tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97516332024-02-08T09:50:38.863+00:00I'm sorry, I haven't got a clue.A blog about various audio related matters, especially portable audio. <br>Mainly a collection of reviews of gear, as well as perhaps the occasional rant and musing.<br>
Hopefully it'll be of use to someone. Enjoy your stay.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-85564427682740142872008-02-15T15:33:00.005+00:002009-05-16T23:30:58.839+01:00Upcoming...And some of the phones in regular rotation in preparation...Update - May 2009.Ah... If only you could see the number of unfinished 'Draft' posts on this blog. So many reviews ended up this way - the D2, RH1, ESW9, etc etc...Considering what to do about this blog. In the meanwhile I've cleared out as much of the comment spam as I've been able to find. I wouldn't look for much in the way of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-64550687482197512322008-02-05T13:07:00.001+00:002008-02-05T13:09:19.399+00:00I hear you......coming to pwn me. All the gear, no idea. A pic from a while back. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-64751444479276196372008-02-05T01:18:00.000+00:002008-02-05T12:53:38.271+00:00Bose Triport OE (On-Ear) reviewThe newest Triport headphones from Bose are of a folding On-Ear design, and are intended to address a more mobile user than the older, non-folding Around-Ear Triport. The OE usually commands a price premium over the AE - perhaps unsurprisingly so, given the added accessories and the higher grade of materials used on the phone.DESIGN & PRESENTATIONThe Triport OE has a contemporary design whichUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1157921687374121802006-09-10T21:45:00.000+01:002008-02-05T15:52:06.966+00:00Sony MDR-710LP reviewRecently I was handed as part of a deluge of other gear a pair of MDR-710 headphones. I didn't actually get around to opening it for a few weeks, but closed mini-phones are something that I'm quite keen on. So, with the 710 being targeted squarely at the PX200 and the AKG K26P, I thought I'd give it a go.In the UK at least, the price for these phones is about the same as the AKG and the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1142243516531989882006-03-13T09:44:00.000+00:002006-03-13T09:51:56.546+00:00Sony BMG SettlementUsally I don't put non-original material up on this blog, but the more news gets out about this the better... The settlement reached by Sony/BMG regarding the stealthed exploits (aka rootkits) that their audio CD's dumped on PC's upon insertion. These guys need to be punished for their contempt for the public in the only way a corporate knows... via it's bottom line. If you're affected, go Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1140887455488038242006-02-25T16:21:00.000+00:002006-02-25T17:17:26.613+00:00More updates. Zen Vision M with Napster To Go, amped or unamped progressHello everyone. Just another brief update about what I'm up to these days.NAPSTER TO GOI've now got the Zen Vision: M working with the Napster subscription service, Napster To Go. It was a bit of a struggle to begin with, and it included various gotchas like your DAP's clock having to be basically exactly synced with the PC. But now it's going, it's going very well indeed. I love effectively Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1139873701006178342006-02-13T23:23:00.000+00:002006-02-14T12:32:51.810+00:00UpdatesThe amp article should be done in 2-3 weeks time. Sorry it took so long, but you should know my frequently glacial pace by now. I'm about to swap gear with my colleague this weekend, and I'll have some time to myself during the two weeks after that so I'm doing writeups.I was planning to write a few words about the recent Sony players, but I've shelved the article. The NW-A3000/1000 looks great Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1137432811897848542006-01-16T17:32:00.000+00:002006-01-16T17:33:31.913+00:00Update on the 'amp or upgrade' articleJust thought I'd let you know that I think we're about halfway through the article.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1136027335175392722005-12-31T11:08:00.002+00:002009-06-10T12:55:12.605+01:00Audio-Technica ATH-ES7The “Earsuit” range from Audio-Technica extends further with the ATH-ES7. Audio-Technica’s intention with the ES range is exactly what the name hints at… something smarter and more upmarket than the rest, offering refinement in design. The ATH-ES7 has mirror finish stainless steel earcups on a lightweight, low-profile design and was created to fold flat in your briefcase, Prada manbag or whateverUnknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1134495881946548622005-12-13T17:25:00.000+00:002005-12-13T17:48:09.383+00:00ScheduleHi guys, yes I'm still alive.Still working on a replacement for this blog, but for now I'm trying to get some behind-the-scenes stuff sorted out.Next Major ArticleI and a fellow Head-Fi member are working on a comparison of unamped and amped configurations. Say you start with an Etymotic ER-6i and are looking to step up. You visit Head-Fi or other forums and they tell you that amping the ER-6i Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1131990961693678932005-11-14T17:53:00.000+00:002005-11-14T18:30:16.656+00:00Sorry!Hey guys, I'm sorry about the lack of updates to the blog. The truth is that I've gone directly from being ill and dragging my feet on an otherwise simple in-ear review to too much gear to review! Multiple DAPs have hit the bangraman household, and the people who provide these to me must be satisfied first. Not to mention other things taking up my time. I'll pick out a choice article and re-do itUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1130357597220636592005-10-26T21:02:00.000+01:002005-10-27T03:33:35.720+01:00Logitech Bluetooth HeadphonesI picked these up a while back as… well, they’re interesting, and usually that’s all that’s required for me to pick something up. I was not expecting a whole lot to be honest. My audio-based experiences of Bluetooth technology to date have not been, shall we say, stunning. The headphones retail for £99 in the UK and approximately $130 in the US. The Logitech Bluetooth Headphones use the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1130285339988922572005-10-26T01:04:00.000+01:002005-10-26T01:12:06.963+01:00I have a good excuse, honest...So... some upcoming reviews have been delayed by the fact that I'm busy, and also