Plantronics Voyager Pro HD - Bluetooth Headset - Frustration Free Packaging - Black

Plantronics Voyager Pro HD - Bluetooth Headset - Frustration Free Packaging - Black..

Buy Plantronics Voyager Pro HD - Bluetooth Headset - Frustration Free Packaging - Black By Plantronics

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250 of 266 people found the following review helpful.
Slick design, lightweight, solid noise cancellation and easy listening
By Jerry Saperstein
In our era, the collection of matchbook covers from a thousand restaurants and bars has been superseded by the gaggle of abandoned and unloved Bluetooth headsets. My Plantronics Voyager 510, though, has seen a lot of Bluetooth headsets come and go in its time. For some reason, the 510 has remained my most often used BT headset, despite its very weird power adapter connector.

But the Plantronics Voyager Pro HD may be the new kid on the block and quickly become my go-to Bluetooth headset.

The Pro HD is a beautiful piece of design. It weighs practically nothing and the housing is perfectly designed to slip over and balance on your upper ear. I've worn it for several days now and, with one exception, have almost forgotten it was there. The exception is when I put on or take off my glasses - that requires some maneuvering simply because there isn't that much room between my skull and my ear. So I have to make sure everything is arranged just right.

Plantronics has winnowed down buttons and functions to arrive at an efficient and minimalist three buttons. The Power Button has three functions: 1) power on or off, 2) battery voice level alerts and 3) pairing activation. This last, after so many headsets that force me to remember arcane combinations of two buttons, is a blessing. Hold the power button down until the LED flashes red/blue and you're good to go.

The Volume/Mute Buttons also have three functions: 1) adjust volume level, 2) mute the mic (with a 1 second press of volume + and buttons) and 3) pause/play streaming audio. These buttons are generously sized and rise just a bit above the surface of the case for quick and sure operation.

Finally the Call Button allows you take or end a call, redial, initiate voice dial (if your phone supports it) and reconnect lost connections between the headset and device.

Set-up is dirt simple: hold the power button down for a couple of seconds until the LED flashes red/blue and pair I with your device. I paired it with my Lenovo laptop and Motorola Photon 4G phone in just a few seconds without hassle. The headset will support two device connection profiles.

The Voyager Pro HD is capable of A2DP so you can steam music, podcasts, GPS announcements and the like from a suitably equipped phone or other device. Remember, though, that not all phones and computers support A2DP. Mine do and the unit performed well with Pandora and other streaming audio. Volume could be higher but, frankly, if my hearing were better I probably wouldn't complaining. The headset, by the way, ships with a medium eartip installed and small and large ones in the box. I'm going to try the small eartip to see if I can get a better seal to block extraneous noise.

The microphone is supposed to be noise-cancelling and my tests to date indicate that it does a pretty good job. I tested it with a few online recording services, dictating to Audacity sound editing software and in chatting with people. The humans reported they could hear me clearly and I was, frankly, surprised by the clarity of my voice on the recordings. At some point, I will test it with Dragon Naturally Speaking to see how it works with voice recognition software.

The Voyager Pro HD has sensors and can recognize when the headset is being worn. This is pretty neat stuff. You don't have to keep the headset on your ear all the time. Leave it off and when you put it on to take a call, the headset turns on. Very neat! Likewise, if you leave the headset off and there is an incoming call, the headset will route the call to the phone.

As with many headsets, an incoming call stops audio streaming.

Battery life is excellent, in excess of four hours talk time and I don't know how long it will actually last in standby. Charging is via a standard microUSB port. Plantronics includes an AC adapter and a separate USB cable. Nice of them.

A one-year basic subscription to Dial2Do is included, under the Plantronics Vocalyst branding. Dial2Do is an interesting service allowing you to leave reminders, send and listen to emails and texts - if you pay for an upgraded subscription, post to Twitter and Facebook, connect to EverNote and a little more. It is a pricey service, so check it out thoroughly before you become too enamored of it.

Overall, this is a beautiful Bluetooth headset, not only in terms of the sleek and smooth design, but in the feature set as well. From the simple three-button operation to the excellent noise-cancelling microphone and the pretty good audio output. My favorite feature, though, is the weight and fit of the unit. I can put it on and wear it for hours without any discomfort. That, to me, is very, very cool.

Jerry

290 of 323 people found the following review helpful.
Unpleasant audio; incomplete automatic behavior
By M. Kobb
I purchased this headset from a local store, not from Amazon, because I needed it immediately. But, I read the reviews here and I had high hopes that it would be a great headset for me.

