wireless headphones Archives - Reactual

How To Set Up A Wireless DJ System

Justin Thomas — Tue, 10 May 2016 14:04:33 +0000

Being a live DJ is as much about the performance as it is the music. For a performance without the restraint of wires, a complete wireless DJ system allows you to move around with unfettered freedom. It is also a great option for the amateur who wants to impress at a house party, or take their sound out to the pool.

There are many applications for wireless DJ systems. Consider what it could add to your performance to be able to control the music while you weave through the crowd at a live venue, interacting with everyone as you go along. Maybe your performance would benefit from multiple people controlling the music from different locations at the same time. Perhaps you can reach better locations for your speakers if you don’t have to snake unruly wires to them across the room.

You need only a few things to get started with wireless DJing – a wireless DJ controller, wireless speakers and a remote control application. Here is a breakdown of how to set up a wireless DJ system, whether you are a club owner or a looking to play at the next frat party.

1 – Wireless DJ Controller

The heart of your wireless DJ system is a wireless DJ controller like the Pioneer XDJR1. Your wireless DJ controller works similarly to a standard digital DJ controller in that it allows you to play and manipulate audio from connected USB devices, line-in inputs, CDs and connected computers through MIDI.

The additional function we’re interested in is the ability of the wireless DJ controller to receive content wirelessly and/or control the audio from a wireless location. This could be from a laptop computer somewhere in the room, a smartphone or a tablet, for example.

2 – Remote Application

In the case of the Pioneer XDJR1, it essentially has a wireless router built-in to which smartphones can connect. Enable the wireless setting, set the SSID and password, and its ready to be connected to.

On the mobile device, install the application Remotebox. Having then connected to the wireless DJ controller’s WLAN network, the DJ controller’s user interface is displayed on the smartphone or tablet, allowing you to manipulate all of the features of the device from a remote location within Wi-Fi range. It is a simple matter to queue up different channel outputs, play and pause tracks from USB-connected devices or mix using the virtual faders.

Other wireless DJ controllers have similar remote applications that can be used on smartphones, tablets, PCs and Macs.

3 – Wireless Speakers

If you DJ in multiple venues and take speakers with you then the potential benefits of wireless speakers should not be lost on you. Each venue has a different setup, different acoustics and you may want to position your speakers in awkward places. Running cables from your main DJ station is a pain, and you need to tape the cables up for safety and security. Even if you’re only DJing in one venue, if your venue requires a larger number of speakers, or speakers placed in multiple rooms, then it can be a logistical nightmare to run wires from your main equipment to the speakers.

Enter wireless speakers, like Infinity Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Speakers. These can be placed anywhere they’ll get power and output 80 watts of sound each. The signal is sent from a bundled transmitter, which can be up to 600 feet away from the speakers. It will even transmit through walls and ceilings, sending CD quality wireless uncompressed sound. Up to four speakers can be used in tandem.

To pair these speakers to our wireless DJ system, all it takes is connecting the master OUT from the wireless DJ controller to the transmitter’s line-IN. They now function in the same way as any other speakers, sans the wires.

While these speakers are a little on the pricey side, speakers that connect via Bluetooth also work in the same manner – they just don’t have the impressive range. You can consider Bluetooth wireless speakers for your wireless DJ system if you don’t plan to have the speakers far from the transmitter.

4 – Optional – Other Wireless Connections

With the controller and speakers in place, there’s nothing stopping you from getting rid of more and more wires until you’re almost completely wireless. We still have to contend with power connections, but apart from that, there are many places where wires can be done away with completely. Your DJ monitoring headphones can be replaced by wireless headphones – all you need to do is charge the battery and keep a transmitter in the DJ controller’s headphone-OUT port.

Wireless microphones are easy to set up – again one simply needs to plug in the wireless microphone receiver/amp to the DJ controller’s input and the wireless microphone will work just as a wired input would. Virtually all popular instruments have wireless transmitter/receiver options, so if you have live instruments in the mix then they too can go wireless, freeing up the performance even further.

