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Thanks for keeping me busy. If you found this helpful, check out my podcast, MP3 Insider: http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-insider/
Does the Creative Mosaic have AAC or is it ACC capability. I know the Creative Zen X-fi does but I was looking for something a little less expensive. In other words can you use Itunes with Mosaic?
It does not. Sony's Walkmans do, though. Try the E-Series: http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-nwz-e438f-walkman/4505-6490_7-33270788.html
(keep in mind - unprotected AAC only!)
Any recommendations on headphones (around $100 or less) that sound good, but are durable enough to use in the gym?
Jasmine,
I realize the Blackberry may be a bit off topic. But I was wondering if you were aware of a good internet radio download compatible with a BB?
Thanks for your help.
Check it: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10039634-1.html?tag=mncol
(you can try it online to see if you like it: www.slacker.com)
Hi Jasmine,
I have lots of video on my computer and would like to watch them on my iPod Touch. Problem is there in different formats. Do you know of a method or program to get them to play on my iPod?
Thanks.
Try this: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10050521-1.html
Hi Jasmine!
I have a buddy who's been looking for an alternative to the discontinued Apple iPod Hi-Fi. He seemed hung up on getting one of these, but I'm sure there has to be some good alternatives that are current, and sound as great, if not better than the Hi-Fi did. Can you recommend some that he can check out?
Thx!
People like it: http://reviews.cnet.com/surround-speaker-systems/bose-sounddock/4505-7868_7-31134328.html (comes in black or white)
Hey Jasmine,
Seeing as you have listened to many an MP3 player, which have stood out to you as having especially good audio output when paired up with a good set of cans?
Personally, I like the Sansa Clip that recently hit the market, any opinions?
The P2 really blew me away in listening tests: http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/samsung-yp-p2-8gb/4505-6490_7-32588459.html
Other standouts lately have been Sony's E- and S-Series Walkmans.
http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-nwz-e436f-walkman/4505-6490_7-33270804.html
http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-nwz-s738f-walkman/4505-6490_7-33270791.html?tag=mncol;lst
And, hey, I think the Clip Sounds good too! Especially now that it supports OGG and FLAC.
Whats the best alternative to an MP3 player for the car, I like xm radio,but would prefer some free music, and music i don't have to download. Slacker potable radio seems like the only choice, but I get tired of their selection.
It's really hard to get free, legal music in the portable situation. I can think of two options: the iPod Touch/iPhone, both of which would need to be constantly streaming from a service app like Pandora or Last.fm. Or the Slacker portable, which can actually cache the music.
Hi Jasmine,
I listen to a lot of music through my laptop and I make use of an audio processing program called "Breakaway." I have found that it improves sound quality by a significant margin, compared to standard sound output. This is especially noticeable for lower quality audio, like YouTube for example.
When paired with my Sennheiser HD280 Pro's the sound is quite satisfying.
My question is: Why isn't there much attention being paid to audio processing at the consumer level for computer listening? If you're going to spend $200 on headphones and listen on your computer, wouldn't you want the sound output to be up to snuff?
Thanks.
Creative is one company I know of that is trying to fill this space in the market with its X-Fi technology, which is built into some sound cards, and also available as an external add-on.
http://reviews.cnet.com/external-audio-adapters/creative-xmod/4505-9335_7-32105686.html
I have a car stereo with a casette deck and cd player. What is the best way to hook up my Ipod so I can listen to it in the car?
Cassette adapters provide better connection quality than FM tuners. Plus, they're super cheap!
http://reviews.cnet.com/1770-5_7-0.html?query=cassette+adapter&tag=srch
My problem with ear buds is the fit.
Is there anyway of standardizing the measurement of ear buds so that we have a clue as to what might fit the hard to fit?
That's about as standard as it gets when it comes to ear sleeve sizes.
I always recommend finding a set with foam tips, such as the Shure SE line: http://reviews.cnet.com/1770-5_7-0.html?query=shure+se+&tag=srch. As they compress down and conform more for your ear.
There's even a company now that makes foam tips for several different brands of headphones: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-6450_7-10068506-50.html
Hi Jasmine!
