I understand that this doesn't literally apply, so bear with my word choice, but why isn't one female? (Like a plug) If I got them, I would want to keep them together to prevent tangling of the wires, thus connecting the lego blocks.
That's why I like my Zune headphones.
@Dacker:
Yeah, but since the general brick patent expired, their main claim against clones is trademark infringement on the basis that the 2x4 brick has been used on and off in LEGO logos for the entire history of their plastics division. The 2x3 brick enjoys no such trademark association, and therefore that simple distinction may be all that's needed to defuse any lawsuits before they happen. If they don't have an active patent, and they haven't ever even attempted to trademark that brick shape, it's a big difficult to come up with grounds for a lawsuit.
@Dacker:
Well, you have to realize that when they leased the original Automatic Binding Brick design from some guy in the UK, the _only_ part design was a 2x4 brick. It wasn't quite what we envision today, since the inside was completely hollow, and it was made from cellulose acetate instead of ABS plastic, but the outer shape is pretty much unchanged to this day. Well, the logos on the studs have been updated once or twice, and there was that period of time where some bricks had slots in the sides and/or ends (I actually have one of those), but any original Automatic Binding Brick should be able to connect to any modern LEGO brick and vice versa.
@Kaiser-Machead: Lego doesn't have a trademark on their brick design anymore anyways, so, there would be no reason for the company to not make it interlockable. Although, i cant imagine what you could do with them by adding more bricks....
@Marc Mohon: I dunno. The spacing of the dimples seems off, that or the dimples themselves are smaller than the standard. I wouldn't suggest adding other big bricks, but 1x1 pieces, like tile bits, would make for nice custom color schemes.
@Kaiser-Machead:
You mean the studs? They do look a bit undersized. The gap between them should be about 2/3 the width of each stud, where in this image it appears to be closer to a 1:1 ratio.
I've owned 30 different earphone models, from the stock Apple buds to $500 Shures, Etymotic, Ultimate Ears, Klipsch, Sony, etc. I even started my own earbud company.
The best earbuds I've ever heard are the Ultimate Ears UE-10. Loud, clear, eye-blinking impact and $500.
In general I've found that "you get what you pay for" and until recently I would have said that you need to spend at least $300 to get great sound from earphones/buds.
But In my search for the ultimate value in earphones I ran across a surprise. JVC (yeah, I know, JVC? ) has developed a new approach to earphones. They've designed a dynamic driver so small that it fits down inside the ear canal in the tip of the earphone nearer the eardrum. The difference is amazing. For $27 at Amazon http://amzn.com/B001E2SHI0 I can get sound far closer to the quality of $500 earphones than I would have thought possible. Very clear, tight, remarkable low end. Light comfortable, easy to put in (unlike the UEs/Shures). Easily the best value in earphones today.
Now I have a pair of these JVC's in my car, my briefcase and my bedside table and usually in my pocket if they're not in my ears. And I buy them for my friends and family.
I bought some £70 shure's last year and they are brilliant. I don't need it to sound any better. As a music producer I've tried many headphones out and own a large pair when producing in my studio.
The one thing that annoys me about in-ear headphones is when you walk with them, or actually even slightly knock the headphone cord, you get a great bassy amplification running up into your ear. I have to hold the cord next to my chest as I walk around!
@dps27a: I don't need it to sound any better. As a music producer...
Thanks for explaining why nearly all recorded music in the past decade sounds so crappy. Keep those earbuds jammed in deep so you won't hear music lovers coming to your house with torches and clubs.
@OmarMojojojo: No, they don't. Oldies sound fun and punchy on AM radio, but my old 45s sound much better on my $20,000 high-end stereo. If they sound worse on your music system, it's because it has an inaccurate tonal balance, fattening an upper bass that isn't there in old records, or a piercing treble, etc. Try turning off the tone controls and other EQ on your amp and repositioning your speakers, but it sounds like you need a better stereo.
@pete1061: I don't have a problem with people being satisfied with their purchase of cheap earbuds. Honestly, I can't tell the sonic difference between $20 and $80 earbuds, it's often the fit and design.
However, I take exception to statements that equate expensive to foolish. This isn't the monoprice/monster audio debate. There is a definite difference in audio quality from Shure's offerings, as well as others. Mine were a custom fit and cost well above the $100 marker the author is stating at minimum. Were they worth the money? Yes, every penny.
If you are happy with your $20 earbuds, then good. It's doesn't mean they are going to make someone else as happy, or that someone's enjoyment of a more expensive earbud isn't just in their head (pun intended).
Small ear canals here too. Etymotic ER6i is the only set that fits my ears. I can also get the full face helmet on and off without ripping them out of my skull.
@ShrigeetaImp: I had the Etymotics until I got the BE-1C from www.bigearinc.com. Made for inside the helmet. Absolutely perfect. I have a VERY narrow ear canal on my left ear, custom was the only thing that would work, the ER6's came close.
