Headfile

Before the ATH-ES7 portable headphones, there were the ES5s. They were sleek-looking, folding, ergo portable, and comfortable. Taking on the theme of our previous posts featuring discontinued models, we look at another bargain deal. When these first came out, they were valued at $169.00 retail. Now they go for as low as $99.99.

The ES5 was a Japanese release, which is why you most probably did not see it displayed in retail stores. But, they were widely available from online resellers such as Audio Cubes and Bluetin, which made them fairly easy to get. As we all know, Japanese-market releases have very, very high standards.

The ES5 uses 40-millimeter Neodymium magnets with copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils. The frequency response is at an impressive 10 to 25,000 hertz, with a maximum input power of 100 milliwatts. It has an impedance of 36 ohms, which makes it perfect to pair with portable music players. It weighs a mere 66 grams including the cable and connector, which by the way is only 1.5 meters long—perfect for portable use, and comes with a protective carry pouch.

The ES5 is just a really, really good portable headphone. The ear pads even swivel to adjust to the contours of your head for ultimate comfort.

Below are sample reviews from Audio Cubes.

“I have just received these headphones in black as specified and they are quite simply the best headphones I have ever listened to. The have great full, clear sound. Lovely low end, great mids and lovely highs. If you are looking for the best portable headphones then you wont be disappointed with these. They are quality!”

“Impressive sound, especially at the low range. You have to get used to the unique shape and design at first when you put them on as it doesn’t feel like a natural fit, however after a week they feel alright and in fact you can put them on and take them off very easily. I put tape on the wire end plastic because it looks like it could wear off the cord (just a precaution).”

The ATH-M40, or ATH-M40fs, from Audio-Technica, mid-level studio-use headphones. Audio-Technica labels them “Precision Studiophones.” It had a retail price of $150 when it first came out, but now most dealers carry them for almost 1/3 of that, ranging from $50 and below. Which is why we decided to create this feature—you might want to consider the M40 as your next purchase, because of the excellent deal.

The M40 was created with a wide and flat frequency response, for studio monitoring and mixing use. Among other features which makes this a “studiophone” are replaceable cables, ear pads, and drivers. It has around 1,600 milliwatts of power handling, which makes it really loud with a high SPL capability. The earpieces rotate which makes it possible to monitor with one ear—kind of like how a DJ holds his headphones.

The ATH-M40fs are closed-back headphones, blocking all unwanted noises—excellent when it comes to cutting tracks in the studio. The drivers are 40 millimeters with Neodymium magnets. It has a sensitivity rating of 100 decibels and an impedance of 60 ohms.

So, even it these were designed for studio use, it doesn’t really do much (except help) for the average portable player user. The cord maybe overkill at 11 feet, but it can be replaced. After all, if you have a collection of headphones already, going the stuidophone route, with its bleakly flat frequency response might be the change you are looking for. They can be used as a benchmark for your existing “colored” phones, and you will hear recordings in a new manner, which can make you very critical of the material because of the flat response.

The ATH-M40fs have had rave reviews from most online stores, below are some samples of such.

These are excellent quality headphones for the price. Someone put a lot of thought and effort into designing these—I always look at the details, and if someone paid attention to those, I know they care about their product.

These headphones are light and comfortable on the head, and about the ears. They can be worn comfortably for extended periods of time without causing a headache. I believe they provide enough isolation, and outside sound dampening, to satisfy most music aficionados.

If you’re looking for very pronounced bass, don’t buy these unless you want to adjust the the bass to your satisfaction on your music source.

All in all I’m very pleased with these headphones, and I would buy them again. The price and the quality make this set of headphones an excellent buy.

Having used many brands and types of headphones over the years in recording studio settings for many years, I was disatisified many times by the performance of many “cans.” These Audio-Technicass fit the bill perfectly for my studio as well as home needs—excellent low-end response (what’s usually lacking), good design, good price. Highly recommended.

I’ve been through a number of headphones over the years and recently broke a pair of Bose headphones that I was never that happy with to begin with. Ever since, I’ve been searching for just the right kind of headphones – flat response, comfortable over long periods of wear, good construction, good isolation, under $100. Check, check, check, check, and check! I’m ecstatic with these headphones. Easily the best I’ve owned.

