Archive #25711336


Meelectronics


Meelectronics Air-Fi AF32





Specs.
Bluetooth headset
Dynamic driver 40mm
Frequency range: 18 Hz 20 KHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 106 dB/mW
Battery: music >12h, calls >10h, standby >100h, charging 4h
Colour: black/red
Price: $79.99

Build quality and accessories.
The AF32s are made from high quality plastic, the headband and earcups are nicely padded with soft pleather, the headband adjuster is aluminium and the buttons on the right earcup feel very robust.
Excellent build quality.
The accessories included are, a USB charging cable, a pouch a quick guide and a cable to use the AF32s as regular headphones. Excellent piece of kit there, if you ask me. The possibility to use them both as wireless and wired headphones deserves both thumbs up, excellent work Meelectronics!



Comfort and fit.
The AF32s are light and comfortable to use even for longer listening sessions. The headband can be adjusted for length. The on ears design means that isolation from ambient noise is not that good, but once the music starts playing the isolation is fully acceptable.
Last but not least, the lack of cables is a real freedom and comfort boost.

Sound quality.
The AF32s connect to your player, or smartphone over bluetooth (or cable), the pairing is quick and easy and once paired the connection is automatic. I tried them with a Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo as well as with my usual review sources, with the included cable. There are controls for volume, on/off, play/pause and next (ff)/prev (rew) on the right-hand side earpad.

The AF32s sound very good, and when one takes into account that the sound is wirelessly transmitted the sound is spectacular. The bass is full and punchy, without colouring the mids that are very natural sounding, the highs are crisp and clear without being sibilant. The soundstage is big and nicely layered with great imaging.
My favourite tracks sound very good, punchy and detailed.

When used as normal headphones, with the cable attached, they sound slightly better with a bit more detail and overall quality, but not by much which is a testimony to the great wireless sound.

Just keep in mind that the AF32s are not meant for critical listening or Hi-Fi monitoring, they are meant for general listening on the go, preferably with your smartphone as the source, and for this they are perfect.



To sum up.
The good, very good sound, call and music management, wired/wireless use
The bad, nothing really stands out as bad



Verdict.
The option to use them both as wired or wireless headphones is a huge plus, and they sound great too. Highly recommended!





Meelectronics Air-Fi AF52 Venture





Specs.
Bluetooth headset
Dynamic driver 40mm
Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 KHz
Impedance: 64 Ohm
Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW
Battery: 18h use, 250h standby
Colour: black
Price: $119.99

Build quality and accessories.
The Ventures feel very sturdy and well put together, the materials used are high quality and the craftsmanship is top drawer. They can be folded flat for easier storage/transport.
On the left earcup there are volume and on/off/call controls, the jack for wired use and the microphone, and on the right earcup there are next/prev and play/pause controls and the USB charging port.
The accessories included are, a USB charging cable, a pouch a quick guide and a cable to use the Ventures as regular headphones. The possibility to use them both as wireless and wired headphones deserves both thumbs up, excellent work Meelectronics!



Comfort and fit.
The Ventures are light and comfortable to use even for longer listening sessions. The soft headband can be adjusted for length, and it has just the right amount of pressure for a safe yet still a comfortable fit. They isolation from ambient noise is surprisingly good too.
Last but not least, the lack of cables is a real freedom and comfort boost.



Sound quality.
The Ventures connect to your player, or smartphone over bluetooth (or cable), the pairing is quick and easy and once paired the connection is automatic. I tried them with a Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo as well as with my usual review sources, with the included cable.

They sound very good, even better than the previously reviewed Meelectronics AF32s.
The Ventures are said to have a full sound with enhanced bass, and the low end is really full of authority without colouring the mids too much, but they give a warm afterglow. Speaking of the mids, they are natural and warm (from the full low end) sounding with good detail, and while the highs are a bit in the background they still sound crisp and clear without ever becoming shrill or piercing. The soundstage is big and nicely layered with great imaging.

