Ear Buds Are Not Headphones

It seems like every mp3 player on the market comes with a complimentary pair of “headphones”. I use quotation marks because, as far as I can see, these are just tiny little semicircles that you stuff into your ears. The sound is poor and those little things won’t stay in your ears unless you sit perfectly still. At first, I thought the kids were wearing them in one ear because of some kind of style, but then I realized it was just because the other one fell out. Bottom line? Ear buds are not headphones and they can never give you the same kind of musical experience.

Forget the Ear Buds

You can toss those ear buds right in the trash. I tried to use mine while I was cleaning. Picture this: I’m cleaning the fish tank. I’m wearing my ear buds so I don’t distract my husband while he’s working. I scoop out Nero (the orange one with stripes) and one ear bud falls into the net with him. I lean over the tank, looking for Fiddler, and the other ear bud falls into the dirty water. Not only do I not want to put them in my ears because they’re dirty, the sound quality was terrible anyway. No more ear buds for me. It’s headphones only. That’s when I started looking for headphone reviews.

The Grado Prestige Series SR225i: The Best Headphones on the Market

I know it’s a strong statement. But the Grado Prestige Series SR225i headphones have amazing quality at a reasonable cost. These headphones are a huge improvement over the last model (the SR125i):

• New drivers that are more closely matched
• 50% increased airflow
• New housing design
• Larger ear cushions
• Improved rear metal screen

Right about now you’re wondering what those things can do for you. Well, the new drivers are more closely matched and this means that the sounds coming through the headphones are more defined. The airflow increase is related to the metal screen improvements and the closer driver tolerances. This makes the sound “bigger”, as though listening in a sound staqe. The new housing design, aside from being aesthetically pleasing, works to diminish sound distortion and increase comfort. The larger ear cushions are extremely comfortable and also push the further away from the ear – maximizing the sound stage effect. The improved metal screen protects your music from any distortions.

The Basics

So, after long hours online searching for the best headphones, reading headphone reviews, and trying to figure out what all the features actually meant, I was ready to buy. It was obvious the Grado headphones were the ones that would best meet my needs for quality and price. I couldn’t wait to place my order.

Perfectly Clean

If I was going to use these headphones, I was going to have to be able to really use them. When they arrived, it was about time to clean the fish tank again. I was nervous, but everything I read indicated that this would work. I donned my Grado Prestige Series SR225i headphones and went straight for Fiddler, who was trying to blend in with the fake treasure chest. No problem For either of us. My headphones kept playing Lady Gaga and Fiddler was in his temporary home. Then, I went for Nero. It was dicey for a while, and I bumped the corner of the tank on my headphones, but they didn’t budge and Lady Gaga advised me to keep my Poker Face. Nero was caught, my music was uninterrupted, and everyone ended up happy in the end. Clean tank, clean headphones, and amazingly clean sounding music.

Not Just Sound

Besides the great sound and the security of knowing the headphones were staying on my head, I found that the headphones were incredibly comfortable. The larger ear cushions fit beautifully and felt very comfortable. They did not gap nor put uncomfortable pressure in any areas.

Grado Labs

Grado Labs, the company that manufactures these headphones, claims that the “i” in the model stands for “improved”. I’m pretty sure it’s for “impressive”. Anyway, their website boasts that these headphones are listed as a Best Buy and is recommended by Hi-Fi Choice magazine, which seems to be a big deal. Personally, I prefer to read Interview magazine, but what do I know?

Technical Specifications

• Dimensions: 1.3 x 1 x 0.2 inches; 13.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I’d be lying if I said I loved everything about these headphones. And I’m a terrible liar, so you’d know right away. That’s why I’m going to sum up the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good

• The sound quality is awesome. It sounds like you’re in a theater with really great sound specs.
• Works with my son’s digital piano so I don’t have to hear the music at full volume until it has been practiced to perfection.
• Music sounds “full”. You can hear instruments, parts of songs, and vocals that you may have never noticed before.

The Bad

• I’m betting you already know this one: the price. While you can buy headphones for two or three times more than this, these are still a far cry from a new pair of ear buds.
• These are open air headphones, so people around you CAN hear what you are listening to. (I found this out listening to a steamy audiobook on the bus).
• If you are an audiophile, you may be disappointed. To an average listener, they are great. To someone who isn’t dying to play with the equalizer to get the perfect bass, treble, and whatever, these are great. If you want perfection, better shop for something higher end.

The Ugly

• Face it. Ear buds are nearly invisible. Headphones are big and clunky, no matter how small they are. For headphones, they look good. But they are still headphones.

Bottom Line

These are good quality headphones that are a giant step above ear buds. They can be used with digital pianos, mp3 players, or stereos. If you are looking for decent quality for a moderate price, try the Grado SR225i headphones.

Where Can You Buy the Grado Prestige Series SR225i Headphones?

You can buy this Grado Prestige Series SR225i Headphones from Amazon. At the moment they include free shipping and from what I can tell when comparing prices with other online merchants, Amazon do currently have the best deal especially with the free shipping option. Click here to view on Amazon.

Where Can You Read More Reviews for the Grado Prestige Series SR225i Headphones?

The best place for reviews from people who actually use the product is Amazon. Click here to read more.