because I've caught the flu. Not of the avian variety I hope.Although I am still generally listening, my nose is blocked and my ears are 'clicky' so obviously any reliable listening evaluations are out for the time being. I'm organising my notes (or in my present condition: "urganising by dotes") on the JVC phones Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1129158659495150312005-10-12T23:58:00.000+01:002005-10-13T00:10:59.516+01:00On the way: JVC HA-FX55 in-ear phone review.Initial opinions are that they seem a tiny bit less compromised than the MDR-EX71SL in certain sonic aspects, while in terms of bass they offer more of what people like about the EX71's (the amount)... and they're cheaper. Some ergonomic misses were apparent within a second of putting them on, but it's about the sound, innit? :pFull review up soon.FX55 on top, EX71 on bottom.The silicone 'bungs' Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1129035734790459102005-10-11T13:40:00.000+01:002005-10-11T14:02:14.800+01:00iCleanerMy Nano took a couple of falls onto underground/subway train floors, both nice and gritty... and in one case, I accidentally gave the Nano a little kick, sending it grittily slithering across the floor to my dismay. Fortunately, although the superficial scratching was heavy I had no functional problems with it. I could still see the screen fine.But you know... it's practically new and a rough Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1128545388246370102005-10-05T21:46:00.000+01:002005-10-11T02:40:20.273+01:00Apple iPod NanoThe player on the right is the Sony D-555 portable CD player. Introduced in 1989, the 555 is considered 'legendary' in terms of sound quality and desirability. They still change hands regularly for the ~$400 mark.The player on the left is Apple's latest......And for sound quality, it blows away the D-555.I briefly abandoned the iPod Photo because I felt its audio performance was compromised Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1128116741018842692005-09-30T22:45:00.000+01:002005-09-30T23:20:06.943+01:00A false hiatus? No, time for an overhaul.So... There have been a few posts during my so-called hiatus, but I'm REALLY quite busy over the next couple of months and while I'm away I'm definitely investigating what I can do to make the contents of this blog more accessible. It's now getting to the point where even I find articles slightly time consuming to find, and the whole initial point of this blog was not for promotion or related Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1128003976294561142005-09-29T15:22:00.000+01:002005-09-29T15:26:59.650+01:00Boil from the PastThe image may not register immediately with the coffee-centric Americans, but that's a kettle. I made this a while back, found this picture yesterday.A META42 headphone amp was built inside it. The lid acted as a battery holder mount, so I could change cells by opening the kettle. The volume knob is just visible in the picture. I thought about adding a DC jack where the original cable existed, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1127295198829665772005-09-21T10:26:00.000+01:002006-05-30T22:39:44.446+01:00What the fall-off sounds likeHere's a brief test for everyone who's thinking about buying the Cowon iAudio X5 and concerned about the fall-off effects of the Line Out... and wondering what it sounds like.The music is from approximately 4:00 to 4:30 of the track "The Missed Symphony" of Infected Mushroom's Classical Mushroom (this is an amazon link) in 192K MP3. Well worth buying by the way if you have any interest in Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1126960048036837702005-09-17T13:02:00.000+01:002005-09-25T18:56:23.680+01:00Amping the iAudio X5Amping is something that I don't do very often, but the performance of the iAudio X5 in relation to the monochrome iPods has me wishing to reach for the Porta Corda II rather more often than I would like.The Meier-Audio Porta Corda II (now replaced by the Porta Corda III) is a generally high-performance portable amplifier. Because some elements of the signal passing through can be noticeably Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1126705023878274312005-09-14T14:26:00.000+01:002005-09-14T14:39:38.806+01:00Loading the iAudio X5.So... I've been using the X5 for a while now, and after I decided to forego the iPod as my main player (mainly because I do, for my own uses, find the UMS and USBOTG capability quite handy), I've been trying to find ways to get the X5 to... er... work like the iPod. Heh.I've not got further in the lack of album-based browsing when your folders are sorted by artists, but I have made some headway Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1126695778977831242005-09-14T12:01:00.000+01:002005-09-14T12:02:58.983+01:00iAudio X5, iPod 4G Photo and Sony HD5 without backlightA requested pic:All three players in subdued daylight with backlight off.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1126034671703402742005-09-11T13:18:00.000+01:002005-09-12T19:31:18.213+01:00Sony MDR-J20 vs Sennheiser PX 10 : low cost ‘sports phones’Today, I’m looking at two low-cost earphones intended for ‘active’ people. The Sony MDR-J20 “h.ear” and the Sennheiser PX10. In the UK, they sell for a typical £15 for the J20 and £19 for the PX10.PX10 on the left, MDR-J20 on the right. Both the J20 and the PX10 are ‘partially in the ear phones’. These take a regular earphone speaker and turns it 90 degrees so that part of the speaker assembly Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1124369293502948722005-09-06T22:31:00.000+01:002005-09-13T08:34:23.363+01:00Sony HD5, iPod 4G Photo and iAudio X5 battery tests.I posted fragments of this in three blog entries, but I've decided to tidy it up. And add a nice graph :DI finally decided to run a 'sort of real-life' battery test of three players: The iPod Photo, the Sony NW-HD5 and the iAudio X5 (the standard X5, not the L).The test is pretty simple. Charge it up, leave for 48 hours, then play back my test MP3 library which has a wide range of songs, the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9751633.post-1124916711251242272005-08-24T21:50:00.000+01:002005-08-24T21:51:51.256+01:00The blog is taking a hiatusSorry for leaving a few things up in the air but the blog is taking a break. I'm a little busy right now and hanging around the forums is taking up all my free online time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0