Peltor Worktunes Hearing Protector/Radio

I'm a woodworker, lawn mower, music lover, and technology addict (among other things). As such, I couldn't resist trying out these hearing protector/headphones from Peltor. They've got a built-in AM/FM radio, and have an 1/8" stereo jack for using the included patch cord with your MP3 player, Walkman, CD player, etc.. The digital LCD display makes finding your station easy. They use two AA batteries (not included) and have a low-battery warning indicator. There are ten memory presets to store your favorite channels.

They are rated for 22 Decibels of noise reduction. For comparison, the range of noise reduction ratings for existing hearing protectors is 0 to 30, with higher number denoting greater effectiveness. I find them very good at blocking external sounds, including bringing the dangerous noise levels of my lawn mower, radial arm saw, and planer down to harmless levels.

AM and FM reception is clear and strong. The single knob on these headphones rotate from OFF to volume control. There is an AM/FM band select button, forward and reverse scan, and a memory button.

Using the included patch cord, music from my Zune was good sounding overall but bass tracks were a little weak. Not the best headphones I've got, but far from the worst. They ARE the best at blocking out external noise.

Currently you can get the Peltor Worktunes from Amazon for $47.99. I recommend these over other models without the digital display.

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Wearing the JBL headphones.

A reader, El RotaMundo, was kind enough to post a comment regarding how headphones look ON your head. I agree that headphones are rarely shown being worn in reviews online.

I'm here to stop that. While your results may vary depending on hair color, amount of hair, size of head, shape of head, and lighting conditions, I believe the JBLs look fine on my head. Minimal Princess Leia effect:

So thank you, El RotaMundo. When I can, I'll post pictures of headphones on someone's head from now on. Great idea!

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JBL Reference Series 610 Bluetooth Headphones

I finally received my JBL reference series 610 bluetooth headphones. Well packaged with glossy black and chrome surfaces well protected. I'm impressed with what they came with:

- Bluetooth adapter for iPods

- Dual Airplane adapter

- AC battery charger, with interchangeable plugs for various countries.

- USB to 3.5mm headphone plug 1.75m cable, in case the battery runs out.

- Stereo Phono adapter

- Carrying case.

- Multi-Language user Guide.

I haven't been able to use the ipod adapter with any other bluetooth headphones. Not a big problem. The 610s paired fine with my iPod Touch and both my Samsung P2 and my Instinct phone. I'm assuming they'll also pair with my Philips and Insignia players.

Great sound. I could clearly hear the bass tracks of my favorite songs. They do an excellent job of blocking external noise. Very comfortable. Easily adjustable. The right earcup has all the normal remote controls on it. The power button is on the left cup. Unlike my Sony BT50 headphones, these do not come with a microphone and as such can not be used as a bluetooth cell phone headset.

For $120 now at Amazon.com, I'd rate these an excellent buy.

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Sylvania Touchscreen Media Player

It seems as though everyone is getting into the TouchScreen media player games these days. I caught a glimpse of this 2.8" player at my local Walgreens, and thought I should take a deeper look. The package included the device, USB cable, AC USB charger, software CD, Manual, Quick Start, and warranty. There are minimal controls on the shell. The bottom end has the headphone jack, USB jack, and a microSD card slot. The left side show the Lock switch, and the right side has a Play (power) and Res (reset) button. The top edge houses a small telescoping stylus.The body is a flat black which seems pretty good at not showing fingerprints. The face is also black with a chrome frame. It makes a nice setting for the screen.

This is as basic a touchscreen player as there is. It will play MP3 and WMA music, AVI videos at 20fps, JPG photos, and TXT text files. There's an FM radio with FM recording. There is apparently a microphone somewhere, although I couldn't find it. The Sylvania does do voice recording. You can play back audio through a tiny speaker visible on the back of the device. Not worth doing though, IMO.

There is a Games icon on the home screen, and supposedly some games, however all I got was a gray screen when I selected games. Looks like this device needs a firmware update.

