditional 1/4-inch output with tone and volume
• Detachable lap rest
• Includes deluxe gig bag, limited three-year warranty
• Full 24 3/4" scale steel-string acoustic/electric travel guitar fits in airline overhead bins

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I've had my traveler guitar for 10 years and absolutely love it. It's been all over the world with me and I've gigged with it for hundreds of fellow GIs at austere locations around the globe. People are constantly amazed by how good of a sound comes from such a small guitar. I usually play it through a Korg Pandora for headphones or when I'm using a PA. When I'm in a hotel room I take a Roland Micro Cube or Johnson mini amp along depending on my luggage space and they each sound great with the Traveler. I've spent over a decade trying every portable guitar set-up that I could find and I've yet to see anything that I like more than this!

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I totally love my traveler, except for one detail, the detachable arm (where the dials and switch are located) did not endure the stress, and the wood split at the point of attachment. I did a mickeymouse job of reattaching the split wood, and though it jiggles just a little bit, it's relatively sturdy.

But i truly do take it pretty much everywhere i go, especially if i know i'll be waiting a while for something or someone. This way, i make sure to practice a good half-hour minimum daily as opposed to the couple of hours a month (before the Traveler).

The sound is not super crunchy, but it's nice, clean, and clear on the amps i've played it on. I've used mostly Fender strings, and the action is very nice. I don't have much trouble in the way of tuning or it going out of tune, unless i play an extensive amount of bends, and then it's usually the G string that goes out of tune. I've used the capo, a slide, a few effects with this guitar, and i'm satisfied with everything so far (except for wishing for a whammy bar from time to time).

So, if this guitar was stronger at it's stress point, and it included a whammy bar, it would be truly a 5-star plus in my estimation.

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I knew I wanted to learn to play a guitar, but lugging a full sized acoustic to/from work wouldn't cut it for me. So I was at my LMS one day when I ran across the Traveler. It's amazing! The neck is full sized, and solid maple, so it looks and feels like a $1200 guitar. The rest of the guitar looks a little funky, but don't let that fool you. The sound is at least as good as any above average electric from a guitar store (The pickup is medium quality), and if you connect it to something like a Mac, using GarageBand with a "LightSnake" interface cable, the results will amaze you. It is small enough to fit in an airline's overhead luggage storage bin. One thing I don't like is that the stock stethoscope "headphone" for playing it acoustic can be pretty painful. It's an acoustic tube, like the old airline in-flight movie systems. with stethoscope earplugs. My advice, like someone else said here, is to buy a small 2 watt Microcube, a computer interface, or a headset amp and play it as a solid-body electric. Remember, no electric can drive a headset directly. Heck, you can even play it "unplugged". Odds are, you'll be the only one able to hear it. This is perfect for late night practice without disturbing the family, and is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the "Silent Series" of full sized guitars from Yamaha. The maker's website has the manual on-line, along with a photo collection of people playing it around the world. From the cockpit of a 747 to the top of Mt.Everest, the Traveler has been there. I've had mine 4 years, and my first string finally broke tonight. I had been dreading replacing the strings, but happily discovered they are much easier to change than my full-sized acoustic guitar (D'Addario EJ-15, extra light, round wound bronze phosphor are included as standard). Yes, it may look a little funny, but the Traveler more than makes up for that by its performance and portability.

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This little guitar is amazing. I now take it when I need a guitar away from home. It's fun to play and sounds great when I need to play at public gatherings. I've taken it on planes with no problem and no questions asked. Great item.

The guitar came well boxed and padded with brown paper. Unfortunately there was no receipt included which I would need for warranty work. I called Customer Service and they just sent me a copy of an email that they sent me for the purchase. If anything goes wrong with the guitar and I would need warranty work, I'm not sure that a copy of email would satisfy the need of a receipt.

As far as the guitar, it is an excellent alternative to a full size guitar when you are unable to bring a full size one. But this is not a good substitue to a conventional guitar. The fit and finish are spectacular to say the least. The electronics work flawlessly. The sound is very good. The included stethescope earphone is uncomfortable to wear and most headphone amps will not fit into the cable jack due to its location. As far as playability, it is strange for my right hand. Without a full size body my hand gets a bit confused sometimes. Nice gigbag.