Plug in the wire and use them as normal headphones and they sound even more detailed and dynamic with a real high-end sound that can scare headphones many times more expensive.
The conclusion is that a cable is still better at transferring high end sound than Bluetooth.

Goes without saying that my favourite tracks sound very good, and the wireless freedom adds to the positive impression, or then one can plug in the cable and listen to really great sound.

Just keep in mind that the Ventures are not meant for critical listening or Hi-Fi monitoring, even if they do a remarkably good job at that as well, especially when plugged to the cable, they are meant for general listening on the go, preferably with your smartphone as the source, and for this they are perfect.



To sum up.
The good, superb sound, wireless or wired use, call and music management, stylish design
The bad, the cable would be better with a 90 degree jack

Verdict.
Stylish, easy to use and great sounding wired or wireless headset. Highly recommended.





Meelectronics HT-21





Specs.
Dynamic driver, 40 mm
Frequency range: 20 Hz 20 KHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 114 dB/mW
Foldable design
Price: $39.99

Build quality and accessories.
The singlesided 120 cm cable is soft with a nice rubbery feeling to it, and it terminates in a 45 degree jack. The housing is mainly made of plastic and with the glossy finish and soft earpads and headband they look very classy. The accessory pack consists of a pouch. Not that you need anything more to use them, but still.

Comfort and fit.
The HT-21s are light and comfortable to use even for longer listening sessions. The headband can be adjusted for length and the earcups svivel for a very comfortable fit. The on ears design means that isolation from ambient noise is not that good, but once the music starts playing the isolation is fully acceptable.

Sound quality.
The HT-21s need burning in to sound their best. Once settled they offer a mids focused sound with a nice detail and a soundstage to match. The low end is natural sounding with good impact and nice texture, the mids are slightly forward sounding with good detail and they give you that honey like sensation, the highs are bright and lively if a little in the background compared to the mids.
My favourite tracks sound very good, lively and with avery nice presentation of the mids, vocals and guitars sound excellent. The HT-21s have just the right amount of punch and detail, a very nice and catchy presentation all around. For the asking price the HT-21s are superb sounding!

To sum up.
The good, the very nice and detailed mids focused sound, price for sound.
The bad, not really much to complain about at this price point.

Verdict.
Simply put, the HT-21s are superb for the asking price. Highly recommended.







Sony


Sony MDR-Z1000





First of all, thank you to advancedmp3players.co.uk for making this review possible.

Specs.
Closed dynamic HD driver, 50 mm
Frequency range: 5 Hz 80 KHz
Impedance: 24 Ohm
Sensitivity: 108 dB/mW
Colour: Black
Price: 499


Build quality and accessories.
The build quality is excellent, as always from Sony. The housing is made of plastic with metal enforcement, and the headband is metal covered in soft leather. The detachable cable is 300 cm long with a straight jack.
The included accessories are, a 120 cm cable with a 90 degree jack, a 3.5 to 6.3 mm jack adapter and a soft pouch.



Comfort and fit.
The Z1000s are very comfortable to wear, and at 270 gram they do not feel too heavy either. The headband is nicely padded and applies just the right pressure for ultimate comfort as well as perfect fit. The padding on the earmuff is very soft and well sealing around the ear, and thanks to this the isolation is surprisingly good as well, and with music playing the isolation becomes really good.
One thing to bear in mind is that circum-aural headphones tend to be very warm for the ears when wearing them for longer time, and the Z1000s are no exception.
There are some microphonic noises from the cable, but nothing too serious.



Sound quality.
The Z1000s do not really change drastically over time with burn in, even if the bass smoothens out a tad and the detail becomes even more apparent.
The most noticeable feature of the Z1000s is the natural sound with an outstanding detail. I would go as far as to compare the level of detail to IEMs, which is exceptional for a headphone.

