Tag: headphones

Gear by Joe WilcoxNov 25, 201512:40 am

Painful Parting

Last night, I returned to Amazon the Sennheiser Momentum 2 wireless headphones received on Nov.8, 2015. The retailer promises full refund. My ears ache from using them, even with the volume low. The problem is bass response, which is too intense for my aged ears. At the same time, I removed the Grado Labs RS1e from Craigslist. I will keep the wired cans.

I let go the Bluetooth set reluctantly. I like the design, construction, materials, and controls. Wireless connects easily and provides ample volume. But bass booms, and the devices on which I listen have limited graphic equalizer or none at all.

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 13, 20157:22 am

Flickr a Day 317: ‘Jacky’

Are you feeling lucky? We come to our third Friday the 13th in 2015 (there is but one next year). The other two were in February and March on Days 44 and 72. Good photographers make their own luck, as Teymur Madjderey did the last time there was Friday 13th in November, 2009, while traveling in southern Germany (he lives in Cologne, which is his hometown).

“This was taken in a very nice hotel in Karlsruhe”, he says, “in the Hotel Der Blaue Reiter. Gotta get back there at some point and discover the other great rooms they have”. Our runner-up better shows off the room. Teymur used the same model for both photos. He shot self-titled “Jacky” using Nikon D3 and 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Vitals: f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/200 sec, 29mm.

Gear by Joe WilcoxNov 8, 20153:02 pm

Sennheiser Momentum 2 First Impressions

In middle age, my ears can’t tolerate booming bass any longer. Seems like amped lows is the state of audio design, and this is unfortunately standard among wireless cans. That’s one reason I use Grado Labs’ Rs1e reference headphones, which give better balance across the range, particularly warm midrange and highs.

But the RS1e means a cord, which largely inconveniences my digital lifestyle. I would rather listen to music, podcasts, and such while on the move in the apartment, or elsewhere. My last set of Bluetooth cans delivered way too much bass, and I sold them when buying the Grados. Last night, after reading professional and purchaser reviews, I bought a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 wireless headphones from Amazon, My quick, out-of-box impressions follow.

Gear by Joe WilcoxMar 15, 20154:01 pm

The Grados Prayer in C

While no geek, I still appreciate good tech. Nexus 6 and Grado Labs RS1e headphones are two of my four best acquisitions made since summer 2014, and both will be reviewed—ah, someday soon. The others: Fujifilm X100T used to take the above photo and Chromebook Pixel LS received two days ago.

Too often, the measure of quality cans is classical music. Bah! Modern headphones should encompass a complete tonal range—not just the highs of the great dead composers’ violins or the lows from the thumping bass preferred by the Beats generation. Fullness and roundness are exactly what the RS1e deliver to my aging ears. Today, I listened to a song surprisingly showing the headphones’ tonality, streamed from Google Music to, yeah, the N6.

Music by Joe WilcoxAug 4, 20142:39 pm

Grados Grab an Earfull

I am not big on selfies, but Grado Labs headphones require visuals to appreciate, because they’re like none other. I cleaned out all my birthday money and added Craigslist sales (e.g., my Sony Premium Bluetooth headphones) to buy a pair of RS1e. About 18 months ago, I sold my RS1i for the wireless convenience of the Sonys and regretted right away.