Bose vs. Etymotics vs. Ultimate Ears

BY: HENRYC

So the worst thing about MP3 Player's/D.A.P.'s (Digital Audio Player) are the stock earphones that are supplied with the main unit right? Fortunately there are firms out there that cater to the hi-fidelity crowd and offer some amazing options. I've taken some time and money on my expense and have gone the length to offer this review. Hopefully the general masses will find this enlightening as seeing how the next step in the portable audio evolution is the realization that sound quality should not be compromised and thus, two steps are presented for the public to awaken the potential that lies within their Apple, Sony, Samsung, Sandisk, and etc. The first step is the realization toward storing uncompressed streams of audio dat: wav's, wma pro, aiff, etc (which is not the focus of this review), while the second is the more tangible option; buying the comfort-focused and hi-fi dedicated in-earphone.
Bose In-Ear Headphones
MSRP $99.95

I purchased these about a month ago. The contents of the package were:

1. Bose In-Ear Headphones
2. Black Magnetically Closing Headphone Carrying Case
3. Three Pairs of Rubber Tips for the "Perfect" Fit (s, m, l)

First off, this is a headphone that combines one driver for all three ranges. A range is the spatial distance between the highest and lowest note in the piece of music you are happening to listen to. The three ranges that are important to any headphone are: high, mid, and low. Now the Bose IE's combine one driver for all three ranges, and as such offers a superb low-end due to their "Tri-Port Acoustic Headphone Structure" which utilize some sort of open-air/ wave-like innovations, but with sacrifice to the high's and mid-range. The result is a muddied and somewhat muffled sound akin to laying a bedsheet over a speaker. In fact, whether it was due to the fit of the earpiece, all of which I had tried, the volume of the earphone could not satisfy my listening pleasure. I had the volume on my Sandisk Sansa e260 at about 80% of the max, and I still heard the Spanish girl across from me on the subway comment to her girlfriend about I handsome I was. Believe you me, when you're listening to some Lee Burridge or Robin Thicke, you don't want to be distracted (especially if the girl isn't all that attractive). Not to mention, but the rubber tips fall off very easily of the earphone. I spent several occasions not intending to but ending up scouring the concrete jungle of NYC in order to locate the damn pieces. I nearly lost one of them to the local 6 train after I pulled out my earphones on the subway platform to see the right tip nearly fall onto the tracks. Needless to say, I didn't put it back in my ear until I washed it off at work.

Pros: A friend told me her earphone were going to get replaced after owning them for about a month which dictates their excellence to customer service... but what does that say about their product?? Cool case: black and leather

Cons: bad fit, muddled sound, eartips keep falling off, no noise cancellation, needs a lot of gain from the D.A.P.
Etymotic Research Inc.: ER4-14
MSRP $299.00

I got the chance to obtain these at work from a most generous audiophile. The contents of the package are:

1. ER-4P's Earphones with 3-Flange Microtips
2. Black Foam Eartips
3. Shirt Clip
4. Stereo Phone Adapter Plug
5. Filter Changing Tool
6. Filters
7. Foam-Filled Carrying Case

Whilst sampling them for a period of 4 days, I ultimately came to one conclusion. Like the Bose, the Etys utilize one driver for all three ranges, however unlike the Bose, the concentration is towards the high and mid-range with literally no bass. The sound is extremely well-articulated with no -oomph. One other co-worker literally put it as "listening to music in mono, and not stereo sound". The sound in my opinion is extremely tinny, with mediocre noise-canceling properties not justifiable of the noise-canceling claims made on Etymotic's website. On the other hand, the fit of the earphones were phenomenal which only befuddles the fact why their famous noise-canceling claims would not convince.

Pros: Excellent fit, crisp highs along with the mid-range

Cons: Pricey, not enough bass, not enough noise cancellation
Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 Pro
MSRP $249.95

I also got the chance to obtain these at work from a most generous audiophile. The contents of the package are:

1. Super.Fi 5 pro Black Earphones with Clear Wire
2. Several Sizes of the Double-Flange and Single-Flange Eartips
3. Aluminum Carrying Case
4. Stereo Phone Adapter Plug
5. Airplane Sound-Leveling Phone Adapter Plug
6. Earphone Cleaning-Stick

I tried these earphones immediately right after purchasing the Bose one afternoon. When I tried them, it was love at first note. The beauty of this earphone is that is consists of not one, but two drivers as opposed to both the Bose and Etys. The result is a crystal-like high and mid-range similar to that of the Etys, with the bass and "oomph" of the Bose. When I requested to sample them out again, after trying the Etys I was only reinforced in my initial impression. No growing pains whatsoever. Adding to the sound is the fit of the single-flange eartips which provide an amazing seal against the outside world (no more Spanish girls commenting on my looks, or subway screeches that I have to contend with) and are not likely to separate from the driver unit like the Bose tend to do. Also, one of the painful curses one can endure in the life of the D.A.P. is the one ear unit that has a shakily connected wire due to numerous drops, tugs, and pulls, that result in a pulsing sound that is the strobe light to the ear (not a pleasurable experience). The Utimate Ears' earphone wire is totally replaceable for an amazing low price of $20. The only aspect of the earphone which is not replaceable would be the driver units themselves. A very value-added option allows for both the Ultimate Ears and Ety's to be outfitted with custom-molded eartips contoured to the listener's ear. In order to do this, they pay a visit to an audiologist and receive a pair of custom moldings which are superior for sealability and comfort; costing as much as $1000.00. Last but not least, the gain needed on the Ultimate Ears are nearly non-existent as compared to the Bose. All I do is put the volume to 50-60% of the max and the sound is twice as loud and ten times clearer than the Bose.