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These mini headphones, released a couple of years ago, are still among the most sought-after in the lightweight, over-the-head headphones. They are perfect for portable audio players and the iPod-lugging crowd—sleek, iPod-white, light, and foldable. They are supra-aural with an open design ideal for the outdoors and traveling, and produces outstanding sound reproduction. According to Sennheiser, high-resolution sound is produced by “duofol” diaphragms and spiral embossing twin damping systems. They also describe the sound (bass) as “crisp and fast bass.” A special baffle ensures balanced sound imaging for all types of music.

Ease of storage is courtesy of Sennheiser’s smart fold and flip design. The earpieces can be turned 90 degrees which enables one to fold the headphones closed. It also locks in this position and will easily fit any your pants’ or shirt’s pocket.

The headphones have 1.4 meters of kevlar-reinforced copper cable ending with a 3.5 milliliter jack. 1.4 meters is really just enough for mobile use, as too long is just too messy. The headband is strong and reinforced with metal joints and connection to the earcups—especially important combined with the folding feature.

The ear pads are replaceable with Sennheiser originals, as is the headband padding. They also come with a sleek carrying case.

Below are some sample reviews from satisfied users.

“With excellent detail and midrange, as well as impressive bass, there are few, if any, lightweight headphones that can compete with the PX 100 in terms of sound quality. They’re also sturdy, extremely comfortable, and look great. The PX 100 are open headphones, which means they don’t block any external sound. If you’re looking for something similar that blocks some degree of external noise, check out our review of the Sennheiser PX 200, which should also be available in white in the near future.”

“This is the best over-the-ear headphone that I have listened to, and inexpensive to boot. I gave it my personal acid test with Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in 9 Minor, and it passed with flying colors, rendering both deep bass and very high frequencies accurately and without noticeable distortion even when playing very loudly.”

“While some have complained about the case and the complexity of folding the phones into the case, I have no problem with it. The phones fold easily, and there’s even a diagram on the case, and numbers on the earpieces so that you get them folded in the right order. Plus, the case protects them from the rest of the junk in your briefcase.”

“These headphones are very comfortable and can be worn for hours at a time with no problem—excellent for long airline flights.”

“Altogether, I found this to be an elegant product with excellent performance, at a very reasonable price.”

Read more reviews.

The RS110 wireless headphones from Sennheiser will set you off $50+ dollars—entry level budget for the wireless headphones segment. The wireless signal is transmitted by a powerful 900 MHz transmitter that can penetrate walls and ceilings, as long as they are within range. As for the sound, Sennheiser describes this set as “warm-sounding” with a “powerful bass response.”

The headphones are open, supra-aural, which means the pads eat the entire ear. The transmitter has a range to 100 meters, which is really good, and you can choose three different RF channels just in case there are some reception issues. The controls are located conveniently, just around the back of the ear—the part where your thumb falls if you try to touch your ear.

The cans seem very light and comfortable to wear. The design is quite alright—it looks modern with typical Sennheiser styling. They are powered by 2 AAA batteries located on the left earcup, after you’ve removed the pads.

Below are some compiled reviews from satisfied customers.

“I bought my RS 110 for $79.99. It was all worth it for the price. This headphone is simply amazing. I tried both Sony and RCA models before settling for the Sennheiser, and both don’t even come close to the performance of the RS 110. The sound reproduction is very distinct, no “ultra highs” or “ultra lows” on the frequency range. Just right. The range is just about right for the indicated 100 meters. It is light enough to be worn for extended periods of time and the fit is very comfortable. You don’t feel that “tightness” even after wearing it for several hours. In my point of view, the sound reproduction even comes close to the BOSE noise-canceling headphones. An upgraded model, the RS 120, can be recharged by placing the headset on the transmitter—this however is the only difference. Performance is solid both ways. After evaluating extensively on my RS 110, the only feature I wish it had is a light indicator on the main headphone unit to see if it is turned on without looking at the power switch. Overall, these headphones are an excellent buy compared to other models in the same price range. I highly recommend these entry level wireless headphone from Sennheiser if you’re in the market looking for one.”