Unfortunately, while the headset has several innovative features and is comfortable and well made, two issues have caused me to return it.

I should start by saying that I used the headset with the iPhone 4S.

First, the good. The headset is comfortable and easy to put on and take off, although the large piece that goes behind the ear is difficult to put on while wearing my Oakley M-frame sunglasses (I have to move the temple on the glasses, put on the headset, then put the glasses back in place). People I called reported that the audio quality was very good. I like that the unit has real volume buttons and a real "answer" button. I like that it shows battery level on the iPhone's screen. I like that when you turn the headset on, if it's on your ear, you hear it report the expected talk time remaining via speech. Bluetooth reception was adequate.

The proximity sensor is a great idea, and some aspects worked well. I *really* liked being able to answer a call or switch to the headset just by putting it on my ear. I will miss this feature a lot! On other headsets, I've had problems where I have been speaking on the handset, and I happen to walk through a room where my Bluetooth headset is sitting. When the headset comes into range, the call switches to the headset, and mayhem ensues. This headset won't do that, because it "knows" that it's not on your ear.

Now, the issues.

First, the audio is, in my opinion, trying too hard to be "HD". It sounds to me as if there is a substantial treble boost applied, so when listening to speech (either on the phone or via A2DP on a podcast), sibilant sounds like "S" are over emphasized and actually a bit painful to have blasted right into the ear. I think the audio would also benefit from some applied dynamic range compression, particularly on phone calls. When driving, if I turn the headset up loud enough to reliably hear the other party, those sibilant sounds are excruciating. And, when the other party happens to shift their own telephone so that their voice gets a bit louder, you really get blasted. Reducing the dynamic range would be entirely appropriate for telephone audio.

Second, despite the great aspects of the proximity sensing feature, it is a bit unreliable, and also not well implemented for A2DP. I had several occasions where putting the headset down on a table caused the proximity sensors to believe that it was on my ear, and this caused paused audio from the iPhone to resume playing -- through the headset I'm not wearing. Result: lost place in my podcast. More bothersome, it continues to accept A2DP audio even when it knows that it's not on your ear. On the iPhone, this means that all iPhone audio signals like text alerts, key clicks, sound effects, etc, are sent to the headset sitting on the desktop, instead of coming out the iPhone's speakers as they should. This really completely defeats the purpose of the proximity sensor, and makes the only viable option turning the headset off completely when it's not in use (so you lose the proximity-based answering feature as well).

I hope Plantronics may address these shortcomings in the future, or perhaps another manufacturer may implement a sensing feature. I will truly miss the parts of this headset that worked well, but I can't risk damaging my hearing with the blasting treble, and I'm tired of missing text alerts on my phone because the audio is not routed properly.

209 of 244 people found the following review helpful.
Great audio and mic quality and features, wish it was a bit more comfy & came with a case
By T. Tom
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1A5C5QC88F0SX Please watch my video review of this Bluetooth headset.

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Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro Interchangeable Lens

Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro Interchangeable Lens..

Buy Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro Interchangeable Lens By Olympus

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57 of 62 people found the following review helpful.
Great Lens
By hp
Bought this from a NYC camera store and was delivered to me 11/11/13. I put myself on the wait list the minute it was announced so I am likely one of the first to get this lens. I have had only a few days worth of shooting but will put my initial impressions here.

Pros:

1. Superb optics. I am not a pixel peeper but no issues at any focal length even wide open. The lens is very sharp with fair contrast. No significant distortion. Slight CA. No noticeable vignetting in real life situations. I am not sure if my EM-5 is correcting for this lens with software. I have not tried on Panasonic bodies. All of this at a constant f2.8 throughout the zoom.

2. Size. No comparison to larger format lenses with a constant 2.8 aperture in this focal range. Others manufacturers might make FF and APS-C cameras smaller and smaller but they cannot match the size of the m4/3 lenses.

3. Very useful zoom range for the average shooter. This can be the one lens you can have for the entire system. It covers semi-wide to semi-long, good for landscapes to portraits. You might want to get prime lenses for bigger aperture, smaller size or shallower DOF/subject isolation but with the newer m4/3 cameras that do well at higher ISO, this lens is fine even for night-time photography.

