By Odeisel
If there was ever something that annoys me about portable music, it’s cheap ass headphones. I know sometimes you get caught out there and you have to buy some on the run occasionally, but cheap headphones can totally ruin music for a two big reasons.
You’re probably playing some “music” nobody else likes but thanks to your poorly made headphones, everyone can hear every single word of your crappy music , even on the loud subway, even though you’re at least 10 feet away from others. Second, you’re already listening to an mp3 and the quality of your music needs all the help it can get to stretch itself into the realm of CD quality sound. (Tough luck trying to get that big echo record sound. We’re out n that). A good pair of headphones can bring out the lows and treble highs without sounding like noise.
You may prefer ear buds with noise reduction or ear muff style over the head phones that block out sound. If you’re at the gym, those may not be the most conducive to getting your workout on (and not breaking your headphones). This column is about introducing you to the latest in headphones of all varieties and brands. Today’s entry: Coloud Colors C22M Edition.
The Colouds are over the ear phones. What earbuds do with subtlety and tech, these babies do with muscle. The Colouds are built to handle lows but the highs come out a bit less crisp. When used with a cellphone, the mic is clear and the person on the other end will pick up your voice with minimal effort and without picking up too much ambient noise like many headphone mics.
The sonic clarity of their voice, however isn’t as sharp as it is with music.
The cord is long, but not cumbersome, however its rubber constitution is unwieldy when it isn’t extended and if you are sitting at your computer or at your sound system and you have other things connected, it can get annoying to untangle. The headset on the model I tested was a bit tight and while it sounded fine, it did squeeze a bit tight on my ears.
I tested the sound on the title track from the Go! Team’s Rolling Blackouts. The band is known for blending multiple genres and blending a number of disparate sounds. This particular song has big drums, guitars and lead vocalist Ninja’s voice is but another soft sound blended in. The phones handled the track ably if not with all the intricacy of higher end headphones.
With a $40 price point, you’re not looking at studio quality headphones. They are solid for home use, good to visibly wear and designate you as some on not to ask what time it is or any other random question strangers ask when you’re trying to be left alone in your travels. The tight fit will take some getting used to, but you can do far worse than these phones, especially if you listen to music on your phone and you want to transition seamlessly into a call.
Go! Team – “Rolling Blackouts”
Features and Specifications:
- Driver Unit: 40 mm Power Drivers
- Frequency Range: 20Hz ~20kHz
- Impedance: 32 ± 15% ohm
- Sensitivity: 114dB at 1 kHz
- Rated Input Power: 20mW
- Plug: 3.5mm
- Microphone: Unidirectional electret
- Premium Replacement Warranty: 1 Year
The Colouds come in an assortment of colors and also come in a non microphone version for $35. You can also get them with dffferent variations from Star Wars to Marvel Comics to Hello Kitty for prices ranging from $35-$49.90.
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These headphones actually have given me problems. For the first week or so, it gives very good quality, but then all of a sudden, bam, something in the wire is screwed up and I have to bend it a certain way just to hear the sound correctly. This has now elevated to the point where that doesn’t even work anymore. So I went and got new ones, after the same amount of time, it did the same thing, and it frustrated me, because I just spent $40 total plus tax on some lousy headphones. Anyone who is reading this, do not waste your momey on these, buy a different pair off headphones because these dont work!