GREAT BASS ON A BUDGET Pioneer HDJ-500 review   (NOTE: this is a review of the HDJ-500, not the HDJ-500K. The difference is that the K model has a smartphone compatible 1 m cable to receive calls). Bass-head headphones are the most prominent models in the market today but unfortunately, as most of us know, a number of this bassy headphones while offering plenty of low end thump, the bass is simply bloated and not good. For a couple of months I've seen lots (and by lots I mean at least 90) of people wearing the cheapest headphone in Pioneer's...

I have owned the XBA-3 and XBA-1 beforehand and now I own the 1 and 4 only. As far as multi-driver IEMs go I don't think you'll find a more consumer oriented set than the Apple In-ears and the XBA line.   The package includes the earphones, the same fitting kit included with all the rest from the line (4 sizes of standard universal tips, and 3 sizes of "hybrid" tips that have a ring of foam inside the flap of the tip to provide more isolation), magnetic fake leather carrying case like the XBA-3's, and a cord manager. This is pretty much what you...

I got a set of XBA-3s a few months ago and I liked them a lot, but I had been wary with them because of the somewhat steep price. Then I found at a local audio-store super discounted XBA-1s and I though those would be a really nice gift for my friend who still used crappy earbuds. I got them but I was very curious about how they sounded so I ended up opening them and what a pleasant surprise that was.   They retain the looks from Sony's XBA line, with sober colors and glossy paint. These come with the standard XBA ear-tip kit: 4 sizes of standard...

I got these as I needed a pair of portable decent sounding headphones. These fill that role pretty well.    The design is great! The dark matte finish is soft to the touch, the earcups are small and plastic but feel nice and solid, and the headband has enough padding. Even the box's design is exceptional!  The non-detachable cable is thick enough but still flexible, doesn't tangle or get in the way. It has a coiled section which is just for show since the coil has a pretty small radius and the section's lenght is just too small to be of...

These are just insane. It has such a flat response, but they are not by any means boring. Every single frequency shines since the instrument separation is great. There is simply no distortion, even at really high volumes, which they can achieve very easily since they have a meager 50 Ohm impedance and very high sensitivity. If that wasn't enough, their best quality IMHO is their HUGE soundstage. Even while being so open, the bass in punchy and unlikely tight!    Everything is serviceable too, from the cable to the headband padding. The ear pads...

These were my first pair of "full size" headphones. Even so, these are not around their ear, but over the ear headphones. The pads can be replaced as usual with sennheiser, and are extremely comfortable, although they are not nearly as cool and soft as the 500's series. They are open back but they don't leak much sound which is impressive. They have a 32 Ohm impedance, but are not very efficient; they benefit A LOT with an amp. This helps a lot, specially with the highs which are recessed but are way better after burn-in. Mids are sweet and full too...

The first time I saw these was in the PS2 game Persona 3 trailer. I though those where some good looking headphones, but wasn't aware they were an actual model made by Audio Technica. I got this for a discounted price on Amazon some years later. They have a modular cable design so you can wear them with a sansa clip of iPod nano without the long wire. Both the principal and the extension are convered in cloth that doesn't transmit noise when moving around. The plugs are gold plated and the extension is L shaped. Everything comes in a nice soft...

I got this as an impulse buy while I was living in Seoul. I already own the Audio Technica EM7 (which are amazing, BTW) but they were a mess when I had to take them on and off around Campus (although they are great for the street). Boy was I surprised. Their sound is very similar to the Koss PortaPro even when the driver is completely different. It is certainly fuller even when it doesn't seal as well as the PP. The bass is rich and relatively tight for an open design and the other frequencies are almost distorsion free. Unlike the porta pros, these...

I bought them a couple of years ago for around half the street price and for that price they are pretty good. The sound is neutral and I would describe it as "fun". Not meant for precision, but they are clear enough. The band is solidly built and the ear pads are a pleasure to feel. I had a problem with the cables; they are way too thin and had to repair them more than once.    They are a good pair for the price I paid, but they are not worth their MSRP; they are not worth your hard earned cash. They are old and the new replacement model is...