4. Fantastic build quality. Olympus 75mm might be a tad better made but it is close. I should know; I own most primes from Olympus and Panasonic and a few zooms. I have tried almost every lens made for the m4/3 system from any manufacturer from friends. The lens is solid with good heft but not too heavy. It has good dampened rings which are as good as any m43 lens although inferior to lenses from Leica or older (pre-digital) lenses from Nikon, Canon, Olympus, etc.

5. Looks fantastic. I know it has nothing to do with picture quality but if I was not into visually pleasing things, I would not be into photography in the first place.

6. Lens button. I love the fact I can assign DOF to this.

7. Auto focus/Snap focus. It's as fast and as quiet as any m4/3 lens used on my EM-5. The snap focus feature by pulling the focus ring back is something that gives Olympus a significant advantage over other manufacturers. Brilliant.

8. Included hood and lens pouch. I thought h*ll would freeze over before this would happen. It is getting colder recently.

9. On that topic; weather sealed.

Cons: (Minor)

1. The lens is not fully retracted at 12mm. It is actually fully retracted at 16mm. Thus, if you store with lens at 12mm, the front element is not completely against the body. I am not sure if this will impact durability over time as it is carried/stored.

2. The lens cap is huge (for Olympus). They needed to redesign the lens cap due to the hood but I feel it is too thick now.

3. The lens crashed my EM-5. The camera crashed when I first attached this lens. I am not sure if Olympus will issue a firmware update. It was interesting to find out the power lever on the EM-5 is software based; i.e., flipping it did not turn off the camera when it crashed.

4. Made in China, like iphones, ipads and most other electronics. I was hoping for Made in Japan.

Overall, a great lens and highly recommended for anyone looking for an all-around lens for the m43 system.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
This is not your average Zoom!
By NyArtboy
Honestly, what can I say about this lens that hasn't been already said? This lens has become for many reviewers and bloggers, either the Lens of the year or runner up. This lens has pro level IQ, amazingly fast AF and one of the most useful all around focal range for photography today. at 2x crop factor on m4/3 it behaves like a 24-80mm. It has nice bokeh and good DOF (Depth-of-field) at 35mm+ (70mm) and very sharp at 12mm (24mm) wide angle. Some sites have said that the 12mm f2 lens is slightly sharper but to me it's negligible. PLUS you get all this IQ and focal range in a weatherproof package! Pair that up with the OM-D EM-1 and you have an adventure waiting to happen!

Another question that pops up frequently on blog pages and review sites is the question between this and the high quality prime lenses out there for the m4/3 format. My opinion (just my 2 cents) is if you plan on shooting on nice bright days and don't want the hassle of changing lenses, then bottom line, this is your lens. On sunny/bright days you will end up stopping down the prime lenses anyway so you will get just the same amazing results especially if you pair this with an Olympus OM-D that adds in-body 5-point IS and Chromatic fixes in the software for this specific lens.

On the other hand, if you like to shoot in low light, have no problem switching lenses, and generally want the ability to achieve the maximum DOF (depth of field) you can get on the m/43 format than stick with primes. Though to be fair, the bokeh and DOF is perfectly fine for my taste on this lens at the higher focal lengths. Plus it has an amazingly short focusing distance so you can get pretty darn close to your subject which will increase the DOF as well.

If you are concerned with price, you shouldn't be. A lens of this quality at this price is an amazing deal. Here is my cost comparison/value break down:

If you bought the 12mm F2 and 45mm F1.8 you would be $200 above the cost of this lens (all brand new) and only have 2 focal lengths.
The equivalent price in primes would be the 17mm f1.8 and the 45mm f1.8 but you lose the nice wide angle 12mm focal length and gain possibly the "best portrait lens" for m4/3 cameras with nice creamy bokeh and sharp IQ.
To me the ideal prime set is the 12mm f2, 25mm f1.4 (Panasonic) and 45mm f1.8 which puts you at roughly $1800 give or take.
A nice f2.8 combo would be this lens (12-40mm f2.8 Pro) and the 60mm f2.8 macro giving you a fully capable system of varied focal lengths plus macro and medium telephoto capabilities all for about $1400.

Pros:
Extremely Sharp IQ corner to corner
Super-fast AF (I think faster then my L series lens tbh)
The best and most versatile focal lengths for everyday photography
Ability to get very close to subjects. Just a few inches in fact
Large Aperture for decent bokeh and DOF
Weather-proof!
All metal construction
MF 'choke' design for quick switching to Manual Focus mode
Includes a customizable L-FN button on lens for additional functionality.

