Posted by Daniel Feeney on May 17, 2012
Today, Marshall Headphones released its “dark horse” of the company, the Pitch Black series. Among these new “black” products lies The Major and Minor.
The Major symbolizes much of what makes up the Marshall Legacy; It is a powerful set of headphones designed with non-stop all day listening in mind. It comes equipped with an in-line microphone and remote for cell phone usage. Price-wise, its affordably priced at $120. (Link)
The Minor is an advanced, strong in-ear model. Not only does The Minor offer stunning sound, but it also feature EarClick, “a patent that ingeniously secures the earphone into position in your ear.” The Minor too comes equipped with microphone and remote for cell-phone use. It costs just $65. (Link)
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Posted by Daniel Feeney on May 16, 2012
Last summer, Jawbone’s JAMBOX blew me away with its fantastic sound, beautiful design, and uncanny functionality. Now, a year after the release of the original JAMBOX, Jawbone is releasing the BIG JAMBOX, a speaker which not only delivers more sound, but also more battery (15 hours).
Like its smaller twin, the BIG JAMBOX features LIVEAUDIO technology which delivers amazing 3D sound from a single audio set. In a sense, it is surround sound without multiple specially-placed speakers. In addition, the Bluetooth speaker offers MyTALK, Jawbone’s “industry-first online platform to download apps, software upgrades, and the latest features.”
Unfortunately the JAMBOX is not AirPlay-equipped.
The BIG JAMBOX will set you back $300 –$100 more than its smaller double– from Jawbone’s store. And if you are looking to bring JAMBOX’s audio to a Mac or PC, the company offers a USB Bluetooth device (The Nerd) for an additional $50. We will have a review of the new JAMBOX soon.
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Posted by Daniel Feeney on June 7, 2011
Our “modern day” society is filled with an over abundance entertainment methods; some people read, others watch television, some play lazer tag, and some exercise –which I never have understood. This list goes on and on, but rather than rambling on over means of entertainment, I’ll get to the point. Though I do enjoy a good book every now and then, there is one thing my day is never complete without: music. But how am I supposed to enjoy it away from my MacBook? Sure, a pair of earphones and an iPod will work, however how are those around me suposed to enjoy the musc? Simple, Jawbone’s Jambox.
What is this “box of jam,” you might ask? The Jambox is a very compact, portable wireless speaker which can handle both multimedia and phone calls. In other words, it is a mix between computer speakers and a bluetooth headset, a comptooth speakset if you will. The Jambox has but three buttons on it: the talk button, the volume increase button, and the volume decrease button. It also has an on/off switch on the side which lights up when the device is on as well as indicates when the device has fully charged (battery easily handles over 10-hours of play time). Lastly, the speaker also has a 35mm audio input jack and a micro-USB port which allows for charging, software updates, and app installations via Jawbone’s MyTalk service. (more…)
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Posted by Daniel Feeney on March 29, 2011
TheMacFeed and Astro Gaming have been working together for more than a year now. Last year we brought three big stories within a few months of each other; an A40 review in January, an A30 review following in March and an interview in April. Astro has since released a completely revamped product line including a wireless Mixamp; I had the chance to review it.
Last year, there was one issue I found frustrating with Astro’s gaming ecosystem. It was the wires; they went everywhere, and there was no easy way to use the thing in a traditional living room environment without having 4 wires spread across the furniture, kids, and the dog. Now, Astro has created two versions: a wired one for the hardcore gamer, the tournament goer, the tryhard; and a wireless version for the casual gamer, the couch potato, the command center. Frankly, I am the latter with a smidgen of the former. (more…)
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Posted by Charlie Minato on March 10, 2011
A month ago, I took on the Shure SE425s, and it would seem only right that at some point I’d get around to the “grandaddy of them all”, the SE535s. For those who read my review of the SE425s and my take on the predecessor to the SE535s (the Shure SE530s), this is sort of like A+B=C. Combine the new exterior features of the SE425s and the internals of the SE530s… and you logically get the Shure SE955s. Okay, the math equation failed, what you get is the Shure SE535s, the new flagship IEM from the near-century old American sound company.
Out of the Box
Disclaimer, a lot of this review is repeating the SE425 review. Why? Well, the changes the SE535s got from the SE530s are the same as the changes that the SE425s received in comparison the SE420s: detachable cords, a slight change in housing, a single flush design and an L-shaped connector. I didn’t have a SE530 box on hand, but from what I remember the box is pretty much the same. It’s different from the rest of the SE line, metal and more cube like, as opposed to the plastic that the lower-end models receive. Inside, it’s a similar story: earphones, eight pairs of tips (three rubber, three foam, Triple Flange and yellow foam) and a carrying case. (more…)
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Posted by Charlie Minato on February 9, 2011
After a hiatus in the month of January, I return. For most of my time dabbling in headphones, I’ve owned almost all of the IEM offerings from Shure, at least until a few years ago. When Shure moved to the SE series, I already owned the highest-end model and never felt the desire to bother with any of the others. I heard the SE210s, but that was it outside of the SE530. While I was at CES last year I got to view and test the updated version of the SE line, the SE535 and SE425. After the jump, my thoughts on the latter.
