The Help and FAQs files have been converted to a blog format. I've updated sections in FAQs and the Help pages have been completely revised. You can bookmark and search FAQs and Help just as you would the News and Directory blogs. Let me know if you encounter any bugs.

The Library will be converted next to the blog format.

Posted by cmoy on 11-20-2007 03:17 AM. Comments (0)

It's been years since the original "links" database was taken offline. The new Directory consolidates the old "commercial links" and "educational links" listings and organizes them into new categories and in a blog format. Registered users will be able to post comments about an entry.

Because the HeadWize site overhaul is not finished yet, the Directory database has only a few entries. More will be added later. Let me know if you encounter bugs.

Posted by cmoy on 10-09-2007 08:09 PM. Comments (0)

At the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, musician/producer Dr. Dre and Monster Cable unveiled a prototype headphone in a new series called "Beats by Dr. Dre" but offered few technical details. Seven months later, their first product, Beats by Dr. Dre Studio, arrived at US stores. The BBD Studio is a "high definition" noise cancellation headphone, designed for clear fidelity across the entire audio range, with attention to reproducing accurate, impactful bass, and housed in a sleek, modern enclosure. Dr. Dre and Monster Cable have now published more technical specs.

The BBD Studio claims the use of advanced materials, sophisticated construction, extra large drivers, and a powerful digital amplifier as points of innovation. The proprietary transducers are 40mm in size and mounted on a highly rigid frame to ensure low distortion bass. BBD Studio's Powered Isolation technology refers to the combination of active noise cancellation and a high efficiency class D amplifier to deliver balanced, full spectrum sound against a quiet background, as would be heard inside a professional studio. Two AAA batteries installed in the left earcup drive the electronics. A red LED turns amber when the batteries are low.

The right earcup has buttons for on/off and mute. Circumaural leather-covered ear cushions breathe to keep the ears cool during extended wear. Although the distinctive black with red accents,....

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Posted by cmoy on 08-10-2008 12:34 PM. Comments (0)

AKG's K702 is the top headphone in its professional line and a direct descendant of the K701. The main difference is cosmetic. Like the Studio II headphones, the K702 is colored in "stage blue", which hides scratches and scuff marks of studio use better than the bright white on the K701. The K702 also has a detachable 3-meter cable, terminated in a full-size TRS plug. The other features and specs of the two models are identical, including transducers with the patented Variomotion 2-layer diaphragm and flat-wire voice coil housed in open-back enclosures, 3-D form ear cushions and padded leather headband. Each K702 is individual tested and numbered. Comes with 3.5mm plug adapter.

Specs: 105dB/V, 62 ohms.
Price: $540 US.

Posted by cmoy on 08-08-2008 12:29 PM. Comments (0)

Buy.com says this version is for the iPhone, but doesn't explain the nature of the iPhone compatibility. MSRP is $50 US. The sale price of $15 includes free shipping. More information here.

Posted by cmoy on 07-17-2008 10:20 AM. Comments (1)

When the iconic EarMax tube headphone amplifier reached its 10th birthday, Brocksieper celebrated with the limited edition EarMax Anniversary. Only 100 pieces were produced for worldwide distribution, and of that, only 33 went to North American dealers. The EarMax Anniversary is a souped up version of the EarMax Pro with 10% higher output power than the Pro. The chassis is finished in gloss black and all exposed metal parts (including the bottom cover) are plated in gold. Three NOS vacuum tubes (1xAT7 and 2x6922) protected by a cage and a volume control occupy the top of the chassis. Input RCA jacks and a mini (3.5mm) headphone jack are located on the sides. The power supply is in a separate enclosure. The EarMax Anniversary measures a compact 3.75 x 3.5 x 4.0 (inches). Comes in a metal "flight" case.

Specs: 50mW into 35 ohms.
Price: $1695 US.

Posted by cmoy on 07-10-2008 12:09 PM. Comments (0)

Panasonic RP-HJE900 in-canal earphones have housings made of zirconium oxide, a hard crystaline ceramic that is a precursor to the diamond simulant called cubic zirconia. Zirconia dampens vibrations that otherwise would distort the sound produced by the 8.5mm transducers, while imbuing the earphone with scratch-resistant durability and a cachet of luxury. The mid-sized transducers have been engineered to stump bass down to 6Hz. If the 1.2m Y-cord gets snagged, it will detach from the earphones.

Comes with carry case and 4 sizes of silicone cushions.

Specs: 26 ohms, 100dB/mW.
Price: $250 US.