Cons:
Big and somewhat heavy (though half the size of lets say the Canon 24-70mm f.28 L) - The size doesn't bother me in the least I have to add. Makes the E-M1 look pretty awesome.
Tube Extends during Zooming (would have liked the elements to stay within the lens, thought this would probably double the price)
Not the smoothest zoom and focus ring on the market. The other primes I have are way smoother. In fact there is small 'tap-like vibrations' when zooming. After speaking with Olympus directly they informed me this is normal operation.
Loses almost 2 stops compared to the primes available today for m4/3 format cameras.

I'm happy to answer questions posted here in Amazon. Good luck!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
Outstanding lens
By M. Gotts
I've owned Olympus' OM-D E-M5 camera body since Christmas 2012. Using the kit 12-50mm and the 40-150mm (24-100mm and 80-300mm 35mm equivalent) lenses I've had a fun year capturing photos. The camera has been everything I wanted it to be, with the exception of being just average tracking kids playing soccer.

But the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens takes the camera to a different level. I thought I was getting decent performance from the 12-50mm lens -- and I thought wrong. It's okay, for what it is, but it's slow (f/6.3 at 50mm) and just average in sharpness. With nothing to compare to, I didn't realize how it was holding back the E-M5's potential.

The 12-40 is truly top caliber. Sharp from corner to corner. Chromatic aberration cannot be found. Fast for extending the E-M5's low light capabilities at modest ISOs (I can gain nearly three stops from the 12-50mm in many situations). On the PC I'll zoom in on shots and be astonished by the crispness that simply didn't exist before.

Having never owned an expensive DSLR (I had a decent Nikon FE2 film body and some Vivitar Series I lenses in the 80's, however), I'd been lulled into thinking the images I was capturing were simply all that such a camera was capable of. The E-M5 is a very good micro four thirds body, after only the new E-M1. What difference could one lens make? Well, as it turns out, a great deal.

The 12-50mm has a smooth motor drive mode for video (which I rarely shoot) and a dedicated macro mode, which is nice. But the 12-40mm, while not being optimized for macro, turns out to be a fully capable macro lens as well, better than the 12-50, IMHO, because of its superior resolution and significantly faster performance and ability to isolate at f/2.8. The only step up for close up photography being to a dedicated macro lens. (And yes, I know that with regards to depth of field it is twice that of a full frame sensor. But f-stop is dimensionless, and with regards to light-gathering-per-sensor-size/exposure/ISO, f/2.8 is f/2.8 is f/2.8, whether it be APS, M43, full frame or a large format camera.)

The only thing I don't like is the price. $1,000 was a big chunk. But the way it has changed the performance of the E-M5 is truly revelatory. There really is a significant optical difference between a decent mainstream consumer lens and a pro level lens. The 12-40 lives on my camera now, and the 12-50 is going to end up on eBay.

If you've got the E-M5 or M1 and can afford it, this lens is a no brainer and will not dissappoint. Since the long end is only 80mm equivalent, I think even Lumix body owners can enjoy it's benefits despite not having the in-camera stabilization that Olympus bodies have.

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Sennheiser HD 380 Pro Collapsible High-End Headphone for Professional Monitoring Use (Black)

Sennheiser HD 380 Pro Collapsible High-End Headphone for Professional Monitoring Use (Black)..

Special Price Sennheiser HD 380 Pro Collapsible High-End Headphone for Professional Monitoring Use (Black) By Sennheiser

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295 of 302 people found the following review helpful.
Stellar Improvements for an Already Amazing Headphone Series
By Travis James
I've been a huge fan and user of Sennheiser headphones for the last three years, and have had many of their headphones (HD200, HD201, HD215, HD280, EH150, CX300 - All still work fantastically, I've just been expanding my collection) as well as a few other brands and models (Sony MDR V700, Pioneer HDJ1000). That being said, I will be reviewing the 380s and how they compare to the HD280s.

