V-Moda Vibe II Specs:

• Frequency Response: 12Hz – 22kHz
• Speaker Driver: 8mm V-MASQUE earth magnet
• Cable: Kevlar Reinforced (32-inch + 13-inch after Y split)
• Plug: 24k gold-plated and 3.5mm stereo plug
• Weight: 22 grams
• Warranty: 1 Year V-moda premier
• Price: $120

The V-moda Vibe II headphones are by far the most unique pair of headphones I have had a chance to use. The quality and style of the packaging alone gives a great impression of the caliber of the product. Unfortunately opening the packaging is a difficult and painful task. Once removed from the packaging, at first glance the things that stand out the most would be the cable material and the ear buds. Unlike the plastic and rubber coating found on most headphone cables, the Vibe II is actually covered in a Kevlar fabric. The cloth gives the V-moda headphones a distinct and noticeable look. The headphones also feel a lot more like clothing when worn compared to traditional ones. In addition I found the cables to be more resistant to becoming tangled and easier to straighten out. The one major concern would be the durability of the material, however even with a few weeks of use; they didn’t show any signs of wear. The second most notable feature would be the ear buds, which look like a piece of jewelry. The shinny coat makes them quite apparent. Both men and women will find the style attractive. Not only are the looks great, but the build quality is excellent and they sound great.

The Vibe II is compatible with just about any standard MP3 player on the market that has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. To utilize the built-in microphone found in the middle of the cable between the right ear bud and the Y-split, a compatible device is needed. The Apple iPhone, RIM BlackBerry, Palm Pre, or just about any new smart phone on the market will do just fine. A single control button is also featured on the headphones right before the Y-split. On my iPhone 3GS the button can be tapped once to either answer an incoming call or to end a call that’s already in progress. When the phone is idle, a single tap initiates music playback and another tap pauses it. A double tap skips to the next track and an awkward triple tap falls back to the previous track. Holding the button down for a second or two launches the Voice Commands feature. The Vibe II has all the features found in most headphones made for mobile phones today. There are no special features other than unusual materials used.

As for the audio, the earphones offer fairly good sound isolation. There is a fairly more than normal amount of bass produced by the earphones, which some may actually prefer depending on the genre of the music being played back. These aren’t the best of high-end headphones so naturally, some high notes do get dropped. Despite that, these headphones are almost guaranteed to sound exceptionally better and to be preferable to just about set of buds included with a device. If fashion isn’t an important factor for you, a pair of Shure headphones will probably offer superior audio quality for the same price.

A tight and comfortable fit is quite important to isolate external noise and keep your music from fading away. To meet that requirement, V-moda includes a total of eight pairs of ear tips. There are two pairs of extra-smalls, smalls, mediums, and larges. One pair for each size is black while the other pair is translucent white. In addition V-moda includes “ear-hooks” to prevent the earphones from falling out when jogging. The two attachments easily latch onto the cable, fit tightly and discretely behind the ears. When the ear-hooks are in use, the ear buds actually enter your ear canal upside down rather than the traditional way. I found both methods of wearing the Vibe II to be fairly comfortable. As for other included accessories, the Vibe II also comes packaged with a compact soft leather case with vibrant red stitches. They can easily can fit the headphones and the ear-hooks, however it might be a bit of a tight fit to also try to squeeze in the additional ear tips.

Overall the V-moda Vibe II headphones are an excellent pair of headphones. They are quite fashionable and offer far better audio quality than the generic pair included with an Apple iPod/iPhone, Sony Walkman, or Creative Zen. The largest drawback would have to be the price tag. The Vibe II cost nearly $120, which is a bit more than the average consumer will probably spend. In addition those willing to spend the cash for high quality audio will probably rather invest in a pair of Shure or Ultimate Ears headphones. However if you are looking for something flashy, that has a unique look, and will grab people’s attention, the Vibe II definitely won’t fall short. The V-Moda Vibe II headphones are available for purchase online and in many retail stores today.

Links: V-Moda.com – Vibe II
Buy: V-Moda Vibe II for $119 (no tax + ships free)

Specifications Speaker Type:

• Dynamic MicroSpeaker II
• Sensitivity (at 1kHz): 105dB SPL/mW
• Impedance (at 1kHz): 16
• Frequency Range: 22Hz-17.5kHz
• Cable Length: 18 in. (45 cm)
• Warranty: 2-Years
• Price (MSRP): $119

As always Shure provides a kit with a variety of earpieces to ensure that the buds comfortably fit into your ear canal. The earphones have a modular cable which can extend from just 18 inches to 54 inches with the extension. Shure provides a 2 year limited warranty on these earphones, so rest assured that if they happen to fail or cause problems, you’ll be able to have them replaced. The headphone jack is a standard 3.5mm pin, which will fit into any standard computer, laptop, cd player, or digital audio player.

The earphones will become available for purchase in Spring 2009. Although the expect sale price is $99, it should be available for cheaper through many retailers. We’ll be getting a unit to review as soon as we can, so check back for a full review! Meanwhile checkout our review of the Shure SE110 and the SE210.

Links: Shure.com SE115

Kensington recently released new Bluetooth Stereo Headphones and as promised here’s our review. The headphones, also entitled the BT3071, sports the Bluetooth 2.0 protocol and uses the A2DP profile to wirelessly steam audio from any compatible device. These stereo headphones are fairly affordable and function a whole lot better compared to the previous generation of Bluetooth headphones.

Device Compatibility – 5/5 stars
From some tests, I found the Bluetooth Headphones to work seamlessly with the array of devices I paired it with. It was compatible with the Bluetooth built into a Sony VAIO running Windows XP, a Dell XPS M1530 running Windows Vista, and a Apple iMac running OS X Leopard. In addition it played nicely with the LG enV and LG Muziq mobile phones. And to top that, it also worked with the Sony PlayStation 3! If you’ve got a fairly modern Bluetooth-enabled gadget, chances are that you won’t have any problems.