When the kind audiologist who provided the two out of three earphones I have reviewed here mentioned a "sound stage" I knew nothing of it before the Super.Fi 5's. Now, that "sound stage" will be the end-all and be-all for me when choosing earphones.

Pros: Replaceable wire to the driver units, superior fit, copper/metal wiring that allows for a customizable behind the ear mold, excellent high and mid-range along with perfect bass, not much gain needed to hear the music, excellent noise cancellation properties, cool colors and see-through scheme

Cons: A little pricey, earwax can accumulate fast depending on the eartip used

FREE suff from CompUSA

BY:toshi
source:

you want free stuff??? CompUSA is having their 23rd anniversary sale and is selling stuff for free after rebate... Why not?? I like!!! get them before they run out!!

D-Link AirPlus G Wireless Pocket Router (802.11g/b) (Free; orig. $44.99),
Norton Antivirus 2007/Ghost 10.0 Bundle (Free; orig. $79.99),
Creative Labs Multimedia Speakers (Free; orig. $19.99), and
AGT SportsCaster XM Receiver (Free; orig. $39.99).

Enjoy!!

Just one club card.. throw the rest away!!!

BY:ToshiSo... Do you have all your club cards stuffed in your wallet??
well, the time has come to consolidate all of your club cards into one!!
that's right.. put your GNC, Duane Rede, Wallgreens, Rite Aid, vivid media club card, and that card from your local strip club into one single card!! the weekly geek reported on the JUST ONE CLUB CARD where you put all your club card into a single card which they'll send you once you input up to 8 club card at there website....Just one club card

Tiesto's New Album & Awsome Interview video

BY:Toshi

Tiesto 'Elements of Life' tracklist

1. Ten Seconds before Sunrise
2. Everything
3. Can You Feel Me
4. Carpe Noctum
5. Driving to Heaven
6. Sweet Things
7. Bright Morningstar
8. Break My Fall
9. In the Dark
10. Dance4Life
11. Elements of Life
12. He's a Pirate (Tiesto Remix)

The Dutch Donkey master behind the one's and two's is just about to release his new artist album. April 10, 2007 Tiesto will be releasing his new artist album "Elements of Life", following his not so great album "Just be" from 2004. Thanks to the good ol' interweb, I've manage to grab a copy of this album before its release date and take a listen. My first impressions on the album is pretty good. All the songs have the good ol' Tiesto touch from his 2000-2003 years, and doesn't seem forced. All the songs have a very warm and "full" feel and sound to it. However, to be honest all of Tiesto's songs seems to be semi rip off's of other artists songs... Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying he blatantly rips off other artists, but his songs do share very similar element with a lot of songs he plays in his sets. For instance the song "In the dark" takes elements from Christian cambas's song 'Paramount' and tiesto-fies the song and lays a vocal over the song. Why not? I like!!!! In all honesty this song is the best on on the album. It was the first song my computer choose to play from the whole album, but I love the song from the first beat to the last. Next song which simi-rips off another artist is track 5 - driving to heaven. The song is a tiesto-fied version of Dibaba's - Hold You (Agoria's Bear Mix), which was another tiesto favorite during 2003. But if you do look back at some of his songs from his past albums there are many songs he does this with... I'm only going to call him out for this album....

The new album seems very laid back, and has some nice Ipod keepers. The album seems to have a more mature sound to it, compared to his earlier albums. The songs which stuck to me :
track 2 - everything,
track 5 - driving to heaven,
track 7 - morning star, and finally
track 9 - in the dark.

The last three songs on the album totally sucks (song are: shit#1 - dance4life, shit#2 - elements of life (a bad interpretation of Alex M.O.R.P.H. & Woody van Eyden featuring Jimmy H - Y68), and the last shit is a song called he's a fucking pirate from the movie(do i really have to go into this...)!!! I categorize these songs simply as shit!!! The songs should be erased from the face of the planet!!! The songs are equivalent to the former shit club #2 sound factory in NYC, with the world's No.1 worst/horrendous shit chalkboard scratching DJ jonathan Peters with his guido-ed out crack-head following pumping fists doing the sound-factory shuffle until 5 in the afternoon during their week-long crack marathons. barf* barf*

in conclusion, tiesto still rocks!! his style in music these days are questionable to me, but it's always pleasant to the ears.

Here's an interview with the man himself!! Hella funny!! a must watch!!!

Transformers Re-Visited...

BY: HENRYC

Everybody's favorite movie, The Transformers, due to be out July 4th just got its own Transformer Sneaker endorsment deal. Not only reserved for sports stars and unique boutique collaborations, apparently movies get to have their sneakers and eat your cake too. Modeled after the Nike Air Trainer SC Low's this is the first sneaker to come out in a series of what seems to be an emerging wave in movie-production cross-marketing efforts (Adidas: Tron manifested in the form of the Stan Smith's in 2006, Reebok: Tron coming in 2007... I especially like the Reebok's Pump. You get to pump and pump and glow in the dark!! Whoo!!). One thing I appreciate also is how the major footwear names are coming to the market with these products... I think the last Transformers' licensed sneakers were sold in KMart and made by Fruit of the Loom with only three velcro straps...? Err... my friend had them! And if I see anyone rocking these on July 4th in a size 10.5, you can best expect them to be leaving the movie theater shoeless. F-O-Sho!