Clarence Brown

It’s no question that Sennheiser isn’t in the hearts and minds of the average consumer. When you ask said person “what is the crème de la crème of earphones on the market right now”, they may spout out names like Sony, Bose, or even Beats by Dre. Clearly Sennheiser has some work to do if they want to play in this arena.

The Sennheiser  MX 365’s, which launched earlier this year, is Sennheiser’s latest entry into that everyday low-end consumer market. Looking to offer “a dynamic sound experience”, “a good price-performance ratio”, and “colorful self expression”. And while the whole, “colorful self expression” thing may be a great marketing ploy, the real nuts and bolts of the matter is if the sound warrants the price.

At a suggest retail price of $34.95, purchasing this item is not breaking the bank, but that being said, it’s probably a bit more than the average user is willing to pay for a pair of in-ear earphones. So the real question is, can the performance possibly be worth the price?

The Sennheiser MX 365’s offers a decent range of highs and lows, but nothing ground-breaking. Let me clarify. The bass performance and highs are good for a pair of in-ear earphones, but no where near the quality of sound you can get from a pair of “ear-canal” earphones, or their “over-the-ear” counterparts. I’ve owned many sets of more affordable in-ear earphones over the years, and the difference in performance was only marginal at best.

While the Sennheiser MX’s do offer a slightly fuller sound, I don’t believe it’s enough to overcome the huge difference in the suggested retail price with direct competition.  And while the “added colorful expression” may rope some consumers in, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives on the market that arguably provide a better aesthetic.

If your willing to shell out a bit more for only slightly better sound, go for it.

Product Features

• Comfortable, non-intrusive ear-bud fit
• Exceptional bass response and detail without added batteries or bulk
• Symmetrical cable with 1/8″ (3.5mm) headphone jack that works any audio source including iPhone, iPad series and Android devices (listen-only)
• Built-tough with a global 2 year warranty

Technical Details

• Brand Name: Sennheiser
• Model: MX 365
• Item Weight: 0.1 pounds

There are definitely times when using a headset is the optimal solution for an enjoyable gaming experience. That being said, stereo gaming headsets are not affordable. Prices can range anywhere from forty to a hundred and fifty dollars. The options out there for the budget console gamer are lack-luster at best. Thankfully, Yapster Blaster by TekNmotion is here to fill that void. But can an affordable price also deliver on quality?

Features

The Yapster Blaster universal headset features a full dynamic range driver, a nicely padded headband and over-the-ear cups, a detachable high-gain amplifier powered by XJacKer technology, an ultra high-sensitivity microphone with a flexible boom, in-line controls, standard 3.5mm audio jacks, and multiple adapters for various platforms. It supports stereo sound and chat compatibility on the PC as well as the XBOX 360, while only providing stereo sound on the PS3 and Wii.

The Good

Sound testing on this device rendered great results. On the 360, we tested Assassin’s Creed II, as well as Halo Reach –and was more than impressed. Basses were deep and highs were clear. As someone who does not have a sophisticated surround sound setup,  you can easily forget about the amount of hard work game developers put into audio design. The Yapster Blaster brings that hard work to light in brilliant form. If you don’t have the means for a surround sound setup, this is the next best thing.

Highs, mids, and lows were all distinct, and even the most nuance of sounds came to life. This in part due to the XJacker technology that is used to amplify sound coming into the headset. The USB powered XJacker amplifier boasts a frequency response of 20 Hz to 50,000 Hz, and a total harmonic distortion of 0.2%, and while these numbers won’t mean much to the laymen, the end result is a very rich sound. Don’t get me wrong, this ain’t no BOISE, but for the every day Joe, these results are more than enough.

On the PC I actually used the Yapster Blaster for a podcast recording via Skype. The microphone performed exceptionally well, in addition to delivering the audio output you would expect. Setup was as easy as plugging into the headphone and microphone ports –breakout amplifier not needed. And while setting the device on the PC was pretty much standard fair, I have to say getting things running on the XBOX 360 felt like a pain. Let me explain.

The Bad

The XJacker amplifier plugs into your consoles’ USB port, you in turn plug your headphones into the amplifier. Now the tricky part. The diagram that comes with the device shows them hooking up your amplifier adapter to the audio out of the XBOX 360. Well, since I was using HDMI (which I’m sure is the case for most people these days) I had to find a way to get audio out of my TV. This resulted in me digging up a component audio cable to get things going. Also with this setup, you have to dig through your TV setting to disable your TV speakers while keeping the outputs channels active. Not a deal-breaker, but a pain.