I bought the Shure 500's a while ago, and whilst they did sound pretty good, you don't get the full experience. I paid $430 for fine at the time, and even though it seems crazy, you need to spend another $175 to get the full 500 experience. Inside the manual, they list a website where you can buy custom molded ear pieces. I got mine done in San Francisco, basically, they take a mold of the inside of your ears and send away for some silicone type ear molds. These moulds go right over the Shures, making them slightly bigger, but still very portable. The difference in sound is incredible. Not only do they truly cut out about 93% of all ambient noise, but the bass truly comes to life and the highs sounds that much sweeter. They do get a little sweaty after about 2 hours though.
If you buy the Shures, make sure you look in the manual for the website that does custom molds, otherwise your only getting 50% of what the headphones can offer. Also, bitrate with the molds makes a huge difference, now days, with iPods and Zunes breaking the 100GB barrier, there's no excuse not to rip your cd's at uncompressed.
@Adrian Blackwell: Shure's custom molds are not equal to custom earbuds. It is meerly a sleeve for the driver to hang on. Most of the custom manufacturers build the drivers into the mold, this puts the mass closer to your head, and prevents necessary readjustments. Some even have a pressure valving, I can hear mine opening when I swallow.
strange...my $5 ones seem to work just as well as those $100 Bose ones that I tried in the store on my own ipod. If you're going to buy something better, you go for the earmuff style ones where theres essentially a subwoofer on your head.
10/22/09
10/22/09
[gizmodo.com] #gizmodoremainders
10/22/09
10/21/09
10/09/09
That's why I like my Zune headphones.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
[/vanilla ice]
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
Yeah, but since the general brick patent expired, their main claim against clones is trademark infringement on the basis that the 2x4 brick has been used on and off in LEGO logos for the entire history of their plastics division. The 2x3 brick enjoys no such trademark association, and therefore that simple distinction may be all that's needed to defuse any lawsuits before they happen. If they don't have an active patent, and they haven't ever even attempted to trademark that brick shape, it's a big difficult to come up with grounds for a lawsuit.
10/09/09
Ah, now I understand the discussion of 2x4 bricks. Thanks for the explanation...!
10/09/09
Well, you have to realize that when they leased the original Automatic Binding Brick design from some guy in the UK, the _only_ part design was a 2x4 brick. It wasn't quite what we envision today, since the inside was completely hollow, and it was made from cellulose acetate instead of ABS plastic, but the outer shape is pretty much unchanged to this day. Well, the logos on the studs have been updated once or twice, and there was that period of time where some bricks had slots in the sides and/or ends (I actually have one of those), but any original Automatic Binding Brick should be able to connect to any modern LEGO brick and vice versa.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
You mean the studs? They do look a bit undersized. The gap between them should be about 2/3 the width of each stud, where in this image it appears to be closer to a 1:1 ratio.
10/04/09
The best earbuds I've ever heard are the Ultimate Ears UE-10. Loud, clear, eye-blinking impact and $500.
In general I've found that "you get what you pay for" and until recently I would have said that you need to spend at least $300 to get great sound from earphones/buds.
But In my search for the ultimate value in earphones I ran across a surprise. JVC (yeah, I know, JVC? ) has developed a new approach to earphones. They've designed a dynamic driver so small that it fits down inside the ear canal in the tip of the earphone nearer the eardrum. The difference is amazing. For $27 at Amazon http://amzn.com/B001E2SHI0 I can get sound far closer to the quality of $500 earphones than I would have thought possible. Very clear, tight, remarkable low end. Light comfortable, easy to put in (unlike the UEs/Shures). Easily the best value in earphones today.
Now I have a pair of these JVC's in my car, my briefcase and my bedside table and usually in my pocket if they're not in my ears. And I buy them for my friends and family.
10/04/09
10/04/09
The one thing that annoys me about in-ear headphones is when you walk with them, or actually even slightly knock the headphone cord, you get a great bassy amplification running up into your ear. I have to hold the cord next to my chest as I walk around!
Anyone know what I mean?
10/04/09
I don't need it to sound any better. As a music producer...
Thanks for explaining why nearly all recorded music in the past decade sounds so crappy. Keep those earbuds jammed in deep so you won't hear music lovers coming to your house with torches and clubs.
10/04/09
10/04/09
10/03/09
If you pay more than $50 for earbuds, let alone $500, you just got scammed.
Stock iPod earbuds are just fine.
10/03/09
However, I take exception to statements that equate expensive to foolish. This isn't the monoprice/monster audio debate. There is a definite difference in audio quality from Shure's offerings, as well as others. Mine were a custom fit and cost well above the $100 marker the author is stating at minimum. Were they worth the money? Yes, every penny.
If you are happy with your $20 earbuds, then good. It's doesn't mean they are going to make someone else as happy, or that someone's enjoyment of a more expensive earbud isn't just in their head (pun intended).
10/02/09
10/02/09
The ER6i had no bass, it bugged me terribly.
10/02/09
If you buy the Shures, make sure you look in the manual for the website that does custom molds, otherwise your only getting 50% of what the headphones can offer. Also, bitrate with the molds makes a huge difference, now days, with iPods and Zunes breaking the 100GB barrier, there's no excuse not to rip your cd's at uncompressed.
10/02/09
10/02/09
10/02/09