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HOSA TOSLINK to mini-Toslink FIBER-OPTIC CABLE, 10 ft.

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $24.50
Sale Price: $12.17
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

I use this product to connect my Apple Airport Express to my home stereo system. Airport Express has a 3.5mm mini-jack audio output which doubles as an optical output. This is the cable you need to use that output for connection to your home stereo's optical input ports.

Mine works great.

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I felt I should enter this review because I wish I would have learned that this is NOT the usual 3.5mm adapter that most of us are used to (digital coax). I admit that there is no misinformation on the description of the product but I was looking for a 3.5mm male adapter to use with a digital pc speaker system. This would not work because it is a fiber not a digital coax which is needed. Yes, it works with most Apple 3.5mm connections because they support Mini Toslink (fiber and digital coax support). Unfortunately, the shipping and restock fees do not make it worth sending back so it will gather dust in my cable collection until I find a use for it. I still gave it 4 stars because the quality seems good.

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I purchased this item to connect a mac mini to my home theater audio reciever so I could get 5.1 surround sound while streaming my media. It works perfect and the sound is great! The only downside to this is that it doesn't "snap" into place so if I move the mac mini around it easily falls out. I think the problem is more on the mac's side rather than this cable b/c all the other cables connected to the mini seem to act the same way.

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This product connects the optical jack on my Logitech Z-5500 speakers to my Macbook Pro's 3.5mm audio jack which doubles as an optical port. It does exactly what it's supposed to, and at a good price.

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I purchased to connect my laptop to a surround sound system. It works, after some configuration, without flaw. The cable itself is a bit thin and delicate feeling, but it's worked for many many years without any hiccups until just recently. If it goes out, I will absolutely buy this product again.

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Beats Executive Over-Ear Headphones (Black)

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $299.95
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I have been on the hunt for noise canceling headphones that sound great and look stylish. Of course, "look stylish" is completely subjective but I generally like the aesthetics of Apple products (clean, modern design) and the feel of high-quality materials. When I saw the Beats Executive headphones I thought they had gotten it right. I really like the look, the materials seems to be all metal and leather, giving the impression of a classy, durable, elegant product -at least in my opinion. They appear to be well made and I could see myself wearing them (by the way, I'm not a hip hop kind of guy -I'm a business guy with a rock n roll sensibility). Also, I liked the fact that the printing on top of the headband said simply "Beats" and not "Beats by Dr Dre". Anyway, I tried them on at an Apple store and thought they were comfortable and then listened to some music. Not bad, I thought. Then I tried on the Bose Quiet Comfort 15 as a comparison. The Bose are much lighter, but the materials feel more plastic and less substantial. Nonetheless, the lightness of the Bose did make them very comfortable and easy to wear. But the sound of the Bose is the biggest difference. The Bose let the music come alive, and the Beats smother the music with poor EQ. I tried a few different genres of music and the biggest difference came when I listened to a Norah Jones track that started with an upright acoustic bass. The Bose made the bass sound like a real upright bass -the tone, the articulation, it was beautiful. Listening to the same track on the Beats -I couldn't even tell that it was an upright bass. It had none of the nuances of the tone, attack or resonance. So based on that, I will not be buying the Beats. Ideally, I would like the look of the Beats Executive and the sound quality of the Bose combined in one set of headphones. So it's up to you -which is more important: the look or the sound?

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Try upgrade your sound to last class. The EQ on these headphones are pitiful. The highs are barely there, they've done 0 with the mids and the bass is so far overdriven that you may as well use these as a vibrator. The audio quality coming out of these headphones is far from superior. I'd ALMOST rather a pair of Skullcandy smokin' buds (which are also pitiful). If you want some serious over ear head phones pick yourself up a pair of Sennheiser HD 380 Pro's, or some Audio Technica MT50's, both of which are a lot cheaper, are made of some high quality materials, and the sound quality is almost unparalleled. Treat your ears with some respect, don't even consider picking a pair of these up, especially not for $300 which is WAY too much money to pay for these, you're paying for the name.

