ultimate

The $1,350 'earbud': Is it worth it?

The Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors are really expensive, but the best stuff always is. Then again, $1,350 may be a lot for headphones, but it's cheap for state-of-the-art speakers. Wilson Audio's Sasha W/P floorstanding speaker is in the middle of the company's line, and it goes for $27,000 a pair; Magico's entry-level tower model, the V2, runs $18,000 a pair. The UE 18 Pro is on par with them, it's that good. It's the best headphone UE makes, but UE's custom fitted models start at $399 for the UE 4 Pro, and universal fit UE models start at $50.

The UE 18 Pro is no "earbud," those things are placed in the cupped area around the outer ear canal; in-ear headphones fit into and, most importantly, seal the ear canal. The isolation from outside noise allows listening at significantly lower volume, so it's safer to rock out with in-ears than earbuds. The UE 18 Pro's custom fit (more about that later) hushes outside noise more completely than standard in-ear designs. With external noise hushed, you hear a lot more detail and subtlety from your music.

Never heard of Ultimate Ears? That's understandable; the company originally made its mark building custom in-ear stage monitors for musicians, including Aerosmith, Arcade Fire, Mary J. Blige, John Fogerty, the Rolling Stones, Linkin Park, and hundreds of other touring bands.

I'll tell you this: the UE 18 Pro is drastically better than say, my old favorite: the Etymotic ER-4P in-ears. That's not to take anything away from the ER-4P, but it sounds constrained and contained compared with the UE 18. It's hardly a fair comparison, the ER-4P lists for around $300, the UE 18 Pro is $1,350, plus the expense of getting custom ear molds made (figure about $100). Each UE 18 Pro is a one-of-a-kind creation, hand-built for your ears. … Read more

Hifiman HM-801 vs. iPod, Zune: A sound winner?

Sure, iPods and Zunes can sound perfectly fine, but no one ever claimed they were bona fide portable high-end audio devices. Their "good enough" sound isn't entirely their fault: they're too small to house a battery potent enough to power a high-quality headphone amplifier and a high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz digital-to-analog converter.

The Hifiman High Fidelity Music Player HM-801 is the Hummer of portables; it's big enough to get the job done. It's 3 inches wide, 4.5 inches high, and 1 inch thick; that's about the size of an old Walkman cassette player from the 1980s. Hifiman doesn't say how much the HM-801 weighs, but it feels substantial.

If Apple wanted to build something as good or better, it could, but the potential market for something that sounds better than an iPod is probably insignificant, and certainly too small for Apple or Microsoft to bother with. They're too busy jamming more features into their players, and sound quality never makes the cut. Besides, the market demands ever cheaper products, and real quality is never cheap. so the HM-801 is downright pricey.

That's another way of saying it's aimed at the sort of music lover who's already invested in a set of top-of-the-line Etymotic, Grado, Klipsch, Monster, Shure, or Ultimate Ears headphones. If you have and you're using an iPod or Zune, you're not hearing all the sound quality you paid for with those headphones.

The HM-801 was conceived as an audiophile player, so non-sound-oriented features are pretty scarce. The HM-801 has a user removable headphone amplifier circuitboard/module that makes future upgrades easy as pie. Hifiman already has one such upgrade in the works, a $170 board specifically designed to maximize detail and resolution of high-end in-ear headphones. Looking inside the HM-801--it has removable panels--so you can see it features top quality components, like a Burr-Brown PCM1704U digital-to-analog converter and Burr-Brown OPA627 Op-Amp. This is a level of technology normally found in audiophile home componentry, and never before used in a portable music player. … Read more

Exclusive: Hands-on with Ultimate Genesis Collection for iPhone

Regardless of how you feel about playing games on an iPhone--or iPad for that matter--Sega is bringing classic Genesis titles to the platform. We first told you about the Ultimate Genesis Collection app two weeks ago; here's a follow-up with some exclusive hands-on impressions.

Like most games that originated in the world of controllers, the Ultimate Genesis Collection relies on virtual buttons placed on the sides of the screen. You also have the option to play games in their original aspect ratio, which will put a graphic border around the game screen.

Sonic the Hedgehog looked great, though we did notice a slight dip in frame rate. There's a certain magic missing from the iPhone version that the classic was able to generate, most likely because the virtual controls aren't as solid as we would have liked. Precise controls are a must in games like Sonic, so it's going to take a lot of getting used to for those familiar with the speed of the original. A game like Ecco the Dolphin seemed slightly better in terms of control (it's a slower game), though a learning curve is still present here. … Read more

Ultimate Genesis: Sega's official console emulator for iPhone

Apple's finicky about emulators in the App Store, but most of the candidates have been unofficial, and dubiously legal. Sega's Ultimate Genesis, though, is official, and looks like a full virtual console for your iPhone.