First, the construction and design - the 380s have been entirely reworked from the previous 280 design. The ear-pads now sit at an angle to the headband, meaning that they cover the ears completely while still allowing the band to sit comfortably on one's head. Additionally, while they do sit tightly on the ears, there is less of a "vice grip" effect that was heavily criticized for the 280s. Another improvement is that now, while the ear-cushions sit around one's ears, the actual pad on the inside of the cup does not touch one's ear. This arrangement is much more agreeable than the 280s, where the ear-pad was in constant contact. Also, the swivel on the 280s has been reversed in direction. While this is a bit strange, there is still enough give in the cups to allow one ear monitoring (as a DJ, this is invaluable). Just out of curiosity, I compared the noise cancellation to both the Sony MDR-NC7s and the Bose Triports - they were just as good as either of these models (although the Triports leather is much more comfortable). Finally, while they are a bit heavier than other full headsets (7.7 oz), they do not feel as heavy as they should. In fact, they feel much lighter than the 280s (7.8 oz), perhaps because of the new design.

Now, the sound - HUGE HUGE HUGE improvement over the 280s. The 380s provide an even clearer and more analytical sound than their predecessor. Another change has been the soundscape within the ear-cups. The 280s project the sound (in my opinion) as if it were a beam right into the ear canal: the 380s create an environment of sound that surrounds one's ear and draws the listener in. By doing this, it creates a much more enjoyable experience while not sacrificing the clarity of the music. Finally, the bass impact and response have been improved and given some force. Whereas an equalizer had to be used to "correct" the 280s, it is not needed for the 380s. That being said, they are not bass-heavy, just accurate.

Finally, some things to consider. The price tag is $200, so even if you're into music production or DJing (that's why I got them), the price may still be a bit steep. Also, if you do buy these, you MUST increase the bitrate of your MP3s. Anything less than 192 Kbps is just too low, and you WILL NOTICE the lack of clarity (I rip at 320 Kbps, or preferably WAV or FLAC). This being said, an iPod will have no trouble running these headphones, as is a problem with some higher impedance headphones (>64 Ohms).

I wholeheartedly recommend these headphones, for both their clarity and comfort. If you get a chance, swing by your local Guitar Center and give them a listen. I guarantee you'll be in love. If these aren't what you need, be sure to hit [...] and look around. Great info there. Good luck with your decision, and enjoy if you do buy them!!

EDIT - I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but no, I am not paid for my opinions nor in any way do I make money in any audio-related field (as was suggested in one review, though not at me specifically). I'm a grad student in chemistry, and I only purchase items after hours of research. If I seemed somewhat knowledgeable in the field of headphones, it's only because of lots of reading done at head-fi.org and comparing the sounds of different brands. I prefer accuracy (i.e. the "true" nature of the sound) so I love my Sennheisers.

88 of 94 people found the following review helpful.
Good upgrade from the HD 280 Pro
By Dominick
I am going to compare this model to the HD 280 Pro, which I have owned for several years.

My pair of HD 280 Pro's were getting a bit beat up from wear, so I decided to try this updated version. Compared to the 280, these are a more sleeker design, and appear to be better to handle frequent use. The 280 will eventually have cracks in the plastic headband - easily repaired with super glue, and may eventually need taping to hold the parts in place, but this is only a cosmetic flaw. Also, the pads will not fall apart like most Sony and cheaper headphones. The 380 has no parts in the headband to easily break or come lose, so durability is improved. The 380 also comes with a carrying case, that provides a tight fit for getting the coiled cord inside. The 380 is also lighter and requires a little less power from a flash drive player than the 280.

One reason I bought these was because they were advertised to surround the ear, whereas the 280 would rest on my ears (but not uncomfortably so). The 380 does surround the ear and the band provides a tight and fairly comfortable fit for long listening times. Surprisingly, I found that the 280 had a slightly better ability to block the sound of an air cleaner fan in my listening room, otherwise, both models provide good isolation for you and outsiders.

As to sound quality, there is a significant improvement in the bass response of the 380, while the upper frequency response has remained very good. Both models will easily play on a flash or CD player and do not need a separate amplifier. They offer detailed sound reproduction that cheaper headphones lack, and you will notice the difference between lower end MP3 bit rates and higher ones, such as 128 kbps vs. 192 kbps.

The HD 380 costs twice as much as the older model, but I think it is worth it, especially if you are deciding between the two. Better design, better bass response, carrying case, and fit over the ears. While I have high quality earphones, I still prefer the feel of bass sounds delivered by headphones, especially for trance, rock and other kinds of music that heavily use percussion.

148 of 173 people found the following review helpful.
Sennheiser HD 380 pro Versus Competition
By Jerry Alessandro
In my quest to search for the best closed, non-noise-cancelling headphones that will do a satisfactory job of isolating the engine rumble of the bus that I take to and from work, I found that the choices are very few. I ultimately decided on purchasing two pairs, the Sennheiser HD 380 pro and the Shure SRH840. Prior to testing the differences between these two headphones, I ran both of them through my home audiophile stereo system at high volume for over 50 hours each plus another 20 hours each of casual listening to and from work.