Headset Functions – 3/5 stars
The Stereo Headphones also feature a built-in microphone allowing it to double as a wireless headset.. This means you’ll be able to answer calls when paired with a mobile phone and can be used for VOIP when paired with a computer. The downside might be that the audio to contained a bit too much static, which I didn’t experience with other Bluetooth headsets. It shouldn’t be much of an issue for taking calls occasionally, however you probably would want to get a different headset unless you wish to irritating the person on the other end of the phone.

Physical Controls - 4.5/5 stars
The headphones sport a few neat little controls right on the headset including a pause/play button and a track back/forward toggle on the left side and volume controls on the right side. The controls worked without any issues with Vista’s Media Center, Windows Media Player, and Apple iTunes. They worked with cell phones as well. The only issue was the lag in responsiveness of the controls. Most people will often end up clicking again causing something unwanted to occur. From my experience, be patient and wait a second or two after clicking on a key.

Wireless Range – 5/5 stars
The Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones are officially benchmarked to offer a 66-foot (20 meter) range. From my experience going any further than 30 feet from the paired device would result in cracking sounds. Any obstructions such as walls severely crippled the range. I found there were no issues as long as I was contained within the four-walls of an average-sized room. Overall the range is more then enough to have freedom to move around without being tied to your device.

Battery Life – 5/5 stars
The battery life was quite impressive since it lasted about a week even with a couple hours of use each day. It is officially advertised at 23-hours of stereo music playback and 19-hours of talk time. These Kensington Headphones probably had the best battery life I have seen on any of the bluetooth headsets. The BT3071 has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery which can be re-charged using a standard USB to mini-USB cable. An AC Adapter was not included, but fortunately just about everything we own these days has a USB port which should do the job.

Audio Quality – 3/5 stars
Any audiophile will surely laugh at the sound quality of these headphones, however the majority of consumers probably won’t notice anything unless its mentioned to them. Setting aside frequency range which lacks on most levels, the quality is plentiful for most people. One thing that everyone will notice for sure is the occasional chops and breaks due to the wireless component. I personally found these great for listening to podcasts or watching TV shows on my laptop without disturbing others and having the freedom to move around and do other things without being tied up.

Overall I feel the Bluetooth technology still has some quirks to workout, but despite that, these headphones make the best of it. I originally felt the headphones were uncomfortable, however it wasn’t an issue after a few days of use. The majority of those who purchase this will probably be satisfied with these. The Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones are available for purchase now and are much cheaper than Bluetooth Headphones were last year. These headphones have a MSRP of $79, however if you shop around you’ll be able to find them for as low as $65!

Buy: Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones – $65 (via Amazon with NO TAX + SHIPS FREE)
Links: Kensington.com BT3071 Product Page

There’s been a lot of stereo bluetooth headsets being released over the past few weeks, especially since many phones now support the technology. I had a chance to play with iSkin’s CERULEAN F1 Bluetooth Earphones this week at MacWorld. iSkin’s gizmo can be paired with both an iPod and a Cell Phone at once, allowing you to listen to music and answer calls without removing your earphones. To offer further freedom, the F1 has volume, playback, and answer/end controls embedded in the headset. The earphones will pair with any device such as laptop which has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support. The headset weighs just 35 grams yet has a fairly powerful 15mm driver for crisp and clear sound. According to iSkin the earphones will work up to 33 feet away from your device and with the built in controls, you won’t even have to touch your iPod. The CERULEAN F1 should also work with VOIP application such as Skype, eliminating the need of multiple bluetooth devices for different devices.

The headset offers 6 hours of music playback and 10 hours of talk time. The gizmo can be charged using USB cable with a computer or with an included DC wall charger. Both the Cerulean F1 and the TX iPod Adapter are available for purchase from iSkin’s website (iSkin.com). The earphones themselves cost $129, however if you would also want an iPod adapter it will cost $189. We’re trying to get a hold of one of these, so check back for a in-depth review soon!

Links: iSkin CERULEAN | iSkin Store

Last week Kensington announced a slew of new accessories, one these being a new wireless bluetooth stereo headphones. The headset can be used to listen to music and with built in microphone, it can also answer phone calls. The Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones (K33436US) has built in “easy access buttons” to play/pause or skip tracks as well as to answer/end phone calls. In addition the headset can be paired with a Windows or Macintosh machine for use with applications such as Skype. The device will pair with any Bluetooth 2.0 device that supports the A2DP protocol. According to Kensington, the Bluetooth Stereo Headset will work up to 66 feet away from your wireless device and will offer an impressive 23 hours of music playback and 19 hours of talk time. The headphones have a MSRP of $79.99 and are available for pre-order, however it wont hit retail stores until March.

Pre-Order: Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones – $79 (no tax + ships free)
Links: Kensington.com – (Product Page)

Every once in a while you stumble over a product that is so marvelous you wonder if you’ve actually discovered the holy grail. A creation that offers something for everyone, and at a price that is affordable. It’ll suit you whether you’re a neophyte or a connoisseur. Fortunately for us, one of those little gems has come to our attention recently from a small company in California. EarPeace Technologies presents us with the Livewires in ear monitors.

