Overview

For years, Grado has built a reputation for manufacturing unique headphones. The company’s products have a reputation for standing out from the rest, and this can be seen from the SR80e headphones. The SR80e series seems to be a replacement of the Grado SR80i that was released a couple of years ago. The two headphones have a number of similarities and though there are some minor differences on how they are designed. Although Grado SR80e may serve its purposes, it is not the best headphone to use in a noisy set up such as in the bus or just in the middle of the city.

Features

• Simple and Retro Design

Just like the SR80is which dominated the market several years ago, Grado SR80s sport almost a similar look. Despite being manufactured several decades after their predecessors, the company retained the original design but added some minor changes. The headphones appear heavily-built. This design feature makes them look cool and classy rather than old and outdated. In overall, the design of the headphone is something that you be contented with as it may give you some level of comfort.

• Permeable form pads

Grado SR80e have open backs, and their foams are permeable. This means that they leak some level of sound and do not provide isolation.

• Metal rods for comfort

The headphones have metal rods which protrude from the gadget’s headband. The core purpose of these rods is to keep users comfortable. They ensure that the headphone remains at a balanced position allowing the cups to be adjusted freely without straining.

• Cable and adapter

A typical Grado SR80e has a 3.5mm cable and 3.5mm adapter. This makes the headphone compatible with a wide range of new-generation audio devices. This feature is complemented by a 1.8m cable which will give you maximum levels of flexibility when using the headphone.

Sound Quality

From the features, it is clear that the Grado SR80e can give out a high-quality sound. However, do not expect this for all occasions because some factors can result in poor quality sound from the headphones. They integrate the trebles and mids well, and you may get quality output from these two ranges of sound. It is also important to note that SR80e headphones don’t exaggerate or magnify any sound range. This is unlike most headphones that fall within a similar price range.

The SR80e tend to give an impressive bass punch despite being on-ear and open headphones. Most headphones with similar features tend producing diffused bass that can be quite annoying.

However, sometimes SR80e tends to produce a raw sound which can be quite difficult to listen when setting at high volumes. Listening to the vocals and beats can be quite enticing, and you may be tempted to set your device to the maximum volume. However, setting these headphones to high volumes will be quite challenging. A perfect solution to this problem is to play your music in moderate volumes.

Grado SR80e provides a smooth transition between different arrangement and frequencies. The changes happen very fast, and you will be unable to notice any flaws especially when you are moving from one genre to another.

Technical Specifications

• Has 40mm dynamic drivers
• 6.3mm adaptor
• 3.5mm cable
• Designed with open back cups
• Has foam pads
• Cable length of 1.8m

Verdict

From the technical specifications, you can easily conclude whether Grado SR80e is worth the investment. As much as these headphones come with several unique features, they may not be the ultimate choice for everyone.

First, they are not ideal for a busy or noisy environment. They are permeable external noise. Presence of foam pads also makes the headphones to be less luxurious. That said these headphones are a tremendours value for the sound quality they produce.

Check Price and Reviews

The post Grado SR80e Prestige Series Headphones Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

Plantronics’ previous headphones the BackBeat Pro were ambitious, bulky and impressed users on a technical level. However, the headphone’s noise-cancellation feature fell a bit short. Its new BackBeat Pro 2 comes to remedy the problem while improving lots of other features. It sheds a considerable amount of weight and upgrades its wireless range, provides more comfort and performance. And while the best noise-cancellation from Sennheiser, Parrot, Sony, Bose and other popular models cost more, Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 costs much less yet clinches a position as a premium headphone. Here’s why:

Design and construction

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 is sleeker, slimmer than BackBeat Pro featuring a stunning brown color scheme. The ear cups and headband have a soft posh vinyl finish with recognizable left and right channels. The over-ear cups are two-thirds the original size, with the large control wheels on both sides completely removed. The playback and volume functions are designed to flush into the back of the left ear cup that holds a raised ring around the big smooth circle. The ring adjusts the volume while the large circle allows users to rewind a track by clicking left or right. The play/pause control is fitted at the center of the circle. The headphones’ oblong ear pad design provides more comfort as it covers the ears naturally while the faux leather covering the ear pads are well-padded making the headphones comfortable to wear for long periods. The ear cups are also fitted with sensors that detect when you are wearing the headphones to stop the music automatically. BackBeat Pro 2 also comes with a small USB port located at the bottom of the right ear cup for charging along with a 3.5mm port that allows you to use it as a pair of unpowered, wired headphones (with the 3.5mm cable). A row of five LED lights are fitted at the back of the right earcup to show the battery level and when the headphones are paired or turned on. The ear cups rotate 90 degrees to allow folding and easier carrying in the pouch.
Additionally, the BackBeat Pro 2 extends a Bluetooth range of 33-100 feet; just what most users need from a wireless headphone. And the battery life is an impressive 24 hours of runtime with twenty-one days of standby power as well as a DeepSleep hibernation feature that lasts six months if left switched on.