“These are some pretty decent RF headphones. Very little hiss in the background and great range. The only thing I don’t like is the auto on/off feature. For those who don’t know what this is, the transmitter on the base will not start transmitting unless it “hears” enough sound for it to go. When the sound source is turned off and it doesn’t “hear” anything anymore, it stops transmitting after a few minutes and you hear static in the headphones. It’s basically a good idea, but not practical if/when working with different types of audio sources.”

“This feature can be difficult if you are working with the headphones on a computer, where sounds come and go at different intervals. I also use the headphones with a 15″ television that has headphone port for private viewing. While watching TV with the headphones, transition cuts out every 5 minutes for a few seconds then starts again. This is probably because of the low audio strength coming from the cable-less TV, but it’s just another reason why there should be a manual on/off transmit switch on the base unit.”

“The only other drawback is that, unlike many other headphone types, Sennheiser has chosen to make very flat ear pieces. Most other headphones have the “can” type, which have a thick outer rim, allowing your ears to be closer to their natural position. With these Sennheisers, my ears are frequently squished against my head, sometimes for many hours. I’ll point out that the pain only happens when I wear glasses and have the headphones on for a long time. If I have contacts in or place the legs of the glasses above my ears, it rarely hurts to have the headphones on for the same time.”

“All in all, pretty good wireless headphones for consistent audio listeners, and people without glasses.”

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These are quite old, but, for the sake of archiving, let’s review these so-called “professional” DJ headphones by Sennheiser. First off, these are closed, circumaural, and are designed for monitoring—which means the frequency response should be as flat as possible. It has up to 32 decibels of attenuation, which is part of its selling point for use by DJs. They are loud, and that’s a straight fact. So now let’s re-live some of the good reviews we’ve accumulated from users throughout the years.

“The sound from these phones is excellent. The standard criteria are there. The signal is very clean, thanks in part to the oxygen free copper cabling used. Bass is controlled and precise so a timpani doesn’t sound muffled. Higher frequencies do not hiss and the phones are able to drive high frequency sounds and pull out details lost by consumer grade headphones. Soundstage is fairly narrow as some have said, but much better than consumer sets that sound like the sound source is inside your head. Of course, a DSP solution for soundstage expansion could help if someone didn’t like the soundstage.”

“After burning these puppies in for 24 hours, the audio quality truly impresses with details I’ve never noticed before in my Definitive Technology and Aperion Audio home theater/stereo systems. Initially I thought the bass was a “little” lacking, but the cans have developed a fuller, richer sound with burn-in. I’m tempted to buy a second pair so I don’t have to carry mine from home to work all the time.”

“Rock/punk is hit or miss on these phones. The Ramones’ “Road To Ruin” sounded excellent, especially with the bass cranked way up on my receiver. The Ramones have never sounded better to me, but, strangely, The Damned’s Damned Damned Damned album, which is classic British punk, didn’t sound so hot. It’s as though these phones were too polite for these guys. Magazine’s “Secondhand Daylight” also didn’t sound so hot on the 280s. The recording sounded too analytical as though the phones were dissecting the music. All the instruments were very well articulated, but this made the music sound deconstructed. The instruments somehow didn’t cohere. In short, some rock has never sounded better to me than on these phones, but some just falls flat.”

One major issue that we did not compile from said reviews is comfort. Take our word for it, they are tight and tiring. “Clasp of death” is just what it is. If you have a fairly small head you would probably survive long use with these, but other than that you will definitely notice them always, which takes away from the whole listening experience or professional work you are trying to accomplish with them. Other than that, if you can live with that, especially now that these are being sold way low from when it was released, then these are really bang for the buck.

The Sennheiser HD 485 belongs to the sub $200-semi-audiophile segment, which means balance between price and performance is key. The greater the sound per dollar invested, the better these cans rank among the competition. Sennheiser earned our respect from the HD 555, at right about the same price as these.