EarPeace Technolgies has taken up the task of producing a custom molded in-ear monitor (IEM) for the masses. Traditionally worn by (and only affordable for) professional artists on stage during concerts, the Livewires have opened a segment of the audio market for many who can appreciate the sound quality and comfort that custom molded earphones have to offer. Custom molded IEM’s offer improved comfort over normal universal headphones. Even though a plethora of different tips made of different materials and different shapes are available for standard headphones, a significant amount of people still discover comfort issues with those. While the fit of universals may work for some, it frequently becomes fatiguing after a period of time. Livewires seem to disappear once you insert them in your ears. In my experience I’ve worn them for over eight hours without experiencing any comfort issues. A custom molded IEM offers all of the noise isolating and sound quality properties of a normal universal IEM, yet also offers a level of comfort no universal IEM can achieve. Livewires are EarPeace’s first forray into the audio market and it looks like they have a strong chance of being rookie of the year.

Purchasing a set of Livewires isn’t as simple as going to your local white box store and ringing them up at the register. Since Livewires are custom molded, there are a few steps involved in making a purchase. The first step would be to contact EarPeace Technologies or one of their distributors (list included at the bottom). The folks over at Livewires are all very friendly and will help you accordingly with your inquiry. They’ll eventually refer you to a local audiologist to have impressions of your ears made. The appointment normally only takes around 15 minutes. The impression material is thick goop that feels strange, but doesn’t cause any discomfort during the procedure. Once you have your impressions the next step would be to ship them over to EarPeace Technologies. They’ll have your Livewires made at their lab and you should have your brand new set of headphones within a few weeks.

The emphasis on Livewires is their customability, and that certainly doesn’t stop with just the fit. Livewires are offered in a multitude of different color configurations. The ear piece itself is constructed of a shell (molded part that goes into your ear) and the faceplate (visible while wearing and where the cable plugs into). Faceplate color options include red, blue, black, dark brown, tan, white, and clear. I opted for their standard configuration of red and blue. Another neat custom feature on Livewires are the replacable cables. Should Livewires ever release a new cable or if you need a replacement for a torn cable, the cables are easily detachable from the ear pieces. Sound-wise, the Livewires are simply shocking. Livewires utilize a dual balanced-armature driver design to produce a very crisp and clear sound. Outstanding seperation and articulation are some of the strong points you will immediately notice when listening to Livewires. Seeing as how this is a dual driver design, each earpiece has one high frequency driver and one low frequency driver to deliver a more extensive frequency range at a greater quality.

The sound signature of Livewires has a very comfortable characteristic. It’s been described as having a sound similar to another popular high-end IEM (althougn not custom) the Westone UM-2, yet not as warm and improves drastically in the high end range. The overall sound leans towards being a bit warm, yet not too much that it becomes fatiguing. Bass extension is very deep, especially for an IEM. It is also very punchy and tight. It doesn’t sound bloated or muddy, instead offering a nice balance. On the high-end, Livewires offer crisp highs that don’t disappoint. High-hats and other cymbals come through well, although not as strong as the midrange or bass, which are simply phenomenal. Vocals come through extremely well and amazingly accurate. In many test tracks I was able to hear the vocalists taking breaths which had been non-existent in other headphones. Female vocals come through better than male ones, although both have that wow factor. A universal flaw among IEM’s is their tendancy to not have much sound stage. Due to the design, IEM’s have a difficult time representing a larger concert hall and seem very narrowly focused. It was a great shock to me as the Livewires appeared to produce a significant amount of soundstage. Granted, it isn’t what you’d experience with a quality full-sized headphone, it is prevalent and a welcome trait.

Applications-wise Livewires aren’t really “custom,” but universal! The sound they offer meets the stringent requirements of professional artists and is used during live concerts and monitoring. Their compact size makes them an easily portable source of high end audio for those on the go. Business travellers have found use for Livewires during commutes in public transportation or aircraft since Livewires isolate outside noise well. Audiophiles will appreciate a custom monitor at a low price with quality sound. Also garage bands and other small groups now have the option of a high quality monitor at an affordable price. Where Livewires unfortunately fall short is the package. Included with Livewires is a carrying case, cleaning tool, and short manual. The case isn’t asthetically pleasing at all and is bulky for an IEM case. The initial presentation isn’t very exciting, although it says nothing about the sound.

One quirk that Livewires do have is their very high sensitivity. Since they need to meet the high standards demanded by professional artists they have a high sensitivity that is able to pick up the noise created by cheaper amplifiers in many portable audio players. A slight hiss will be audible with many portable music players, although it isn’t noticable once playing music in most cases (unless your audio player has a REALLY cheap amplifier). The earlier iPod generations will exhibit this hiss, although the 5th gen and up don’t really have an issue. Another little quirk is that since the Livewires are so accurate, if you’re listening to a lower quality recording (128kb MP3 for example) you’ll notice it. Livewires will reveal the improvements of better compressed quality encoding (such as 320kb mp3).

Compared to the competition, Livewires maintain an ultra-low price and a very competitive sound. Normally, a custom molded IEM will cost over $600. EarPeace Technologies is offering Livewires at an astounding $249 including shipping. That price should come out to around $300 after audiologist ear impression fees and shipping fees. While overall cost may seem like a significant amount for headphones, Livewires are a high quality product and the sound they produce are well worth it.

Links: EarPeace Technologies (LiveWiresForYou.com)
Distributors: Todd the Vinyl Junkie (USA) | Jaben Networks (ASIA) | Soundcat (ASIA)

Following up with a tradition of excellence, Shure Inc. introduces us to their latest in ear monitor (IEM), the SE110. Priced fairly reasonably, the SE110 aims to pick up where the aging and now discontinued E2c left off. It also introduces a new low-end product for Shure’s general consumer “SE” series since the “E” designation is now being used for professional IEM models.

