What's News at GoodCans (and Listening Station)!
Winter 2007-2008: Listening
Station is again stocking Creek Headphone amps! We have long
thought the OBH-11 was a good value at $225 for a very high quality headphone
amp. Yes, I know to some of you unfamiliar with the audiophile industry,
$225 for a piece of electronics that's sole purpose is to power headphones
seems quite spendy
in this day and age where surround sound receivers can be had for under $200,
(well, for off-name surround sound receivers anyways). But take it
from someone who's been watching the audiophile industry for about 20 years.
Higher quality electronics aimed at good quality sound is not easy
to find these days and demand is fairly low so that does not allow for mass
market pricing. In fact, I challenge you to try to find a headphone
amp sitting on the shelves of a department store or mass market electronics
store! I doubt you find one?
In addition to the OBH-11, Listening Station is also stocking the Creek OBH-21 and the OBH-21SE. Yes, these models are even more spendy, but if you're a headphone audiophile, you may be interested in stepping up. Here's a link to the store where you can find more information: Listening Station
Winter
2007-2008: Listening Station is trying out some Denon
Headphones. Denon is a mid to higher quality audio manufacturer
who has in fact been selling a few headphone models for years. But,
this past year they've taken a big step into the headphone market with more
than a half dozen models with more on the way. Initially, they are
concentrating on two areas. Closed Cans and IEM's. While those
of you familiar with our web site know we love the sound of "Open" headphones
like the Grado's, there are times where "Closed" headphones are necessary,
and Denon, at least at first listen, seems to warrant our attention.
Initially, the D1000S and D1001 are attracting our attention.
They offer good detail for a mid to full sized closed headphone.
They are a little bass heavy, which to audiophiles may be a turn off.
But, to the average listener, it's probably going to be a huge selling
point!
IEM's, (In-Ear
Monitors), are a tricky category as fit in the ear is very important
for the attained level of sound quality and everybody's ears are different.
We are liking the sound of the Denon's. The C351's and the C551's
are attracting our attention. The C351 seems to be a good value
and fits better in our test ears than many competing in-ears that we've tried.
And the C551, while not as easy of a fit, offers much better sound
than we've heard from most under $100 IEM's! We're not convinced
by the top of the line C751 though. While we're sure it has good sound,
it's size and shape seem awkward?
January thru March 2007: Due to much sudden unexpected attention to Grado headphones, including a top Consumer Reports rating in January's issue and several other magazine mentions, Grado got a little behind in filling their orders to retailers. We were consistently backordered on many models. By March we pretty much have most models back in stock with the exception of the GS1000. Hard to believe there's so much demand for a $1000 headphone.... but there is! Amazing there can be so much demand for a brand that doesn't spend money on advertising.... but word of mouth, fueled by the Internet and positive magazine reviews seems to be in full force. Congratulations to Grado for offering such fine audiophile quality headphones!
January 2007: Yes, we attended CES this year. As usual, there was lot's to see! Spoke with some headphone manufacturers/suppliers and headphone amp distributors. Initially we were interested in the Vibe by V-moda. But after comparing a sample against some other IEM's, (in-ear-monitors), we really weren't that impressed considering the $100 price tag. This has motivated us to further investigate the category and perhaps again begin making some recommendations. Denon has shown a new line of headphones that look promising... including a couple of In-Ears! We plan to further investigate. We also spoke with some headphone amp manufacturers/distributors. Some promising products here as well. More later.
Fall 2006: Grado's
been busy this year!!! The new iGrado is now available! It's a street style
headphone available in black or white. It incorporates an SR60 transducer
so now the Grado sound is available portably.... Here's a link to more
information: Listening
Station
July 2006 News: The Grado GS1000 is here! We're testing now... but first listen has been favorable! Here's a link to the store where you can find more info: Listening Station
Spring 2006 News Flash:
Grado is soon coming out with a new, top of the line headphone....
The GS-1000!!! GS stands for "Grado Statement"! We
have some on order and hope to have some here towards the end of May. More
to come! If you're interested in getting one of the first GS-1000's,
send an E-mail and we'll keep you posted:
November 2005 Update:
HUGE NEWS!!! We bought out all units in the U.S. of the xDream wireless headphones by FreeSystems! We're a relatively small retailer, so this is a huge deal for us. But we're so impressed with the transmission quality of this wireless headphone that when we figured out FreeSystems was no longer marketing them in the U.S., we bought out the remaining inventory! FYI, as of this writing, there are still two very positive reviews at head-fi.org! (FYI, the xdream originally sold for $300.... at $120 it's a bargain!)
