There's a ton of headphone/earphone/canalphone/earbud options out on the market and it can be hard to filter through the crap and find headphones that perform well while keeping aesthetics in mind. The white earbuds that come with Ipods have become a staple on college campuses where they help complete that all important hipster look, but they don't do much for the music you're listening to.
A few years ago I came across the Koss SportaPro headphones and was very impressed with their sound and comfort level. I handed those down to the wife to work out with and looked for another pair to use at work (programming requires good tunes). My requirements weren't too strict:
- Reasonably priced (under $50)
- Good sound quality
- On ear pads to allow in ambient noise (to avoid startling taps on the shoulder)
- Comfortable and easy to put on and remove
These few parameters helped eliminate a lot of products. I eventually ended up looking at the Sennheiser PX 100's, another pair of SportaPro's, and Grado SR60's (pricier and bulkier than I wanted). This
review at Dan's Data finally sold me on the Sennheisers and I couldn't be happier.
In the 2-3 years I've had the PX 100's I estimate I've put 1500-2000 hours of music through them. The best way to describe how they sound is that they don't sound like headphones. They're clear and fairly detailed without being fatiguing in the high end and quite possibly pump out the perfect amount of bass. I highly recommend the Sennheiser PX 100's if you are looking for a good moderately priced pair of cans.
Sennheiser PX 100 (black)
Sennheiser PX 100 (white) Tagged with: audio, gear, music, review
Posted under: Geek Stuff
I promised Angelo some details about my attempt at installing a new headunit and dash kit in my truck. So here's my attempt at installing an aftermarket stereo/radio/cd player and auxiliary input for an mp3 player, Ipod or any other audio playing device in my Tacoma.
Dash Kit Info: I got the dash kit from
SJ Great Deals. It is the SCOSCHE TA2052B Single DIN Color Match, they also make a single DIN in black (TA2052BLKB) and the double DIN possibly color matched (TA2053B) according to the
manufacter's website.
This is the stock stereo I had to work with. The trend has been towards completely integrating the stereo into a car's dash, it looks great but as soon as you want to stick a nicer radio in you might be stuck. I got an aftermarket dash kit that is color matched (not exact but good enough) to the silver around the vents.
Step 1 - Rip out climate control, unbolt and remove dash and stereo, unhook everything.
Step 2 - Wire up wire harness so you don't have to cut any of the factory wiring.
Step 3 - Hookup stereo and test to make sure everything works before putting the whole thing back together.
Step 4 - I've got everything in and just need to stick the climate control panel back on. Getting the head unit and hazards/clock panel into the replacement dash was the most time consuming part of the whole project. First I couldn't get the hazards panel out of the stock dash but managed to pry it out after an hour. Secondly, the installation instructions for the dash kit were pretty brief, I guess you can consider a diagram and a few unintelligible sentences instructions. At this point I had also drilled a hole in the back of the pocket to feed the cable for the auxiliary input through.
Finish - And here is the result of all my effort. With everything put back together I actually like the look of the replacement dash kit more than the original bumpy texture (still on the climate control panel though). Audio quality is marginally better from what I can tell but I still have to tweak but at least I can hook up an mp3 player now. I'll have to stick new speakers in to get the most out of the new unit.
Not a terribly difficult project but I'm glad I did instead of paying an installer a good chunk of change to do it. I probably got lucky since most dashes aren't this accessible and easy to work with.
Tagged with: audio, cars, gear, install, stereo
Posted under: Geek Stuff
Posted a comment on a friends page and inspired me to post on this subject.
I wouldn't even consider an FM transmitter and would only resort to tape at last resort.
The best option is to plug directly into your car's head unit through an auxiliary input. Even with stock car stereos there is a chance an adapter is available. And if not, I'd try a FM modulator (different from transmitters, they plug directly into antennae on the stereo to minimize interference).
I use to have a Kenwood head unit in my old truck and I got the adapter that plugs into the cd changer port and it worked great. Just ran the RCA cable out from under the dash and up to the center console and plugged straight in.
The best list of available adapters I've found is at
Installer.com.
So in summary:
- FM transmitters (the cheap toys you get at Radio Shack) - avoid like the plague.
- Tape Adapters - Final resort if you are strapped for cash and you actually have a tape player (which is becoming quite rare on newer cars and head units).
- FM modulator - plugs directly inline with your car's antennae, final resort if you value sound quality.
- Auxiliary input - Stereo manufacturers are finally catching on and Aux inputs are becoming more widespread. They offer the least amount of sound quality loss and depending on your setup can be pretty affordable.
I think a lot of people view hooking up their Mp3 player the same as the headphones they use, they simply see no reason to upgrade. After dropping $200-300 on a very capable Mp3 player, most people will not spend the extra money to upgrade their headphones. This is why you see the trendy Ipod masses on college campuses walking around with their white earbuds stuffed in their ears. Spend another $35 on something like these
Sennheiser PX 100's and increase the quality of your music, unless looking trendy and "cool" matters more.
The same goes with hooking your Mp3 player up in the car, don't spend $15 on the FM crap emitter, invest a little more and get a higher quality signal with less hassle. I look at it this way, how much is it worth to not have to listen to crappy radio music and commercials? Stick it to the man and hook your mp3 player up to your car stereo.
Tagged with: audio, cars, install, music, stereo
Posted under: Geek Stuff
