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Comment on Low Price Audio-Technica ATHM50S Professional Monitor Headphones by T. A. Clark

T. A. Clark — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:39:36 +0000

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

Awesome., September 21, 2011

T. A. Clark (Spring Valley, MN United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Audio-Technica ATHM50S Professional Monitor Headphones (Electronics)

These are the best sounding headphones I've had, even right out of the box, and the bass showed noticeable improvement after only a few hours of use.

They're light, comfortable, and have amazing clarity even with their bass response. No muddy bass at all, it sounds crisp and heavy even at lower volume. They're a noticeable improvement over the other sets I have, a Grado SR80i and Sennheiser HD280 Pro's; the construction seems better than the 280's, too, with solid mountings and rotation on the cups and a reinforced cable at the jack. The cable is long enough to reach across my living room to my receiver with extra slack to spare, and with this straight cable version I don't get the tangles I have with my 280's.

All around great headphones, and I'm really happy with them. Awesome music headphones, but the clarity makes them great with dialog in movies and the bass in games is powerful without being overbearing.

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Comment on Low Price Audio-Technica ATHM50S Professional Monitor Headphones by Jim

Jim — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:22:39 +0000

73 of 79 people found the following review helpful

Highly regarded with good reason, October 23, 2011

Jim -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Audio-Technica ATHM50S Professional Monitor Headphones (Electronics)

I've had these headphones for about a week and a half now, and I love 'em. They are not ideal for all listening situations, however. I typically use the M50s with a FiiO E11 Portable Headphone Amplifier connected to my iPad via a FiiO L3 Line Out Dock (LOD) Cable, or connected to my laptop via the cable the E11 comes with (which plugs into the headphones/audio out jacks on computers, MP3 players, iPads and iPhones, etc). This gives me great sound when I listen to various alternative and rock stations through the TuneIn Radio app for iPad or to lossless music on my laptop. But when I watch a movie on my iPad or laptop, I prefer to listen through my Sennheiser HD555 Professional Headphones, because they have a better soundscape than the M50s. Open back headphones, such as the 555s, typically have more spacious soundscapes than closed back headphones such as the M50s. ("Soundscape" refers to perception of distance from the source. If an automobile is approaching from the rear left in a movie scene, with the 555s I can easily discern its location and can hear/"feel" its approach, whereas I do not get such a sense of depth or soundscape with the M50s. But when listening to rock with the 555s, I do not get the sense of immediacy and presence - nor anywhere near as much bass - as I do with the M50s, which is why I'm glad I own both headphones.)

I wanted the straight cable version of the M50s because of previous experience with coiled headphones cables becoming stretched out and unsightly over time. The straight cable is 11 feet long, which means that it needs to be folded up and rubber-banded or twist-tied when the M50s are used with a portable music player by someone who is out and about or moving around a lot.

I like that the M50 ear pads can be replaced for around $20 a pair (at present, and apparently not through Amazon). I own a pair of Sennheiser HD580s that are now over a decade old, and the ear pads are pretty much worn out, making wearing the 580s very uncomfortable as well as no doubt negatively affecting their audio quality. Replacement ear pads for the 580s cost around $50! (Replacement ear pads for AKG's Quincey Jones Q701 headphones retail for about $35 EACH or $70 a pair!) The M50 headphones are circumaural, meaning that their ear pads cover the ears (as opposed to sitting on the ears like supra-aural headphones), and cover my ears just fine (I'd say that my ears are somewhere between medium and large in size).

And I like that the M50s can be folded up and stored and carried in the soft pleather protective pouch they come with. When folded up the M50s and folded up cable could fit, tightly, in a box that is approximately 5" x 7" x 4".

