The Best $20 Earphone

JVC HA-FR36 Marshmallow Remote + Mic headphones: $19.95

Comparing standard iPod earbuds to JVC's new Marshmallow HA-FR36 earphones isn't fair. It's like comparing a kid's toy piano to a concert-worthy baby grand. While the familiar white buds sit on the outside of your ear struggling to do their tinny best, one of the Marshmallow's two sizes of super-soft and secure memory foam tips slips comfortably into your ear canal, blocking outside noise and maximizing your music experience.
Their 11mm Neodymium magnet drivers are 29 percent larger than those of the previous Marshmallow model. This helps them to deliver an amazing 8Hz to 20kHz freqency range, so you may hear sounds in your most listened-to tracks that you hadn't ever heard before. This model comes in eight iPoddy colors. And it features a cord-mounted single-button control that works with Apple players and some Blackberry models to pause, play and skip the music, as well as answer/initiate calls through its built-in microphone. If you don't need the remote/mic, you can get the same sound and otherwise identical earphones for five bucks cheaper.
Credit: JVC America

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Special Gadgets/ SteelSeries Siberia Neckband Headset

SteelSeries' original Siberia Headset has been a popular choice among gamers, DJs, and even music lovers since its 2004 debut. Unfortunately, the successor to that model, the $90 Steelseries Siberia Neckband Headset, falls short of the well-loved original when it comes to both comfort and sound quality.

The Siberia headset is made mostly of lightweight plastic, yet it seems surprisingly durable. The flexible neckband has enough give to accommodate a head with far more mass than mine, and the neckband rests low across the neck.

On first sight, I assumed the bulky, shiny-white earpieces would look comically large. But once you put on the headphones, the earpieces actually look sleek and smaller than I had expected. However, a definite setback is that the headphones don't fold up compactly-I found myself transporting them around my neck rather than sacrificing space in my purse or laptop bag.

The large earpieces feature soft pads that cover my ears completely. But despite the cushioning, these earpieces are what ultimately made the headphones uncomfortable for me, as the large size coupled with the behind-the-neck design meant that the Neckband quickly pulled down on my ears. Initially, it felt like just a bit of pressure against my head, but after about ten minutes of use, the problem became a real irritation. I relieved the annoyance somewhat by rotating the neckband upwards and resting it on my ponytail, but the headphones still pull down over time-and, obviously, not everyone has a headphone-supporting ponytail. Larger-headed friends who tried the Siberia complained of the same problem.

The Siberia's cable hosts an Apple-style inline remote-the newer, three-button version-for controlling volume and playback/phone functions. (Unlike some three-button remotes, the playback button didn't work when plugged into my Mac; it did work with my iPhone and iPod.) A nice feature is the hidden, retractable microphone that slides in and out of the left earpiece. 

The Siberia's lack of comfort is, sadly, not its only problem. Although audio quality isn't bad, the Siberia offers little to no noise isolation-to keep my music or game audio from bothering those around me, I had to keep the volume at an incredibly low level. The result was music that sounded flat and lacked dynamics unless I wanted my coworkers to hear Lady Gaga's every word or "ra ra."

The Siberia Neckband is a solid attempt at providing a single headset for multiple activities. The pull-out microphone makes the Siberia useful for gaming (and, I suppose, for hands-free calling when used with an iPhone, though not while driving). The low-slung fit across the neck may even be tight enough not to fall off while listening at the gym. However, versatility isn't enough to make up for the fact that the Siberia Neckband Headset doesn't isolate sound very well and isn't comfortable enough for extended use.

Story Source: Mac World

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Luxury Gadgets/Gold-Plated Piano Forte Earphones

Japan-based, Final Audio Design is known to most audiophiles as a company that has a not-so-cheap models. The four new earphones the company added to its earphone line-up aren’t exceptions. Piano Forte Series Earphones promise to enrich audiophiles with sound quality, as they will experience inside a concert hall. They are inspired by horn loudspeakers.

The cheapest model is the Piano Forte VIII. Priced at $940 it will feature brass housing. Second one is the Piano Forte IX, with mirror-polished stainless steel, at $1,180. Next up is the Piano Forte X-CC, made from chrome copper with ion plating for $2,650. And finally, the flagship model is the Piano Forte X-G, with chrome copper bodies coated with gold. For this model price isn’t known, but is assumed to be pretty immense.

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