The 485s cover the entire ear fully, so don’t be mistaken by the photos, especially if you think the ear cups are like that of those from the HD 202—a nightmare in comfort. To sum it up, people with large ears might feel a slight “touch” inside the cups, but will not pose any problems for the average-sized-ear man.

These cans have very low impedance (32 ohms) which make them easy to pair with any “iPod.” It might be a little to big for them though, and you might not look at all that “portable.”

The box includes a nice metal screw-on 1-inch jack adapter, detachable cord, and some leather-looking headphone stand which we found little to no use for.

The overall balance of the sound is quite impressive. It does not have earth-shaking bass as say that of the 527, but ample for most bass-demanding music types. The higher frequencies are quite boosted—upon opening, we felt the need to tame via equalizer that above 630 Hz. Detail was excellent, revealing most articles that we’ve accustomed as “revealed only by the high-end.”

Just remember what you’re buying if you choose to decide to add the 485 to your list. These are open, and are best used in silent environments. These are quite bulky, which means if portability is issue, cross them out. Other than that, if you want excellent sound and are the type who listens at home every now and then, these might be a good option as a back-up audiophile reference, and a back-up for portable use.

The ATH-EM7 GM are some sleek-looking clip-on headphones. Retailed at $99.95, expect outstanding Audio-Technica performance in a lightweight package. Each earpiece is encased in a durable double-forged brushed aluminum housing, and—if you paid attention to you metallurgy class— is very lightweight.

First and foremost, clip-on style headphones are not for everyone. Case in point, if you use glasses, you’re probably better off with an in-ear design. The EM7 has a very high sensitivity, and a reasonable resistance rating, which is perfect since most buyers would probably end up matching these with portable music players.

The ear hangers are quite comfortable, except it takes some time to get used to especially if you’re new to this format. But once you get used to them, they’re like wearing glasses—you don’t really notice them anymore. Oh, by the way, have we mentioned, these things are light! The cord is 2 feet long (braided), and it comes with a 3.3 feet extension. As to why, we are not sure since we’ve always preached here at Headfile, for portables, the shorter the cord, the better.

The sound is, honestly, quite brilliant. As we do not really expect anything less from Audio-Technica, it came as a surprise how detailed the sound of the box was. The bass was not quite impressive as say some of AT’s DJ-style headphones, but we thought the bass was quite punchy and fast. It carries Audio-Technica’s signature strong-on-the-mids sound, but they are as great on the highs as well. Our test material, especially on rock sounded particularly clear and lively, with everything to as soft as a whisper, audible.

Currently, you can get a pair for around $50, so considering that, it becomes somewhat a steal. You would not want to spend your money on anything else (although there aren’t as many clip-on choices anyway), unless you’re looking for in-ear/earbuds, or over-the-ear fullsize headphones.

The ATH-ANC7b is the upgraded version of the ATH-ANC7—the very first pair we reviewed here on Headfile. These QuietPoint® active noise-canceling headphones reduce noise by as much as 90%, making it perfect for use while traveling, or in busy places where you need to “hear” your music or concentrate. In fact, use the noise-canceling feature without even playing music, and voila, privacy at your fingertips.

We’ve read a lot of reviews on the ATH-ANC7b, and we’ve tried it personally. In this post, we highlighted (and quoted) what deemed agreeable in our own opinion from other reviews.

The carrying case

“The ATH-ANC7b came with a very nice, sleek case.”

“Nice big case if you want to carry extra stuff (Nintendo DS, ipod, etc).”

Build

“Nice solid construction, appears durable.”

“As for the package in general, it’s very simple and elegant. The battery compartment takes a single AAA battery and it is easy to rotate the cover on the right earpiece to expose and replace the battery.”

Comfort

“Perfectly satisfactory. Larger opening than previous AT model.”

Sound

“Well balanced, good sound.”

“Bass was nice, but not overwhelming. Mids and treble were about as good as it gets without a built in equalizer.”

Noise cancellation

“The ATH-ANC7b goes between the Bose QC15 (best noise cancellation) and the Sennheiser PXC 450 (poor noise cancellation).”

