Sunday, October 22, 2006
HARDWARE UPDATE
Bose(R) Headphones
Long-term readers of this blog will know I use and love my TriPort(R) headphones, for which I paid about US $150 about 5 years ago. I'm now on my second pair (they don't last forever in constant use). They give great sound using little current, and need no batteries for themselves. That translates into decent volume from small weak portable audio sources; especially el-cheapo mp3 players, saving your player's batteries and playing time. I see these phones are now on sale at BEST BUY and the BOSE web sites for about 140 US dollars; a great deal.
I next invested in their QuietComfort-2(R) headphones for air travel and I'm glad I did. Note the sound quality is NOT as good as the TriPort(R) design, but you have great noise reduction, and can actually enjoy music on a plane, and even hear a movie soundtrack with reasonable clarity. You can still hear airline announcements if you don't blast the volume by the way. I've read others sing the praises of other makers products, and I've tried a few of them; bottom line, I'll stick with my Bose, thank you. If you don't fly alot, don't waste money on the noise reduction. If you do, especially internationally, the "2s" work on a disposable AAA penlight battery. You get a good 35 or more hours from it, and no need to carry a recharger. These, like the non-reducing cousins above, are over-the-ear design.
Well...if you read USA TODAY and many other publications, you undoubtedly have seen the full page ads for the new QuietComfort-3(R) headphones. They are not necessarily better (although the sales man at the airport where I tried them said they were), but they are smaller, and fit against (not over) your ears. I liked them; I didn't LOVE them. They have a rechargable battery cell (you can't easily buy if your's go sour on a trip). The cell only lasts 18 hours. They seem lighter (good) but a bit more flimsy (bad). Wearing comfort is a matter of taste. I think the over-the-ear is preferable for air travel noise isolation, you may not. The sound to my ears (and I've worn headphones for music and recording professionally for decades, most costing tons more than these under discussion), is equal to the "2s" and again inferior to the TriPorts(R). The "3s" are also about 50 dollars more than the "2s," at about US $300.
Bose(R) is also showing new in-ear (plug) style headphones for about 100 dollars and new on-ear NON-noise-reducing phones for about 180 bucks. I will do what I can to try these some day soon and let you know.
Also the Bose web site has deals for a free mp3 player if you buy some of these soon; check out bose.com
Bottom Line:
Triport(R) Headphones 5/5, they sound as good as my Ten Thousand Dollar studio monitors...honest! They are a joy, to enjoy.
Quiet-2 is a better deal than the Quiet-3s right now, function 5/5 but unfortunately (even in a quiet room, far removed from an airplane) sound only 3-4/5.
Others, at least right now seem less desirable...but I'm open to suggestion!
Zeph, out
Bose(R) Headphones
Long-term readers of this blog will know I use and love my TriPort(R) headphones, for which I paid about US $150 about 5 years ago. I'm now on my second pair (they don't last forever in constant use). They give great sound using little current, and need no batteries for themselves. That translates into decent volume from small weak portable audio sources; especially el-cheapo mp3 players, saving your player's batteries and playing time. I see these phones are now on sale at BEST BUY and the BOSE web sites for about 140 US dollars; a great deal.
I next invested in their QuietComfort-2(R) headphones for air travel and I'm glad I did. Note the sound quality is NOT as good as the TriPort(R) design, but you have great noise reduction, and can actually enjoy music on a plane, and even hear a movie soundtrack with reasonable clarity. You can still hear airline announcements if you don't blast the volume by the way. I've read others sing the praises of other makers products, and I've tried a few of them; bottom line, I'll stick with my Bose, thank you. If you don't fly alot, don't waste money on the noise reduction. If you do, especially internationally, the "2s" work on a disposable AAA penlight battery. You get a good 35 or more hours from it, and no need to carry a recharger. These, like the non-reducing cousins above, are over-the-ear design.
Well...if you read USA TODAY and many other publications, you undoubtedly have seen the full page ads for the new QuietComfort-3(R) headphones. They are not necessarily better (although the sales man at the airport where I tried them said they were), but they are smaller, and fit against (not over) your ears. I liked them; I didn't LOVE them. They have a rechargable battery cell (you can't easily buy if your's go sour on a trip). The cell only lasts 18 hours. They seem lighter (good) but a bit more flimsy (bad). Wearing comfort is a matter of taste. I think the over-the-ear is preferable for air travel noise isolation, you may not. The sound to my ears (and I've worn headphones for music and recording professionally for decades, most costing tons more than these under discussion), is equal to the "2s" and again inferior to the TriPorts(R). The "3s" are also about 50 dollars more than the "2s," at about US $300.
Bose(R) is also showing new in-ear (plug) style headphones for about 100 dollars and new on-ear NON-noise-reducing phones for about 180 bucks. I will do what I can to try these some day soon and let you know.
Also the Bose web site has deals for a free mp3 player if you buy some of these soon; check out bose.com
Bottom Line:
Triport(R) Headphones 5/5, they sound as good as my Ten Thousand Dollar studio monitors...honest! They are a joy, to enjoy.
Quiet-2 is a better deal than the Quiet-3s right now, function 5/5 but unfortunately (even in a quiet room, far removed from an airplane) sound only 3-4/5.