Performance

The left ear cup comes fitted with playback functions with an NFC tag that allows pairing with compatible Android devices. There is a toggle along the side that lets users switch to active noise-cancelling (ANC), open listening, in between or neither functions. ANC blocks ambient noise to produce clear sound while the open-listening setting lets in ambient sound so as to hear a conversation without removing the earphones. For the audio, BackBeat Pro 2 delivers low, rumbling bass synth notes and powerful drum hits at maximum volumes without distortion. It treats each musical genre the same so that it’s difficult to distinguish particular moments that trump others with other headphones models. So whether you are listening to smooth jazz, rock or hip-hop, you won’t feel cheated.

The post Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 Special Edition Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

Bose series has been the lead company in the production of noise-cancelling headphones until recently when Sennheiser introduced the PXC 550 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones. With a rather sleek design, state-of-art functions and a wireless connection, Sennheiser’s PXC 550 is geared up to give the Bose series a run for their money. It comes with additional features like a power function controlled by rotating the ear cups making it easy to turn the headphones on and off. What’s more, the audio performance is vibrant and balanced, and the headphones are ridiculously comfortable. The noise reduction technology and side-tone function make it an excellent headset for making calls. Here are a few remarkable features of Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones:

Design and construction

The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Bluetooth Headphone takes on a different design from the last pair of wireless noise cancellers from Sennheiser (the heavily styled Momentum 2.0 Wireless). In contrast to the collection of colors and its dated ham-radio appearance, PXC adopts a rather collected black and silver look resonant the first days of the Quiet Comfort headphones. Weighing only eight pounds, the PXC 550 headphones are relatively light. The circumaural cups have a round shape assuming an ear-shaped contour while the headband and the ear pads are soft and plush. The right ear cup features switches for Bluetooth pairing and noise cancellation circuitry which has three functions and a music effect button with movie, speech and club modes. A small USB port for the USB charging cable, a non-standard connection for the 3.5mm audio cable and a battery status LED are also located in the area (outer panel on the right ear). The right ear outer panel of the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones is also touch-sensitive and completely unmarked thus a light tap plays or stops the music. The same panel helps to navigate tracks using side-to-side finger swipes as well as adjust the volume by swiping up and down. Users can also answer, reject, and place calls on hold by tapping the panel when receiving calls.
The headphones come packaged along with audio cables, 0.25″ jack adapter; a zipped carrying case and a charging cable. Sennheiser’s free app, CapTune for Android and iOS devices allows you to change the EQ to your preference. PXC 550 headphones have a battery life of thirty hours depending on usage.

Performance

Sennheiser uses the NoiseGard technology to eliminate ambient noise without creating a loud hiss. Users often assume an audible hiss from noise cancellation system because it isn’t notable or uncomfortable. But when there is a complete elimination of ambient audio, it’s just exciting. The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones noise cancellation system uses 4 pickup microphones while the switches are used to turn it off or operate two different levels of strength. When it comes to the audio feature, the headphones use a built-in digital signal processing to avoid distortion and level out loud peaks. With these effects smoothened out, you can listen wirelessly to a paired iPhone 6s, for solid audio performance.

The post Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Bluetooth Headphone Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

Most users steer clear of wireless headphones for three reasons: poor sound quality, weak battery life, and poor pairing but with Beat’s new [easyazon_link identifier=”B01LWWY3E2″ locale=”US” nw=”n” nf=”y” tag=”sound51-20″ cart=”n” popups=”n”]Solo 3 Wireless headphone[/easyazon_link] all the problems are solved. Announced together with iPhone 7 the sleek pair of headphones is an upgrade of Beats’ flagship Solo2. Though ten grams heavier, it has a near-identical appearance to Solo 2 and features similar acoustic technology, noise cancellation traits as well as Beats’ iconic big bass driver. With just one button press the headphones seamlessly pair with your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac as long as you have an iCloud account. And while the conventional Bluetooth connection headphones pair devices within a thirty-foot range, Solo3 delivers quality sound 120 feet away from your phone.