My hat size is about 7 5/8 (about 23 7/8 inches), and while the M50s fit me fine and are reasonably comfortable, after an hour or so they begin to feel a tad uncomfortable, meaning that I start to get that "clamping" sensation that headphone wearers talk about. At this point I begin adjusting the headphones a bit. Some folks deal with this kind of problem by putting their headphones over, say, a head-sized speaker cabinet to stretch them out, but I'm reluctant to do that because I take it for granted that my head will cause the M50s to stretch over time, and I wouldn't want to risk pushing them in the direction of becoming not tight enough. And as many reviewers of the M50s note, they get hot after a while (very quickly when I wear them while working out on an exercycle or elliptical, otherwise after about an hour). When wearing them during exercise I need to have a towel, rag, or cloth handy in case I need to wipe sweat off the pads. I'm bald but find the headband reasonably comfortable.

I like the M50s for listening to some classical music, whereas there is some classical music that I prefer to listen with the aforementioned Sennheiser HD555s (e.g., opera, which I find benefits from headphones with more spacious soundscapes).

If you are in the market for headphones and are considering the M50s, I recommend that you check out Tyll Herstens' positive (he recommends them) YouTube review of the M50s (which is available both on YouTube and at Mr. Herstens' excellent site, Inner Fidelity; there is also a written review at Inner Fidelity). Mr. Herstens has done some serious technical research on the question of headphone burn-in, and you can find his articles on that at Inner Fidelity (once at the site, search for "burn-in" or "break-in"). If you are... Read more

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Comment on Low Price LG Xenon GR500 RED Unlocked Phone with QWERTY Keyboard, 2MP Camera, GPS and Touch Screen by little ol' me

little ol' me — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:11:55 +0000

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Touch screen dead after 1 year, January 28, 2012

little ol' me (Northern VA) -

This review is from: LG Xenon GR500 RED Unlocked Phone with QWERTY Keyboard, 2MP Camera, GPS and Touch Screen (Wireless Phone Accessory)

This phone is pretty much dead after only having it for a year. Once the touch screen goes, it's over. I can only answer an incoming call - that is all. I can't go through messages or save photos to my computer via bluetooth because I have to confirm all actions by using the touch screen that doesn't work. The keypad is good for messaging, but it would be more effective if I could scroll through screens using the arrows, especially when the touch screen no longer works. I've lost lots of photos on this phone. Don't waste your money.

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Comment on Low Price LG Xenon GR500 RED Unlocked Phone with QWERTY Keyboard, 2MP Camera, GPS and Touch Screen by Emily

Emily — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:06:51 +0000

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Got ripped on this one, July 11, 2011

Emily -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: LG Xenon GR500 RED Unlocked Phone with QWERTY Keyboard, 2MP Camera, GPS and Touch Screen (Wireless Phone Accessory)

so excited the day I received my phone. right off not able to text had to take to ATT store, had to change a # that was still in phone. worked great for ONE week bought an awesome cover for it then totally DIED ON ME. back to ATT store & not able to help or explain why. bought new battery to try to save my purchase but NO GO. Now using my dad's old phone that has 3 letters on each key! SO BUMMED!! now I have to save $ all over again

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Comment on Low Price Polk Audio Surroundbar IHT 3000 Home Entertainment System (Black) by T. C. Woods "tcwfalcon"

T. C. Woods "tcwfalcon" — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:27:34 +0000

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

Great for its application, September 15, 2010

T. C. Woods "tcwfalcon" (Birmingham, AL) -

This review is from: Polk Audio Surroundbar IHT 3000 Home Entertainment System (Black) (Electronics)

I have a fairly large living room, and this system has more than enough power for the space. It installs relatively easy and there are no settings to mess with (or up). I spent time shopping around a reading reviews before i purchased this system, picking this over the Yamaha soundbar(no wireless sub, and the proprietary cable is only 13 ft, so it would be a pain for me to try to splice into it and lengthen it). However, the system is relatively new, and there were a lack of reviews, so I just went with the Polk name and wasn't disappointed. In summary, if you're looking for a nice upgrade to your tv speakers, this is it. If you're looking for a true "surround-sound" system, i would look somewhere else.

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Comment on Low Price Polk Audio Surroundbar IHT 3000 Home Entertainment System (Black) by Jeremy A.