Shure SE110 Specifications:

• Speaker Type: Balanced MicroSpeaker
• Sensitivity (1mW): 113 dB SPL/mW
• Impedance (1kHz): 27 Ω
• Frequency Range: 22Hz – 17.5kHz
• Cable Length: 18 in (54 in w/ extension)
• Colors: Available in Black and White

The Shure SE110 utilizes a single dynamic driver design that is capable of a frequency range from 22Hz – 17.5kHz. This isn’t the most impressive frequency range for an audio enthusiast, but it is very sufficient for many people. All of this technical wonder is contained within a clean and good looking housing that is available in either black or white. Also included with the SE110’s is Shure’s classic package of many different tips to fit the plethora of ears that these IEM’s might satisfy. Shure provides a set of rubber and foam tips in sizes small, medium, and large with their package to help obtain a greater seal while maintaining a good level of comfort. A helpful cleaning tool is also included in the package to keep out any ear wax that may have entered the headset. In order to protect and not lose these accessories, Shure provides a soft and thin profiled case to carry your headphones and extra sleeves around. The case is nothing special, but it serves its purpose and even has a carabiner to attach onto a backpack.

With the most important aspect of any headphone being sound, Shure’s SE110’s perform quite well at their price level. The dynamic driver provides plenty of bass impact for all genres of music as well as a warm sounding midrange. Seeing as how this is the low-end model of Shure’s SE lineup, the SE110 does lack in bass extension and the definition of its highs. Either way, it’s certainly an improvement over the last generation’s tinny sounding E2c earphones.

The SE110’s main strong-point is their mid-range. The mids on the SE110 are defined well and are certainly not lacking in their fullness. While they aren’t as articulate and separated as other IEM’s it doesn’t feel jumbled together either. Shure puts a warm emphasis on the mid-range giving them a more forward feeling and sound. While the mid-range comes across well with the SE110’s the bass and high-end are somewhat lacking. One thing the SE110 offers is a strong bass impact (the oomph!). In some cases it might feel overwhelming. While the bass impact is strong, the extension of the bass into the lower frequencies suffers. In many of the selected test tracks, other IEM’s were able to bring out the details of the lower bass frequencies that the SE110’s had difficulty displaying. The high-end on the SE110 also lacking. The emphasis on the high-end quality doesn’t seem to be there just yet. Cymbals felt empty with no punch behind them and certain highs in different pieces couldn’t be brought out at all.

Despite the SE110’s shortcomings, at this price-point of just $99 (MSRP is $119) and product line placement, it carries a pretty good value. (Available in stores and online now!) The majority of users purchasing the SE110 will probably be taking a good first step into the high end audio world and the SE110’s won’t be disappointing. If you wish for something a step better you may also be interested in the Shure SE210 Earphones. In the future, however, it will be worth upgrading to higher-end IEM’s whether they be from Shure or other manufacturers such as Westone, Ultimate Ears, and Etymotic.

Buy Now: Shure SE110 Earphones – $79! (free shipping + no tax)
Links: Shure SE110 Headphones | Shure.com
Related: Shure SE210 Earphones Review

Skatter Tech recently got a hold of Sony’s NWZ-S610 Video Walkman to review and we have been messing around with it for a few days. We’ve got to say that Sony should be proud since they have finally taken a big step by launching Video Walkmans which are also “open format.” (Means support for most DRM-Free music formats.) If they keep up the pace, this could help them regain their market share in the portable media sector. Getting back to the review, since this was Sony’s first Walkman in the U.S. that can playback video and the first to be “open format,” we weren’t expecting too much. As we got more into the player’s features and capabilities, we were surprisingly impressed with what Sony has turned out. Just to heat things up, we’ll even go as far to say that we’d recommend this over Apple’s new iPod Nano!

Sony NWZ-S Walkman Specs:

• Type: Portable Flash Video Player
• Capacities: 2GB, 4GB, & 8GB
• Screen: 1.8-inch 320 x 240 LCD
• Music Format: AAC, MP3 & WMA
• Video Format: MP4 Only
• Special: FM Tuner w/ Presets
• Colors: Silver, Black, Pink & Red
• Connection Type: USB 2.0
• Price Range: $99-$179

The Body: – 3.5/5
The S610’s body is simple and elegant, but not eye-catching. The unit is quite durable and wouldn’t be easy to break. The Walkman is just 3.25 inches tall, 1.7 inches wide, and .45 inches thick, making way sleeker, but thicker and taller than the new iPod Nano. On the front you’ll find the display followed by the navigation controls right below. At first we assumed the four-way commands were touch sensitive, but it ended up that all the controls on the unit are actually hard keys. The ‘back’ and ‘option’ buttons, which are awkwardly placed at the top left and top right, are used to return to the previous menu and bring up an options menu. We felt both these buttons should have been placed elsewhere, but it wasn’t a problem after some getting used to. The ‘play’ button in the center acts as the enter key. I actually prefer hard keys since it is easier to navigate the player without having to be looking at it. The hold key can be found on the left side and the volume controls are on the right. Other than that the stereo headphone jack can be found on the top of the unit while the data port for syncing and a reset pinhole are on the bottom.

The Screen: – 5/5
The 1.8-inch display, just .2 inches smaller than the Nano, is surprisingly bright and sharp enough to watch videos on. The resolution is a standard 320 x 240 and plays at 30FPS. We didn’t notice any lag or audio/video sync issues and the screen didn’t go dark when viewed at from angles as it does on many portable players. Instead of making the S610 “fat” like the new Nano, to retain the form factor the screen has instead been placed on the unit vertically. This of course means to utilize the entire display, the unit must be held sideways when watching videos. To make the unit friendly to left and right handed owners, the video and photo orientation can be set in the options to rotate to the preferred side.

Battery Life: – 5/5
Sony’s always been on top of things when it comes to battery life. My 3-year-old thumbdrive sized Walkman often lasts up to 50 hours. In the case of the S610, it supposedly lasts up to 33 hours for music playback and an amazing 9.5 hours for video playback. This of course depends on many factors including volume level, screen brightness, file sizes, and plenty more. Either way that’s quite good considering that the new iPod Nano is limited to approximately 24 hours of audio and 5 hours of video.

