Throw out your iPod headphones. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars.
The reason? Razer's pro | tone m100 headphones are an excellent excuse to dispense with those tinny rattlers and actually appreciate the sounds coming out of your 'Pod -- and give fellow public transport passengers a break as well.
Design and Features
The m100's are "innovative plug-in headphones" which, depending on how far you push them in, reach pretty fair into your ear canal -- blocking out extraneous noise in the process. Depending on the size of your ears, the 'phones come with three different earcups.
We were a little surprised to find that the frequency response of the m100's was a brutal 20 Hz - 11 KHz. We say brutal because most speakers and headphones quote 20-20kHz as a matter of course -- whether they can reach those extremes or not. While we doubt the headphones reach 20Hz -- 60Hz is more likely given their size -- we welcome the company's otherwise refreshing frankness. N.B. If you look on the Web site, however, and the specs tell you the headphones go from 6Hz - 23kHz. We liked the honest version better.
The set comes with a couple of accessories including an airplane headset adaptor and a natty carry case. This makes it easy to slip the m100s in your bag without getting the cord tangled around everything.
Performance
Putting in different cups changes the frequency response quite dramatically -- the default were a little too uncomfortable for our ears, though the sound was fairly full and external noise was blocked out quite effectively. The smallest plugs were more comfortable though a lot of the bass disappeared -- "sharper" sounding and external sounds intruded.
The middle-sized cushions were the best for our own ears, and in addition to a tight, full bass they also did a tremendous job of blocking extraneous noise. These would be good for travelling as a result -- not as good as a noise-cancelling design but a whole lot cheaper.
Once you find the right cushions, the sound is fairly detailed and, will suit fans of most types of music, though due to the amount of bass they would suit rock and dance fans best.
Our only reservation about these phones is the cord itself -- firstly it tends to be fairly microphonic (i.e. any knock on it transfers directly into your ears), and secondly it's way too short. It's 1m long, and while it would suit players with a clippable remote it's too short to wear comfortably while the player is in your bag or pocket.
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