UPDATE: I received an email from the company (Curtisint.com) with info on the games:

You may download the following Rockchip games from Google which will play fine on your player:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean.rkp
2. Fighting Space.rkp
3. Tank.rkp
4. Rumble Cube.rkp

I found those games easily using Google, and after unarchiving them put them into a GAME folder I had to create on the player. All played, although the small control icons don't make for the easiest control.

Music playback is adequate. There is no sorting. Taping the Music icon starts the player. You can tap a back arrow to get to the directory on the device, and find the music folders. No cover art.

Photos look fine on the 320 x 240 screen, although my player seemed to freeze trying to load some. I understand why there is a prominant RESET button on the side of the device. The firmware on this device is not quite ready for prime time.

I haven't put a video on it, but the included software suggests it will only support 20 frames per second. AVI is the only format supported.

FM radio is perhaps the best application. It will autosearch and store up to 20 stations. Reception is good, and you can record right from the tuner screen.

Voice recording works. I suspect it uses the speaker as the mic, and with the speaker on the back side of the unit does not seem to pick up very well. You can pause and resume your recording.

Should you buy this Sylvania touchscreen player? The manufacturer informed me about adding games. As such, it's a fine but simple player. It went on sale at Walgreeens this week (8/17/2008), and at it's sale price it's OK for a media player. On a 10 scale, I give it a 6. Plenty of room for improvement, but still passes.

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Headphones Compared. My Top 10 list.

Always on the lookout for a better audio experience, I've been collecting headphones to see how they differ. Published specifications for headphones don't always reveal how well they reproduce the highs and lows in your music. I've got at least 10 sets of earbuds that came with the media players I've evaluated. I can't find them all. The best in this bunch are the ones that came with my Zune 80. They're the in-ear type with braided cord shown below. The second best came with my Philips player, and are also in-ear. Both are passive noise cancellers, meaning they naturally shut out external sounds that distract from the music. I've got two different wrap around bluetooth headsets. Insignia's from Best Buy, and Wireless Gear from Target (possibly discontinued). Both $50. Very convenient, yet neither do low frequencies very well. Both are better sounding than any of the earbuds. My wired headphones include Sony CD30, Sony MDR-V150, JVC HA-NC80 Noise Cancelling, Maxell NC-11 Noise Cancelling, Philips SBC HN110/37, and Sennheiser 595s.Three are noise cancelling. Of these the Philips HN110s are the best. Second comes the Maxell NC-11s, and the weakest is the JVC NC-80s. The Sony CD30s are my oldest pair and also the worst of the bunch. Sony's V150s are next. Both suffer from very poor bass reproduction. My top three are the Philips, Sennheiser, and the Maxell in that order. Sound reproduction is amazing in both the Philips and Senns. Two reasons I rated the Philips higher is because they were 1/3 the price of the Sennheisers and include noise cancelling that does an excellent job of cancelling background noise.

The last of my collection is the Sony DR-BT50 Bluetooth headphones. Smaller than they appear in photos you'll find on the web, the BT50s don't quite surround my ears. Sound quality from my Samsung P2 is easily as good as from the Philips wired headphones. The Sennheisers completely cover my ears, and are more comfortable, but the Sonys are far more convenient. With no apparent loss in sound quality over the best of my wired headphones, no wires to contend with, and remote control of the player directly from the headphone, the Sony DR-BT50s win my vote as the best headphones in my collection. Just like all my bluetooth headphones they have volume control, FF/RW, Play/Pause, and will also pair with any bluetooth cell phone. Sony throws in an additional Folder +/- command, although none of my bluetooth players utilize it.

My top ten list, beginning with the best:
1. Sony DR-BT50
2. (tie) Sennheiser 595 and Philips SBC HN110/37
4. Maxell NC-11
5. JVC NC-80
6. Sony MDR-V150
7. Sony CD30
8. Insignia NS-BTHDP
9. Wireless Gear 4PR918
10. Zune 80 earbuds.

The Best value in a wired headphone goes to the Philips SBC HN110/37. With noise cancelling, a comfortable fit, and a low price they win hands down.

The Best value in a Bluetooth headset goes to the Sony DR-BT50. Yes, it's 3 times more expensive than the other two contenders. Far superior sound quality and comfort makes it a better bargain, though.