Design and construction

Solo 3 is virtually indistinguishable from the previous model (Solo 2). Beats company seems to stick to plastic headbands over metal which deprives Solo 3 the high-end look though still appears stylish and lightweight. The ear pads are cushioned as are the headbands that fit snugly on your head. They feature a folding mechanism that allows users to fold them up and fit them in a protective case and they quickly snap in place with reassuring firmness. Beats company takes on Apple’s style when it comes to simplicity of design, the use of buttons and other features that are kept to a minimum. The [easyazon_link identifier=”B01LWWY3E2″ locale=”US” nw=”n” nf=”y” tag=”sound51-20″ cart=”n” popups=”n”]Solo 3 Wireless headphone[/easyazon_link] has a small button on the right side of the earpiece designed to switch the headphones on and off and pair with devices. A row of 5 small LED lights that show the battery life are fitted under the right ear pad. The left earpiece has a large central button to play and stop music while the buttons located below control the volume. There are no touch-sensitive gesture functions but physical controls installed on the exterior of the ear cup. Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones come in a range of colors to match the iPhone 7: Black, silver, white, rose black and gold.

Performance

Battery life

Solo3’s battery life is just impressive; with a cool 40 hours of battery life users don’t have to worry about recharging it midflight. They can listen to music, radio, and podcast for an entire week. But if you are the kind that is obsessed about charging devices 100%, [easyazon_link identifier=”B01LWWY3E2″ locale=”US” nw=”n” nf=”y” tag=”sound51-20″ cart=”n” popups=”n”]Solo 3’s[/easyazon_link] fast-fuel feature converts five minutes of charging to three or more hours of listening to your favorite jam.

Most notable features

• Up to 40 hours battery life
• Fast fuel feature
• Cushioned ear cups for extra comfort and an adjustable fit
• Folding mechanism
• No Noise-cancellation feature
• Playback feature via the 3.5mm cable with an inline function
• W1 technology for seamless connection

The post Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

Also referred to as the Hesh 2 unleashed wireless headphones, the Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones are Skullcandy’s novel Bluetooth version. The headphones are listed in the mid to lower price range and offer an incredibly good sound delivering an extremely rich low-end response as well as uniquely sculpted highs. Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless headphones also boast a decent build providing a comfortable wear that hugs your head snugly (not too snugly). The package comes with a removable cable that lets users use the headphones passively which adds value to the already affordable price and saves battery life when you are not using the wireless stream. Other features that will make you fall in love with the Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless headphones include:

Design and construction

The headphones come in different colors: blue, black, yellow and other camouflaged models. Though a little bulky the headphones are lightweight adapting an over the ear design. The ear-pads are well-cushioned using regular foam and faux leather which gets you wearing the headphones for over an hour. The volume controls and LED indicator/multifunction button are located on the right ear cup. They also function as navigation keys when long pressed and since they assume +/- symbols users barely get confused when using them. With the cloth-bound cable, you can use the Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones in a passive, wired mode. What’s more, the cable comes with an in-line microphone and remote so users can receive calls and control their devices without reaching their pockets. Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless headphones boast a fifteen-hour battery life, but it largely depends on how loud you play music and mix of wired and wireless usage. The headphones come with a USB charging cable as well as a protective carrying case.

Performance

The sound quality of the Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones is exceptional for its price range with the bass somewhat balanced so as not to overwhelm you. As such, for tracks that feature great bass-content, the Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless headphone does an impressive job of producing deep lows without causing disruptions. Bass enthusiasts may find the quality a little meager, but the headphones deliver a clear bass response that isn’t too thin or over-toned. Perhaps the best feature about this headphone is its ability to smooth out even poorly recorded tracks (in the form of MP3s).

Thus a track with less bass sounds crisp and full gracing the drums with an extra low-frequency presence so that it doesn’t sound dull. The typical audiophile who prefers rumbling when listening to music may attach the cable to this wired headphone to bring out a different sound quality. There’s more treble and bass, so the music feels hyped and adds more edge to it. However, the Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones are inclined to boost tracks with low-mids and lows than those in the sub-bass realm.

The post Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

Today we’re looking at the iASUS XSound 3. These are headphones for motorbikes. So as you know it’s sometimes quite difficult to use the standard traditional ear buds while you’re wearing a helmet. So these have been developed by iASUS so you don’t have to put them in your ears, and they attach to the helmet. So just opening up the box as you can see they are quite heavy, they seem like they’re made from good quality materials.

Design and construction

We have the headphones themselves, we have the extension, for obvious reasons. We also have another pair, more leathery kind of faux material, you can put on.