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So here we are again with another Beats Headphone. Considered to be the newest in the Beats series, The Executive model aims to take listening to the next level, featuring active noise cancellation for a change. These hit retail early in October 2012 and is the first headphone that Beats have created without Monster Cable's help. Monster and Beats parted ways and the Beats decided to come up with a fresh "new" concept.

The headphone is aimed for people who are frequently flying and don't have enough space to cram a big casing headphone in their carry on. In all honesty, It's a rehash of the Beats Studios, but fine tuned and built a little different. For starters, the headphone has more of an aluminum finish than the plastic build you see in the Studio model. Although identical in height, The Executives can either fold in like the Studios or fold sideways like a pair of Sennheiser PXC450s. This particular fold is what makes the headphone compact with the slim case, though the case is still significantly wide.

The Executives are also the first Noise Cancelling headphones in the Beats series. Some people think the Studio model was, but that headphone is more of a powered sound isolating headset with a built in amplifier that drives the bass and lows, and they bleed out insane at higher volumes.

The Executives are a bit more quiet at louder volumes but do their best to be as crisp on the Highs and Mids. The Bass response is there but not as punchy as the Studios or any other Beats branded headphone. The noise cancelling is ok at best. You still hear a hissing sound coming from the headphone, but testing it with the white noise app does show it is capable of reducing background ambient noise.

Because this is a noise cancelling headphone, you need batteries. Remember when I said these were a rehash Studio model? The batteries go in the same section that the Studios had them place, and the b logo on the right earcup sports a monitor button like the Studios do. The only minute difference is that the left earcup where the batteries go; the b logo is actually a magnetic fix as oppose to a twist and pull door.

Getting down to how they handle music; the headphones do a good job of supplementing bass still if you listen to RnB, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Rap. If you listen to country, classical, or even acoustic guitar, they don't do a good job. It's subpar at best and the audio quality isn't as warm as some other headphones at $300. You can buy a pair of AKG K495s for the same price and get a better audio sound than these guys, but preference is an issue here on what you listen to.

The last gripe about the headphone is that they still only come with the cable designed for Apple iPhones and other iProducts. The mic is supposedly able to work on HTC phones, but when I tried it on my EVO3D, the person couldn't hear my voice. The other issue is the battery. Because these are powered headphones, the battery life on these with standard AAA's is about 22-25 hours. The main concern here is that the headphone went down the Bose road, meaning that if you turn off the headset, you get nothing to listen. They have to be powered on so you can use listen to them on the go.

They're not bad headphones, but the price is an issue. You're really getting at most, a mid-range headset for a high price, and there's better noise cancelling headphones on the market that will you serve you better like Audio-Technica's ANC9. While the build is better, the audio takes a huge step back, and you may feel wanting more out of your music after listening to these. But if you listen to the genres I mentioned above (Rap, etc.) they're good headphones, but trust me... you can do better.

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I purchased these headphones from amazon with 5-8 day shipping on a saturday morning and they arrived on monday at noon excellent shipping service. I opened the headphones was very happy then I tried them on and they sounded above average (I am not an audiophile). I found that the noise cancelling hiss was not that bad. For me batteries are not an issue they may be for some people though (they last around 20 hours maybe a little bit more). I would like if the wire was black instead of red because the headphones are grey and black. I'm not sure if its brushed aluminum or plastic i think some is plastic and some is brushed aluminum

Pros -

*Solid Feel

*Noise Cancelling

*Detachable Headphone Wire

*Extremely Comfortable

*Mute button on right ear cup

*Nice Design

*folds nicely (2 ways)

*magnetic battery door with ribbon to hold it on

*nice soft headband (i think pleather)

*nice soft ear cups (i think pleather also)

Cons-

*Noise Cancelling hiss (barely noticeable if you're worried about it don't be it's not a deal breaker)

*hinges feel a little bit flimsy

*not audiophile headphones

*sound leak at higher volumes

*expensive to some people

*batteries (con for some people)

hope i helped someone out :D

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After an abysmal experience with past Beats by Dre headphones, I had to try these on when I saw them to see if there was any improvement. And the answer is ....NO! The only reason to buy these is if you have absolutely no experience with what good sound quality is and have a ton of money to just waste on crap, or you're obsessed with Dr. Dre or want to look "cool" in front of your friends and buy these for the name and brag about how much they cost. I have no idea how Beats stays in business and continues to make headphones even though they are cheap, plasticky, bad quality and are probably worth about $20. I guess just enough people are lured in by the Dr. Dre name to keep it profitable. Pitiful! A savvy buyer should never get these.

