Archive for the ‘Headphones’ Category

What’s in the bag man?

Posted: May 25, 2012 by Troy Saxton-Getty in Accessories, Android, ATT, Audio / Video Gadget, Battery, dropSKIP? What???, GPS Devices, Headphones, iOS, iPad2, iPhone4s-ATT, iPhone4s-Verizon, Operating System, Personal Communicators, Personal HotSpot Devices, Phones, Power, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung SCH-LC11 4G Hotspot, Tablets, Verizon
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What’s in the bag man?

By Troy Saxton-Getty

Those who know me understand I have a bag & backpack fetish, it’s not some weird OCD thing, and it is based on purpose. (Ok, most of the time!)

20120527-063120.jpgMost friends know me as the always equipped geek that travels fairly regularly, including a long weekly run up and down the west coast as well as some longer multi-week out of the country trips every few months.

I get asked a few times a day “What is in that bag, you always seem to have everything with you…what should I take in my gadget bag?”

I have 3 configurations, regular day to day, Domestic trips and longer international trips. (We will just cover electronics, not the huge set of keys, wallet, passport and other non-tech crap that adds another 10 lbs to my bag)

Let’s start with the favorite bag at the moment, it’s the Tumi black ballistic nylon backpack, their higher end model. It offers a mid-sized backpack format, very strong zippers and plenty of pockets. The bag is laid out nicely with a solid TSA approved back area for the laptop in it’s own quick unzip compartment so you lay the bag open and TSA (and most other countries) accept putting it through the scanner without actually taking it out.

Base configuration (Day to day):

Apple MacBook Air 13” (i7)

Charger for the Macbook with the long stock extended cord (best laptop I’ve ever owned, and yes, you can either boot it to Windows 7 natively or open up Windows while booted to Mac OS if you set it up for it, it’s the best Windows laptop I’ve ever owned as well. This thing is powerful, I use it as a regular gaming machine too, but it has to be the fully loaded i7 version)

Apple iPad3, leather case that can serve as a stand or protective cover and standard 2-amp charger module plus stock cable

Either Bose QC-15 or Dr. Dre Studio Beats over the ear noise cancelling headphones (the Bose are slightly better sounding and a bit better on base, but damn those Red Dre Beats look cool, they take a few years off ya, lol)

Brookstone USB Battery pack (this is the quick and easy pocket-able battery for your mobile should you start running low, plug it in via it’s USB plug and your mobile cable)

Sparq 6000Mah Battery pack (these have flip out power tongs, no cables required, just flip them out and plug them into the wall, OMG these are sweet!)

iPhone4 iBattz extended battery sleeve with two removable batteries (key is quick battery changing since the case used standard Nokia NB-4L 1500Mah batteries, I’ve purchased many of these, this is the best one I’ve used so far)

iPhone4S ATT plus 1-amp stock charger and cable

iPhone4S Verizon plus 1-amp stock charger and cable

Samsung Galaxy Note plus stock charger and cable (My favorite Android phone)

Samsung 4G Hotspot (Verizon) (this is just a great little hotspot for up to 5 devices and the battery works for a few hours without fail)

Western Digital 2TB USB Passport laptop hard disk (Time Machine backup and a second copy of everything, Mac runs the backup automatically, don’t even fool with anything else JUST DO IT!) (Older movie storage as well so you don’t clog the SSD)

Micron 256GB SSD USB (solid state) laptop hard disk (main content storage, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie etc) This thing is fast and it’s perfect for those with a lot of content, specifically photos and music

Spot Tracker II – Personal Sat locator stand alone device (get lost? 911? Or just sending messages to a list of your choosing letting them know you are “OK” with map coordinates

SpotConnect – Personal Sat locator that works with iPhone (same as above, but lets you send special “text” via satellite, regardless of where you are on the globe)

Small Tumi nylon accessory bag (holds all the cables and chargers for the mobiles and iPad)

Tumi International travel adapter and cable kit (this kit is the best I’ve found so far, multi country support is awesome and it works, includes an additional dual USB snap on head for charging two .5 amp USB devices)

Apple international plug adapter kit (this is super cool for Apple users as it snaps onto the various Apple power modules, laptop, iPad etc)

Pel Head light (you have no idea how handy a hands free LED headlamp can be!)