Others, at least right now seem less desirable...but I'm open to suggestion!
Zeph, out
Friday, October 13, 2006
ROD STEWART
Still The Same: Great Rock Classics Of Our Time
OK OK, if you are like me, a Rod Stewart fan for almost too long perhaps, you were getting sick of the "standards" CDs. He did at least 2, too many. Tony Bennett he's not.
So finally the Rod Man is back...almost. The ROCK CLASSICS is a great sounding CD, the recordings are spectacular and musicianship astonishing. The voice is a tad old, but still very very enjoyable and at times has a new life beyond his best work, yes beyond fronting the Faces for example.
But the song choice...oh well...I'd prefer a few more puchy songs (there are millions to choose from), and a few fall flat.
On the upside, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," are charmers, and I believe will be on further greatest hits or live CD/DVDs. The low point is "Best of My Love." Why cover the pristine harmonic singing of the original Eagles lineup with one (lovingly) aged and tattered voice (plus world class female backup voices)? It's beyond me. This song was not meant to be a solo tune for anyone.
Most of the album falls in the middle of the two extremes. One honorable mention, with great reservation is (poor) Bonnie Tyler's "It's a Heartache." This was a huge hit for the lady, and she was at the time being branded the "female Rod Stewart." Well, the original of the song is a better take, but marginally so. It must put Tyler's knickers in a major twist, that Rod was decidely on HER turf...there are so many other tunes he could have covered.
MEMO TO MR. STEWART: next year (we hope), how about doing a few new songs, maybe co-author a few, and then cover some more ROCK tunes, with a few ballads. How about stretching the CD beyond the 46 or so minutes of ROCK CLASSICS...pull a (late great) Robert Palmer and put out a 70 plus minute really rockin'/jazzy/R&B/pop collection...that'll likely be a signature work, quick.
BOTTOM LINE: 3/5 stars, but thoroughly enjoyable, and I suggest you hear it if you can before buying it (legally!). Remember Zeph does not condone piracy. Music is way too precious for that, and lots of people slave behind the scenes, and need to bring home the bread. Rod too, needs to support how many wives and kids!
MEMO TO MR. STEWART #2: Keep up the good work, mate. I much prefer you here and back to singing with a rock & roll band, than in tie and tails...although you did a great job on it, it got a tad old. And you are forever young, friend!
Zeph, out
Still The Same: Great Rock Classics Of Our Time
OK OK, if you are like me, a Rod Stewart fan for almost too long perhaps, you were getting sick of the "standards" CDs. He did at least 2, too many. Tony Bennett he's not.
So finally the Rod Man is back...almost. The ROCK CLASSICS is a great sounding CD, the recordings are spectacular and musicianship astonishing. The voice is a tad old, but still very very enjoyable and at times has a new life beyond his best work, yes beyond fronting the Faces for example.
But the song choice...oh well...I'd prefer a few more puchy songs (there are millions to choose from), and a few fall flat.
On the upside, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," are charmers, and I believe will be on further greatest hits or live CD/DVDs. The low point is "Best of My Love." Why cover the pristine harmonic singing of the original Eagles lineup with one (lovingly) aged and tattered voice (plus world class female backup voices)? It's beyond me. This song was not meant to be a solo tune for anyone.
Most of the album falls in the middle of the two extremes. One honorable mention, with great reservation is (poor) Bonnie Tyler's "It's a Heartache." This was a huge hit for the lady, and she was at the time being branded the "female Rod Stewart." Well, the original of the song is a better take, but marginally so. It must put Tyler's knickers in a major twist, that Rod was decidely on HER turf...there are so many other tunes he could have covered.
MEMO TO MR. STEWART: next year (we hope), how about doing a few new songs, maybe co-author a few, and then cover some more ROCK tunes, with a few ballads. How about stretching the CD beyond the 46 or so minutes of ROCK CLASSICS...pull a (late great) Robert Palmer and put out a 70 plus minute really rockin'/jazzy/R&B/pop collection...that'll likely be a signature work, quick.
BOTTOM LINE: 3/5 stars, but thoroughly enjoyable, and I suggest you hear it if you can before buying it (legally!). Remember Zeph does not condone piracy. Music is way too precious for that, and lots of people slave behind the scenes, and need to bring home the bread. Rod too, needs to support how many wives and kids!
MEMO TO MR. STEWART #2: Keep up the good work, mate. I much prefer you here and back to singing with a rock & roll band, than in tie and tails...although you did a great job on it, it got a tad old. And you are forever young, friend!
Zeph, out
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
KT TUNSTALL FREE DOWN LOAD
To promote the upcoming "real music store" release of "Acoustic Extravaganza"
KT has a free song download at
http://kttunstall.com/acoustic/
If it doesn't work, you might need an email key, or it's already down...try it, for nothing it's worth it!
Zeph, out
To promote the upcoming "real music store" release of "Acoustic Extravaganza"
KT has a free song download at
http://kttunstall.com/acoustic/
If it doesn't work, you might need an email key, or it's already down...try it, for nothing it's worth it!
Zeph, out