Posted by cmoy on 07-07-2008 08:30 AM. Comments (0)

Jays' Bluestreamer 2 is a Bluetooth stereo receiver to connect stereo headphones to a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, media player or PC. It updates the original Bluestreamer with a smaller and lighter form factor. The Bluestreamer 2 supports A2DP stereo streaming, AVRCP remote control and HSP/HFP headset functions. On incoming calls, it automatically pauses the music and switches back when the call is finished. A large round button on the front answers/terminates calls.

The mini (3.5mm) headphone jack and internal mic are located at the top. Buttons on the side control volume and track navigation. The internal rechargeable battery supplies 5 hours music or 6 hours talk time. A USB cable (or JAY's car adapter) recharges the battery from any computer USB port. Measures 59 x 25 x 11 (mm) and weighs 12gr. The included holder has a clip on back for attaching to clothing or backpack.

Available in black, white or pink. Comes with holder, lanyard, USB cable.

Specs: Bluetooth 2.0, 10m range.
Price: $62 US.

Posted by cmoy on 07-05-2008 08:57 AM. Comments (0)

AKG has updated its Studio series headphones to "Mk II" status and introduced versions for home use. As was true of the upgrade of AKG's portable headphones, the changes are mostly cosmetic, because the specs are virtually identical to the old Studio models. The Mk II Studio headphone are now colored a distinctive "stage blue." The new High Definition headphones are redresses of the Studio series for the home market. The main differences in the HD line are the non-detachable cord and velour cushions as the default (Studio headphones are fitted leatherette cushions and velour cushions are optional in the package). This table shows the Studio headphones and their corresponding High Definition versions.

K271 MK II -> K272HD
K240 MK II -> K242HD
K171 MK II -> K172HD
K141 MK II -> K142HD

Shown above are the K271 MK II/K272HD and K240 Mk II/K242HD.

Specs: 55 ohms.
Prices: $200 to $300 US.

Posted by cmoy on 07-04-2008 02:49 PM. Comments (0)

The iBasso D2 Boa DAC/amp combo is about 50% lighter and smaller than its official predecessor, the D1, and slightly smaller and lighter than the limited edition D2 Viper, which sold out a few months ago. The Boa's amp section retains the topology of the D1 with a Linear Technologies LT1364 opamp front end followed by a NE5532 in buffer mode. The Boa's DAC section is completely different. It features a Texas Instruments PCM2706 for its USB 1.1 interface and a Wolfson WM8740 high performance DAC chip. Because the D2 is in a smaller enclosure, it has one line level and one USB inputs. There is no input selector switch. Instead, the Boa's MCU automatically scans for an active input. The front panel has a 3/10 dB gain switch, line-level input mini jack and a mini headphone jack. The system is powered by an internal 4.2V 470mAH li-poly battery. On the back is a USB port and a recharge-battery switch. A 3-hour charge lets the Boa to operate for nearly 40 hours. It measures 51 x 21 x 82 (mm) and weighs 108 gr.

Comparing the D2 Boa and the D2 Viper, the main differences are in the opamp mounting and the internal battery. Whereas the Viper's opamps were socketed for easy replacement and substitution, the Boa's opamps are soldered in place and take up less space on the circuit board. The Viper 8.4V internal li-poly battery pushes the amp's output power rating to 150mW @ 32 ohms.

The D2 Boa is ....

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Posted by cmoy on 06-22-2008 06:26 PM. Comments (0)

Buy.com is selling the MHP206 for $14 and FREE shipping. MSRP on this model is $60 US. Get several for gifts. For more details, click here.

Posted by cmoy on 06-16-2008 05:56 AM. Comments (1)

The Phonitor (model 2739) from Sound Performance Lab is a high-end headphone monitoring system, featuring stereo loudspeaker simulation based on crossfeed. The product is 100% analog - no digital signal processing. The amplifier was developed from SPL's 120V reference technology for higher performance. The hand-built discrete circuitry is based on a class A opamp topology called SUPRA OPs, but utilizing a power supply 4x larger than typical opamp supplies (±60VDC). As a result, the sound quality is impeccably neutral, and the amp boasts a dynamic range of 129.5dB and a distortion spec (THD) of 0.005%, both under a 600 ohm load, the standard headphone impedance in studios.

SPL says that the value of headphone monitoring lies in the "magnifier effect" of detecting clicks, defects and tonal problems in individual tracks and in fine-tuning crossfades, which are more difficult to do on loudspeakers. To correct for the in-head spatial presentation, the Phonitor provides 3 controls for tailoring the stereo loudspeaker simulation: Crossfeed, Speaker Angle and Center Level. Crossfeed sets the acoustic effect of room size and ambient characteristics. Speaker Angle works with Crossfeed to simulate the effect of speaker positioning by varying both the frequency threshold and strength of the crossfeed signal. Center Level regulates the intensity of center signals to compensate for the stereo signal p....

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Posted by cmoy on 06-08-2008 12:47 AM. Comments (0)