Behringer DJX750

106
Mini Reviews
The latest musical bits and pieces racked and rated
E
tymotic’s in-ear headphones
– for better or for worse
– are a pretty unique shape.
Their three-tier design is
intended to provide an airtight seal,
with each tier seemingly providing
response for that frequency band.
It takes a while to get used to the
HF5s – I couldn’t get much bass out
of them until I went ‘up’ rather than
‘in’, and a world of low frequencies
appeared. It’s not the usual
sub-rumble though, the HF5s present
bass subtly and with plenty of thud.
You will have to twist and turn them
to make it appear, but when it does,
it’s suitably set-back, rounded and
pleasant – a rarity for in-ear bass
response. The other impressive
feature on the HF5s is the almost
dangerous levels of noise isolation
– you won’t hear a thing, music
playing or not so make sure you look
both ways. Twice.
To round it all off, the mids and
highs are represented nobly without
being too present or harsh. Suffice to
say, after a day alone with the HF5s, I
made them my default iPod phones
– the bass is pleasant, the isolation is
dangerously good and their silicon
material is comfortable to wear over
long periods. Oh and they’re the
perfect price for their features – a
solid deal all round. Declan McGlynn
8/10
Etymotic
HF5 | $149
Etymotic.com
U
ltrasone have been making
headphones for around ten
years – they put a lot of
emphasis on their S-Logic
Natural Surround Sound technology,
which claims to spread the sound
around the ear, so that it emulates
listening to speakers as much as
possible, but personally I couldn’t
sense this. The sound quality is
probably good enough for the
bedroom DJ, but doesn’t compete
with other phones in this price range,
if you’re looking to use them playing
out. The 750s handle bass pretty
well, but the overall sound just seems
slightly musty and bland – so not a
good choice for studio work.
With velvet ear pads, they are
more comfortable than the leather
equivalents, but the ear pads
themselves pop off a bit too easily.
The 750s look like your average
headphones and disappointingly,
are made of lots of plastic and not
much else, so don’t expect them to
last a lifetime.
Ultrasone claim that their ULE
technology significantly reduces
radiation by up to 98% from low
frequency magnetic fields, but the
World Health Organisation say there is
no scientific basis for this. I smell a
fish. Sam Mildon
6/10
Ultrasone Proline 750 | £270
ultrasone.com
FMU217.rev_mini 106 21/7/09 11:19:32 am