Reviewing Headphones / Earphones

[Andy Grange]

Hi I've asked this question before on here; when you review your headphones how do you test the quality of them when out and about? I'd imagine quite a large proportion of headphone listeners will be listening on the move; how can your tests be accurate to these type of users when this isn't something you don't appear to test? When I asked a similar question a few months ago, one of the team agreed that it was a good idea. However, after reading the latest online reviews I still get the feeling any headphones are being tested in a single test room. To be honest I've had to look elsewhere for headphone reviews, as I have yet to see mention of regular issues such as cable thump in your reviews. This isn't meant as a moan, just what I see as an opportunity to improve reviews that hasn't been taken.

 

[Andy Clough]

If they're noise-cancelling ones then yes, we certainly do use them out and about for obvious reasons. Regular ones get reviewed in the test rooms and often get used in other parts of the office or at home, but not always on the move.

 

[Andy Grange]

Thanks for your reply Andy. Do you feel that regular issues such as cable thump are aptly tested for headphones that aren't noise cancelling? The only reason I ask is I've read a number of reviews on the Klipsch X10i's, and this particular issue has been mentioned in a number of other reviews. This is not to say that your review is incorrect, I just find it strange that it never gets mentioned. I personally have had issues with cable thump on a number of pairs of earphones so it's something I have to take into account before purchasing a new set.

Thanks again for your speedy reply.

 

[Clare Newsome]

It's definitely something we check for - and also advise that reducing/eliminating it is often a simple matter of looping cable over your ears before inserting earbuds (which also keeps them more secure, which helps all-round performance). And we'll note when designs make that impossible, too.

 

[Anonymous]

On another issue relating to earphones (particularly in ear models), can you please make more of an effort to review different brands than just the usual big boys in the playground? There are a whole host of models out there that are now available through reputable uk resellers online that offer much better value for money than the likes of the Klipsch Images X10s, which you strangely always rave about. The X10s are ok, but overpriced for what they are (single BA, shoddy strain relief) and have been superceded these days by double and triple armature 'phones, not to mention new designs such as the dual dynamic driver Radius DDMs and the 'moving armature' Ortofon e-q7s.

There's no real reason why you should stick to just the recognisable likes of Shure and Sennsheiser etc when doing your reviews. Broaden your sweep and you'll find heaps of choice at all price levels that could really lead to some interesting articles for your readers.

Personally, i'd love to see a high end universal iem supertest that faced the new Shure SE535 off against the Earsonics SM3, the Westone W3 and UM3X, Senn IE8, JVC HA-FX700, etc. You could even throw those X10s in to the ring to see how they truly fare against their peers...

One can but dream though eh?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Thanks for the suggestions - we're happy to test any products that are readily available in the UK.

For example, the next issue includes reviews for headphonels from Blackbox, Genius, Jaybird and Santok, alongside established brands.

Our online headphone reviews show we've tested models from more than 20 brands...... but there's always room for more!

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:
Thanks for the suggestions - we're happy to test any products that are readily available in the UK.

For example, the next issue includes reviews for headphonels from Blackbox, Genius, Jaybird and Santok, alongside established brands.

Our online headphone reviews show we've tested models from more than 20 brands...... but there's always room for more!

Good stuff, thanks for the response. I assume all those brands you mention are headphones rather than earphones?

Given the huge rise in the portable player market over the last few years, it might actually be worth giving more time to in ear phones alongside home listening headphones. We all seem to be working longer and longer hours for less disposable income, and its a lot cheaper to get great sounding portable set ups than it used to be. My Cowon J3 and Earsonics SM3s cost me about £550 in total - which might seem a lot, but it sounds amazing and is nothing compared to the cost of a good home system.

Maybe you could do a feature on portable music that covered a range of players and their synergy with various earphones? I'm mystified, for example, by the degree of love you have for Apple, when their players don't even allow customisable equalisation, have un-upgradable memory and wont let you play flac files. I recently sold my latest gen iPod Classic for the Cowon J3 and couldnt be happier. On a purely sound quality basis, it kicks the Classic in the teeth.