Media Formats: – 5/5
As we mentioned in the intro, Sony has finally gone “open format” with this Walkman and two others. They have dumped Sonic Stage, the Connect music store, and even the ATRAC format. For music, the S610 now supports MP3, AAC, WMA, and WAV all of which have to be free of DRM. The player is also compatible with Napster’s Subscription Based service and iTunes Plus tracks. As for video, the S610 will playback MP4 formats encoded in H.264/AVC and AAC. This part was a bit disappointing since they don’t exactly offer much leniency onto other formats. It even got worse when we realized that they hadn’t included any conversion tools, specify where to download samples, or to know exactly what is supported. This wasn’t an issue for us since we’ve got tools to re-encode videos, however some one-click conversion tool like the one in iTunes should be included for general consumers. We also found that all the Movie Trailers we downloaded which were encoded for iPods on iTunes worked just perfectly. Finally for the part people almost never use, photos, the unit has been limited only to JPEG.

Interface: – 4/5
We were quite pleased with the interface as not only looked fancy, but was also clean and quick. The learning curve is short, only requiring a few minutes to master. The Walkman has even got some neat features such as holding the ‘back’ key will take you back to the main menu and the ‘option’ key will power down the Walkman. Music can be surfed through by Album, Artist, Genre, Year, or in a long list of All Songs. Photos will appear in a simple folder layout just as they are copied onto the unit. Videos on the other hand will appear in a straightforward single list with thumbnails. The Now Playing screen displays standard song data plus Album Art. In addition to the standard Shuffle, Sony has added an interesting “Time Machine” Shuffle now randomly selects a year and plays songs within it. A search feature, which only works for music, can be found in the main menu, however was quite disappointing since it only lets users search for the starting alphabet of an Album, Artist or Song. The settings menu were pretty clear-cut, offering equalizer, volume limiting, and playback mode settings for music, slideshow interval settings for photos, and orientation plus brightness options for videos.

FM Radio: – 4.5/5
The quality of the built in radio was strikingly good. It has been hard wired and coded into the unit and isn’t just an extra add-on. Browsing through channels was both smooth and quick. The Walkman utilizes the plugged in headphones as an antenna to gain better signal. Users can save their favorite stations into any of the 30 available presets by simply holding down the “play” key.

Syncing Media: – 5/5
Transferring data to the NWZ-S610 was a cinch. We didn’t have to deal with any drivers or compatibility issues, both my Vista and XP machines detected and self-configured the device automatically after connecting the USB cable. Since the unit is “Play For Sure” it works with Windows Media Player 11. We had no issue copying songs over and received no errors. Since the songs are DRM-Free the unit isn’t limited to just a few “licensed machines” as iPods are. Songs can be taken from one machine and a friend can easily copy, add or remove your files. We didn’t have a chance to test the unit on a Mac OS X computer and Sony doesn’t mention anything about it. We’re going to assume that if a Mac is able to recognize the unit as a mass storage device there shouldn’t be any problems since the Walkman automatically creates Music, Picture, and Video folders, which can be seen when the drive folder is opened. When compatible media is copied into the corresponding folders, the Walkman will automatically index them after being disconnected, and the items will appear in the interface.

In The Box: – 3.5/5
Other than the S610 Walkman, Sony bundles a pair of stereo headphones, a USB cable, a dock adapter, and a Quick Start guide. For such a great Walkman we were very disappointed to see how poor of quality the included headphones were. If you purchase this Walkman or even an iPod for that matter, we suggest upgrading to the Shure SE110 or SE210. Anyways, back to the box, a CD with Windows Media Player 11, Napster (trial), and a MP3 Conversion Tool (based off SonicStage) was also included.

Overall we give Sony’s Video Walkman a BIG THUMBS UP! Even though some work still needs to be done around the video part, I was satisfied to see that they have finally dumped DRM which was holding them back. I will bet that if they continue to keep their players open to a variety of content, they will be able to boost their sales. As we mentioned the video codecs are a bit limited, but most iPod formatted content should work. This should also be resolved possibly with a firmware update or when they launch a second generation Video Walkman. As for this one, it is available online and in stores as of this month and is very reasonably priced at $99, $129, and $179 for 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB. Exactly $20 cheaper than each of the new iPod Nanos of the corresponding size capacities. We recommend this Sony Walkman to anyone who is finally willing to give iPods a break, wants to be free from DRM, likes occasionally listen to the radio, and is looking for a cheaper unique product which everyone else doesn’t have.

Important Note: The unit which was provided by Sony and was used for review was the NZW-S616F which held 4GB and was silver.

Buy: Sony NWZ-S616 (4GB) | Link: SonyStyle.com

Shure recently introduced the more affordable SE110 Sound Isolating Earphones, which are aimed more towards average consumers. This is great purchase for iPod, ZEN, and Zune owners plus for those who wish to listen to music on their computers. Even though these earphones are the furthest down on Shure’s product line, with their MicroSpeaker and Sound Isolating technologies, these will offer an incomparably better performance than generic headphones included with your media player.

In addition, as always, Shure will include a variety of Sound Isolating Sleeves (aka. earpieces) in three sizes to ensure that they will fit your specific ear. The headset’s cable is also modular, including a 3-foot extension for personal customization. Other than extra ear pieces and cable, Shure also throws in a carrying case. And finally it come standard with a Two-Year Warranty.

The SE110 will be available in stores in just two weeks, September 17th to be exact. It’s MSRP is set at $119, however will be available in retail stores for just $99! Shure also offers a variety of accessories including music phone adapters. We’ll be getting a pair to review very soon, so check back! Meanwhile, please take a look at our review of Shure’s $150 SE210 from earlier this year.