Spare AAA and AA lithum batteries (the sat locators require Litium, but they work well and last a long time if you need them for something else)

Handheld small flashlight (The headlamp is great, but you need a small and powerful handheld too)

Zippo Lighter (I don’t’ smoke but this can come in handy, even when it’s dry on fluid)

I used to always have a Leatherman Multi-tool but TSA thinks you might try to disassemble the aircraft since 9/11 so that is out, so put it in checked baggage, you have no idea how handy this is to have in a country you don’t live in… (I have given so many of them to the TSA for free due to forgetting it in my backpack, they must have a side business running on all the stuff like this they collect thanks to not wanting to try to check it in baggage last minute and wait in security line again)

Domestic trips:

Sparq 6000mah battery (Second one, yea, there is no substitute to having USB Power up to 2-Amps , these units include 2 ports, 1 and 2 amps so iPads charge nicely)

Kindle Fire (battery lasts a really long time and has a second copy of my eBooks and other content just in case)

Galaxy Note extended battery sleeve (It’s nice having an Android phone along, but the power dies quickly on the Note, so the sleeve extends it 1.5x in addition to the included battery)

International multi-week trips:

Mili King 18000 Battery pack (This is the mother of all external battery packs, you can run a small house on this thing, ample USB plug power and it will extend most non-Apple laptops for 2-3x)

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PowerBeats Fail – We’re Really Bummed

Posted: July 4, 2011 by Gill Haus in Audio / Video Gadget, Earphones, Headphones
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On our hunt for the best headphones for the gym we thought we had a winner, Monster’s PowerBeats by Dr. Dre. It’s true that they made it through several of our tests with flying colors.  We must not have tested them long enough.  At first they performed wonderfully.  Take them to the gym and sweat away the pizza and wings to your hearts content…they worked liked a champ.  It wasn’t until a few weeks of this treatment that trouble started.

The earliest symptom was the random voice control prompt. Apparently, sweat was getting into the specially designed, and highly priced, headphones causing a short.  This was hard to reproduce but never happened at a good time (don’t interrupt Bruce Willis in Last Man Standing when you’re in e middle of a good cardio NetFlix session). Shortly after that, the volume controls stopped working.  What had been a pleasure to use for weeks quickly became quite frustrating.  The odd thing about the issue is that the answer call/pause button still works, but that’s about it.

Typically, we wouldn’t expect much from headphones under constant cardio strain.  It’s the fact that these are marketed as built for exercise that causes us dismay. They still sound fabulous, and look sleek…but if you are looking for a pair of headphones to get you through workouts that you won’t have to replace, avoid these.

And for the record, the iLuv earphones we picked up in Chicago O’Hare sound amazing, and have made it through four weeks of cardio without z hitch!  Go figure!

P.S. – No flames about Last Man Standing…it’s just for working out.

Motorola S10-HD Bluetooth headphones with Mic

Posted: March 26, 2011 by Troy Saxton-Getty in Audio / Video Gadget, Bluetooth Headset, Earphones, Headphones
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Motorola S10-HD Wireless/Bluetooth headphones with Mic
by Troy Saxton-Getty

We continue the search for a great multi-purpose headphone/mic combination and find ourselves buying new ones frequently only to get disappointed for one reason or another. What do we find ourselves consistently going back to? The original Apple iPhone wired headphones, even in our Android phones, we find ourselves using them (weird sound issues with a few odd phones and usually blackberry devices, although the RIM included headphones are pretty hard to beat as well)

Motorola S10-HD Headphones

Motorola S10-HD Headphones

Are our expectations to high? Here is what we want:

1. Great and loud audio, solid range to turn up the volume in loud environments and to be comfortable to wear longer term
2. People to be able to hear us on the phone clearly, even with a little wind or car noise
3. Respectable bass and treble tones without distortion because you want a great music experience too
4. Can handle the elements, light rain, sweat, cold/hot, wind and every day wear and tear
5. Bonus: Wireless with solid Bluetooth range (no cut-outs when phone is in pocket, clip or backpack)
6. Bonus: Battery that can make it  all day or more with standards based charging connector, microSD, MiniSD
7. Bonus: Easy controls for answering and hanging up the call without pulling phone out
8. Bonus: Easy music controls for pause/skip/fwd/rew
9. Bonus: Easy to carry with us when not in use, Bose 2′s and 3′s are fantastic, but bulky, even with the great case
10. Some Noise  canceling / Noise suppression that works without impacting call tonal quality
11. We want to use them in bed comfortably without impacting sound quality while head is on the pillow (whining here)

I don’t think we are asking too much here. Gill’s search has been for extreme gear to support workouts, circuit training, on/off exercise gear without falling off the ears in addition to the list above.