The Z1000s are more about quality than quantity when it comes to the presentation, the attack and sub bass is very precise, the mids are smooth and buttery, and the highs are airy and clear. The soundstage is very nicely layered and expansive in a 3D way, even as a closed back design.
The sound signature is natural, yet very full and rich, somewhere in between fun and accurate.

My test tracks, and all other tracks I have tried with them sound very impressive. Especially I was impressed by the guitar sound the Z1000s can reproduce, Mr Gilmour and Mr Knopfler have seldom sounded better than this. The effortless refinement and overall smoothness of the sound is so relaxing, the lush sound will have you enjoying your own private concert every time you listen to the Z1000s.
They can be easily driven by a mp3 player as well as a high-end system. Another thing that makes the Z1000s stand out is that they sound excellent at lower listening volumes, no need to crank up the volume to pick out the finer details in the music.



To sum up.
The good: magnificent sound and build quality.
The bad: the price is rather hefty.

Verdict: Even if they are pricey, the Z1000s are worth their price. Highly recommended.




SoundMagic


SoundMagic HP100





Specs.
Closed back design, 53mm driver
Frequency range: 10 Hz 30 KHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 95 dB/mW
Colour: Black, mirror finished earcups
Price: Approx. $200


Build quality and accessories.
The build quality is excellent. The housing is made of plastic, with leatherette padded earcups, and the headband is metal enforced plastic with leatherette padding. The one sided detachable cable is coiled and 120-400 cm long, and it terminates in a straight jack.
The included accessories are, a 3.5 to 6.3 mm jack adapter, a flight adapter, a cleaning cloth and a very nice hard case with built in accessory case. Excellent accessory kit, and especially the case is superb!



Comfort and fit.
The HP100s are very comfortable to wear, and at 288 gram they are not too heavy for longer listening sessions either. The earcups are very comfortable and covers the entire ear without applying any pressure on the ear itself. The headband is very comfortable with its rich padding and together with the earcups this ensures ultimate comfort and perfect fit.
There are next to no microphonic noises from the cable. Also, the HP100s offer surprisingly good isolation from background noise.



Sound quality.
The HP100s do not really change drastically over time with burn in
The sound signature is natural and accurate, nearly clinical. The bass is light, but very tight and precise, mids are full of detail, highs are clear and expansive, and the soundstage is large and well layered for a closed back headphone. None of the frequencies seem to be emphasised over the others, that said they do not sound flat or lifeless in any way. Granted they may not be the most fun headphones to listen to, they are more geared towards the audiophile crowd more than towards the boom-boom-bass crowd.
Great detail and quality over quantity would be a good way of describing the audio presentation of the HP100.

My test tracks, and all other tracks I have tried with them sound impressive, full of detail and very precise without crossing the line to sterile or flat. The HP100s can be used for critical monitoring as well as casual listening, I can see them being used by audio professionals on a budget. That said, there is nothing budget about the sound of the HP100s, they are very capable earphones.

As an added bonus they respond very well to to the use of EQ and DSP, and if you turn up the lower frequencies a notch or two, the HP100s change attitude and become bass cannons that can blur your vision if required.



To sum up.
The good: excellent sound quality and detail, excellent build quality, excellent hard case and accessories.
The bad: (maybe) not suited for bassheads.

Verdict: highly recommended!





SoundMagic WP10


Wireless headphone



Specs.
Closed back design, 53mm driver
Frequency range: 10 Hz 30 KHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 95 dB/mW
Wireless transmitting frequency: 2406-2472 MHz (not Bluetooth)
Wireless range: low power <10m, high power <70m
Battery time: <18h
Colour: Black/silver or black/gold
Price: $278



Build quality and accessories.
The build quality is excellent. The housing is made of plastic, with leatherette padded earcups and the headband is metal enforced plastic with leatherette padding. On the left hand side earcup you will find all the necessary buttons and connectors, the power button, the ID (pairing) button, a 3.5mm cable jack for wired use, volume up and down buttons and a micro USB slot for charging.
The included accessories are, the wireless transmitter, a 120cm long 3.5mm cable for wired use, a short 3.5mm cable for the transmitter, a RCA to 3.5mm cable for using with a TV, a USB cable for charging and USB/DAC mode, a wall charger, user manual and a very nice zippered hard case to store everything in. Not bad at all, but maybe a 3.5 to 6.3mm adapter would come handy for connecting to a Hi-Fi system.