UPDATE: Shure SE110 Earphones Review

Links: Shure SE110
Related: Shure SE210 Review

Earlier today (September 5th) at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs introduced a bunch of new products. Some of these include a new iPod Nano, iPod Classic (aka Video), and the iPod Touch. The new lineup (picture above): iPod shuffle, nano, classic, touch, & iPhone.

iPhone Updates & Price:
As we are heading backwards though the keynote, the last item Apple touched on was the iPhone. Since the 8GB iPhone was so popular, the price has now been dropped to just $399, which is a $200 price-cut (originally $599). As for the 4GB model, it will no longer be produced or found in stores. The 8GB iPhone will be available at it’s new price online and in Apple and At&t Stores. A new update will also be available soon, which will include support for the Mobile iTunes Store.

The iPod Touch:
The ‘touch’ looks quite similar to the iPhone, has just about all the features, and even features an almost duplicate multi-touch interface, but doesn’t have a the “phone” part. The unit uses a 802.11b/g WiFi signal instead of the 2G At&t network for all its communication needs. Just like the iPhone, the iPod Touch has a Safari browser with built in Google/Yahoo search. Plus while connected to a hotspot or home network, the ‘touch’ allows browsing and playing YouTube content and even purchasing and downloading new songs on the go with the new fully fledged iTunes WiFi music store. The iPod Touch sports a 3.5-inch widescreen display for music, photos, videos, album art, coverflow, web browsing, and features an accelerometer to detect the unit’s upright or landscape orientation. With an ambient light sensor, battery life is conserved by adjusting the brightness to the unit’s surroundings, in result offering 22 hours of music and 5 hours of video playback. The iPod Touch will be available later this month (no exact date set just yet) in capacities of 8GB and 16GB priced at $299 and $399 respectively.

The iPod Classic:
The iPod ‘Classic’ is the successor to the iPod Video. This 6th generation iPod is available in capacities of 80GB and 160GB!, but both models remain slimmer than the previous lineup. The iPod Classic is enclosed in a all new metal-case and has a new interface featuring CoverFlow. Users may now browse content on one half of the screen, while the other half continues to display media. The battery life is also a huge improvement, offering 40 hours of listing to music and 7 hours of watching videos on the 160GB model and 30 hours of music and 5 hours of video on the 80GB. According to Steve Jobs, new games are heading to iPod Classic soon (everyone gets 1 FREE game). Both the 80GB and 160GB models, which come in silver and black, are available as of now for $250 and $350, respectively.

The iPod Nano:
Apple also displayed the completely revamped the Nano during the keynote. The unit, which now looks more like an iPod video, can in fact now play videos, movies, TV shows, and music videos! Nano users can also utilize Coverflow to browse through their library or even play purchased games from iTunes on their bright 2-inch display. The battery life remains at about the same level as the previous Nano, offering 24 hours of music playback or 5 hours of video in this case. Just like the iPod Classic, the Nano too is enclosed in an all-metal stainless steel case. As seen in the image above, the Nano is available in 5 colors. The unit is available TODAY in capacities of 4GB and 8GB costing $149 and $199, respectively.

Same Old iPod Shuffles:
Apple’s smallest family member, the shuffle, remains the same. Instead of introducing a 2GB model as some had anticipated, Apple simply spray painted the same 1GB models with some new colors, one of which is Product (RED). Some rumors indicate a black shuffle with 2GB could still be around the corner.

iTunes WiFi Store and Ringtones:
During the keynote, Apple introduced the new iTunes WiFi store which allows iPhone and iPod Touch owners to download songs directly onto their device when connected to the internet. Songs which are purchased on the go can be synced back to a computer or be re-downloaded. The best part, the pricing on the mobile store is exactly the same as what is available on regular iTunes. This will give Apple a big advantage over other cell providers such as Verizon and Sprint who charge extra fees for mobile purchases. For an additional $.99 a custom 30 second clip from a song can be converted into a ringtone for the iPhone. As for iTunes, version 7.4 will be available soon with plenty of new features.

Links: Apple iPhone | iPod Touch | iPod Classic | iPod Nano | iPod Shuffle
Pre-Order: Amazon (no tax + free shipping)

Skatter Tech got a hold of the Shure SE210, an upgrade to the popular E Series, a few weeks ago and we have been quite pleased with the headset’s performance. The headphones included with most MP3 players, including iPods, are not exactly top notch. Purchasing a high quality set of headphones makes quite a big difference. Although the SE210 is at the bottom of their line of high-end earphones, it is still one of the best ones available on the market. (We reviewed the SE210-K Black)

Shure SE-210 Specs:

• Sound Isolating Earphones
• Hi-Definition Micro Speaker
• Frequency Range: 25Hz – 18.5kHz
• Included: Deluxe Fit Kit & Case
• Available in Black or White
• Price (MSRP): $179 $150

If you own the previous E2c model, the first thing you’ll notice is that the new SE210 earphones are much smaller and lighter. We felt the material also looked cheaper, but the sound it produced proved us wrong. Shure kept the headset in the Y-shape form factor instead of switching over to other styles such as “behind-the-neck,” which Sony uses in their headsets. Unlike its predecessor, which had a 56-inch cord, the Shure SE210 offers flexibility by including a 36-inch extension cord to go along with the short 18-inch headset. (54 inches total) Finally, Shure has improved the performance of the bass since it could barely be heard in the E2c’s.

Another bonus when you purchase Shure earphones is that they are almost guaranteed to fit (unless you have really weird ears). Shure includes 3 types of headphone sleeves: foam sleeves (S/M/L), rubber flex sleeves (S/M/L), and a triple flange sleeves. In addition to the sleeves, Shure bundles a semi-hard carrying case, the 3-foot extension cord, and a little tool to clean out wax from your earphones.