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Samson SASR850C Studio Reference Headphones (Single Pack)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $49.99
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

• Professional studio reference headphones
• Open ear design for maximum isolation
• 50mm drivers for exceptional reproduction and wide dynamic range
• 10Hz-30kHz frequency response, Self-adjusting headband for a secure, comfortable fit
• 32 Ohm impedance, 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch gold plated adapter included

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I picked up a set of these recently and have found that I really enjoy owning them. They borrow a lot from classic AKG headphones in terms of styling and construction but the sound is not the same. Doing some research online, you will find that the drivers are a different diameter than AKG's. They have a little more high end emphasis than the AKG K240's (also own). The high end is something that K240's lack, or rather don't exaggerate. While you can tell that Samson cuts some corners on the SR850 (how could they NOT?) the build quality is excellent and likely to impress most people considering the price point. The auto adjusting strap works just great. It allows the headphones to instantly adjust to anyone's head size. Thanks AKG! The earpads are very comfortable and they sit off of your ears enough that most peoples lobes aren't going to touch the vinyl or be bothered. The earpads will smell for a little while, but they are quite nice. I've had no problems leaving these on for hours and hours. The SR850's are very low impedance and can easily be driven by personal music players like iPods, Sansas, smartphones etc. Because of the low impedance though, noisy sources will let some hiss through the headphones more often than on higher impedance phones. Even my K240's at 55ohm are a little quieter with hiss. Its not a deal breaker.

They also seem to benefit from some play time, mine did anyway.

All in all, they do some really incredible things with music. Things that headphones at this price shouldn't have the right to do! They have great high end sizzle, beautiful open air sound stage, and deep natural bass. I'm very very impressed and would recommend a pair to anyone looking for a nice set of open back headphones.

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I'll keep the review short. I consider myself an audiophile having bought a good amount of expensive gear, and these headphones can at the very least compete with headphones the likes of the ATH-M50 and Denon D1100. They are clear, balanced, yet bassy and sparkly all at once. The best value in headphones I know of.

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I recently bought the Samson C01U (USB Mic) and the Samson SR850 (Headphones). I have to say, Samson made an impression on me. This combo pulls off a killer performance. Its the perfect setup for all your home studio needs. The SR850 headphones give you a great reference to your audio. Good solid flat reference with fantastic frequency range makes these a big winner in my home studio. All technical specs on these add to its beauty. Great looking, great sounding and very important, extremely comfortable. Long sessions are common, so a comfy set of headphones is always a plus. Good thing these Samsons got you covered. Buy these.

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I've owned a pair of these Samson headphones for 2 years now, and I can honestly say they are amazing.

Sound quality is good, really good.

For music listening, I've found the bass response to be very deep and punchy, and the tops come out nice and clear. Quite a few headphones I've tried get one or the other right, but most don't have such a great balance of bass, mids and lows.

I also play electric guitar (on my own and in a band), and I was absolutely stunned at how great they are for guitar work! I use a Fender USA Stratocaster and Line6 POD, and I love the way they sound through these phones. They have a nice long cable as well.

The best part is, I've had these headphones for 2 years now, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with them, they've stood up surprisingly well to being carried around from work and band practice.

If you are looking for active noise cancellation, you'll have to look elsewhere though, but that said the noise bleed-in isn't bad at all, I've used these on stage without needing to deafen myself to hear them.

If they did break, or got lost or stolen, I'd definitely look for another pair. Crappy Beats or Skullcandy headphones don't even compare, and these are like half the price, I can definitely say that with beats or Skullcandy you're just paying for some fancy packaging and color that really you gotta be a sucker to fall for. These look pretty good as they are though, I like the styling.

These truly are 5-star headphones.