“When you turn these things on, the roar of the jet engine all but disappears. Listening to music and onboard movies is now a pleasure. I have a smidgen of hearing loss and these headphones made that all go away.”

The beyerdynamic DT 235 is a small and portable sealed headphone that delivers decent and balanced sound, as well as good noise isolation. It is an update from the previous DT 231, and comes in a simple but elegant matte black finish.

The DT235 has a good punchy bass response and detailed mids and highs. The resistance is low enough to be paired with most portable media players, so for something retailed at $79.00, these are extremely worth it, especially for the beginner iPod-carrying headfile.

The DT 235 has a simple but roadworthy design. Durable plastic headbands that are both light and tough, and fabric-padded earcups provide comfort with an easy-to-use spring-loaded adjustable strap. It has a single-sided cord 2.5 meters long with a 3.5 mm jack, and comes with a 1/4″ adapter. It comes with beyerdynamic’s standard 2-year warranty.

Reviews

“Bottom end is tight and well defined. Slight graininess in the extreme highs but definitely tolerable. Inner detail, depth and soundstage are all very good but a little thin in the mid range. Frequency response appears linear with the exception of the above mentioned mid range. One of the best I’ve heard at this price point.” — Oasiswriter; Washington, DC

“They sound great – nice strong bass, detailed highs without being too bright and rich mids. They are very light and easy-fitting, and pretty much disappear on your head. I am not an audiophile, but I can tell you that these make music come alive, and immerse you in your recordings. They are also good for portable use, but I have to warn you that the cord is fairly long, which cuts into their utility on that score just a little bit. However, I strongly recommend these headphones in the under $100 category. In fact, I think these is my favorite in that category, and they are well under $100. You can’t go wrong. Try them!” — HeadRoom fan; Washington, DC

“At this price point, these may well be my favorite headphones. Great sound, good comfort. I’m not sure why they don’t get more attention than they do. I use them all the time, even if I have many other pairs to choose from. The only potential drawback is that they have a rather long cord, which does not bother me and is not a deal-breaker, but I feel like I have to say something in the nature of constructive criticism. Of course, if you are using them from your computer, that would be a plus. They have made a real beyerdynamic fan out of me.” Jose Kaufman; San Francisco

“Skullcandy SCLOWBG” or “Skullcandy SC-LOW/BG” headphones are basically the Lowrider line of headphones from Skullcandy with black and gold hardware. So let’s see, what nice things can we say about these cans? For starters, they look really nice for their price. Truth be told, Skullcandy, the brand in general, is not exactly Headfile material. It seems that Skullcandy is more interested in breaking the fashion market than the audio market. But, that doesn’t prevent them from producing good-sounding audiophile-ish quality cans, right?

First, the general build quality and usability

Being as they can fold themselves in half and can swivel their earcups 90 degrees (DJ style), these headphones are a good choice for the frequent traveler. Imaging hauling them around and fitting them in whatever tiny space your hand-carried bag has left, and using them as you please without remorse—after all, they are, for all extensive purposes, “candy.”

Earcups and headpands are wrapped in leather, and the cord measures a whopping 47 inches.

Side note: If I were a traveler, I think it would make more sense if my headphones had shorter cords. I don’t get why the standard non-home use headphones come with mile-long cords. Is “travel light” not the thing nowadays?

Another side note: I’ve read reviews of these snapping in half. Unfortunately, we could not spend enough usage time with our demo unit, so no comment on this matter.

Sound

For $30 (on average), there would be a ton of other cans ranking higher in this department than the SCLOWBG. Research tells me that “loud” seems to be a common denominator of other reviews made, and yes, they do go up really high to mind-splitting levels but is that really important? Even a high resistance unit like say an AKG K 240 had enough loudness in it (plugged via media player) to drown out outside noise.

But, they do sound “decent.” Bass was weak, which was a disappointment for me because I always thought bass is the frequency of the younger generation.

At best it lacked something in every conceivable audio spectrum, but they were a step higher than what would normally come with your iPod.

Its amazing though how these still sell like pancakes (just check out all the reviews @ Amazon.com), so maybe there is something there that we “old schoolers” missed.