Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro - Great if you like beats and boom, and a cool set for fans of jazz and R&B.

When you are looking to buy a “kick-ass” piece of headphone, look no further. Beyerdynamic – a brand synonymous with quality and perfection – is constantly inching to the top of the stack and making its presence felt. There are lots of professional headphones being marketed and sold nowadays giving the average consumer a tough time choosing which among them is the best. But, Beyerdynamics is never worried about the growing rivalry as it rolls out the DT770 Pro for its meticulous clients who want only the finest in their audio listening experience.
But, can the Beyerdynamic keep the pace and dominate the competition? Let’s check out the reviews…

The basics

The DT 770 Pro 80s are surprisingly lightweight (about 9 ounces) full sized headphones intended mainly for studio use. But they’ve also found a loyal following among some home listeners. The rated impedance is 80 ohms and they have an “SPL” rating of 96 dB SPL. Those two numbers mean they’re a bit marginal for use with most portable players. There is a better DT770 version for portable use. More on that later. Full size circumaural cans come in two distinct flavors—open and closed. Most of the best sounding headphones are open to varying degrees. This allows the driver to be less affected by whatever is behind it.

Comfort

With each headphone enclosure being mostly plastic, and the band being quite a thin and light substance, the overall weight of these headphones is fairly negligible considering they are very much a full sized circumaural headphone. I do find after a while my neck tends to lightly cramp, though I suppose this depends per person. Ear cups are not valour but are still very soft and comfortable. I find occasionally they can become a bit itchy (especially with facial hair or in hot climates) but in almost every case this isn't noticeable. The headphone cable is on the left earcup and is not removable, which can be frustrating depending on the placement of your amplifier or source.

Appearance

The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO headphones are a bit big to wear out in public but, unless you’re willing to splash out some serious cash, big earphones are generally the way to get the best sound. Are the DT770 PRO headphones worth enduring the slings and arrows of public ridicule for though? We find out in this Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO review. Using a closed back design, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO headphones are great at keeping the outside world at bay. Get those ultra-comfortable velour pads clamped around your head and not only will you hardly be able to hear anything but your tunes, people around you won’t be able to hear anything either.

Sound

The low end is perfect despite what some might say about it being too "bassy". I use these to play drums on my Roland TD3 kit as well for watching movies on my laptop and for casual music listening. They are phenomenal. I use these over my on-ear BOSE headphones when portability is not a factor (they are fairly bulky to travel with). One thing I would recommend is getting a headphone amplifier; I have the FiiO E7 and am very happy with it. The reason is that these 80 ohm headphones make for a somewhat lower volume than the casual listener is probably used to.

Summary

The Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro may not look very fun on the outside but inside it can certainly provide endless audio pleasure with the right music. It is a headphone for lovers of bass and those that need something for professional studio work. They are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time and the snug fit around the ear provides good noise cancellation.

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AKG Q701 Quincy Jones - Classy Celebrity Endorsed Cans

Headphones by Dr. Dre Beats are arguably the brand that has set the tone in top-brass Hollywood figures promoting what many audiophiles these days claim as the finest pair of cans ever made in recent history. In this particular scenario, the AKG Q701 headphones have been endorsed by no less than Quincy Jones himself, the multi-awarded Grammy musical guru. With a man of his caliber and repute, having collaborated with the “who’s who” in the musical and entertainment industry, a product is already a sure winner with the legend’s endorsement. “These are the only headphones I’ve heard that bring out the true sound we were striving for on records like “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” and “Give Me the Night”. It’s the best-quality sound I’ve heard, ever.” Great review coming from a great man. But, can the product really deliver?

Innovation

AKG has a good track record and we've fond memories of models going back decades. With the new Q701, features that stand out in the specification include flat-wire voice coils and two-layer diaphragms. Both of these are relatively common in loudspeakers, but the smaller dimensions of headphone drive units make them harder to implement and AKG must have spent some time over the microscope working these out. Flat wire allows voice coils to be wound more efficiently, with less wasted space, than the usual round wire, while diaphragms using two-layer construction can be quite less resonant and, therefore, more accurate-sounding than most single-layer techniques will allow.