Here's some info from elsewhere on our site about wireless headphones:
You might notice the lack of "Name Brands" here for wireless headphones. That's because the standard transmission methods of most wireless headphones just doesn't impress us. Most wireless headphones use Radio Frequencies around the 900 MHz level to transmit and frankly, transmission quality and low bandwidth render the transmission and sound quality of these wireless headphones as annoying to our ears. There are some wireless headphones using the 2.4 GHz RF band for transmission, but transmission quality wise, they still vary quite a bit from one location to another. Radio Frequencies are just so dependent on what other electronics are around. FreeSystems is using new technologies in their xDream wireless headphones to improve transmission signal... and they're transmission quality is very good! Besides the fact that they are using an Infrared transmission signal which is far less suseptable to interferance, the signal it's transmitting is Digital rather than analog. It's pretty advanced technology and it is really making a huge difference in the transmission quality. About the only problems we've even encountered with reception quality had to do with very bright sunlight or plasma TV's. And of course, infrared signals don't go through walls. You need to be in the same room.
Here's a link for more info on the xDream Digital IR Wireless Headphones:
xDream Wireless Cans now $120! Click For Details
Summer 2005 - AKG Update:
Listening Station Headphones officially became an authorized AKG dealer a few months ago. We now have many of their headphones listed for sale on our web site, and have done some reviewing and comparing. Here's a link to a summary review including several AKG Cans:
http://www.goodcans.com/HeadphoneReviews/recommendations.htm
Spring 2005 - Grado Update:
Soon after we returned from CES in January, we received two E-mails from customers wanting to know what the deal was with the new Gold Grado SR325? Of course this tweaked our interest as the silver SR325 has been one of our favorite audiophile headphones for several years now. While the Sennheiser HD580, 600 and 650 have been popular models with the audio community, to us, they sounded muffled when compared to the SR325 which was in the same relative price range. We contacted Grado and got the skinny.... here's what they had to say:
"By now many of you have probably seen or heard about the new SR325 headphone. Yes,,it is Gold and not silver or black. And by now, all of you are asking: "What's the deal with this new Gold SR325?"
Quite frankly and quite honestly, we did not want to raise
any red flags when we introduced this new piece, and where also just to busy
to make any "official" announcements". We did not want to cause any problems
with dealers that might have had large inventories of the old ones on hand.
Very few of you dealers were in that position anyway.
The new SR325 (which will become the SR325i,,,new box labels to follow shortly) has been a labor of love of sort with John Grado for about the last year or so. John wanted to make some changes in the 325, and make it better, and just a little different looking from the rest of the lineup. Nothing dramatic, just better with a new look. This he has accomplished, and the comments so far have been extremely positive.
You will of course note the new Gold color. We do not plan on making any other headphones gold anytime soon, and the 325 will only be available in the new Gold color. The new metal material and the gold color actually have better resonance qualities, adding/improving the overall sound. And perhaps a new Gold product to celebrate Grado's 50 year anniversary? Perhaps?
The new SR325 has been improved and it does indeed sound better. There have also been improvements and changes to the 325 drivers, and without giving away any factory secrets, John Grado has been able to change the internal housing by actually changing and reworking the inside mass distribution of the housing. The way that the driver and the new housing move air and react to sound vibrations are now different than the old SR325. Thus, better sound.
And,,,the price is the same! "
There you have it... from Grado's own mouth. Needless to say, we've gotten the new SR325i in stock and listened to it and are quite pleased! No, it's not a dramatic improvement in sound, but it is slightly better, (hard to do that at this level of sound quality).
January 2005 (Update and CES Report):
Checked out CES again. Not a lot on the headphone front to report, but we might be getting back to basics this year. Wireless headphones and surround sound headphones still just don’t compare to good old hard wired, stereo headphones!
Had a good visit with Sennheiser where they showed a few new models. Seems the Noise Reduction headphones must be doing well for them as they introduced two new models. Don’t know where Koss was? They were listed and for some reason we missed their display? Also, didn’t see either of the two Stax distributors? Had a good visit with the AKG distributors at the Harmon booth. I mentioned last year their K1000 model was quite interesting , (2006 Note, the K1000 has since been discontinued), and we are now doing some further research, (FYI, the K1000 is truly an audiophile product and don’t think about it unless you’re totally into it... it can’t be powered by the average headphone output and needs to be connected to speaker outputs). They also have some wireless Cans we are also checking out including a setup that goes for about $1000!
Ultrasone is a fairly new headphone company we’re paying attention too as they are touting their sound quality, (too many headphones these days are marketed on looks, misleading specs, buzzwords, and packaging). We didn’t see them at the show but we’re in contact with them and will be checking out some new offerings by them. FYI, we have tried a few models out and while they're good, our preferance for Grado Cans is still not threatened!
