Old earphones ain't what they used to be, ain't what they used to be...
Written: Jul 18 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It's Aiwa, it's good looking, it's comfortable, it's a kick in a glass
Cons: Durability issues may be the undoing of them
The Bottom Line: Awesome fit and comfort for Wraparounds, a little flimsy, but well worth the minor troubles.
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| Biggs219's Full Review: Aiwa HPJ30 Headphones |
A long time ago (about 4 months) in a galaxy far far away (no, the Milky Way Galaxy, planet Earth, Barnes and Noble music center)...
Episode 34.769586
The Empire Buys Headphones
We begin our spectacular story with brief history. I, as you may or may not know, have a particular problem with music. What's the problem? There is a giant rod shoved so far up my butt, I ONLY tolerate the best of the best. And let me tell yah, with no income, the best of the best has to fit in a cheap range of cash.
I have possibly fifteen pairs of headphones. Some I like, some I don't. Each one has a specific purpose; airplane headphones, at home in my room headphones, in the car headphones, lawn mowing headphones, work headphones, running headphones... etc. But that gets old. I wanted a good pair of headphones that could be nice and versatile, and not cost me an arm and a leg.
I found a pair of Sony Wraparound headphones. They were comfortable, sounded good, nice long cord, very nice!!! Well, dark times fell upon me as I blew the driver in the left side, causing a low pitched -pop- every time the bass got a bit too high. Then they got uncomfortable and hurt my temples. Great... The dark times had to be lifted, I needed a flashlight, I mean new headphones.
I searched for a better pair of Wraparound headphones, avoiding Sonys period. Those headphones should NOT have blown. I tried pair after pair, all too uncomfortable for long time use, and then... the Force was with me. While milling around Barnes and Noble to spend my gift certificate, it was proven to me there IS a God. I found them... The long awaited replacements.
I bought the Aiwa HP-J30s for 13 bucks. That's a DARN good price. I got in the car, ripped them open, and tried them with the portable CD player I had hooked in my car at the moment.
First Impressions:
They look REALLY good, I only saw the silver pair, but I probably would have gotten blue if it was there. They fit me very well with the in-the-ear earphone style, AND the Wraparound neckband. The earphones stayed on securely, they didn't budge. I am not usually a fan of earphones, I find them painful, these were not. They don't need a foam covering at all due to their smooth surface, delivering ultimate listening capabilities and no discomfort. The sound that came out of the small 1.5 drivers was amazing. The treble is perfect, and the bass is apparently enhanced. Consult Aiwa's website for how this bass enhancement works, frankly, don't understand it, but I know it works.
It's been four months, I'm still using these suckers for all they're worth. No major problems... but why oh why the four stars, Brian?
The sound is good, the price is right, the comfort is there, but the structure causes problems. The band for the earphones is very flexible, firm, but flexible. This means they bend quite easily to fit someone's LARGER head, but it also means that if something heavy is set upon the earphones, they will be bent out of shape fairly easily. This is really just a temporary pain in the butt, and I've found the best way to bend them back to shape is simply by wearing them. Within 5-6 minutes, the band will be back in a good shape. Other than that, the band is firm and will most likely not break at all.
As with all earphones/headphones, these will get annoying after awhile. For me (very sensitive to the pain) these start to hurt my ears after about 2 hours of wearing them straight. That's a long time though. So just be careful with how long you use them.
One more point before closing, someone else mentions it is hard to rest your head with these on. This is true with any behind the head Wraparound 'phones. Pushing your neck against something will cause the earphones to push forward on your inner ear, causing some discomfort. Which is why these are NOT my sleep-or-rest headphones. You need some over-the-head ones for that. If you insist however, the band can be adjusted and rotated to the point where you will not have them jamming against your ear, it works, but it's a pain in the rear. Just food for thought.
Specifics:
1.5 drivers
Single sided cord entry, left side
'Dynamic Bass Boost' (You got me...?)
That's it everybody! I highly recommend the Aiwa HP-J30s for anyone who needs an awesome pair of Wraparound head/earphones!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Biggs219
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Member: Brian
Location: St. Paul, MN
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 33 members
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