Comfort and fit.
The WP10s are probably the most comfortable headphones I have used. The earcups are very soft and covers the entire ear without applying any pressure on the ear itself. The headband is very comfortable with its rich padding and together with the earcups this ensures ultimate comfort and perfect fit.
When using the cable there are some microphonic noises from it, but then again in wireless mode there are none at all, of course.



Sound quality.
TheWP10s can be used with the provided cable just like a normal set of headphones or then they can be used wirelessly in two different modes. Either they can be used as a portable setup with a 3.5mm audio cable connected to the transmitter (low power mode), or then by connecting the USB cable as power source (high power mode), and as if this wasnt enough, the transmitter also doubles as a DAC (digital audio converter) that can take a digital signal from the USB to convert and send wirelessly to the headphones. Impressive versatility.



The WP10s do not really change drastically over time with burn in, but they offer two different sound signatures depending on if they are in wireless or wired mode.
The sound signature when using them with the cable is natural and accurate, quite close to the HP100. The bass is light, but very tight and precise, mids are full of detail, highs are clear and expansive, and the soundstage is large and well layered for a closed back headphone.
In wireless mode again, they become real powerhouses, dynamic and fun sounding. The bass is strong but very well presented and tight, mids are warm but still detailed and the highs are clear and crisp. The soundstage seems larger in wireless mode, which is nice surprise.



My test tracks sound very powerful and musical, the WP10s really kick life into the music, and to be totally wireless is a real sense of freedom. These are my favourite headphones for their combination of versatility and sound quality.

To sum up.
The good: excellent sound quality, excellent build quality, wired or wireless use.
The bad: nothing really, except that they are not easily available for purchase.



Verdict: great sounding wireless headphones for many uses, highly recommended!





Yuin


Yuin G2A






Yuin earphones are highly regarded within the audiophile communities, but not so well known to the masses. What we have here is the clip-on model G2A with an RRP of $49 or around 30.

Build quality and accessories.
The 120cm/47in cable is soft with a nice rubbery feeling to it, and has a straight jack at the end. The housing is mainly made of metal with the back being brushed aluminium, the earhooks are plastic, all in all they look classy. The accessory pack consists of one pair of spare ear cushions. A pouch of some sort would have been nice to include, even if the box can be used for storing them.

Comfort.
They are light and comfortable once you get used to wearing them, but they may not suit people with specs. They clip-on your ears with the earhook and while they do stay in place, the fit is not the best possible for my ears at least, more about this later on. Having said that, the clip-on design may be preferred by some as well, for the easy and unobtrusive way of use.

Its all about the sound.
The G2As need burning in to sound their best, the manufacturer recommends 100 hours. Once settled they sound powerful with a nice detail and a soundstage to match. The low end is full and warm, the mids are natural sounding with good detail, the highs are bright and lively. My favourite tracks sound well presented with a warm and smooth sound all over. Even if the G2As sound good when worn as intended, they sound even nicer if I press them tighter against my ears. One thing about the clip-on is that I could not get a tight fit against my ears which meant that the sound was leaking out instead of being channeled into my ears. This varies from user to user, and they may very well be a perfect fit for others. However you can use a cheap headband and modify the G2As to supra aural headphones, this helps the possible fitting issues and gives even better sound.

To sum up.
The good, the full sound with a nice detail and relaxed warmness, exclusive looks.
The bad, the clip-on style to wear them will not suit all users.

I do recommend the Yuin G2As, but keep in mind that they may have fitting issues for some. They do sound very good for the asking price though.