Ergonomics

At 235 grams, the Q701 is quite light for a headphone of this size. The large circular velour earpads are very comfortable, and are easily removed with a quick counter-clockwise twist for replacement when needed. Just remember that the pads are thicker towards the rear so orientation is important during replacement. Unlike most headphones, the headband automatically adjusted with small elastic bands connected between the earcup and headband. I've always been somewhat leery of this arrangement, but found in practice that it works quite well. The elastic bands have been known to wear out over a number of years; hobbyists have discovered they can be replaced with a properly sized elastic band used by women to tie up their pony tails.

Design and Features

We were starting to think that a musician's endorsement was something of a death knell for audio equipment, but the Q701's - the flagship product in AKG's Quicy Jones-sponsored line-up - proves that theory conclusively wrong. Where Jay-Z and Dr Dre's names on the packaging of the Skullcandy Aviators and Monster Beats respectively counts for no more than the assurance that you'll be paying over the odds for what lies within, even if they weren't available for a decent chunk under their £499 recommended price is the Q701s would be worthy of recommendation. At the sub-£360 they can be found for they are, if not a bargain, certainly a safe investment.

Sounds like love

The 701s claim to be premium reference headphones, so we expected some serious audio delights to ripple through our brains. Thankfully, we weren't disappointed. Vanessa Carlton's beautiful Home was reproduced with such excellent clarity that we came over all romantic and proposed marriage to her via email. She hasn't replied yet. Similarly, we were delighted by the details we could pick out in Sigur Ros' Staralfur. Closing our peepers, we almost felt we were listening to the string sections being played live in a concert hall. Even at high volumes, there was minimal distortion.

Summary

Reviewers are universally agreed that the sound quality of the AKG Q701 Quincy Jones headphones is simply superb. They cover a phenomenal frequency range and give you a real sense of ‘space’. As with everything in life, quality comes with a price tag, but if you love to hear music with clarity and depth then these are money well spent. It’s worth bearing in mind that these headphones are open backed, and consequently leak sound and wont mask background noise. So not ideal for the commute to work, but then that’s not what these headphones are for. They’re for becoming immersed in music at home where you can take pleasure in every note and stanza, just as the artist intended.

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Monster Launches £20,000 gold plated headphones!

This week Monster has launched a pair of gold plated headphones costing a staggering £20gs! Wow! Now thats what I call a price tag! Whether you get a similar jump in performance is another matter, but if you're a rich rapper, celebrity or sports star looking for some bling then look no further.

Below I've added some links from Google news feed for more information on these Monster Headphones with a Monster price tag!

Monster's gold-plated £20000 headphones come to Harrods
Digital Spy UK
Costing a cool £20,000, the one-of-a-kind Monster Diamond Tears Sally Sohn Edition headphones are plated in 18 carat gold and feature a spider encrusted with 5.56 carats of black diamonds crawling over the ear cover. Korean artist and jewellery ...
See all stories on this topic »Logitech UE 9000
TrustedReviews
The basic premise behind wireless headphones is great – no wires, no cable noise and no real ties to your music player beyond the range of whatever wireless standard your headphones happen to use. The reality, however, is often quite different.
See all stories on this topic »Duobuds Stack Multiple Headphones Into A Single Socket
Cult of Mac
The db on these headphones stands not for douche-bag but for Duobuds. And now you'll have no excuse not to share your music when somebody asks — unless you're the d-bag, that is. The Duobuds look like any other pair of low-rent earbuds, the kind ...
See all stories on this topic »NYC Initiative Targets Earbud Headphones and Hearing Loss
The New American
There apparently is no limit to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Nanny State. In his latest public health initiative, Bloomberg is targeting earbud headphones. Bloomberg and NYC public health officials are planning a social media campaign to ...
See all stories on this topic »
Bloomberg Launches Social Media Campaign Targeting Earbud Headphones
The Inquisitr
As it stands, the campaign is just a health education program, and despite the mayor's reputation, there's no indication that Michael Bloomberg will go after headphones in the same way he cracked down on large sodas or pursued other public health ...