It’s time for your live DJ workstation to be less of a mess of wires. Going wireless can be a joy, for both the audience and you as the performer.

The post How To Set Up A Wireless DJ System appeared first on Reactual.

The Best Wireless Headphones Under $300 of 2016

Justin Thomas — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 19:01:27 +0000

The Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphone II is lightweight, comfy, awesome-sounding, and pretty close to unbeatable within its price range.

The Details

The lightweight (about seven ounces) Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphone II model is a remarkable set of less-than-$300 headphones. Unlike their predecessor these wireless, Bluetooth-enabled headphones don’t come with an attached ugly dongle, making them efficient to use and able to give you the feel, sometimes, that you don’t even have any headphones on at all while the music or the talk streams through your ears.

The Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphone II set features memory-foam earpads designed to help the headphones “learn” the shape of your ears, and they are quite comfortable, also including “glass-filled nylon and corrosion-resistant stainless steel” for durability. Controls are integrated on the right-ear cup while being intuitively easy to use.

These are not “noise cancelling” headphones, but the memory-foam earcup linings do a fine job of keeping out unwanted external noises.

A strong feature of these wireless headphones is that you can attach them to more than one device at a time by way of the incorporation of Bluetooth 4.0 and supporting multi-link technology, which makes it seamless to switch between listening to music and taking a phone call with the touch of the center control-button (which also acts as the fast forward and rewind toggle button when you’re in music-listening mode).

Needless to say, the sound quality is overall the most important feature of headphones, and the Bose SoundLink II wireless set delivers on that superbly. As is virtually always the case with Bose headphones, the sound is sleek and well-balanced with barely any distortion even at high volumes, making use of Active EQ and volume-optimized EQ technologies.

The treble is clean and clear while the bass has strong punch. If there’s any drawback to the sound quality, it’s that these headphones won’t impress music fans who love their music to be bass-heavy. The bass is punchy but the overall sound is balanced, not favoring the bass end of the music.

There’s also the added benefit of an excellent battery charge of 15 hours. You can also do a “quick charge” in just 15 minutes which lasts for two hours.

What it all comes down to is that you would be hard-pressed to find better wireless headphones priced at less than $300 than the Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphone II.

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The 20 Highest Rated Earbuds & Headphones

Justin Thomas — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:50:36 +0000

In this post, I’ve compiled an updated list of the best rated earphones and headphones for 2012. This list has evolved over a couple of years — I’ve tried to include the most vetted headphones and earphones available, as well as a couple of new headphones that are getting great reviews.

I’ve tried to cover all the basic types of headphones available today: earbuds, wireless earphones, sport earphones, noise-cancelling headphones, full-sized headphones and wireless headphones.

LG Tone HBS-700 Bluetooth Earphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 264+ reviewers)

Despite selling for under $50, the LG Tone HBS-700 is the highest rated bluetooth headphone currently available. It received an 8 out of 10 rating from CNET, which makes it their Editor’s Choice for a bluetooth earphone. Reviewers at CNET say it is one of the most comfortable earphones they’ve tried, and that the audio reproduction was impressive. PC Magazine liked the long battery life, but said that the bass reproduction was “thin”, but gave it an overall rating of “Good”.

The LG Tone HBS-700 is available from Amazon for about $45.

Klipsch Image S4 Earbuds

Average Amazon Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (from 1211+ reviewers)

The Klipsch Image S4 Earphone is the highest-rated wired earbuds under $100. Reviewers like the audio clarity of the earphones, and its comfortable fit. Reviewers say these earphones provide audio quality equivalent to earphones that cost hundreds of dollars more. The Klipsch Image S4 Earphone received an Editors’ Choice award from PC Magazine, and an “Excellent” rating from CNET.

If you carry your earphones in your pocket a lot, or are generally rough with them, you might want to consider the more durable Shure SE215-K Earphones — these come with detachable cables (see details below).