PC Gamers..

As much as you'd like to brag about that nice, badass 5.1 surround sound you have, chances are you have neighbors, like me, and can't exactly blast your gaming as loud as you'd like..

So you sport a pair of gaming headphones, ones that have the microphone integrated, or simulated surround sound.. And are content with that like I was. Until I purchased these headphones.

Granted, these do not include a microphone.. But a good standalone microphone, like the Zalman ZM-Mic1 I have (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029MTMQ/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_image), clips perfectly on the cord and has amazing reviews as well. .Giving me a combination of a good microphone and headset..

The sound card I have on my Desktop PC is an Asus ROG Xonar Phoebus. With this soundcard i've had three seperate headsets. A Plantronics Gamecom 777, Creative Fatal1ty Edition, and a Turtle Beach Ear Force X12. All three of those are absolute garbage compared to these open ear Samsons...

Everybody's ears are different, but I have to say that for the money these headphones blew me away. Listening to music after I broke these in was astonishing. I was hearing things I've never heard in my songs before.. And I'm not talking about crappy 128kb MP3s I got from Johnny Vanu down the road, I'm talking about FLAC audio, and 320kb/s lossless MP3s. It's a very versatile headset that I would highly recommencement be paired with a decent clip on microphone for a full, isolated gaming experience (For when you can't break out the true surround sound)

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Rode NT1-A Cardioid Condenser Microphone Recording Package with Presonus Audiobox USB, Studio One A

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $389.95
Today's Bonus:

• Large 1" (25mm) capsule with gold plated diaphragm
• Self noise of only 5dB (A)
• Includes all you need for a full production
• Ideal for any small recording application

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This is the perfect combo, for those who are looking for a extraordinary sound at home. I'm just amazed. I recommend this 100%. The only thing is the software Studio one, which is a shame, however, you can use Pro Tools, Adobe Audition or Garageband.

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The package has all you need to start a home studio with the best price you can get with these equipments. I have done several researches before I choose which mic and audio interface to buy. I like Rode and Presonus among several brands and BOOM!!! I saw this package. Presonus USB box comes with Studio one (Artist version) which is an easy, effective and useful DAW for a noob like me. So if you are not sure which equipment u need to buy to start a home studio with limited budget and yet u still want some decent gadgets, this is it. Just check out the individual equipment prices on each items and youtube has technical reviews on each of them. Sure, you can still do more research and you will see how this package is worth the price. That's it, guys.. Good luck and happy recording! :)

With love,

MN

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I work out a vocal problem i was having I jest love my mic can't run the program as well as I thought I could it's ok

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Great sound! Easy to use at a price thats just right! I'm going to use mine for voiceover work! Simply Awesome!

I was looking for something I could use to do audio recordings from my home, but quality was really important to me. Price was also something that I was concerned about, but then I found this package, and found it to have everything I needed to get started, but at a great price, considering the cost of putting a package like this together by buying the components individually.

When I got it set up and tried it out, it worked wonderfully. The quality of the recordings is superb, provided that you have the right home setup for recording audio. The only thing that was a bit of a head scratcher is that the Presonus Audiobox USB doesn't speak well "out of the box" with my Windows 8 operating system. It worked, but it was a bit temperamental, and the USB driver didn't always cooperate. I do, consequently, have another laptop with Windows 7, and it loaded and worked without a hitch. I'll probably have to call the company (Presonus) to see if they have any ideas on how to get this box to work a bit better on Windows 8.

However, the quality of the products is great, and it's not a product issue, rather it's a software and operating system issue on the computer end.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone who is looking for quality and affordability in creating their own setup for a recording system.

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Vic Firth Stereo Isolation Headphones.

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $101.00
Sale Price: $49.08
Today's Bonus: 51% Off

• Designed to protect musicians from the high sound levels associated with their instruments
• Drastically reduces the level of external sound reaching the ear
• Valuable protection from potential damage
• Automatically self-aligning for perfect fit. 6FT Straight cord.
• Broad foam cushions provide maxium comfort

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I scanned through all the reviews and no one has mentioned that these things have a tendency to fail. I'm a drum teacher and I've personally owned 4 pairs of these and have had dozens of students buy these. When they work these headphones are great. They are much lower in price than other isolation headphones and the sound quality is acceptable. What is not acceptable is that the soft plastic that holds the foam earcups in place will eventually fail. What's worse is that the wires eventually become damaged and stop feeding sound to one or both speakers. Before they fail fully there are always a handful of months where the connections work intermittently, which is also quite frustrating.