1 new result for headphones
Monster Diamond Tears Sally Sohn Edition headphones now ...
By Rik Henderson
Since Monster and Beats parted company a while back, the former has been exploring other interesting ways to enhance the headphone experience, including.

2 new results for headphones
Monster unveils new £20,000 headphones - Yahoo! News UK
'Monster unveils new £20000 headphones' on Yahoo! News UK. The company behind the Beats by Dre range has unveiled a pair of headphones which cost ...
uk.news.yahoo.com/monster-unveils-new-£20-000-headphon...
Monster Headphones | Style & Tech
Nokia Purity Monster Headphones have been in the news a lot recently with the release of their exciting products, Swizz Beats becoming co-owner and ...
blog.hellomagazine.com/style-and-tech/.../monster-headphone...

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Which Headphones Are Best For Flights And Commuting To Work?

The demand for noise cancelling headphones has increased rapidly in the last 10 years. Utilizing technology used in military aircraft by airplane and helicopter pilots, noise cancelling headphones can not only lessen exterior noise but can almost eliminate it entirely from what the wearer of the headphones hears, enabling them to hear their music and audio books and watch movies in peace.

HOW DO NOISE REDUCTION HEADPHONES WORK?

Noise cancellation technology uses a little microphone contained in the headphones that picks up surrounding ambient sounds. The microphone then instructs the headphones to add a pitch to mask that of the pitch encircling the headphones wearer. When a sound pitch is precisely the reverse of surroduning noise, or polarized, the two frequencies clash and cancel one another out, hence noise canceling headphones.

SITUATIONS WHEN YOU'D USE NOISE REDUCTION HEADPHONES

If you've ever tried hearing headphones on a plane or on the commute to work, you know how intrusive the exterior sounds can be. When you aren't able to hear your music or the soundtrack in the film you're watching, the normal reaction is to turn up the volume level, which is not healthy for your ears or the sound quality.

But if you dont pump up the volume then you are not able to hear your music as you would at home, and just a have a boring journey to look forward to. With this in mind, there is a large market for sound cancelling headphones which enable you to hear your music at a sensible level of volume.

There are many situations when noise reducing technology is useful. This includes to escape the noise created by other family members at home, on planes to block out jet engine noise and so you dont have to listen to the conversations of fellow commuters. An additional great thing about noise cancelling headphones is that sound cancellation works in two ways. Not only is it a benefit to the owner of the headphones but it also insulates the sound from irritating people sat in proximity, enabling both the surrounding passengers and the headphones wearer to enjoy their journey in tranquility.

FOUR HEADPHONES WITH NOISE CANCELLING ABILITIES

Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones - The frequent flyer's friend, these headphones are deemed the greatest noise reducing headphones about. They are regarded as the best headphones for long distance travellers. Their noise reducing technology allows you to listen to music and watch movies in peace without the noise of people talking or the deep rumbling noise of engines. These headphones are also very good for listening to jazz, classical and music that lives in the mid-range.

Panasonic RP-HC700 Noise Cancelling Headphones - The Panasonic RP-HC700 headphones are extremely comfy to wear for long periods and they also have excellent noise cancellation capabilities. Their cable is also detachable, which allows them to be worn purely for eliminating the surrounding sounds even when you arent listening to music. The style is a tiny retro but still quite smart and the blue LED on light is very refined.

Sennheiser MM550-X Travel Wireless Bluetooth Headphones - These headphones are perfect for regular travellers, featuring Bluetooth technology for pairing with a mobile phone. Additionally you can control the music from the headphones, thanks to controls fitted on one of the earcups. There are different modes of sound to listen to music with, including CD quality sound, aptX and SRS WOW HD for bigger bass and wider sound stage. Being over the ear types, these headphones reduce a lot of sound on their own, but with the Noiseguard turned on you really are in your own private world of music.