The Klipsch Image S4 Earphone is available from Amazon for about $76.

Klipsch Image S4i Earbuds

Average Amazon Rating: 3.7 out of 5 (from 500+ reviewers)

If you will be using earphones with a iPhone or iPod, you should consider getting the Klipsch Image S4i, which provides the same comfortable fit and sound quality as the Image S4, but also incorporates an integrated mic and call answer button, as well as volume controls and remote playback for the iPod.

The Klipsch Image S4 sells for about $99 at Amazon.

MEElectronics M6 Earbuds

Average Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from 329+ reviewers)

These M6 Earbuds by MEElectronics are more durable and provide better sound than comparable earphones in their price range. CNET rated them 3.5 out of 4 stars saying “A great value for bass addicts”. These earphones incorporate a “memory wire” and an angled ear tip, making them good earphones wear while engaged in sports.

You can get the MEElectronics M6 at Amazon for about $20.

Shure SE215-K Earphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (from 115+ reviewers)

The SE215-K Earphones by Shure produces some of the best audio you’ll hear from earbuds prince under $100. A solid design, which includes detachable cables, makes these earphones quite durable. Six pairs of tips – small, medium and large in foam and silicone – ensure a nice snug fit no matter what your ear canal’s shape or size. Head-Fi.org recommends the SE215s as their budget pick in Lifehacker’s recent headphone buying guide. The Head-Fi community, a discerning bunch of listeners, have rated these earphones five stars in a couple of interviews.

Buy the Shure SE215-K Earphones at Amazon for about $100.

Klipsch Image S5i Rugged Earbuds

Average Amazon Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (from 50+ reviewers)

Klipsch has released a ruggedized headphone, the Image S5i. The earphones are weather resistant and feature extra large buttons which can be operated while wearing gloves. So far, they are getting good reviews on Amazon.

The Klipsch Image S5i Rugged Earbuds are available on Amazon for about $100.

Etymotic HF5 Earphones

Average Amazon Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (from 52+ reviewers)

One of the best sports earphones available. Etymotic succeeds in creating a balanced realistic sound. Bass-enthusiasts may be disappointed with the thin reproduction of low-frequencies. CNET rates them “Very Good” and iLounge gave them a “A-” rating.

The Etymotic hf5 earphones are sold on Amazon — they are available in Red, Blue, and Black. They sell for about $95.

If you are looking for an Etymotic with iPod/iPhone/iPad controls included, consider the Etymotic ER23-HF3.

Monster iSport Immersion Earphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (from 131+ reviewers)

The iSport Immersion Headphone by Monster is designed to be used while engaged in activities like snowboarding, running and working out at the gym. They are durably built and completely sweatproof. In fact, they can even be put in the wash for cleaning.

Available at Amazon for about $150.

Klipsch Image x10i Earbuds

Average Amazon Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (from 168+ reviewers)

The Klipsch Image X10 earbud headphones are tiny, but powerful. They feature contour ear gels that are intended to slip right into the ear canal comfortably. Five different sized ear tips come with these earbud headphones, and a 50-inch vinyl cable is included.

The Klipsch Image X10 are available at Amazon for $137.

Gradio SR80i Headphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 330+ reviewers)

The Grado SR60 headphones are made in Brooklyn. Their black-plastic design doesn’t exactly exude high tech, but as soon as doubters hear the SR80, their objections usually melt away. Converts gush about the headset’s rock-solid bass, extraordinary detail, and clarity. The SRS0 has been on the market for more than 10 years, perennially garnering raves in audiophile magazines around the world.

The SRS0′s earpieces have large cushions, but we’re not about to claim that these headphones set a new standard for wearability. After spending a few hours with all that foam clamped over your ears, you’ll need a break.

Buy the Grado SR60 Amazon for around $100.