Sega's released a pile of classic games in the App Store, all of which were technically emulated; the apps were emulators and ROMs, all packaged into one. (This made the adaptions faithful, if a little slow on non-3GS hardware.) Now, with the App Store's in-app purchasing system, they can do it right: the free app, which should show up sometime today … Read more

Now hear this: Audio at CES 2010

I didn't go to CES, but a lot of my friends did. I call them all the time, and they don't seem to be all that jazzed about what they're seeing. "Nothing new" is what I keep hearing, but there were a few juicy tidbits to be found.

The new 3D TVs and Blu-ray players may or may not render the AV receiver you bought way back in 2009 obsolete. I can't get a consistent answer to the question: do you need a receiver with HDMI 1.4 to pass 3D program material to your 3D TV? You may not care about 3D, but if you do please direct your anger at the consumer electronics industry that regularly leaves its client base high and dry. We'll have to see how 1.4 works out.

Ultimate AV magazine was impressed with the Manley Stingray iTube stereo integrated amplifier. Sure, we've seen vacuum tube iPod dock/amps before, but this is the first one with real audiophile appeal. The blue LED displays surrounding the input and volume knobs can be dimmed down or turned off entirely. Manley makes truly stellar tube electronics for audiophiles and the pro market. … Read more

Perfect8 shatters wallet with $566,000 glass-speaker system

Getting crystal clear sound never comes cheap, but Perfect8 Technologies' ultimate Perfect8 5.1 system shatters the price ceiling for glass-speaker systems.

The $566,000 ensemble consists of two Force tower speakers for the front left and right, a Force Center channel speaker, and a pair of Point speakers as surround speakers. If stereo is all that you need, a pair of Points go for a more modest $149,000. The advanced-technology designs represent the latest thinking in "see through," highly transparent sound quality.

Perdect8 Technologies is a Swedish manufacturer of high-end ribbon tweeters. dynamic loudspeakers, and subwoofers. The company was founded in 2005 with a mission: produce the world's most exclusive and best sounding loudspeaker systems.

Since I haven't actually heard any Perdect8 speakers, I'm in no position to judge their sound; however, the company is developing a buzz among adventurous and wealthy audiophiles.

I discovered Perfect8 Technologies' glass speakers on the Ultimate AV Web site.

You'll find more images of Perfect8 Technologies' glass speakers after the jump.… Read more

JH Audio in-ear headphones: Worth $1,099?

If you have ears, prepare to open them now.

I've just reviewed a bunch of contenders for the world's best full-size, over-the-ear headphone: Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Grado PS-1000, Sennheiser HD 800, Stax SR-007Mk2, and Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones--and all boast higher MSRPs than the JH Audio JH 13 Pro in-ear headphone.

Sure, full-size headphones can be used with iPods and MP3 players with varying degrees of success, but they're a lot more of a hassle to lug around than the JH 13 Pro. Honestly, I prefer the sound and comfort of over-the-ear models compared with in-ear headphones. Then again, the JH 13 Pro is a very different type of in-ear design, it uses six drivers--two woofers, two midranges, and two tweeters--to lower distortion compared with other in-ear designs. It's a difference I can hear.

The JH 13 Pro's resolution of fine detail is extraordinary, drums sound more realistic than I've heard from any other type of headphone. The JH 13 Pro is "fast," cymbals' shimmer and sparkle the way they do in real life, and when a drummer whacks his sticks against the drums' metal rims, the sound is more realistic. Dynamic oomph and slam are the best I've heard from an in-ear headphone.

The JH 13 Pro's bass goes deeper than any in-ear headphone to date, but it's the way these headphones decode palpable bass textures that's highly addictive. Electric, acoustic, and keyboard basses sound more different from each other with the JH 13 Pro. Switching over to Monster's excellent new Turbine Pro Gold in-ear headphone ($299) is startling, the Turbines sound mushy and muddled by comparison. The Monster has more mid-bass fullness, which some listeners may prefer. I do not.

The JH 13 Pro's midrange clarity is radically better than any in-ear 'phones I've used to date. Its bass, midrange, and treble are better balanced and accurate than what I'm used to from in-ear designs. … Read more

Which Windows 7 is right for you?

Windows 7 officially will be released to the public on Thursday, and judging by our poll, most CNET readers have already decided to upgrade. For those who haven't, or for those who want a bit more information on just what you're getting with your Windows 7 Starter, Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate, take a look at the chart and explanation below.

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StarterHome PremiumProfessionalUltimate

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32-bit and 64-bit versions32-bit onlyBothBothBoth

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Maximum physical memory (64-bit mode)N/A16 GB192 GB192 GB

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Maximum physical CPUs supported1122

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Home Group (create and join)Join onlyYesYesYes

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Backup and Restore CenterCannot back up to networkCannot back … Read more

Windows 7 to come in 'Steve Ballmer' edition

In case you were worried there weren't enough versions of Windows 7, there's one more to add to the collection.

It's the Steve Ballmer "signature edition." Under the hood it's Windows 7 Ultimate, but on the outside it's got a snazzy look plus the autograph of Microsoft's chief executive. It's not unlike what Microsoft did with Vista, though in that case it was Bill Gates adding his John Hancock to the packaging.

For now, the Ballmer edition is going to those who host one of the Windows 7 house parties.

Microsoft … Read more