Etymotic and Shure were showing their “In Ear’s.” The popularity of the iPod is heating up this headphone category. Shure has a new model coming out at the $300 price level, (seems they had a big price gap they needed a product at?). But we still like their E3c model which goes for $180 and was Stereophile Magazine’s 2004 accessory of the year.
Amphony again showed it’s H2500 model. A 5.8 GHz wireless which didn’t arrive in 2004 as expected? Their original 2.4 GHz models are hit and miss in reception quality, (if you or your neighbors don’t have any 2.4 GHz devices interfering with them, their great, other wise they’ll be relegated as paper weights). Seems to us with prices of other wireless devices using the 5.8 GHz coming down... we might see the whole cycle of great product now with no interference, OK product in the future with possible interference... again?(Update: Due to excessive returns, as of 1/05 we are no longer stocking Amphony Products)
Surround sound headphones were somewhat still being displayed. But the affordable ones, (under $100), just sound so tinny to us? Most surround sound headphones seem to take a way from the detail? I’d much rather listen to a good, detailed, decent bass, stereo headphone? But, we’re still paying attention and looking for affordable surround sound alternatives!
Keep checking out the reviews and the product descriptions for updates during the year!
Bill K
January 2004 (CES Report):
Once again, another fun time was had at CES. We took the full Listening Station staff this year but as usual, were overwhelmed by the endless parade of gadgets! What’s news on the headphone front:
Amphony: Sat down briefly and talked to Jens from Amphony. The new model 2500 wireless headphone was on display. It uses the 5.8 GHz frequency for transmission. Amphony’s 2000 model introduced last year is a very good sounding wireless headphone. But many of you have upgraded to 2.4 GHz cordless phones or have wireless computer networks around that can cause interference, (even if you don’t have those interfering devices around, if you live close to neighbors, they might). To combat this, Amphony will be introducing the 2500 model. I was told it’s virtually the same headphone as the 2000 model, just using the different frequency for transmission. Not expected till summer of 2004 and no price at this point. (December 2005 update... Still haven't seen the 2500 model yet? Amphony keeps pushing back the release date.)(Update: Due to excessive returns, as of 1/05 we are no longer stocking Amphony Products)
Surround Sound Headphones: Though we haven’t been looking forward to this inevitable development, many of you have. A few surround sound headphones for home theater have been available for a while. Some true surround sound, some fake, (which generally sounds pretty bad to our ears). But for some reason, they kept throwing wireless at us, (much of the wireless technology doesn’t sound as good as even a $20 corded headphone)? But at CES this year we saw at least four “Wired” surround sound headphones, and a couple more wireless. Prices range from $60 to $600. We will be spending some time this spring doing some research and comparisons..... Stay Tuned! (Fall 2004 update: Tried a few and weren't too impressed)
Miscellaneous: Not many upper end products on display that we found, and notably missing was Stax? We did by accident check out the AKG K1000 headphone, (or ear speakers which is a more appropriate description), and was impressed. Listened to a few BeyerDynamics and was impressed. Senn as usual is introducing some new models and discontinuing old ones, (this marketing game is getting a bit old). Also sat down with the Black Cube Linear headphone amp which is expected to be available later this year at around $800. We may be following up on some of these items so check back or send an inquiring E-mail!
January 2003 (CES Report):
Again, a successful trip to the big Consumer Electronics Show. Checked out many headphone related products, and some other neat stuff! The biggest news though for “Good Cans” was the showing of the new Amphony H2000 wireless headphones. Also at the show were some new portables from Sennheiser, a few new products from Koss (and some missing?), and we tried out and are checking into the in ear canal type earphones from Etymotic and Shure.
Amphony H2000: If you’ve read our reviews of the H1000 model
which now has been available in the U.S. for about a year, you might know
we recommend it with reservations. Transmission for the most part is superior
to that of the industry standard 900 MHz wireless Cans. But the transducers
put into the headphone itself were only so-so and the sound quality was about
equivalent to about a $20 corded headphone? Not bad if you’re just a
normal Joe and sound quality is secondary to the convenience of wireless.
But to those of us who listen to “Good Cans,” it’s hard for
us to like a “so-so” sounding headphone! Thankfully, Amphony was
listening and have introduced the new 2000 model which specifically addresses
sound
quality.
Though we’ll want to give the H2000 a thorough review back at headphone central, we could tell from our brief listen at the show that the sound quality was easily improved over the H1000. We’ll hold off actual comparisons until we have it in hand though... so check back! But we can say the physical appearance of the headphone itself looks virtually the same, though the earpads are a nice velvety material, (compared to leatherette on the H1000). So comfort is a bit improved. The base unit is quite different however. Now with digital inputs, one conversion between digital and analog can be eliminated thus possibly improving sound quality, (though you can still connect up from an analog output). Also the base unit has recharging capabilities for a pair of AA batteries, (which does mean you’ll still have to swap batteries in and out of the headphones). Two pair of rechargeables are included so you’ll always have fresh batteries.