Grado SR125i Headphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 64+ reviewers)

Basically, the Grado SR125 is a slight upgrade to the SR80i — the SR125 is tweaked for slightly better sound. The improved detail can be difficult for some to hear. Grado makes use of the larger sized 1/4 inch plug on this headphone and a very thick cord. Grado doesn’t really intend this headphone for use with a portable MP3 player, but if you want to connect to a portable player or an inexpensive home stereo with the smaller 1/8th inch connection, you’ll need to get an adapter. Whether the sound quality is any better than the SR80i might depend on the quality of the recording and the quality of your music player.

It’s available from Amazon for about $200.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Headphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (from 2037+ reviewers)

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50 is the highest rated headphone on Amazon — many enthusiastic reviewers say this the best headphone you can buy for under $150. I haven’t seen any formal reviews of this headphone yet.

The ATH-M50 is available at Amazon for about $137.

AiAiAi TMA-1 Headphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (from 26+ reviewers)

AIAIAI is a new headphone company from Denmark, and they’ve recently released their first set of DJ headphones, dubbed the TMA-1, which stands for “Tycho Magnetic Anomaly 1″ — the name of the monolith in 2001 A Space Odyssey. The monochromatic design was conceived by Danish design studio KiBiSi. The sound reproduction of the phones is apparently very good — the bass, in particular, being quite impressive.

The AIAIAI TMA-1 gets an “Excellent” rating from CNET and an average of 4.7 out of 5 reviewers from 26 reviewers on Amazon.

The headphones are available from Amazon for about $200.

Ultrasone HFI-580 Headphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 28+ reviewers)

If you are looking for a pair of portable headphones that won’t disturb your fellow travelers, you might consider the Ultrasone HFI-580. Unlike many closed-style headphones, the HFI-580 performs very well connected to portable players like the iPod. The headphones have Ultrasone’s patented S-Logic technology, which creates a wide soundstage, making for an incredibly open and clear sonic presentation. PC Magazine rated it 4 out 5 stars, as did “What Hi Fi?” Magazine. CNET gave it a rated of “Very Good” or 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Ultrasone HFI-580 is available at Amazon for about $180.

Bowers And Wilkins P5 Headphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 175+ reviewers)

Bowers & Wilkins is a legendary name in British Hi-Fi. Recently, they have been attempting to appeal to a more mainstream audience. Thier P5 Headphone is made for listening with a portable player. These headphones block out a lot of external noise, but they contain no active noise-cancellation circuitry. The P5s feature a detachable cord with an integrated volume control that will work with some iPods and iPhones.

Consumer Reports rated this headphone the highest in their portable category. CNET rated it “Excellent” and Trusted Reviews gave it 9 out of 10 stars (their 2010 “Best Headphone Gear” Runner Up).

Many reviewers note that these headphones are extremely comfortable. They have sheep leather ear pads, which are soft, but they may become sticky in hot weather.

The Bowers & Wilkins P5 Headphone is available at Amazon for about $295.

Sennheiser RS-170 Wireless Headphone

Average Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 172+ reviewers)

This is the highest rated wireless headphone on Amazon. The Sennheiser RS-170 makes use of the high-fidelity Kleer technology, thus give you CD-quality audio over its wireless connection (superior to Bluetooth in this respect).

You can buy the Sennheiser RS-170 Wireless Headphone at Amazon for about $280.

Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Average Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 222+ reviewers)

The Bose QuietComfort 15 received a rating of 74/100 from Consumer Reports (the 2nd highest for noise-canceling headphones, just behind the Sony MDR-NC500D). CNET rates the Bose QuietComfort 15 as their number one noise-canceling headphone, giving it an “Excellent” score.

The Bose QuietComfort 15 is available for $300 from Amazon.

Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Average Amazon Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (from 355+ reviewers)

The ATH-ANC7B headphone by Audio Technica is the best rated noise-cancelling headphone under $200. However, CNET only gives them a “Good” rating, saying that they just sound “OK” and that the headphone’s noise-cancellation feature was not impressive. Still, the ATH-ANC7B gets an impressive Amazon rating of 3.9 of 5 stars from 355+ reviewers.