Zagg

Zagg ZR-LE



First of all a big thank you to Nate at Zagg for making this review possible.



Specs.
Dynamic driver, 50mm
Frequency range: 20 Hz 20 KHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 107 dB/mW
Price: $129.99

Build quality and accessories.
The build quality is excellent, and the looks are striking with the dark wood and black leather. The detachable 120cm cable is soft, and it terminates in a straight jack. There are no accessories included, the cable, the headphones, and the retail box they came in, and thats it.



Comfort and fit.
The LEs are light and comfortable to use even for longer listening sessions. The headband can be adjusted for length and the earcups swivel and fold. The on ears design means that isolation from ambient noise is not really from the top drawer, but once the music starts playing the isolation is surprisingly good. There are no microphonic noises from the cable.



Sound quality.
The LEs sound very good straight out of the box, and do not really change with burn in. Thanks to the wooden chambers they offer a natural yet powerful and lush sound with detailed mids and highs, which happens to be my personal favourite among sound signatures.
The low end is powerful with great impact and nice texture, the mids are warm but natural sounding with good detail and the highs are well expanding. The soundstage is bigger than average and nicely layered with very good positioning.

My favourite tracks sound absolutely spot on, vocals and guitars sound excellent and very true to life, while there still is a nice punch in the low end when needed. The warm and lush sound really spellbinds me, and maybe I am being biased in my opinion, but the Zagg ZR-LEs are gorgeous in both sound and look.



To sum up.
The good, excellent sound, striking looks.
The bad, nothing really.

Verdict.
The Zagg ZR-LEs are superb for the asking price. Did I already mention the gorgeous looks? Highly recommended!





Zomo


Zomo HD-1200





Specs.
Closed dynamic driver, 50mm
Frequency range: 3Hz 30KHz
Impedance: 24Ohm
Sensitivity: 110dB/mW
Colour: black, also available in white, orange, gold, white/blue or white/orange
Price: 69



Build quality and accessories.
The build quality is excellent. The housing is made of plastic with what seems to be metal enforcement, and the headband is metal covered in soft leather. There are two cables, one coiled and one straight, both have a 90 degree jack at the end and both are around 300cm long.
The included accessories are, the aforementioned two cables, two earpads (fabric and leather), a 3.5 to 6.3 mm jack adapter and a soft pouch. Excellent!



Comfort and fit.
The HD-1200s are very comfortable to wear, and at 265 gram they do not feel too heavy either. The headband is nicely padded and applies just the right pressure for ultimate comfort as well as perfect fit. The earpads are very soft and well sealing around the ear, and as a closed back design the HD-1200s offer very good isolation, for a headphone.
There are next to no microphonic noises from the cable.



Sound quality.
The HD-1200s do not really change drastically over time with burn in.

The HD-1200s have two sound signatures, they change depending on the earpads used. The fabric earpads give a warm and smooth sound signature, while the leather earpads give a slightly more cold and neutral sound signature.
The attack and sub bass is very good, the mids are smooth and lush, and the highs are slightly in the background due to the overall warmness of the presentation. This changes to more detailed mids and overall more audible highs when you swap to the soft leather earpads.
The soundstage is very nicely layered and surprisingly big for a closed back headphone, the imaging is very good as well.

The HD-1200s are made for DJ monitoring, and they are well suited for monitoring when used with the leather earpads, the fabric ones may be a bit on the warm side to be ideal for accurate monitoring, but they certainly offer a very nice sound.

My test tracks and all other music I have tried, sound very good with great dynamics and musicality.
The HD-1200s can be driven by a mp3 player as well as a high-end system, but the more power they are fed, the better they sound.



To sum up.
The good: great sound, great accessories, great isolation.
The bad: the mids could possibly be more forward, but this is nitpicking really.

Verdict: the Zomo HD-1200s may have a budget price, but are far from budget in build and sound quality. Highly recommended!