Interesting news/reviews/deals from the portable audio market
[Alternative title for this post: “Hey, we gotta get rid of that stock somehow.”]
The first batch of the new iPod Shuffles has already reached the hands of those who hurried to order it immediately after its announcement, on September 12. As with all Apple products, pictures of the new $80 device, its packaging and accessories [...]
We’ve presented the iGrados back in July. Grado’s low-budget, open-design, street-style cans, targeted to the iPod crowd house the same drivers as the company’s favorite SR-60s but cost $20 less ($49).
It’s been a few weeks since they were released—after reading more than half a dozen threads on Head-Fi from people who bought them (1, 2, [...]
Question over at the Head-Fi forums: what is the ‘Beyerdynamic sound’?
lini and Wmcmanus nailed it—there isn’t one (as is the case for, say, Grado). The sonic signatures of BeyerDynamic cans are all over the board, which is a good thing.
This is Grado performing a wise move and targeting the money-making cow that is the iPod generation—they may not buy music, but they do buy gear! The terribly-named iGrado (John, whoever came up with the name should be fired) will go for $49 and house the same drivers as the legendary, best-seller, well-loved SR60 (these [...]
Grado Labs has started shipping the GS1000: The new flagship of their headphone line, introduced at the International Head-Fi Convention in New York, where it gathered some rave reviews. Bass, mids, highs; it seems it does all equally well and the new cushion design is supposed to be very comfortable. Is this ideal pair of [...]
Koss has released what looks the like open-design cousin to the MV1, the Pro4AAAT. Impedance at 250 Ohms, MSRP is $150 and, as is the case for all Koss headphones, it’s covered under a “No Questions Asked” lifetime warranty. From the company’s press release:
The PRO4AAAT features titanium coating on 2 mil mylar diaphragms for a [...]
Review: Audio Technica ATH-A500 + Headroom Total Airhead: fellow 9ruler Matt Burris reviews the headphone/amp combo he purchased recently, mostly from a gamer’s perspective. The ATH-A500 is probably the best closed heaphone for the ~$150 price range, and while I disagree with the amp choice (read: overpriced for what it actually delivers, as is the [...]
Samsung YP-Z5: an overall positive impression on this iPod nano competitor. There’s not too many extras here to brag about, but the iPod dogma is all about offering less, right? The device looks and feels great, the UI is a joy to use. The amp could use a little more power, but hey, if you’re [...]
Review: Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio: ”[these] deliver accurate sound for a reasonable price [...] should be your top choice in the $100 price range.” You may want to read the previous review we’ve covered, that found them a bit lacking in the bass department. Amazon has them for $99 in black and white.
And if [...]
Deal: BeyerDynamic DT 990 for €169: it’s the latest (2006) version and sounds like a great deal; for comparison’s sake, Meier Audio has them for €250 (though this one includes shipping). Thomann’s shipping charges are very reasonable (only €8 for Greece) but they’re currently having some stock issues, so you may want to bookmark this [...]