Another positive note — these headphones do work when the noise-canceling function is turned off, or when their battery is dead. In contrast, Bose noise-cancelling headphones do not operate without a charged battery.

The ATH-ANC7B is available from Amazon for about $121.

Jabra Halo 2 Stereo Headset

Average Amazon Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (from 30+ reviewers)

Jabra Halo 2 is a highly rated wireless stereo headset. Reviews like its reliable wireless connectivity, and its minimalist design.

The speakers fold up like sunglasses when you’re not using them, and immediately switch on, without the need of a button, when you open them back up again. But reviewers did some reservations about the overall durability of the joins on the headphone.

You can pair two wireless devices at once with the Jabra Halo 2, including your mobile, with the added functionality of answering calls.

The Jabra Halo 2 Stereo Headset is available from Amazon for about $77.

The post The 20 Highest Rated Earbuds & Headphones appeared first on Reactual.

The Top Rated Gaming Headphones

Justin Thomas — Sun, 15 May 2011 23:12:14 +0000

Gaming headphones are designed exclusively with the gaming enthusiast in mind with an integrated microphone and noise isolating features. Headphones for gaming allow for a more immersive experience to improve upon the game.

These top-rated headphone were selected based upon studying reviews on CNET, Crunchgear, PCWorld, and Digital Trends, as well as user reviews from Amazon and Newegg.

Sennheiser PC 350 Collapsible Gaming Headphones ($175)

Top Review Sources:

Digital Trends: 8.5 out of 10; “Comfortable, Excellent sound quality”
Trusted Reviews: 9 out of 10; “The very best headset for gaming”
Amazon: Average 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 173 customer reviews

Sennheiser, a name synonymous with exceptional sound, offers up the PC 350 for the serious gamer. Sennheiser owners rave about the sound clarity during games and the headphones transfer well for movie and music listening, though the microphone inhibits versatility in that area. The microphone is one of the best tested with excellent noise cancelling. The use of a sound card is recommended to get the most value out of these pricier gaming headphones.

The Sennheiser PC 350 collapsible gaming headphones are available on Amazon.

Turtle Beach Ear Force X 41 ($140)

Turtle Beach Ear Force X 41

Pros:

Excellent 7.1 channel surround sound
Removable microphone
Wireless, includes a headphone jack to connect another headset
Xbox live chat with automatic chat boost

Top Review Sources:

CNET: 3.5 out of 5 stars, very good, “One of the best wireless gaming headsets around.”
Amazon: Average 4 out of 5 stars, based on 319 customer reviews

The Ear Force X41s from Turtle Beach can be connected to virtually any audio source using the included base station, though the live chat is only for Xbox users. Wireless technology has had its’ issues in the past, but these headphones use radio frequency to produce excellent surround sound. Powered by a USB port, these headphones come with all the required cables to get started.

The Turtle Beach Ear Force X41 gaming headphones are for sale on Amazon.

Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 ($118)

Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930

Pros:

Wireless technology sounds as good as wired
Accurate 7.1 channel surround sound
Programmable G-keys for one touch commands
USB recharging base recharges during play

Cons:

Not MAC compatible
Microphone not removable

Top Review Sources:

Crunchgear: “A very nice headset with great sound and solid wireless technology.”
Newegg: 4 out of 5, based on 162 user reviews
Amazon: Average 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 153 customer reviews

The Logitech G930 gaming headset uses improved wireless technology with a range of up to 40 feet. The microphone works well for noise cancelling and mutes when rotated out of the way, but is not removable. Sound is impeccable for gaming and movies, but doesn’t transfer well for music listening. The battery life and ability to recharge while in use beats other wireless gaming headsets.

The Logitech G930 wireless gaming headset is available on Amazon.

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