Overall, the most important factor, sound quality, was superb. Although $50 more expensive than the previous model, the SE210 is quite a good improvement since the earphones are more compact, reach a wider set of frequencies, and have an improved bass. If you one of those audiophiles, who is looking for something even better, you might be interested in their other higher-end models: SE310, SE420, or SE530. However for most people who want a better set of headphones, but want something cheaper than $150, we recommend checking out these: Shure E2c, Bose Tri-Port, or Sony MDR-EX90. And as for the SE210s, they are available in stores now!

Buy Now: SE210 White or Black for $149
Links: Shure.com | SE210 Earphones
Related: Shure HeadPhones Preview

Last week Sprint announced the availability of the Samsung UpStage (aka SPH-M620). Sprint was kind enough to provide Skatter Tech with a unit for review. The dual-sided UpStage is notable due to having a phone on one side and a iPod-like Mp3 player on the other.

Although the phone is extremely compact, at first glance, the front side of the phone looks dull due to the tiny LCD display. However everything changes after turning the unit around to the backside. In terms of basic features the Samsung Upstage features a 1.3MP camera, MicroSD, Bluetooth, and background Music Playback. As a bonus Sprint’s service allows access to 99 cent music downloads, Live TV, Internet Radio, Games, Web Browsing, and other Power Vision services.

Samsung SPH-M620 Specifications:

• Provider: Sprint Exclusive (CDMA)
• Form Factor: Dual-Sided Candy bar
• Dimensions: 1.73W x 4.07H x .37D inches
• Battery: Up To 6.3hrs Talk Time with Wallet
• Screen: Front 176×65 & Back 176×220 pixels
• Digital Camera: 1.3 MP with 5x Digital Zoom
• Storage: ~53MB Internal + MicroSD (2GB max)
• Sound: Standard Headphones with Adapter
• Others: Bluetooth v1.2 + 4hr Wallet Battery
• Price: $150 + Tax w/ New 2-Year Contract

UpStage Body: 5/5 stars
This phone is tiny, measuring only .37 inches thick, making it thinner than the Motorola RAZR. Although a bit larger, the phone resembles the shape and form factor of an iPod Nano. The front side of the phone has a Alpha-Numeric Keypad for making calls or text messaging. The back side looks like an iPod Nano, but with a large screen and an square touch pad. The phone is small enough to fit in most pockets and can be placed flat on its back or front. The phone almost doubles in size after placing into the battery wallet, which I assume most people plan to use. Although the case allows access to both sides of the phone, it still becomes quite tedious to keep switching back and forth. Despite the fact that the unit is harder to hold with the wallet, the flexibility of removing the case is an advantage.

Displays: 4/5 stars
The front display is extremely small only 176×65 pixels making it hard to read text. Navigating the front display is quite difficult since it can only fit about one-line of data on the screen at a time. Luckily most functions of phone are performed through the large/bright 176×220 pixel screen on the back side. Unfortunately since there is no keyboard on the back, you will find yourself having to “flip” back to the front side for data entry.

Music Playback: 5/5 stars
The UpStage supports playback of DRM-Free MP3s, WMA, AAC, and WAV in addition to music purchased through Sprint’s Music Store. Sprint now offers .99 cent over-the-air downloads of high quality tracks (with a data plan). Music can be sorted by Songs, Artists, or Genre in the interface, however due to the lack of a search function, scrolling through hundreds of track is tedious. We still prefer Verizon’s standardized music playback application, which works on most of their phones. One big bonus is the ability to “hide” the music playback app while listening to music and continuing with other tasks such as browsing the web or playing games. Album Art is displayed during playback in addition to the track title, duration, and artist/album. Also supports playlists & shuffling songs.

Speaker and Sound: 3/5 stars
For a “music phone” the lack of a decent set of stereo speakers might be problematic. The phone’s single (mono) speaker does a mediocre job, which functions as a speaker for calls and music. As the volume level increases, the sound begins to crack. Although this should be fixed in a future model, the issue should be non-existent since most people will use headphones for music. (Adapter for standard headphones included.)

Digital Camera / Camcorder: 2/5 stars
The camera on the UpStage remains a mere 1.3 mega pixels while most new phones on the market are now 2.0. When the camera is activated, you must flip the phone around and use the large LCD on the back as the viewfinder. From our results, the image quality was mediocre and images were blurry even in well lit situations. Video clips may be recorded for a duration limited only by MicroSD capacity, however clips longer than 30 seconds may not be mailed. The small front LCD functions as a tiny viewfinder for self-portraits.

Battery Life: 5/5 stars
Unlike the majority of phones on the market today, the UpStage does not have a removable battery. Instead, the UpStage has a battery built into the unit. Since the unit is small and the talk time is only about 2.5 hours long, Samsung provides a battery wallet with the phone. When the phone is in its case, the talk time increases by over 4 hours. (up to 6.5 hours) Since the case is easily removable, you’ll have the freedom to choose whether you want the additional battery life or light-weight phone to carry around.

Usability & Interface: 4/5
The interface on the front is a joke, it only allows performing four menu actions: view call history, find contacts, add a contact, or send a text msg. Other than that, the only other use of the front is to display caller id, date/time, battery life, signal, and Bluetooth status. The interface on the back is a different story. The back is controlled by using the square touchpad at the bottom. UpStage users must make up & down motions on the left/right sides and left-to-right motions on the top & bottom instead of using circular motions to navigate as you would do on an iPod. (Apple Patent!) In addition the top left/right corners act as soft keys while the other labeled parts are the Menu, Back, and End buttons. The only hark key is the center Select/Play button. Although navigating becomes quite easy after a bit of practice, data entry will remain a hassle. For example, while browsing the web (back side), you’ll have to flip over to enter the URL text and then flip back to view the page. Some applications support an onscreen keyboard, however you’ll find yourself flipping back & forth a lot.