Time to Find Out…

I’m decided to buy the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with Heart Rate Monitor. I’m not a formal athlete, but I AM a fitness enthusiast. My wife thinks I’m a little over-the-top, but I enjoy working out. It relieves my stress and I am in great shape and hardly ever sick. The problem is knowing whether I am working too hard… hard enough… or just right to achieve optimal fitness results. I had heard about heart rate monitors, but in the past have just tried to stop and do the occasional pulse check. This is pretty inconvenient because you have to stop, find your pulse, and try to remember if your result is in your target zone. I thought that if I could find a monitor to do that for me without interrupting my workout, I could be more efficient and even enjoy my exercise even more. I was right.

Before

Before I bought my Garmin Forerunner 305, I wore a plain old Timex. And when I say old, I mean OLD. Those babies do take a licking and keep on ticking. I used it because it was old, could handle the sweat, I didn’t care if it got wrecked, and it had a second hand. That’s right. It was a watch with hands. How funny is that? To my running buddies, hilarious. But for me, it was the easiest way to check my pulse. I counted six seconds, multiplied by ten and kept on running. Sure, I had lost six seconds and had to sprint a little to catch up as they glanced periodically at their heart rate monitors, but it was workable. Until the Timex broke and I decided it was time to join the digital age.

Research

I did my homework. I had no idea how many heart rate monitors were out there! Well, Garmin is a global company who is set on innovation. I took a look at their website and it was obvious that they were really concerned with designing all of their products with the customer in mind. Whether it was a GPS unit or app, fitness product, air or water technological tools, or other tech devices, Garmin seemed on top of the heap. This unit rates 4.5 out of 5 stars with nearly 1800 customer ratings. 1154 are 5 star. What more did I need to know?

After

I found a great price for the monitor I wanted and scooped it up from Amazon with their free super saver shipping (I always feel ripped off paying shipping). This thing is beautiful. I might have even had tears in my eyes when I saw it the first time, but I told my wife it was from pollen in the air.

When I Opened the Box

Here is what was inside:

• Forerunner 305
• Heart rate monitor
• Garmin Training Center software
• Docking Cradle for charging
• Expander strap
• AC charger
• USB cable
• Owner’s manual
• Quick start guide

I was torn between the owner’s manual and the quick start guide, quite honestly. But, first I took a look at the tech specs.

Tech Specs (I like to say that)

• 2.1 x 2.7 x 0.7 inches
• 2.72 oz.
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Typical 10 hour battery life
• Water resistant
• GPS enabled
• High sensitivity receiver
• 1000 lap history
• 50 routes
• Garmin Connect community compatible
• Garmin Training Center software compatible
• Virtual Partner
• Courses
• Auto pause
• Auto Lap
• Auto Scroll
• Simple and Advanced workouts
• Pace alert
• Time/distance alert
• Interval training

The Unit Itself

I couldn’t decide whether to run with my friends or set up a virtual partner for my first use. I decided to just go for a run to see what happened. I wanted to learn more before I exposed myself to my friends or even a virtual partner. Just in case I made a complete fool of myself trying to figure out the device.

So, I took a run. And it was awesome. The unit is a little big, but I won’t be wearing it as a regular watch, so I don’t really mind. The styling is actually pretty cool because it integrates a GPS antenna that aims at the sky as you move. The curved design is pretty comfortable and necessary for the GPS positioning. The display is widescreen, not too big, but certainly big enough. It has high resolution for a very clear display.

The unit has six buttons. Four on the sides for power, mode (timer/menu/sport selection), enter (to acknowledge selections), and up and down arrows to highlight choices or fields. The two buttons on the front are to set laps or reset the timer and to start or stop the timer. Pretty simple, even for me. I spent my first workout playing with the buttons to learn what each does.

On the back of the device, there is a row of contacts for the charging cradle, and a mini USB port for the AC adapter for charging or PC for data transfer.

The GPS worked surprisingly well, even in areas with tall buildings or a lot of trees. In addition to elementary mapping and routing, it can zoom in to a map of your current direction and path. You can program locations into the device to use to plot courses later.

My first use was all about learning, and it was a great experience.

Training

Even though the coolness factor is high, this is, after all, a training tool. The data screen offers everything you need to know during your workout:

• Calories burned
• Distance
• Elevation
• Grade
• Heading
• Lap and pace modes
• Heart rate
• Lap heart rate
• Average heart rate
• Heart rate zones

That’s a lot of info, but fortunately, you can adjust the display to put the ones you want to focus on in the front position.

Software

The USB connects the unit to my computer so I can use the Training Center Software. This way I can save my work out history, and graphically view how my fitness levels are changing. The software also lets you set up courses to upload to your unit – this is nice because you can see where you are adding challenges like hills and where you might have areas of flat terrain to recover. You can even track historical performance on the courses you have created and saved so you can compete against yourself.

Bottom Line

I am very happy with my Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor. Just wait until I go for my next run with the guys…

Where Can You Buy the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor?

You can buy this Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor from Amazon. At the moment they include free shipping and from what I can tell when comparing prices with other online merchants, Amazon do currently have the best deal especially with the free shipping option. Click here to view on Amazon.

Where Can You Read More Reviews for the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver?

The best place for reviews from people who actually use the product is Amazon. Click here to read more.