Earbuds Review: Sharper Image SHP893 PIXIS Earbuds

I recently bought a set of Sharper Image SHP893 PIXIS Metal Earbuds.  They only cost $9.99 at my local close-out discounter:  Ross.  Apparently, they have been discontinued at Sharper Image online.

Sharper Image SHP893 PIXIS Metallic Earbuds

Specifications

These Sharper Image earbuds boast 9mm diameter trumpets, 18-ohm impedance, 93+-3 dB/mW sensitivity, and 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response.  The microphone type is 4 x 1.5mm.  It has -42+-3 dB/mW sensitivity.  The flexible, tangle-free cord is 120 centimeters (about 4 feet) long. It has a standard 3.5mm stereo plug which is compatible with most portable devices.  There is a disconnect button on the microphone.

Style

These earbuds have a plastic body with a metal barrel around the speaker.  The back of each earbud is open with a metal grate.  Two additional earpads are provided for those who would prefer larger or smaller pads for a good fit.  My earbuds were black, but on Amazon you can find Sharper Image SHP893 earbuds in different colors.

Sound

These earbuds sound quite good.  They promise superior sound, ultra bass boost, and noise isolation.  For the most part they deliver.  However, I think that the "noise isolation" is merely due to the earpads.

Overall

I recommend Sharper Image PIXIS SHP893 earbuds.  I've used them for all day conference calls and found them quite comfortable.  They sound good and offer a good value for the money.

Headphones Review: Panasonic HX450C

One of the first boxes I opened after our move contained a brand new pair of Panasonic HX450 Headphones.  I picked them up at Marshall's for the princely sum of $29.99.  So far, they have been well worth the price.

Panasonic HX450 Headphones

HERITAGE

Panasonic is no stranger to music, stereos, and speakers.  They were successful with their mid-range Technics stereo brand during the 70s, 80s, and early 90s.  This stereo heritage carries over into the specs for these headphones.

SPECIFICATIONS

These HX-450 headphones have 36mm drivers and large, snug, ear cups that do a good job of isolating the listener from exterior noise.  If you are listening to these, people will have to smack you upside the head to get your attention.  The frequency response of these headphones ranges from 9 Hz to 25Mhz. 
They have a built in microphone with remote on the cord. 

COMPATIBILITY

According to the box, these headphones are compatible with the following Apple phones:  iphone 3gs, iphone 4, iphone 4s, and iphone 5.  These headphones are compatible iPod touch, iPod nano, iPod Shuffle, and iPod classic.  Finally, they also  work with iPad, iPad 2, iPad (Third and Fourth generation), and iPad mini.  For the rest of us, it has a 3.5mm stereo plug that works with nearly everything.  I have been using them with an LG smartphone.

COMFORT

These headphones are well constructed and comfortable.  They don't get too hot during periods of extended wear.  The ear cups are a bit tall and oval and sometimes felt a little narrow for my ears.  However, I was able to wear them for extended periods without any issue.

AVAILABILITY

While I bought these headphones at Marshall's, the discounters inventory is often hit-or-miss.  I was able to reliably find Panasonic HX450 Headphones on Amazon in a variety of colors.

OVERALL

I would highly recommend these headphones as a high quality inexpensive set of headphones for any stereo.

Accuradio, A Phone, and some Cans

Our move was a disaster.  Our new apartment sucks.  We haven't even unpacked while we contemplate our fate. In the meantime, I'm listening to AccuRadio on my cellphone with a pair of JVC headphones from a discount store like Ross.  The music isn't audiophile quality, but it sounds pretty good.  It's a bit of a comfort.

I like the spy movie and TV themes on the 007 Channel, Secret Agent Radio, and Open Channel D.  I also like the throwback vibe of The Rat Pack channel.  But, when I want something more modern, I opt for HitKast.  If you want dirt cheap audio and you have an internet connection, it's hard to beat AccuRadio.

Moving Vintage Audio Equipment

We're moving.  In the chaos, I've had to ditch my turntable, my modest collection of seventy-nine cent vinyl, and my big Technics speakers.  It's downsizing.  But, someone at Goodwill will find some good stuff.

Since the turntable went, I'll probably part with the tape deck as well.  We just don't have many cassettes.  Plus, the sound quality of cassettes isn't that great anyway.

The fun part will be rebuilding our stereo system with the idea of being compact, practical, and--since we'll still be in an apartment--neighborly.  Going forward, I see digital formats and more internet radio in our future.  It will be interesting.

Record Recycling: Great Vinyl from the Thrift Store

Someone donated a fantastic vinyl record collection to Goodwill.  The collection featured great groups like Earth, Wind, and Fire.  I found Jazz masters like Thelonious Monk and Cannonball Adderly.  I recognized familiar blues kings like Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and Johnny Copeland collaborating on an album.  I picked up household names like Lou Rawls. Even Gladys Knight and the Pips were in the stacks of old vinyl.

These aren't the Eighties icons that formed the mainstays of my music collection.  But, I recognized some great groups.  When I get home, I'll get to listen to them.  So whomever you are who donated to Goodwill, thanks for making your donation and thanks for sharing your music.  It will play on!

An Old School Stereo for Less than $30

Are you looking to get a stereo cheap?  A few weeks ago, I came across a couple of interesting stereo components that could have led me to the construction of a pretty nice sub-$30 old school stereo.

First, in a Goodwill in the far flung suburbs of Atlanta, I found two stereo receivers for $24.99 each.  The first component  was a Sherwood RX-4100 receiver.  It's a 105 watt 2-channel stereo unit with 0.05 THD distortion.  The Sherwood RX-4100 Stereo Receiver received mixed reviews on Amazon.com due primarily to the lack of tone controls.  If you need a manual for this stereo receiver it can be found on manualslib.com. 

Sherwood RX-4100 Stereo Receiver

The second component was an Insignia 200 watt stereo reciever.  Insignia is well known as the house brand of Best Buy.

Finally, a solitary Lxi brand single-disc CD player was selling just down the aisle for just under $4.  Of course, the $20,000 question remains:  will a $4 CD player work?  It did power on and off.  The door also opened and closed.  A simple CD player from Goodwill just might work.  It's the multi-disc CD players that get clunky.

 

That's a lot of stereo for $29.  Of course, speakers are another matter.  However, I've often seen mondo speakers for as low as $20 a pair.  Small bookshelf speakers could go for as little as $10.  As long as you can see that there are no tears in a speaker cone and that the foam surrounds around a speaker are intact, you almost can't go wrong with speakers from a thrift store.  However, there are also some great speaker deals on the Internet.

We live in an era when any resourceful kid can put together a great stereo.  We are lucky to be living in the twilight of a golden age of stereo technology.

Saying Goodbye to CD Jewel Cases

We recently accomplished something major.  We got rid of all of our CD jewel cases.  We transferred each CD and CD cover pamphlet into a couple of CD portfolio cases.

The tough part of the project was alphabetizing all of the CDs and getting CD paperwork into the portfolio.  Here is my advice for organizing CDs in this manner:

1. Get all of your CDs together in one place.
2. Get a storage portfolio for each genre of music.
3.Divide your CDs by genre and alphabetize them consistently.
4. Start filing.  You may want to start jotting down the tunes for each CD onto a notecard to file with each disc.
5. Once you've filed all your CDs into portfolios, go thrugh ypur stack of jewel cases and make sure you didn't miss any double CDs or important pamphlets.

Once you're done, dump all the empty jewel cases into a recycling bin.