Are there any other earbud headphone you know of that have that cloth-like overlay that is found on the cables of the Vmoda Vibe Duo? I'd like to find a less expensive set of headphone that have a tangle resistant cord like that of the Vibe Duos.
I have seen the cloth-cord-cable on other earphones--the Klipsch Custom line, for example--but all are very expensive headphones. I have yet to come across a cheap pair of earbuds that does not have a tangle-prone cable.
i know the ipod doesnt have radio, but i like having that functionality. Is there a good accessory that works well with the ipod to do this? If not is there a better ipod with the finesse of an ipod but with radio?
If you already own the iPod, check out the Radio Remote: http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-player-accessories/apple-ipod-radio-remote/4505-6519_7-31661459.html
Or you could always default to the Zune. ![]()
What are the cheapest custom molded earbuds out there (Future Sonics Atrios with custom tips?), and are they worth the price tag?
At $249. And Senior Editor Donald Bell sure seemed to like them: http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/livewires-custom-fit-in/4505-7877_7-32475692.html?tag=mncol;lst
How much does one need to spend to upgrade from the standard apple earbuds to something that is a reasonably noticeable improvement? For example, I there are often headphones with $40-50 list prices that you can find on sale for $10-15 (I've seen the Sennheiser Sport line at these prices). Are these typically upgrades? Can you suggest any specific ones to look for? Thanks Jasmine.
Frankly, I think any set of headphones is an upgrade from stock earbuds, if for the fit and comfort alone. ![]()
You can easily spend below $50, and here are just a few options: http://reviews.cnet.com/4321-7877_7-6606890.html?tag=mncol;txt
If you are looking for a deal, look for models that are several years old. Headphone technology changes have been pretty incremental lately, so a model that came out five or even ten years (or even much, much longer: http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/koss-portapro-headphones/4505-7877_7-32897197.html) ago can still offer a great listening experience.
Which headphones provide more volume - not including noise Isolations. Thanks!
Volume is generally dependent on the audio source, amp, etc. You can get an external headphone amp for any set of headphones: http://www.headphone.com/products/headphone-amps/
In my testing, I haven't really come across any portable headphones that are significantly louder than the rest.
I am currently using earbuds (Ultimate Ears) but am worried about hearing loss at my age (61). I try to listen at a reasonable volume, but still think by hearing is getting worse. Would it help to switch to headphones instead of using earbuds?
Earbud or headphone, what you should try for is the maximum amount of sound isolation. This is easiest to achieve with canalbuds (which is what most UEs are) or full-sized, closed-back headphones.
By blocking out as much environmental noise as possible, you can then listen to your music at a lower volume, which is key to reducing hearing loss.
Just make sure your canalbuds provide a tight seal with the ear. Without music playing, environmental noise should sound muffled at least.
I was wondering what you thought about the Shure Se210's versus the Ultimate Ear Super fi 5's. I'm trying to pick between them and I was wondering what you thought is better overall
I haven't actually used the Shure SE210s, so I couldn't say for certain how they compared. However, the Super.fi 5s tend to rank a little higher with users, and they are slightly higher-end in technology and MSRP, so my educated guess is that they probably sound a bit better.
Also, a good thing about those Ultimate Ears is that they have memory wire at the earbud, which helps keep them secure in the ear.
What are the best headsets for skype and magicjack users?
We are unfortunately not really covering such headsets at this time, but users seem to like the Sennheiser set: http://reviews.cnet.com/headsets/sennheiser-pc-166-usb/4505-13831_7-32509005.html
This Creative set also did well in testing: http://reviews.cnet.com/headsets/creative-digital-wireless-gaming/4505-13831_7-33176125.html
Gaming headsets are often a good place to look.
I read Donald Bell's recent comparison of the SE310 v. Image X5 which was declared a tie. How would you rate the Image 3 against the SE310.
Also, how do you test headphones for your reviews? Do you rely on your ears or do you use fancy lab equipment that display bell curves and frequencies?
Actually, you'll notice I'm also a judge in there: http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-11399_7-628-101.html ![]()
You can pretty well gather my opinions from that, but generally, I like the fit of the Klipsch better(they're more low-profile and stay secure in my ears better), and the sound suits me ever-so-slightly better, though the Shures also sound good.