Jeremy A. — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:17:13 +0000

66 of 71 people found the following review helpful

amazing sound but a wifi killer, January 25, 2011

Jeremy A. -

This review is from: Polk Audio Surroundbar IHT 3000 Home Entertainment System (Black) (Electronics)

I was interested an alternate to the built in tv speakers for my bedroom. I wanted the enhanced sound; however, I did not want to have to run wires for the speakers/subwoofer, like I did in my living room. I didn't need a full 5 or 7.1 setup for the room, so I thought the Polk IHT 3000 surroundbar, and its wireless subwoofer, would be a great option. I went to my local big box store to play with the options, and to test the sound quality before I purchased. The sound is very crisp and the subwoofer does its job very well. Initially I was very satisfied after I received the item. The setup was very simple, and it sounded just as good in my home as I had tested on the demo unit; watching a dvd was perfect. However, the majority of media consumption in my bedroom is internet based: music streaming from my home server to my htpc, hulu, netflix streaming on my roku. I have an N/2.4 ghz wireless router and when using the Polk IHT 3000, my wifi connection was useless. All wifi traffic would come to a complete stop. The only way to solve the problem was to unplug the surroundbar. Once it was unplugged, all the wifi traffic would resume as normal. I read through some of the other customer's comment and found that other users suggested changing the channels on both the router and the subwoofer, so that they do not overlap, as a solution. I tried every possible channel configuration on both the router and subwoofer, and repositioning the wifi router and subwoofer. Nothing made any difference. As soon as the surroundbar was turned on, no data could be transmitted on my wireless network. As soon as it was turned off, all traffic would resume again. I do not have one of the newer 5 ghz routers to test it with, so this may not be a problem when used in conjunction with newer networking hardware, or if everything in your home is hardwired via ethernet. If all you are using the surroundbar exclusively for is television, dvd, or bluray I think it is an excellent choice. However, I would not recommend it to used in a home with only a 2.4 ghz wifi network.

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Comment on Low Price Polk Audio Surroundbar IHT 3000 Home Entertainment System (Black) by Eileen M. Plunkett

Eileen M. Plunkett — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:15:13 +0000

83 of 88 people found the following review helpful

Polk Soundbar IHT 3000 w/ Wireless Sub Woofer wi fi problem, October 5, 2010

Eileen M. Plunkett (Novato, CA) -

This review is from: Polk Audio Surroundbar IHT 3000 Home Entertainment System (Black) (Electronics)

Originally I bought a Boston Acoustics Soundbar (see explanation below for returning it) but now I have the Polk Soundbar and love it. I found one major problem with setup. I am a wi fi household and the wireless subwoofer had a conflict with my network wi fi. I am not terribly knowledgeable about routers but after going to Cnet forums got the answer which I would like to share with you. My problem was I have a Roku box and I was unable to stream. It would begin and then stop. If I turned off the soundbar it worked perfectly. I put the sub woofer in various places based on Polk's instructions, trying to shield it from the wi fi signal but nothing worked. The answer turned out to be very simple. (I had even gone so far as to buy a new router which also didn't work for reasons which will become obvious if you continue reading.) All I had to do was bring up my router's configuration screen and change the channel setting. The Soundbar was set for channel one as was my wi fi. I first tried channel five and it almost worked but after a few minutes, it stalled again so I then changed to channel 11 the farthest and last choice and bingo, it worked great and continues to work great.

I live in a 1400 sq ft house and the living room is about 12' x 20'. This unit is actually a little too much for the size of the room but when I made the necessary changes in my tv sound setup and the Dish remote setup, it made a big difference. Sometimes the sound was shrill so I changed the treble and bass settings on my tv and they do work for the soundbar even when you are not using the tv sound which I found I don't really need. For music this soundbar is astounding. For speech it is excellent. I do have a hearing problem and since Netflix has no subtitles yet, I do need some help. My tv is an LG 55" LED and the sound is ok but this soundbar has solved our problems when watching a streaming Netflix movie. I also stream Leo LaPorte which is TWIT.tv and for him I don't need the soundbar because the sound is so clear but I still use it. The other night we watched a very old, 61 years, movie called Impact using the Polk soundbar and could hear every word clearly!!