In that sense, What Hi-Fi is no different to other tech mags on the market such as T3 or Stuff, both of which also share the same narrow focus and dribbling desire to hype Apple as modern gods. It would be good to see you putting some ground between yourselves and them by showing a bit more independence and variety.

 

[Clare Newsome]

bennyboy71:
I assume all those brands you mention are headphones rather than earphones?

Nope - mix of both. And including Bluetooth models.

bennyboy71:

Given the huge rise in the portable player market over the last few years, it might actually be worth giving more time to in ear phones alongside home listening headphones.

In line with the market - with in-ear headphones taking a majority share of sales - we cover more in-ears than over-ear headphones these days. Half of our headphone archive - as linked to in my post above - is of in-ear designs.

bennyboy71:
I'm mystified, for example, by the degree of love you have for Apple, when their players don't even allow customisable equalisation, have un-upgradable memory and wont let you play flac files. I recently sold my latest gen iPod Classic for the Cowon J3 and couldnt be happier. On a purely sound quality basis, it kicks the Classic in the teeth.

Pleased you love your player - but could equally say i'm mystified by the love many people have for Cowon. We've reviewed many of their players and have yet to rate one as five stars. We should get the J3 in - maybe it'll be the one to convince us!

bennyboy71:

In that sense, What Hi-Fi is no different to other tech mags on the market such as T3 or Stuff, both of which also share the same narrow focus and dribbling desire to hype Apple as modern gods. It would be good to see you putting some ground between yourselves and them by showing a bit more independence and variety.

We are fully independent, thanks very much. We just happen to rate the Apple players very highly so far - as do many, many other reviewers and (more importantly) consumers.

 

[Anonymous]

Cool. Again, good to have such a prompt reply.

Cowon's rule! he he. Seriously, give the J3 a go, Claire - you might like it. It's funny that you say Apple are popular with consumers, but really thats beside the point, don't you think? People are a bit dim and do what they're told to do in the main, and the marketing pound/dollar has more muscle than most governments these days, so its hardly surprising large corps such as Apple get big bites of the purchasing pie. Even Steve's surname is more corporate than creative. Sure, they look pretty and are easy to use, but when it comes to giving the user freedom of their choice to play and tweak around with their settings, they are sorely lacking. Why don't you make more of the fact that there is no custom eq on their products? That strikes me as a very troubling feature indeed.

And oh, I'm not saying you're not independent, of course, but at times the mag does come across a bit catholic and predictable in its tastes. Guess there's a certain demographic you're aiming for - the low end of high-end, so to speak - but that shouldn't preclude exploring slightly more kooky, innovative designs.

Anyway, thats my 5ps worth

ps. why not ditch the guide that takes up half the mag, make it online only and devote the rest of the space to more indepth reviews? It looks weighty on the shelf of WH Smiths, for sure, but its skimmable in minutes for regular readers who can disregard the back pages, and a bit too bite-size chunky as a result of trying to cram too much into too little space.. ..

 

[Clare Newsome]

Extensive research shows the Buyer's Guide is one of the main reasons many readers buy What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision, so we won't be ditching it any time soon!

The good news for regular readers is that we've got a full revamp from the very next issue - on sale in shops by 24th August; with subcribers from the 19th - that adds more of everything in the front half of the magazine. That includes more pages, more features, more advice and more room for longer reviews....

 

[Andy Grange]

Clare Newsome:
Extensive research shows the Buyer's Guide is one of the main reasons many readers buy What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision, so we won't be ditching it any time soon!

Really? I would imagine most people would aren't regular purchasers would pick the mag up, look up how many stars whatever they're thinking about getting actually received, note down a few alternatives, then put it back on the shelf and save a few quid! Not that I've done it, or ever seen anyone else doing exactly the same thing, mind.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Ah, but you're assuming they know what they want to buy. For many people, a magazine is still the starting place for their pre-purchase research. Eg 'We need a new TV - wonder what's on the market'. The fact that each of our issues features both the latest reviews and a market overview for each category enables us to provide more inspiration....

 

[Anonymous]

Good news that you're expanding the front section. If you maybe now decrease the font size of the guide so you need a magnifying glass to read it, the mag would be much better balanced.