As such I've searched extensively for an alternative that survives for a handful of years. My solution is to buy a pair of inexpensive isolation ear buds and a pair of job sight ear muffs. This setup has benefits:

1) The isolation is much much better! I can drum full blast with my ipod level set at a third of it's capacity and still hear the music clearly over the drumming.

2) Costs a lot less. JBud sells isolation headphones for $10, and I'm sure you could find an even better deal if you searched. The ear muffs can be purchased for $15 or less. Add these together and you're looking at paying less than half what you'd pay for these vic firth headphones.

3) If the headphones fail (and let's face it, eventually any wire will die), you only have to buy a new pair of headphones. Modular systems are the best!

4) This may seem obvious, but either the headphones or the earphones can be used on their own.

The downside is that properly inserting isolation headphones is a bit more time consuming and awkward than just slipping on the vic firth headphones. If the vic firths' didn't break down so often I would definitely be a fan. I hope this review is appreciated as I always use amazon reviews to get a sense of anything I'm considering buying.

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I've loved these heaphones, and they still do the job very nicely after about 6 to 7 months. Here are some things I've learned:

Since the outside noise is greatly lessened, as advertised, they make the maximum volume for an ipod or mp3 player is lower than in regular ipod earbuds.

They grip to your head tightly, no matter what your head size. I got used to it quickly, though.

They don't cut out all noise, for sure, but they reduce the sharpness of any surrounding sound a lot.

The headphones come with a quarter inch adapter, which is very useful if you aren't just going to plug them into mp3 players and metronomes. They work nicely with amps and keyboards as well.

I have learned all these things from experience, and I hope you decide to invest in this product.

--God Bless!

Read Best Reviews of Vic Firth Stereo Isolation Headphones. Here

I got this because I was never able to hear myself while recording drum tracks. The models I used before had a looped cord, like the one shown in the picture, which was a little too short. I finally decided to get my own about a month ago, and it didn't have a looped wire. It had a straight one, which is longer, so thats good.

While tracking with the headphones plugged into the laptop I wasn't able to hear myself properly. I was disappointed, but then i plugged it into the headphone input in my speakers which were connected to the laptop, and the result was fantastic. They're loud enough no matter how hard you play. I bet Dave Grohl would have a hard time hearing himself play if he turned these headphones on all the way up !

Thats why these are a must have for recording drums. Even if you use them to listen to music, no matter how much you turn the music up, no one will be able to tell what you're listening too. If you have issues with volume, then these are great. Cancels outside noise, prevents your music from being audible on the outside, and so on.

Build wise, they're sturdy. They look heavy duty. The ones I've used before have never cracked anywhere. That's good if you use these in a studio, musicians often tend to be pretty careless.

Comfort varies from person to person. Some people can wear these for hours without tiring. Some people can't. My right ear starts hurting after excessive use, but i think it depends on ear size, personal preference, and a lot of other factors. When you put these on, you can feel a vacuum being made. They really do put you in your own audio world.

However, the quality isn't fantastic. The reason i gave it 5 stars is because I didn't buy these for sound quality. All I use these for is to listen to a metronome or a scratch track while tracking drums. The quality is no better than your average headphones. So if you want great sound quality, you might want to look elsewhere. But if volume is your issue, look no further. You simply will not be disappointed.