Programming my Dish TV remote was simple so I only use the Polk remote when I want to change the sub woofer if it is just too much bass.

All in all, I love this unit. I have it standing on the cabinet in front of my tv with the sub woofer on the floor beside it. You can get even better bass if you put the sw in a corner of the room. I think it would be great even for a very large room since I sometimes have to turn it way down for some programs. For music, again, fantastic. Of course, you will be forced to turn it down for commercials, just can't solve that issue.

When I was listening to the Boston A and the Polk bars, I really thought that the Boston A was better because I was unable to adjust the sub woofer on the Polk. The salesman told me it had no controls on it, well, he was wrong, I can control it so you can set it any way you choose. After having the Polk for a month I feel it is ALMOST as good as the Boston A and since the Boston A only has audio out RCA jacks I couldn't buy it anyway.

This brings me to another very important point when shopping for any soundbar which is to be sure what your tv accomodates. (I suggest you download your TV manual and take the pages you need with you, showing what audio out jacks you have.) My tv, the LG, does NOT accomodate RCA jacks for audio out, only optical out. Remember, I had originally bought a Boston Acoustics soundbar and had to return it. Because I had to go back three times Best Buy agreed to sell me the Polk for $301, the same price I paid for the Boston Acoustics bar. I also could not get the enclosed optical cord to work but fortunately had bought one years ago which works great. The enclosed one is very thin and the one I had is much thicker, don't know if that was the reason. Optical cables are very difficult to insert so don't lose hope, eventually you will be successful.

Since many people lambast BB, I want to say that when I returned the first Boston unit, (it had obviously been returned by someone and I thought it was defective) they apologized and said I should have been charged the open box price ($269) so brought out another open box, which was sealed and had a big label saying Open Box on it. He opened it up and set it up and thinking he had confirmed that I had a headphone jack I could use, I bought it. Well, as luck would have it, no headphone jack on my LG and no optical on the Boston unit, why I cannot figure out. He went to a lot of trouble for so low a priced unit and I appreciated his effort. When I returned it again, he actually tried to avoid me, knowing that I would take up a lot of his time. As I understand it, BB sales people get bonuses at the end of the month based on sales so even though they don't get commissions as many other... Read more

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Comment on Low Price JVC HARX900 High-Grade Full-Size Headphone by Anthony L. Hamm

Anthony L. Hamm — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:29:12 +0000

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

Great for the Money, and even better for beginning modders, February 26, 2009

Anthony L. Hamm -

This review is from: JVC HARX900 High-Grade Full-Size Headphone (Electronics)

I've been happy with my Denon AH-D550s for about 2 years now but got tired of bent ears from the binaural pads, and went searching for a set of nice circumaural headphones. These headphones become a bit of an impulse choice after reading over 90 pages worth of forum discussions on various websites on these "budget Audio Technica A900s"($250 headphones) as one forum goer stated. The bass on these cans, even without EQ, is fairly large, however with a little(LITTLE) EQ they can be put well into basshead territory. For some it may be too much but if you listen to music that has a heavy bass rythmn (Jazz,funk,rap,reggae,R&B) then you'll be tapping your toes along with the beat. The highs may not extend as much as i would like but given the price I paid ($60) it is more than adequate and can be fixed with a little EQ or an amp. The mids are surprising well developed for a set of cans in this price range and can be made even better with a few mods. Despite their large size they are surprisingly light and the padding feels just right. Be sure to get them about 10 hours of playtime or "burn-in" as out of the box they sound a bit muddy and recessed.