AKG K495 Premium Active Noise Cancelling Headphones - Along with Sennheiser, AKG is one of the most respected headphones brands. They can be charged via a USB port which lasts up to thirty-four hours . Unlike other noise reducing headphones, these work without the mode switched on, although at a cost of losing some bass . As you'd expect of headphones made by AKG, the AKG K495 Premium Active Noise Cancelling Headphones have superb sound , with a punchy bass along with smooth highs and detailed midrange.

In addition to these, there are lots of other noise cancelling headphones available, due to the number of people that want to listen to their music on planes or on the commute to work in peace. So check out the best reviews of headphones so you can hear your music and movies on long journeys without being annoyed by the people around you.

Sennheiser HD650 - The Pearl in Sennheiser's Crown

For more than half a century, Sennheiser has stamped its class in the headphone business and has always been busy creating top-of-the-line headphones. The German-made Sennheiser is renowned for its great design and excellent audio engineering that gives its celebrity-endorsed headphone rivals a run for their money. For instance, the HD650 reference range has been making quite a noise in the mainstream headphone landscape, proof of the brand’s strong marketing strategies and effective promotions. Here are some reviews to give you an idea:

Appearance

The Sennheiser HD 650s are intended for home rather than portable listening--they're too big and bulky for on-the-go use. The headphones are also rather power hungry, so puny iPods and MP3 players won't supply enough juice to produce much volume. With that in mind, we conducted all of our auditions on a home-theater system. We first popped on the Master and Commander DVD to explore the limits of the HD 650s' home-theater prowess. The naval battles' cannon fire exchanges never came close to fazing the Sennheisers. Bass was fuller than that of any other headphone we've ever used, and the sound appeared to come from the other side of the room.

Inside and out

The HD650s are understated and elegant with a glossy dark titanium finish. They aren’t flashy or particularly impressive in appearance and don’t give off a “look at my $500 headphones” kind of vibe. I quite like this as I don’t always want my tools to be shiny. They feature felt ear cups in line with the tradition of Sennheiser headphones, which were a little stiff when new. I realized, however, that I was used to my 6 or 7 year-old HD580s which have been ridden hard and put away wet. If these are a little tight on your head at first, keep in mind that they will soften up with wear.

Low distortion

Peering through the open-back of the HD650, there's a fine metal mesh, which is Sennheiser's way of damping the movement of the drivers and reducing resonance. Distortion is also claimed to be particularly low, thanks to improvements in the magnet structure, while high-frequency extension is aided by the use of aluminium voice-coil windings. Pair matching is claimed to be very good at ±1dB, a more plausible figure than some we've seen – bearing in mind that the smallest degree of misalignment on the head (or indeed on a test fixture) can easily contribute a few tenths of a dB of mismatch.

Awesome bass

I won't make any sweeping claims here, but the HD650 is a very good headphone for its current price. The first thing you'll notice is the darker, lush tone. This darker nature is interpreted by some as a veil, but I do not notice one with my current setup. However, if I substitute a less powerful amp (Matrix CUBE) in place of the Matrix m-stage, I do hear a veil of sorts, though it is not obtrusive. The bass on this headphones is awesome. Has great impact and PRAT, especially in comparison to the AKG K702. However, it does lack a little of the bass extension that the K702 has.

Summary

These headphones offer amazing treble and mid range sounds, but where the Sennheiser HD650s really score highly with reviewers is the awesome bass and accurate soundstage that surpasses most headphones in the high end market.

On the downside, being open backed these leak sound like a sieve. So it’s not advisable to take these on the train or bus, unless you want to get looks for all the wrong reasons. But that’s not what they’re for. The Sennheiser HD650 headphones are for enjoying music as though you are there in the studio, to be savoured and submerged in without background noise to disturb you.

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