Headphone Reviews

Although the headphone market continues to burgeon with new models, it can be surprisingly tough to find a decent, fitness-friendly pair. A few companies, such as Sennheiser, have stepped up to the plate with sport-branded earphones that feature design attributes meant to keep them secured on the head during activity. Now, we can add Sony to the list. The company has released an impressive array of Active Headphones, the $40 MDR-AS40EX among them. These excellently designed earphones are a good option for the gym, although they don’t quite match their sister set, the MDR-AS50G, in uniqueness or sound quality. Read full Sony MDR-AS40EX Headphones Review »

Ultrasone’s headphones sound different from all the other headphones we’ve heard. Conventional models direct most of their sound into your ear canals, but the German company’s patented S-Logic process uses decentralized transducer positioning to spread sound over your outer ear in an attempt to mimic sound heard over speakers. The $249-list Ultrasone HFI-650 headphones mostly succeed in that mission; they sound terrific. Read full Ultrasone HFI-700 Review »

For many in-ear headphone users, the passive noise isolation offered by an effective seal with the ear is plenty. In fact, some even find the essentially inaudible filler of active noise cancellation irritating to the ear. But if you’re a frequent flier who needs more noticeable hushing of low-frequency rumblings and who wants it to come in a super-compact package, all is not lost. The JVC HA-NCX77 earbuds offer battery-powered noise cancellation for a very palatable $79.95. Read full JVC HA-NCX77 Noise Canceling Earbuds Review »

The demand for “sport” style headphones has increased over the years, as more people realize that the tunes spouting from their iPods and other portable MP3 players provide a certain amount of motivation during any workout. The trick has always been to create headphones that have all of the following features: a minimal footprint (read: won’t mess up your hair), comfort, a secure fit in your ears, and good sound quality. It’s hard to say that any manufacturer has yet to create the ultimate sports headphones, but Arriva, a small start-up in Telluride, Colorado, is trying to make a name for itself by doing just that. Read full Arriva Sports Headphones Review »

Able Planet’s Clear Harmony active noise-canceling headphones aim to compete with the well-known and expensive Bose Quiet Comfort series. The Clear Harmony headphones improve upon some of the design flaws of the Quiet Comfort (such as the inability to listen to music after the batteries have died), but the product is still pricey at just under $300. Read full Clear Harmony Headphones Review »