headphones

While Jasmine was busy freaking out over the Klipsch Image X5 earphones last week, I found myself bouncing back and forth between the company's line of professional earphones: the Klipsch Custom 2 and Klipsch Custom 3.

Unlike the lightweight and delicate design of the Image series, the Custom series is built for abuse. The earphones include dual-balanced armatures, braided cloth cables, five pairs of ear tips, flex wire ear fittings, and a zip-up softshell case.

Quality doesn't come cheap, however. The Custom 2s cost $199 and the Custom 3s will set you back $299. But are they worth … Read more

Foam tips on earbuds, and sweet sound from players. To name but two. You may think that reviewing products for CNET would have me going gaga for gadgets, but in fact, I'm a bitter, jaded individual. I am extremely hesitant to drop my hard-earned cash on new technology, mostly because I live in constant fear that something newer and better is just around the corner. I sat on my dead iBook for well over three months waiting for new, cheaper MacBooks (only to be sorely disappointed--$999 for the previous generation, Steve?! Really?).

But that's not to say … Read more

Earbuds are subject to personal taste perhaps more than any other gadget, making them ideal candidates for a head-to-head battle. This first-ever earbud Prizefight pits two sound-isolating sets against one another: the Shure SE310 Sound Isolating Earphones and the Klipsch Image X5 Earphones.

Both pairs are of the canalbud variety, meaning they must be inserted into the ear canal for optimal sound and fit. By nature, these earphones are ultraportable and durability can be an issue because of their small size. Earbuds, in particular, are subject to the whims of the wearer (dependent on personal ear size and shape) when … Read more

In the realm of sub-$100 headphones, audio quality can vary significantly from model to model. It can be a challenge to find a pair that's music to your ears, though there are quite a few in the price range that offer good-to-excellent sound.

One such set is the Audio-Technica ATH-CKM50A In-Ear Headphones, an $80 model that comes in a choice of three colors: black, white, or red. The name may not be catchy, and the plastic design leaves something to be desired, but if you can get a good fit, you'll be rewarded with exceptionally rich and … Read more

Greetings, MP3 Insider fans. Ever wish our podcast was live so you could harass us on air? Well, today you can get the next best thing: me, live, online for an hour. At 11 a.m. PT, I'll be at your mercy, answering any questions you have about headphones, MP3 player accessories, and just about anything else related to digital music. So hit me with your best shot.

Flying the friendly skies has sure gotten a lot more enjoyable with the advent of portable media players, but frequent fliers realize it takes more than a decent MP3 player to deal with nuisance-ridden travel. A good pair of sound-isolating earbuds or noise-cancelling headphones can do wonders when it comes to escaping into your own world of personal entertainment.

Of course, active noise-canceling sets can cost a pretty penny, which is where the Able Planet Clear Harmony NC200 headphones come in. The pair is sold on Amazon.com for around $60--a palatable price if we ever saw one. You'll … Read more

Earbuds. You either love them or hate them. Or you just tolerate them. Anyone who's worn a pair--which is likely 100 percent of those who own an iPod or other MP3 player--knows that comfort and fit isn't always the greatest when it comes to these tiniest of headphones. Maybe you have a pair that is reasonably comfortable, but slips ever-so-gradually out of your ears as you move. Or the opposite: they really stick in there, but dole out a pain-causing pressure to the inside of your ear after extended wear. So maybe you give up, and pair … Read more

When it comes to portable devices, audio quality depends just as much on the headphones as it does on the audio specs of the player. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that many people spend more on their headphones than they do on their MP3 players. In fact, a good pair of earphones could carry you through several rounds of devices, which is why we're so enamored with the super sleek Klipsch Image X5 earphones, despite their $250 price tag.

This ultraportable pair offers solid sound and an exceptional fit, though we're a bit … Read more

What ever happened to removable batteries? I'm not just talking about the alkaline variety, but the user-replaceable kind that were also rechargeable. It appears as if they have gone out of fashion, and many a frequent-flier is bummed. All is not lost, though, as you still can find AAA-friendly MP3 players if you look hard enough...or if you just keep reading this page. You can even find decent portable speakers for less than 50 bucks, which is just about the max I'd want to spend on such an item in the current economic state.

Q: What MP3 … Read more