MicroSD: 4/5 stars
Like most phones on the market today, the M620 supports up to 2GB MicroSD cards. Since Samsung intends this phone to double as a MP3 player, as a bonus, they include a USB data cable, which most cellphone makers do not. The included CD assists installing the necessary drivers. When placed in “Sync Mode,” the phone appears as a disk drive. Windows XP users can either manage data themselves or use the included application. Mac OS X users must manage the data on the MicroSD themselves since the included software is Windows Media Player based.
P.S. 1GB microSD cards cost only about $12. 2GB microSD for ~$25

Bluetooth: 5/5 stars
The Samsung M620 uses Bluetooth 2.0, which supports the use of Stereo Headphones for music playback, in addition to standard headsets. The Bluetooth can also be used for transferring contacts, printing photos to wireless printer, and to connect to computers for use as a wireless modem. Another new feature is Audio Caller ID, which reads out a name or phone number when using a bluetooth headset. From our testing, sound quality was excellent there were no issues with pairing devices or other features.

Sprint Power Vision: 4.5/5 stars
At this time most Chatting, Navigation, and Gaming apps are not yet available for the M620 due to compatibility issues because of the unique controls, however new working versions should be available soon. Applications such as Google Maps Mobile and Opera Mini work great. The On Demand section provides access to News, Weather, Movie Show Times, Maps and more. Sprint Power Vision offers access to thousands of clips and Live TV channels such as ABC, FOX, MSNBC, CNN, and Comedy Central (plus radio). One of my favorite features is the built in Podcasting client, which streams any podcast you choose directly to your phone without the need of a computer. Saves the hassle of having to sync new files.

Designs similar to that of the UpStage have been available in Asia for a while, yet this marks the release of the first dual sided phone in the U.S. Although we like this phone a lot for its new innovative and compact style, text entry remains a hassle and is probably the #1 problem. Other than that, another thing we found frustrating was that songs you own may not be used as ringtones. Anyways this is one of the best phones Sprint has had in a while, therefore if you are ready to upgrade you should consider this. The Samsung UpStage is available in Sprint Stores and Online now for $150 + tax with a new 2-year contract. In my opinion this is quite a good deal since Sprint includes the Battery Wallet, headset adapter, USB Sync Cable, and a 64MB microSD all of which is not normally included.

DEAL ALERT: FREE Samsung UpStage (M620)
Links: Sprint.com | SPH-M620 Spec Sheet
Product Shot: High-Resolution UpStage Image
Help & Support: fourms.skattertech.com

This year at CES, of the cutting-edge gadgets, functioning bluetooth stereo headsets made their first appearance. Motorola had their “Bluetooth Active Headphones S9″ on display. The S9 is one of the first bluetooth headsets to function with any bluetooth device, that supports stereo profiles. The S9 is intended for music playback, however it also supports wireless voice calls. Also, unlike most other bulky wireless bluetooth headphones, these Motorola headphones are quite sleek, stylish, and light weight, weighing less than an ounce.

Active Headphones S9 Features:

• Crisp 1.3cm stereo speakers
• Compatible w/Bluetooth enabled devices
• Supports both phones and MP3 players
• Up to 6-hours of music playback
• Touch sensitive music & talk controls

The headphones have touch-sensitive talk/end controls on the left and play/pause controls on the right. Most initial reviews all seem to be giving the S9 a “thumbs up.” However if plan to purchase wireless headsets to use while driving, these are probably prohibited in most states since they cover both ears. In addition, they S9 headphones are quite pricey, current online retailers such as Amazon price it at $130. I’d recommend waiting for cheaper ones arrive since these are one of the first truly portable pairs.

Buy: Motorola Active Bluetooth Headphones S9
Links: Active S9 Headphones | Motorola Press

During the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Shure announced a major upgrade to their popular high-end consumer headphones. The four new Sound Isolating headphones all have “ever-wider frequency ranges,” move up a spot on the product line while remaining at around the same price, and are smaller than the previous models. The new headphones are also slightly more expensive than the previous models, which have been on the market for over two years, ranging from $150-500.

The Shure Earphones:

• SE210: The cheapest of the new line of headphones, but these Hi-Definition MicroSpeakers offer better sound quality than most headphones on the market. – (Range: 25Hz-18.5kHz) – [$150]
• SE310: Slightly better than the Hi-Defintion MicroSpeakers featured in the previous model, but now includes Tuned BassPort and reaches wider frequencies. – (Range: 22Hz-19kHz) – [$250]
• SE420: Even better frequencies and now have more powerful Dual TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers. – (Range: 20Hz-19kHz) – [$350]
• SE530/SE530PTH: Probably the best portable consumer earphones on the market today. These two feature a new Triple TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers. Can hit even the lowest and highest notes, has dual woofers?, and better bass. – (Range: 18Hz-19kHz) – [$450/$500]

To ensure the new earphones will fit everyones ears, the package will include “a variety of sleeves.” These include small, medium, and large: Foam, Soft Flex, and Triple Flange Sleeves. All four models have a 45cm cord plus a 91cm extension cable (total 136cm) and come with a Carrying Case. In addition the Premuim Kit (only for the SE420 and SE530) include a Volume Control module, 1/4″ Adapter, and an Airline Adapter.

I had the chance to try out each of these phones recently at the Shure booth at MacWorld 2007 and I plan to purchase the E210 when they become available. According to public Shure’s Press Release, the earphones will begin to ship worldwide next month, Feburary 2007. However a Shure employee I spoke with stated that the date currently mentioned is an estimation and may take much longer. I will write up a review as soon as I get a hold of a set of these, so check back soon!

Links: Shure Earphones | Buy Now (Amazon)