Also as stated in the heading these cans make excellent guinea pigs for the beginning modder. The size of the headphoens makes it rather easy to put your hand in a see what you are doing(read: modder friendly). There are a number of improvements that can be had and the rather large cup area gives you plenty of room to experiment. Look up RX900 mods on google and you'll get links to more than a few threads on how to mod your RX900s(head-fi has some on the best with photos!)

All in all great headphones for the money( no much if anythign better in the same price bracket) and the perfect candidate for those who want to get thier feet wet with modding. Hope this review helps!

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Comment on Low Price JVC HARX900 High-Grade Full-Size Headphone by The Shopinator

The Shopinator — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:00:25 +0000

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful

WHAT A BARGAIN! Fabulous cans for the money, even at list price!, September 11, 2011

The Shopinator -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: JVC HARX900 High-Grade Full-Size Headphone (Electronics)

Every now and then, a product comes along that is a shocker, in a good way. This is one.

It's an un-pretentiously quiet item, just another headphone from a Japanese electronics giant trying to have a full line of products, right? NO!

I was in the true custom high-end audio business for a looooong time up until it became too separated from the next tier of gear. That last 1% performance should not cost 10-30 times as much money. One of my favorite record players (my specialty) jumped from $750 to $2500 with an inferior tonearm and motor and I realized I could not justify staying in the business.

I've owned great midrange headphones that qualified at their time as "audiophile on a budget" phones, generally in the $200-300 range, real dollars, starting with AKG 240's, the originals, not the later sloppy versions, Sennheiser 430s, very silky, and even Koss Pro4AAA before that. Later got into Beyer and had several models, including the astonishingly accurate and detailed 880, the lush 990 and the slammin 770, and Grado 225s. They were all great in their way, and for the money, should have been. While not in the performance range of RS1s or other superlux reference phones, they were far better than most speakers at any price range could do, and my hifi's topped out at about a $35,000 system of all handmade stuff before I realized that it was getting silly.

THIS JVC HARX-900 headphone proves that with some care, the first few dollars does the lion's share of the work, and that great value can be brought to the market if you don't waste money on bragging at how good a job you did saving money, only to burn it in ads.

This is a VERY good compromise headphone for the person who can hear, has taste, and a limited budget. Solidly made, comfortable (even with glasses on my big head), they are a tad heavy compared to those elite models, like the 880s. However, for a sealed, true circumaural design, that is, they go AROUND the complete ear, soft and cushy, and do block outside noise okay, as well as keeping it in, these are a bargain. The head cushion is soft and large. The fitting is easy, you can reduce the pressure with a simple gentle bending of the bar across the top.

Here is where money was saved, first: Pleatherette, for the look and feel of genuine naugahide, is what the earcups are cushioned in. Gonna get a bit sweaty in a hot room, but that's how it is with nearly every brand. Like most under $300 cans, the cups are plastic, though there is a metal outer cap. The gauge of plastics is pretty decent, though, so I don't anticipate breakage.

Also, the cable is hard-wired (boo) and single sided (boo) making it weigh more on the left than the right. It is, though, a pretty thick cable so it probably has some fiber wound in it to make it hard to break. If I know JVC (Victor Corp of Japan) as I think I do, the wire itself is probably pretty schmancy in these and they just don't say anything about it. Uselessly, they gold plate the plug, which does come with a very snug fitting 1/4" adapter for regular hifi gear. Gold plating is a scam and is not the best choice for sound, but it's hard to undo decades of marketing hype. Ask Stereophile mag: they agree.

I listen to all sorts of music. Out of the package brandy-new, these things were "meh." Yep, "meh." They were taut, almost raggedy with weird punchless low end. The highs were grainy but not annoying or harsh. They just didn't sound "nice." However, I've broken in hundreds of headphones and speakers for clients, and frankly, everything sounds crappy out of the package. Everything.

What a difference 24 hours of continuous fairly loud hip-hop made!!!! The low end is much more articulate without feeling as "held back," lemme tell you, the people who've reviewed these after a hundred hours of break-in, I can see why they talk about huge bass response, and could hear it coming on, and the highs were sweeter and the mids much smoother. There is definitely a noticeable improvement in articulation with even this relatively short break-in.