There are hundreds if not thousands of other headphones out there to choose from. My list is only from the headphones I've actually listened to and compared. I'd love to hear what headphones you prefer. Please leave a comment.

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Upgrade/Update Ponderings.

It's the time of year when old products get updated, and new products start appearing just in time for the Christmas buying season. I'm particularly interested in what new media players may appear from Apple in September and from Samsung this month. I'd also love to see some major manufacturer come out with a touchscreen challenger. Microsoft? Dell? Sony? Sandisk? Anyone?

There are strong indications the iPod Touch may get re-engineered. More memory perhaps. Perhaps changing to a plastic back that would come in more than one color. I'd love to see Apple add stereo bluetooth to it, despite many Apple fanboy protestations. There are lossless bluetooth compression protocals available now, leaving no reason to believe that listening to your iPod's music via bluetooth would diminish it's quality.

The Samsung YP-P2 will be redesigned, and at minimum be getting haptic touch response. The P2 could stand utilization of the multitouch potential of it's screen, more memory, and maybe even wifi/web access. Samsung has expressed a desire to double it's U.S. sales this year, and although pocket MP3 players aren't their prime money maker, a better P2 would help a little. There are downloadable games for the P2 in Korea. Samsung should bring the 16gb model (or even a 32gb model) to the U.S., and let us also have access to more games and other apps. If you haven't been following the P2's Bluewave Upgrade saga, you need to check THIS SITE out. The latest update allows P2 owners to create their own home page graphics and share them with others.

Microsoft is rumored to be considering a Phone with the Zune interface. Most popular phones these days are touchscreens, so imagine a new Zune player with a full touchscreen UI. Keep the 80gb model as-is, but add 8gb and 16gb flash models with wifi web access, 480x272 touchscreens, and direct access to the Zune store. Less likely than a new Touch or P2, but wouldn't it be sweet?Then there is Dell. They've announced they'll be re-entering the portable player market. No one has seen any prototypes. If they only produce one model and it's not a touchscreen, they haven't got a chance.

I suspect Sony has a Touchscreen player waiting in the wings. I believe they've been patiently checking out the competition, and won't release a new player with touchscreen until they are sure it will be amazing. Sony used to own the portable media player market, and I believe they want to own it again. It will take an amazing touchscreen player to get the world's attention away from Apple.

So bring on the Updates/Upgrades! I'm on the search for the best pocket media player out there, and I haven't found it yet.

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Philips BTM630/37 Dock. Amazing!

Photo from Philips:If you've ever wished you could find a speaker dock that would work with ANY music device, Philips was apparently listening. Their BTM630 dock supports:

- AM/FM radio with RDS

- iPods, including the iPod Touch.

- CDs

- CDR/CDRWwith MP3s on the disc.

- SD cards with music files on them.

- USB thumb drives or players with music files on them.

- AUX input, from any media player with a headphone jack

- Bluetooth devices, including cell phones and media players.

- Paired with your bluetooth cell phone, it can serve as a speaker phone.

- You can rip music from a CD directly to SD or USB devices.

- Sleep timer option

- Alarm (wake up) option.

It comes with a nice remote control, batteries for the remote, a 3.5mm to 3.5mm patch cord, several ipod dock inserts, and both an AM and FM antenna. There is a headphone/line-out jack on the back.

I've been able to pair my PC, Instinct, Samsung P2, Insignia Pilot, and Philips SA5245BT with this dock, and it remembers each device.

This dock has two ported 3" drivers (speakers) up front, and what looks like a single 1" tweeter on the bottom. It's a little weak on bass, as can be expected with all small docks, but includes DBB (Digital Bass Boost) which helps. Music is full and impressive, better than from my iHome and Altec Lansing docks. The case is sculpted and ported to reduce internal reflections, leaving the music crisp and clear.

The front center is a mirrored rectangle with the CD slot in the center. Turning the Philips ON reveals the bright blue LCD display. I'm not a big fan of these blue displays, but this one is legible and relatively large.

The Philips BTM630 retails for around $200, but will go on sale occasionally for $169 or so.

I love this dock. It works with every media player I own. It looks nice, and works as promised. I rate this an A+ purchase, and highly recommend it.

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