Finally the extra padding just so the headphones stay close enough to your ears. Okay so I’ll just do a quick demonstration of how we’d use these. The headphones they need to be attached to the helmet. So I’ve done this one already, I’ll show you on the other side. All we need to do is take off the paper, attach it to the outside of the headphone. And we are ready to go… These will stick inside the helmet.

Okay so what we would do, we would put one of these into the helmet, so again this would come off, and the headphones would stick directly into the helmet, allowing you to put it on. Now if there was too much room, between your ear and the side of the helmet, the good guys at iASUS have provided extra padding so there’s always enough room. You’ll never be too far away from your music.

Extension Cable

And we also have an extension, so you’ll be able to keep your device in your pocket, this will be able to run over your back or down your front, however you like it. And the headphones are similar to lots of other styles, where one of the headphones would go around the back.

The post iASUS XSound 3 Review Headphones Hound Unboxing appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

For a long time, Samsung is a brand name that has been known for phones, home appliances among other products but not headphones. The entry of this brand name to the headphones market is a bold move in light of the competition it expects from already established brands in this niche. So let’s get to the [easyazon_link identifier=”B017KE8N4S” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”sound51-20″ cart=”n” popups=”n”]Samsung Level On PRO Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones[/easyazon_link] Review and find out how good they are…

However, some have discovered certain aspects worth mentioning with the [easyazon_link identifier=”B017KE8N4S” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”sound51-20″ cart=”n” popups=”n”]Samsung Level On PRO Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones[/easyazon_link] for Smartphones, where one might have realized that when they tried the control cord on their iPhone it would not work, yet it is expected that such cords are device agnostic.

The up/down switches of the [easyazon_link identifier=”B017KE8N4S” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”sound51-20″ cart=”n” popups=”n”]Samsung Level On PRO Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones[/easyazon_link] are expected to control the volume have been found to fail in some instances as well as the middle multi-function switch. These might have been isolated cases but the fact that this has happened is an indication of what you might probably expect going forward unless Samsung does its best to correct this. The cord provided works very well with Samsung audio devices and has a 3.5mm jack as well as large control buttons that have been provided.

Samsung LEVEL-On Headphones Review: Design and Comfort

So whether it is bass or treble, you will get the intensity of each of these to the desired levels without distortion on the music. This is quite hard to achieve since coming up with a speaker driver for headphones that are “warm” without sacrificing on quality of music, is not simple. This has been incorporated in these headphones and it is what makes them outstanding. Another great set of over-the-ear headphones you should take a look at are the Beats Studio wireless.

Sound Quality

Although these [easyazon_link identifier=”B017KE8N4S” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”sound51-20″ cart=”n” popups=”n”]Samsung Level On PRO Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones[/easyazon_link] are not noise cancelling, their noise isolation capabilities cannot be overemphasized and this gives you a perfect listening experience. When compared to other headphones in its class, Samsung LEVEL-On Premium Stereo Headphones for Smartphones, have been found to be better than some of these in that it balances sound well such that it is capable of supplying the desired sound effect for different genre of music.

The post Samsung LEVEL-On Headphones Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

The Bowers and Wilkins P5 Wireless on-the-ear headphones are is the wireless edition of the P5 Series 2 headphones which enable you to access your phone through the wireless function for those who would want to stream music from there. So let’s get to the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless Headphones Review.

There is no real change on the design on this one; it closely resembles its predecessor and as expected, you will have to pay more for this variety.

It is estimated that an additional $80 is added on the original price of its predecessor which makes it quite an expensive headphone set to acquire.

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless Headphones Review: Design and Function

The cups are rectangular in shape with oval metal plates fixed above them. The other parts of Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless Headphones, Black are chrome plated, leather or steel.

The headband, upper part and wearing surface are made of leather; partly from sheep’s skin and partly from other protein sources.

Though this is the case, it is hard to notice this by merely looking at it. Plastic control buttons are also available on the right cup and what is rather interesting in this case, is that a single press on any of the buttons will not yield any result. This prompts one to use the other hand to hold the cup to do this for the control functions to respond.

This may be rather uncomfortable for users who have used other headphones with control functions that responded with a single press. The other side of the coin is that, it might be a way of preventing accidental presses on these buttons.

Packaging and Comfort

The packaging of the Bowers and Wilkins P5 Wireless headphones is simple but good enough to protect the contents inside. As you get the headphones out of the package, you realize that they have a characteristic light weight and for the initial use, you should expect some discomfort before the headband gets to relax, after being used for some time.