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These things are awsome! They kill the drums sound down to a low volume and really save your ears from the beating they take without ear plugs. They will enable you to play for hours without making your ears tired and being able to put music thru them is awsome. I used to have to play music ridiclusly loud through my main speaker system. Now i just plug these in to my computer and hear the music clearly and still hear my drums. Definetly a must buy for any drummer.

i bought these noise-canceling headsets to wear when drumming. they drown out just enough sound while allowing me drum and listen to my music. for 49.99 this are great headsets

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Laguna Ultimate Rock Electric Guitar and Accessory Pack Gloss Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $649.99
Sale Price: $249.00
Today's Bonus: 62% Off

• Laguna LE 122 Guitar22-fretsThick, dark Indian rosewood fingerboardCarved topTremolo systemDual humbucking pickupsPearl inlaysVolume and tone knobs3-way pickup selectorAccessory Kit: Nylon Gig bagDVDDigital TunerNylon strap adjusts from 26" 46"10' instrument cableAdjustable, padded, dynamic headphones with 1/8" stereo plug (includes " stereo adapter)PicksExtra set of strings

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This review is for the Laguna LE122 guitar only.

I have never played guitar so thought my review may be perfect for this guitar since it's designed and sold as a beginner set. I bought it from Guitar Center a couple days ago and received (what I felt was) a great value price. The one I purchased is a brand new guitar (not used), however it's the guitar only and didn't include the extras regularly sold with this beginner set. My local store had evidently given away the accessories and was left with only the guitar. This was sold to me at a greatly discounted price. This was perfect since I really only went shopping to buy a guitar to learn on.

Keep in mind that this is my first guitar and I bought it to learn. This means I can neither review nor comment much on the sound quality or play-ability since I have no idea how to play at this time.

This review is mostly based on the workmanship and value of the guitar only, minus the included accessories. I truly have a beginner's point of view.

Pros:

1) Medium to med-high quality materials used in construction.

2) Beautiful gloss-black finish on body.

3) Solid feel and weight.

4) Double Humbucker style pickups are of higher than expected quality/sound.

5) Overall high-quality 'feel', for a beginner/learning guitar.

6) 'Rich' look...appears as much higher quality/brand

Cons:

1) Simplistic (ie. just the basic necessities).

2) Strings close together...the other reviewer posted this as a pro for beginners but personally I just have trouble with it.

3) Pricey...though I received a discounted price on my own guitar and happy with that, I think $250 is a bit too high for a GC exclusive brand.

Basically you are getting $50 or so worth of accessories, meaning the actual guitar cost is about $200+/-. For that price I would probably buy something with higher resale value.

The last thing I will add here is a comparison.

The only other experience I have withe buying a nwe guitar is a Fender Squire 'Bullet' which I purchased earlier this year for my daughter to learn with.

This Laguna LE122 is of higher quality build than the Fender (which is a similar style/make). The Squier, while pperfect for my 13 year-old daughter weighing 90lbs soaking wet, is a very light bodied guitar that both feels and looks rather cheap compared to the Laguna. Though I'm betting the Fender Squier Bullet will likely hold it's resale value better than the LE122...however I may be wrong.

As an adult buying my first electric guitar to learn with, I'm happier with the Laguna than I would be with the Fender being compared. However, my opinion on this may not be the same had this Laguna guitar set me back the full $350 or $250 (price of optional sets)...or if I had even paid $150, for that matter.

The truth is (at least my version of the truth ), for a beginner guitar to learn on, just buy what's not going to set the bankroll back too much because chances are you'll just buy some thing better later on anyway, if you decide that playing guitar is something you will stick with.

Either that or go high and buy something with great resale so you can recoup the investment should guitar playing turn out bust.

Sadly, This Laguna LE122 falls short of eother side of the line. It appears to have low resale value and also costs a bit too much (IMO) to chunk down on a beginner model. May be wworth the cost as another guitar to add to a player's already growing arsenal...but I'll need more time and experience in this new hobby in order to write that review.

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I bought this guitar at Guitar Center a few years ago. It came with a nice portable-sized Line 6 amp. The quality of it is pretty good. It has a fairly nice sound quality, but is missing a slight bit of the really heavy bass, which will make an experienced guitarist go "Hey, I'd like to do this heavy chugging riff on my acrylic guitar instead"

Past that, it's a great guitar. The action is quite low and the strings are a little closer together, which in my opinion makes it easier for a beginner to learn to play chords.

It has a much nicer sound quality and construction than most starter guitars I've had the pleasure to mess around with, and for that, I give it 5 stars for luxury but 4 stars for functionality.

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