First, the dimensions of each can. The Senn's are bigger and more oval shaped than the Shures. The Senn's cans measure approximately 4 9/16 inches by 3 7/16 inches, while the Shure's is more roundish, although still oval, measuring about 4 2/16 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The longer length of the Senn's may bother people like myself who suffer from TMJ syndrome (jaw problem due to clenching), which may also be further induced by its vice like pressure. The Shure's are not long enough to reach my jaw, and they fit more loosely but still snug enough to keep firmly on my head. The depth, the length of the outside of the leather that covers your ears to the felt of the inside of the can, is 1 1/16 inches in the Senn's and only about 3/4 of an inch for the Shures. This is a huge difference. My normal size ears actually touch the inside felt of the Shure's, but this rarely bothered me. This vast difference led me to believe that the Senn's will have a better soundstage; however, I was not able to detect any difference. The Senn's have a very thin and porous felt, and it is easy to see the speaker. However, the Shure's felt is thicker and far less porous, and therefore, it is not possible to see the speaker. Perhaps the speaker in the Shure's is further recessed, which may be the reason that I was not able to detect a difference in the soundstage.

I like the fact that the Shure's wire is a screw on, so if the wire breaks, it can be replaced. I believe that the Senn's wire is a permanent fixture, but I am not certain; however, I do know that they are not the screw on type. Although they both come with a case, I much prefer the Senn's case. It is a somewhat hard case, but at the same time somewhat soft - difficult to explain. Anyway, it is very cool. It even has a strap like handle - very cool. It fits very easily in my briefcase. The headphone case has a zipper and can be completely enclosed. The Shure's case is leather with a draw string, but it cannot be completely enclosed, and takes up a lot more space in my briefcase, and is not nearly as cool. I was not impressed.

In my subjective casual listening to these headphones during my commute to and from work, I felt that the Senn's isolated the outside sounds of the engine rumbles of the bus perhaps 10%-20% better than the Shures. I did a more objective test in my house, as I put the headphones on without music and listened to my air conditioner. The Senn's clearly isolated better. Still, the Shure's did a satisfactory job.

Now it was time to test the sound. First, I wanted to know if the headphones would sound different through an mp3 player (320 bit rate) compared to through my stereo system. I did a blind test. The difference was clear - it took me only between 5 and 10 seconds to know which sounded better. I came up with the same results time and time again. The headphones sounded superior, much cleaner and sharper, when connected to my home stereo. I am not sure how much of the difference was due to the mp3's compressed sound of the copy or to the huge difference in the quality between my audiophile stereo amplifier to the low quality amp of the mp3 player. However, my test may lead me to one day buy a portable amplifier for my headphones, if a company ever comes up with a high quality amp that uses a rechargeable battery instead of a 9v battery lasting only a week or two.

I wanted to know which is more efficient ( obtaining more headphone volume at the same amp volume setting.) I raised the volume in my amp until I was able to hear something. This test proved to me that the Senn's are efficient but only sightly. I used music with only midrange in this test.

Now I wanted to see which headphones sound better - at least to my ears. To me, better means more faithful frequency response, extended bass, and crisp and open sound. I used my audiophile stereo system as the reference. I listened to songs that I am very familiar with - Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Chicago, Elton John, Melissa Manchester, Kelly Clarkson, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, George Winston, and Johann Sebastian Bach. I listened for many hours. I listened at high volumes and at very, very, low volumes. There is definitely a huge difference in the sound. By far the biggest difference is in the middle to high part of the bass, such as sounds produced by the bass guitar, bass drums, and synthesizer bass. I am completely convinced that the Senn's have an exaggerated mid to high bass. The Shure's mid to high bass always sounded far closer to the faithfulness of my reference. The difference is staggering. The only reason that I still listen to the Senn's with music with a lot of mid to high bass is that the rumble of the busses dampen the exaggerated bass; however, once I step off the bus, I always wish that I was listening to the Shure's. So, when I listen to say Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, and Chicago, I much prefer to listen to the Shure's.

I must say, however, that although the Senn's mid to high bass is definitely exaggerated, its mids and high are impressive enough and the bass is tight enough, that the whole music spectrum can still be appreciated. However, the whole music spectrum is more appreciated with the Shure's, as it too has a tight bass and has mids and highs that are even more impressive than the Senn's.