Also, the resulting mass of cables and the confinements of their length, just felt weird. We’ve become spoiled by the cable-less lifestyle in gaming today, so being restricted in where I could sit to play just felt outdated. And the resulting wad of cables were an eye-soar. Still, not a deal-breaker, but things definitely need to be streamlined.

Let me iterate that this may be standard fair with headsets on consoles, but having never used a console stereo headset before, it just seems like a problem.

In Conclusion

Despite my few misgivings, I have to say I would definitely recommend this product. For the late night gamer with a wife and kids or the college student who doesn’t want to disturb his roommate, the quality of the audio of the Yapster Blaster, along with its price-point, solidify’s its value for the budget gamer. All the features are definitely here, which makes this device more than worth it’s value in suggested retail price –$29.99.

Via TekNmotion, Amazon

In the midst of speculation over what Amazon’s much anticipated iPad competitor tablet might be, many people were not putting focus on their lineup as a whole –I’m no exception. In their press event today, Amazon has managed to ever further corner the e-Reader market with a slew of models and price points for just about anybody. What this effectively means is –if you want a Kindle, there are no more excuses.

There are two types of companies: those that work hard to charge customers more, and those that work hard to charge customers less. Both approaches can work. We are firmly in the second camp. –Jeff Bezos’s letter to Amazon customers.

Ouch. Burn Apple, burn.

And the proof is in the pudding, with Amazon offering four new models. First up is the revamped Kindle, which retails at $79 and no longer includes a physical keyboard. Next up is a touch screen model called the Kindle Touch, which comes in at $99. If your willing to fork out an extra $50 you can get the same Touch model with lifetime 3G, aptly called the Kindle Touch 3G,  for $149. Lastly there is the model that has been creating the huge stir in the tech industry over the past few months, the Kindle Fire. Which touts an android-based custom Amazon operating system, a 7” ISP multi-touch display, a 1GHz TI OMAP dual-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB internal storage plus free cloud storage, and sales at only $199 –wow.

The re-vamped baseline Kindle is available for order now, while the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire will be available later this holiday season. Get on ever to Amazon and pre-order yours before it’s too late.

The randomness continues with more things you may have missed in “Around the Net” for September 27, 2011. In today’s addition, the rock-opera that will put a smile on any Street Fighter fanboy face, streaming deals galore, Star Wars: The Old Republic dated, and the Casey Jones movie you never knew you needed.

street fight!

Every now and then you hear indie music that down right surprises you by doing something innovative and different –the music from Man Factory is no exception. So far they are two rounds (albums) in, on a three round compilation for the Street Fighter inspired rock-opera, aptly named, street fight! May not be every one’s cup of tea, but is sure to put a smile on the face of any Street Fighter fan!

Netflix inks deal with DreamWorks, meanwhile Amazon gets FOX

Netflix clearly has an uphill battle. The recent funk they have been going through will not be easily forgotten. To alleviate the pain Neflix has released their best news in quite some time. More content. Or at least in 2013. According to the New York Times, DreamWorks animation has made a deal with Netflix that is worth an estimated 30 million per film. Dreamworks chose Netflix, in lieu of a deal it once had with HBO, that was less lucrative. Thanks Netflix, we need more of the same.

Meanwhile, Amazon Prime’s Instant Video Service signs a deal with FOX, that will add an additional 11,000 movies and TV shows to the ever-growing service that is shaping up to be Netflix’s best competitor yet. Just in time for the Amazon “Kindle Fire” tablet?

Star Wars: The Old Republic dated

This is a few days old, but finally, Star Wars: The Old Republic has an official launch date. Many believed this game would not see a 2011 release, but despite speculation of even further push-backs, it will be available on December 22, 2011 in North America. So, get those wallets ready and PCs primed, should be fun (if you can get over paying the $14.99/month subscription).

Casey Jones The Movie

I’m not be biggest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan around, but leave it up the our resident turtles expert, Sergio,  to find anything cool and interesting turtles related. Enter Casey Jones The Movie. The movie does more than enough to make Casey Jones the bad-a hockey wielding street fighter that we all want him to be. Hit-up Sergio’s full review for the low-down.