As for testing, I wish we had fancy equipment! I rely on my ears and the ears of another tester who is around to keep my results in check.
This is sort of an oddball topic but -- I really like to fall asleep listening to podcasts or music. Can you recommend some better-than-stock earbuds with a low profile? Bigger earbuds like most of Ultimate Ears' offerings are too large to fall asleep comfortably. Ideally I'd like to spend up to $100 but I'd be willing to hit a bit above that if the comfort was really worth it. Thanks Jasmine ![]()
Not so odd, actually. You are not alone there. I am loving the Klipsch Image X5 for their low-profile, but they are $250: http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/klipsch-image-x5-earphones/4505-7877_7-33244694.html
For around $80, check out the Philips SHE-9850: http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/philips-she-9850-in/4505-7877_7-32815655.html
Or there are the V-Moda Bass Freqs, which are even smaller: http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/v-moda-bass-freq/4505-7877_7-32098286.html
Hi Jasmine,
Love the new haircut! My question is reference to your comment yesterday about noise isolation preference over noise canceling. What headphones are you referring to?
Also I've tried on the Boss quiet comfort headphones and they are to great but I'm reluctant to plop down 300+ for them, are they worth it or do you have any viable alternatives.
Thanks for the great work.
I think you're referring to the podcast, where I was showing my love to the one version of the Sony S-Series Walkman without the noise-canceling integration. I just prefer not to have antinoise going on. Noise-canceling is ACTIVE, so it is actually powered and creates a certain sound to cancel out the lower frequencies in your environment.
By contrast, sound isolating uses a seal with the ear to block out all outside noise.
The QuietComforts are quite nice, no denying. But for an alternative, check this out: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-9984636-49.html
Do you know why Apple discontinued the 160gb ipod , and what is the largest capacity mp3 player on the market?
...is something I don't deign to know. My best guess is that there was some sort of research that indicated 120GB as the sweet spot, as the Zune just so happened to come out in the capacity, too.
The larges capacity that I know of is the Archos 5: http://reviews.cnet.com/portable-video-players-pvps/archos-5-250gb/4505-6499_7-33226904.html
And this Wolverine PVP: http://reviews.cnet.com/portable-video-players-pvps/wolverine-esp-5250-250gb/4505-6499_7-32783393.html
Hello Jasmine,
I am looking into getting a new set of earbuds that are a good fit but have good sound quality and a lot of bass. I happen to be a bass addict and love the headphones that i have right now but they are very uncomfortable and the cord is a little short for my liking. I also only have about 30-40 dollars to spend including shipping. Any suggestions?
But unfortunately, it's hard to try headphones before you buy. My top choice is the V-Moda Bass freq from this list: http://reviews.cnet.com/4321-7877_7-6606890.html?tag=mncol;txt
I find those to be very comfortable, and I have pretty small ears.
But I think the Griffins also offer lots of bass, and those are even cheaper.
But if there's an MP3 player in that device there's no reason it should not be stereo.
I'm looking for earbuds for the iPod assic and the iTouch and would like to keep the price under $100. Which would you recommend? Are there a few you could suggest?
Thanks
Check out this feature: http://reviews.cnet.com/4321-6468_7-6547989.html
What do you think of the Vmoda Vibe Duo for the Iphone?
I wrote the review for those, so that pretty much sums up my thoughts on them: http://reviews.cnet.com/headsets/v-moda-vibe-duo/4505-13831_7-32508531.html
It appears long-term users have had issues with durability, though, so it might be worth looking into more forums and user reviews.
What accessories would you recommend for my Archos 605? I have dockiing station.
Do you know if using non-Archos products voids my warranty?
I'm not super familiar, I think the docking station is the DVR. If so, that's my top recommended. Being able to record video is the Arhcos' main string point, IMHO. I haven't seen any cases or anything for the 605, but I do recommend good headphones: http://reviews.cnet.com/best-headphones/?tag=ltcol;nav
As long as you are not opening up the player and messing with internal components--or using unauthorized software--you should be fine on the warranty.