Listening to music having a deeper bass than mentioned above, for example the plucking of the bass fiddle in Count Basie's CB Express and Satin Doll, the Senn's were a little more impressive than the Shure's. Going still deeper in the bass, the bowing (you know, when the musician uses the bow in the string instrument) in Bach's concertos, I was surprised to find out that the Shure's went equally deep as the Senn's. With bass this deep, it is nearly impossible to exaggerate the bass, so ultimately the headphones with the more powerful bass is the one with the better deep bass. I found that sometimes the Senn's sounded slightly better and at times the Shure's sounded slightly better. At one part of the music, I decided to listen at the lowest possible volume to find out at what volume would I not be able to hear the bass anymore. The Shure's actually did slightly better than the Senn's during this test. However, at a different part of another concerto, I felt something in the bass with the Senn's that I felt less of with the Shure's. Consequently, my impression with the deepest part of the bass is a mixed conclusion and the differences only slight.

When I tested the mid range to high ends, I found that the Shure's made this musical spectrum sound more separated from the bass than the Senn's, but I was not certain if it was due to the exaggeration of the mid to high bass of the Senns's. However, when I listened to Bach, which mostly lacks mid to high bass, the mids and highs still sounded more separate from the bass with the Shure's. Cymbals in every music that I listened to almost always sounded more crisp and clear with the Shure's. Still, they never sounded too bright or tinny.

All the other closed, non-noise cancelling headphones that I tested at the stores simply could not match the noise isolation of the Shure's and Senn's. However, I think that the Sony MDR 900's came the closest. I did not buy the Sony's because they were too loose fitting on me. If you want headphones that have high quality sound but you are a little less concerned about isolation from outside sounds than I am, I would consider the Shure's SRH840 and the Sony MDR 900. If you are not concerned about isolation at all, then there are many, many more choices. The Denon's 2000's is just one example of a solid choice for those who want high quality sound and do not care less about isolation, but, as I mentioned, there are many, many other choices. I just wish there were more choices for folks like myself who want to enjoy listening to music while being in the middle of a raucous of a big city. For now, the Sennheiser HD 380 pro and Shure SRH840 may be the two best choices available for those who need the very best of noise isolation, without the noise-cancelling technology.

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Centon DSP2GB10PK 10 x 2GB Multi-pack Pro USB Flash Drive (Grey)

Centon DSP2GB10PK 10 x 2GB Multi-pack Pro USB Flash Drive (Grey)..

Special Price Centon DSP2GB10PK 10 x 2GB Multi-pack Pro USB Flash Drive (Grey) By Centon

Most helpful customer reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
Not worth the time or the money
By eq
I ordered 5 packs (50 total) of these flash drives for students at my school to save information for a project.

1 - They took longer to arrive that originally estimated, despite the fact that I paid for expedited shipping.

2 - I only received 45 total flash drives (the shipment was short 5 flash drives). When I contacted the seller (TigerDirect.com), they told me either I would have to return the entire order and have it re-shipped, or contact the manufacturer. Does it make sense to return 45 flash drives to get 5 that are missing? SO frustrating. I still do not have a resolution and I still do not have my 5 flash drives.

3 - Of the 45 flash drives I DID receive, 4 of them did not work. 10% of what I ordered is defective. But then, I would have to return the ENTIRE ORDER to have these replaced.

Don't waste your time or your money. Go through a wholesale flashdrive distributor that can provide you with better service, accurate orders, and a quality product. You might pay a little more, but you'll be happier in the long run.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful.
Looks OK until you actually use it
By cmltsang
I've ordered this product a month prior to I actually use it. Seller refused to refund now.
My experience was that after I stored some files into a flash drive, when I wish to retrieve it from another computer, it pop up with a "format drive" request. My technician said if I click "Yes", all files stored would be erased. If I click "No", it does not help me to open the drive. Still I cannot retrieve it.
It may not happen to all of the 10 pieces. I used 3, one of them showed it. I'm worrying when the other 2 will have the same problem. I cannot give my client something unrealiable.
I'm seeking a manufacturer return/replacement now.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Does the job it is designed for...
By TJackson
I bought this drive for my office. Several people use them, and not one has ever complained to me about them. We simply plug in the drive and upload files. Then take them where ever we go, or hand them out to whoever needs the information. Two thumbs up!

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