I just leave them cranking overnight, cups pushed together with a rubber band, on a hip-hop station with the loudness on, the bass turned up and the volume well below any dangerous distorting from either the amp (an HK: VFETs to the headphone jack) or drivers.

Every day, they sound better: the telling thing is that they sound less "loud." At the same volume. This is a phenomenon that really good speakers exhibit, and phones: the distortion levels drop so low that they don't seem "loud." But they are.

There is really no major coloration to these, so far, though I can sense that a bit of a "warm" sound is coming on, which makes sense with this kind of break-in. I'm a bass player. I can live with that... heheheh.

Other than getting a steal on a used set of properly broken in higher end phones, this is the... Read more

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Comment on Low Price Sherwood Rx4103 Remote-Controlled Stereo Receiver by Robert C. Kettenburg

Robert C. Kettenburg — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:00:37 +0000

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

You will not find a better 2 channel receiver for the price., November 4, 2005

Robert C. Kettenburg (New York) -

This review is from: Sherwood Rx4103 Remote-Controlled Stereo Receiver (Electronics)

Purchased the Sherwood RX-4103 receiver from J & R Music in New York City on-line here at Amazon.com and I must say I am quite pleased. I even received an e-mail with the UPS tracking number and website allowing me to track the package as it was being shipped to me. J & R Music promised the receiver via UPS today and they delivered. The stereo is everything I thought it would be and more. The sound quality is crisp and clean, with no noticeable distortion, and each pair of speaker outlets even has it's own amplifier. 105 watts per channel X 2 channels, but there are outlets (and amplifiers) for 4 speakers. The AM/FM tuner comes with a pair of antennea (one for each band) and the signal reception is quite good considering my location. The remote control will allow you to program and listen to 30 different radio stations which can then be scanned and listened to for 5 seconds each at the touch of a button; and then another touch halts the scan on the station playing the song you like. You can also adjust the treble and bass with the remote control, not to mention adjust the volume (there's even a mute button), the balance, and, believe it or not, activate a sleep timer for 10,20,30,40,50,60, or 90 minutes. There are also PLENTY of RCA jacks in the back of this black monster to hook up a cd/dvd player, cassette deck, VCR, and/or TV. You could even connect an i-pod or your computer's sound to the back of the amp, if you have the proper cables for your external devices. All in all, a lot of receiver for not a lot of money. I would highly recommend the Sherwood RX-4103 stereo receiver and J & R Music in New York City, purchased over the web, right here at Amazon.com.

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Comment on Low Price Sherwood Rx4103 Remote-Controlled Stereo Receiver by Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:39:56 +0000

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Just average, November 3, 2003

Jeff (Illinois, USA) -

This review is from: Sherwood Rx4103 Remote-Controlled Stereo Receiver (Electronics)

This is an OK 2 channel reciever, however, the KLH R-3100, which is also 100 watts per channel, seems to have much better audio quality for about the same price.

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Comment on Low Price Sherwood Rx4103 Remote-Controlled Stereo Receiver by Ronald K. Goodenow

Ronald K. Goodenow — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:07:53 +0000

49 of 55 people found the following review helpful

Possibly dangerous product - be careful, February 18, 2002

Ronald K. Goodenow (Northboro, MA USA) -

This review is from: Sherwood Rx4103 Remote-Controlled Stereo Receiver (Electronics)

This product sounded very good, and had some nice features like
an easy to use remote. But, within a week it had shorted out and
destroyed two speaker systems. Loud explosion in house, smell of
burning circuitry. Obviously, no output protection circuits. I am trying to get through to Sherwood, but they have not responded to phone calls or e-mails for almost two weeks and I am preparing to take my complaint to appropriate consumer protection agencies.
----

Note, I emailed, called Sherwood several more times and even tried to get the company I bought it from involved, but never have had the courtesy of a response. Zip. Stay away.

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