Out of the Box
Before one gets to the box, a bit of background. For the most part, the SE425 is just the SE420 with a detachable cord. As Chris Lyons explained to me, the only real difference in sound should come from the slight change in the construction of the housing which slightly affects the sound. That being said, this was my first time with any Shure IEM since the e4s, which are still a personal favorite. Inside the box, it’s just like the past couple higher-end Shure models: earphones, eight pairs of tips (three rubber, three foam, Triple Flange and yellow foam), a 1/4 inch adapter and a carrying case. (more…)
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Posted by Charlie Minato on November 9, 2010
This will be the third review of an Urbanears product, although the first time it isn’t a Plattan. When Urbanears sent me an updated version of their full-size headphones, they sent me some earphones as well. I promise, the only time I’ll complain about the color… After the jump my thoughts.
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Posted by Charlie Minato on September 30, 2010
Earlier in the year, I reviewed an iPhone case from Unusual Studio. The product itself wasn’t very unusual, though the distribution process was far from conventional. Fast forward a few months and Unusual Studio sent over their other product, the V-Box. For a few weeks now I’ve been playing around with the device and to say it lived up to the name would be a gross understatement. (more…)
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Posted by Charlie Minato on September 15, 2010
I’m not even sure where to start with this the Tokyoflash Kisai Escape C. Tokyoflash is apparently a watch company. So you ask, what are they doing on TheMacFeed? Is this one of those straps for the new iPod Nano? No. Tokyoflash describes it as a “Bluetooth fashion accessory” – that’s probably a start. The rest of me trying to explain this device can be found after the jump. (more…)
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Posted by Charlie Minato on September 9, 2010
When I was at CES, yeah it was awhile ago, one of the products I most looked forward to trying once I got back from Vegas were a pair of earphones from a company unknown to me at the time, Bone Collection. Months down the road, Michael over at Cyberguys sent me the updated model, the HP09012-BK, time for a review.
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Posted by Charlie Minato on September 1, 2010
When Breo sent me a pair of the de Janeiros to try, they also included a fire engine red pair of their cheaper Natals. Quite frankly, even after nearly two months, I’m not sure what to think. And that’s sort of it., my thoughts after the jump.
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Posted by Charlie Minato on August 20, 2010
There’s a bit of story around this review… When I stopped by Track Scan’s booth at CES there were quite a few models… including I suppose this one. There was that really stuck out though, a $50 model that provided audio quality on par with just about all the traditional headphones I had heard that day… TheMacFeed got the VIBRAS after CES all the way back in January… Daniel had them and for whatever reason couldn’t review these. For a while, it perplexed me. He has handled all the gaming headphones up until this point for a reason… I’m not a gamer. I’ll occasionally play some Madden or Forza, but I would never consider myself a gamer. Hence, he does all those reviews. This is however… my review. (more…)
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Posted by Charlie Minato on August 12, 2010
It seems to be a growing trend within whatever segment of the market it is: a lifestyle accessory company. Names like: Nixon and WESC are the first of many that come to mind of companies who make watches, clothes, bags and… headphones. I’m not sure what the appeal is for companies to do that and some part of me believes that it isn’t as lucrative as it might seem given that branding superpowers like Monster Cable have shied away. Still, here’s another. This one comes from Breo, a British company that I really haven’t heard of. Still, I hadn’t heard of Thinksound, and we all know how that turned out. Today, my thoughts on their cutely named, de Janeiro headphones.
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Posted by Glenn Künzler on August 10, 2010
Bluetooth headsets are becoming increasingly innovative as their popularity increases, with each brand finding unique ways to distinguish its products. My previous review of a bluetooth headset, the Jawbone Icon, introduced the truly unique idea of being able to “program” your headset with voices and features, and the ability to add and remove features such as A2DP via the use of “apps” made for your headset – all from your Mac or PC! This time around, the standards are set, and SoundID’s newest offering takes software control of your headset to a whole new level. Click the jump to find out more! (more…)
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Posted by Charlie Minato on May 19, 2010
It’s been a while. Perhaps too long? Anyway, time for another headphone review. Charlie’s mastery of the Spanish language is awful to say the least, but eskuché means something about listening. It’s also the name of a company that produces two stylish headphones: the Control and the 33 1/3. We got a chance to sit down with the new version color of the former. They looked similar to something else, but more on that later. (Later = not in this post) Anyway our thoughts on the Control Avo after the jump.
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Posted by Charlie Minato on February 4, 2010
When we talked to Matt Engstrom a couple of months ago we tried to get him to spill the beans on any new products from Shure, particularly a venture to studio monitors. Instead of getting us to seriously consider abandoning the KRK collection that we currently use – he told us about two new products: the SRH750DJ and the SE115m+. Given our appreciation for a pair of Denons (sorry Audio-Technica fans) and a Pioneer mixer, we were interested about the former. After spending some quality time with the Shure SRH750DJ, we are… well confused a bit.
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