Warning: The H2000 still uses the exact same transmission frequency as the H1000, 2.4 GHz. So heed this warning... if you have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone around... you will likely experience some reception problems. And, BTW, microwave ovens also effect the reception. When queried on this subject, Amphony indicated that in order to get the superior reception, their system uses virtually the whole 2.4 GHz band and therefore channel switching is not possible. Guess you have no choice but to skip the 2.4 GHz phones and get one of the newer 5.8 GHz phones?
Availability: The H2000 is not quite available in the U.S. and will be available in limited quantities in February. More later! (Mid February update... we got a few in stock.... and we like!)(Update: Due to excessive returns, as of 1/05 we are no longer stocking Amphony Products)
Sennheiser: Senn showed two new promising portables, the PX100 and
the PX200. Our thoughts.... it’s about time! Previously, they had a
$30 portable that barely sounded better than the junk that comes with cheap
portable
CD
players. Meanwhile, the great sounding Koss PortaPro has been available
since the late 80’s! Needless to say, we’ll do a direct comparison
of the similarly priced Senns with the PortaPro. One note though, the PX200
is a somewhat “Closed” portable headphone and should be a good
choice for those of you who listen to portables in public, (blocks out some
sound and doesn’t leak as much sound). More later! (February Update:
Got some in stock....)
Senn also introduced a new ANR, (Active Noise Reduction), headphone. The PXC250 should go for around $150. We’ll check into it even though we feel the price is a bit high for something meant to be used in a low listening quality noisy environment. Note: we consider noisy listening environments a place to aim for decent sound quality while listening at safe volume levels to protect your ears. Good sound quality is somewhat lost in such environments as it’s almost impossible to totally ignore the offending noise.
Koss did show some new headphones, though it appears they are really concentrating on the department store, (cheap), level. In fact, after the show, we realized we didn’t notice the A-250 model there, (a $130 full sized headphone we actually prefer over the price equivalent Senn)? More on that later. But one interesting product shown was an infrared wireless beltpack, the HB60IR. Included with it are some decent sounding earclip headphones. But more importantly, you should be able to connect up headphones of your choice to the beltpack. Price to be around $60. We’ll definitely be testing this in the near future.
In Ear Canal type earphones: We talked with both Etymotic and Shure about their various offerings ranging in price from $100 to about $500+. For those of you not familiar with the concept, there are those who love the sound of these tiny, in-ear purveyors of sound. We’re going to do some testing. But be forewarned, you have to be dedicated to want to learn how to properly insert these small objects in your ears! More later!
The November 2002 issue of Consumer Reports compares some headphones.
As we’ve come to expect from CR, their reviews are helpful, but
many brands and models were not even tested. The Sennheiser HD570
topped their list of
“Corded Sets.” Notably missing are any of the Grado Headphones,
or the Koss A-250. While we agree, the Senn HD570 is a nice headphone, we
actually prefer the sound quality of the comparably priced Grado SR125 and
the Koss A-250. In fact, we much prefer the sound quality of the Grado SR80
which sells for quite a bit less than the Senn!
The Amphony wireless headphone topped their “Wireless Sets” category due to it’s superior transmission quality. We agree, (see our Amphony Review), but CR neglected to review the FreeSystems xdream IR wireless headphone which given CR’s criteria, probably would have topped their list? Speaking of the xdream, their availability has gotten a bit elusive this Fall, (2002), but FreeSystems has indicated to us that they soon will become available at a Lower Price! Now that’s good news! (Update: Again began selling the xdream's in December of 2002.)(Update: Due to excessive returns, as of 1/05 we are no longer stocking Amphony Products)
Noise Reduction Headphone News: ....NCT Noisebuster, word has it that it will soon be discontinued and may be hard to find after Christmas 2002. NCT is working on a new model, but no info or release dates are available as of this writing. FYI, the Noisebuster is still a very good product, especially given the price. But as usual, with any product, no matter how good, sales begin to dwindle after it’s been available for many years. If you want to pick one up, now may be your last chance? (November 2004 Update: New model is now available.)
(Update: Due to excessive returns, as of 1/05 we are no longer stocking Amphony Products)
Spring 2002:
We’ve Moved! GoodCans.com is now located at a different host site... an undertaking that occupied much of our time in January, (Our apologies to anyone who didn’t get a timely reply to a question). Our previous host was more of a web mall where we used their tools to build our store. But time had come to go out on our own and build a web site of our own doing. As before, at our headphone store, Listening Station, we are using a secure server for credit card information. We’re excited to be out on our own and look forward to further sharing of our love of GoodCans!
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