That means that those who wear glasses will have a hard time coping with these in the initial stages, because they tend to press your ears against the frame of your glasses and this may cause some aches on you.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

The post Bowers and Wilkins P5 Wireless Headphones Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

The Sennheiser Amperior headphones have been found to be excellent in detail but that is not without ignoring the fact that this variety has rivals which may be more comfortable. Let’s get to the Sennheiser Amperior Headphone Review.

Some of the common features of Sennheiser Amperior headphones include a closed back, Dj-style rotating earcup, modular cable, a dual cable; one with a microphone, iPhone remote and neodymium drivers.

This variety is an update of the modern classic set – the Sennheiser HD 25, which has appealed to individuals who are audio obsessed across the world. This is a clear indication of how popular these particular headphones are and that they are actually dependable.

Sennheiser Amperior Headphone Review: Design and Comfort

Different from other headphones closely related to these that may cost you £100, there is a difference between the two and this is why the Sennheiser Amperior variety costs £260 and you need to be careful when you go shopping for this to avoid making this mistake. Some of the characteristic features of these headphones are a two-piece headband, rounded cups and cables that poke out from the top.
It will be important to note that though Sennheiser Amperior headphones may not have a catchy appearance as is the case of Bowers and Wilkins P5, they are quite unique in that the standard pads are composed of velour-topped soft foam and instead of textured black plastic; the cups are composed of silver aluminium.

Those who wear glasses or those with sensitive ears, may have a challenge coping with the firm grip of the headband of these headphones variety. We found in this Sennheiser Amperior Headphone Review that they may also be a bit less luxurious than other headphones but the new pads on them are more comfortable than those in other headphone sets. Carrying these headphones around is an easy task because the design is not too large and the frame is flexible.

For studio/Dj style enthusiasts, the left earcup swings at 90 degrees both ways for monitoring as it is referred to by pros, which actually means one-ear listening.

Cables and Convenience

Other than that, these headphones come with two cable sets with one of these accommodating handsfree housing for iPhones while the other is plain. Perhaps in an effort to reduce the bulk and ensure comfort, the wire in this case is thinner with low impedance than that of HD 25s which allows them to be effective even where a separate amp will not be used and to enhance portability as well.

Sound Quality

The Sennheiser Amperior headphones have been found to be quite effective in isolating noise on on-ear headphones and this has worked better on trains in which case filtering out near proximity sounds was quite effective, though a challenge was experienced in dealing with low-end rumbles.

Love DJing? Then be sure to check out our Best DJ Headphones post!

The post Sennheiser Amperior Headphone Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.

It is a lie to believe that quality earphones must be expensive and that if you want the best, you need to pay a hefty price for it. This is what the Jabra Move Wireless headphones have undertaken to portray by endeavoring to avail the best performance of quality headphones, with each of their nicely colored varieties available in the market. Let’s get to the Jabra Move Wireless Review.

The price and color are some of the highlights of the lightweight but durable headphones that tend to attract most buyers.

Jabra Move Wireless Review: Design

Talk of being fashionable and these headphones have the best description of this when it comes to the variety of colors to choose from. These include the Cobalt (blue) with a black headband for those who would want something outstanding, the Coal (black) and the Cayenne (red). The headband s resistant to sweat and grease, hence, you will not need to worry about those ugly dirt marks that build up on most headphones if you opt for Jabra Move Wireless headphones.

The earcups have a lining of memory foam covered in black leatherette with the left side accommodating the audio jack and volume rocker. Provision has also been made for a USB port and power/Bluetooth pairing switch at the bottom of the right earcup. There is also a button that allows you to skip tracks, answer/ignore calls and play/pause music at the center of the rocker. For storage, you can easily put the cans into your bag since the band is flexible but it will not be easy to fold the headphones.

Passive Noise Cancellation

The Jabra Move Wireless headphones do manage to filter out some of the sound from the surrounding environment due to their passive noise reduction design. The Digital Signal Processor (DSP) enables these affordable headphones to provide a good quality sound overall, while lacking a thumping bass of other, more expensive headphones.

You may not get sound as good as that of the AKG K495s but considering the price, the sound is good enough to satisfy most listeners. We found in this Jabra Move Wireless headphones Review that if you are into hip hop music, these headphones will deliver a distorted bass so they will not be the best as far as this genre of music is concerned. As long as the genre you are listening to does not include overly heavy sounds, performance of these head phones will be fairly good.

The post Jabra Move Wireless Review appeared first on ✔ The Rate Inc.