Well, after using the Motorola S10-HD’s for a bit, I have to say, I feel like I am the closest to hitting the list of requirements. We’ve had the S9′s and then the S9-HD’s for several years but the mic quality left them lacking for continued phone use.

The HD 9′s had fantastic Bass too, something often overlooked in wireless headphones, the HD 10′s go that much further and the microphone is significantly improved. (bass quality changes depending on ear and ear piece fit, experiment with the 3 or 4 different sizes that are included.

You can find this shopping on the web for as low as the mid $50 USD, if you buy them instantly at the Mobile stores, Best Buy or the airport techie shops, expect to pay about $100.

Personally I have switched these to my primary headphones, but, I still keep the wired Apple set in my backpack, just in case…

PowerBeats by Dr. Dre

Posted: March 15, 2011 by Gill Haus in Earphones, Headphones
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Why would I buy another pair of Monster earphones after my last experience? Not because I’m a glutton for punishment, but because sometimes I want to trust the brochure.

For those that haven’t read my earlier post, here’s the story in short. The Beats by Dr. Dre that I purchased sounded amazing and worked well until I used them at the gym. At that point, sweat damaged the built in mic and phone controls putting me back on the market for new headphones.

It so happens that Monster has a version of their Dr. Dre Beats line that caters to exercise enthusiasts – PowerBeats by Dr. Dre. These are still in ear headphones and still have the red and black styling of the standard Beats (though you have some more options). The ear pieces, however, have over ear clasps that help keep them in while jogging or lifting. In addition, the earphones and controls are sweat proof and treated so that a good workout won’t ruin them.

The PowerBeats come with a more protective traveling case and an extension cable (I’ve not needed to use this but I can see the value at the gym). You’ll get the standard earbud selection enabling you choose the size that is the most comfortable, and a cord clasp is also in the box.

The sound is just as good as the Beats, but the fit is a little less snug leading to more background noise on planes, etc. Possibly this was done for safety. The earphones have also survived my workouts like a champ. The quality is still great and all controls and mic continue to work perfectly.

It turns out that the claim of being sweat proof is accurate and I’m rather satisfied with the PowerBeats. The only downside is that there is a price for the quality. The PowerBeats will run you about $179 retail versus $99 for the Beats.

Beats by Dr. Dre In-Ear Headphones

Posted: February 27, 2011 by Gill Haus in Earphones, Headphones
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Before anyone comments on the fact that I actually bought these, let me explain. I’m big into electronic music (Drum and Bass, particularly) and I like to enjoy the full range of sounds – read bass – when listening. When I heard that Monster was partnering with Dr. Dre to release a line of headphones, I figured that they must have good range as his production work uses highs, mids, and lows. The fact that they look pretty kicking and are red may have factored into it a little.

The in-ear version I purchased supports your standard iPhone controls – play/pause and volume – and has a built in mic. The 1/8 adaptor fits nicely through many phone/device cases, which is a serious plus as I have some others that won’t work if some cases are on your phone (standard anyone?).

The headphones come with a great carrying pouch that seals easily helping reduce clutter and reduce tangling. They also come with various ear fittings so that they can be as comfortable as possible.

The sound from these bad boys is fantastic. Very clear and great for enjoying bass heavy music. The mic and sound controls also work wonderfully. I’m still a little wary using headsets that cover both ears for fear of talking loudly, but I can work around that one.

Now for the downside. These aren’t water/sweat proof. This may sound like a no brainer to some. If you workout and listen to music then keep this in mind. Having survived cross country trips being tossed around and tangled I finally took them with me to the gym. And that’s where the trouble started. Granted, I sweat a lot when I work out but a little moisture shouldn’t be that bad, right?

Wrong. I knew something was amiss when I went to change the volume on the cord and I heard crackling. By the end of the workout none of the controls worked (music was still playing fine). Also damaged was the microphone. People could still hear me but there was incessant static unless I was on mute.

End result, great headphones unless you plan to use them as part of your active life. At a price range a little below $100 it’s not a bad deal.

You can find out more at http://www.beatsbydre.com/.