Category Archives: Reviews: Accessories

On Monday I reviewed the Nuforce NE-7M headphones and was mightily impressed by the sound quality and overall build quality. The voice quality was particularly impressive and since receiving them I have used nothing else.

Today is the turn of the NE-8 headphones which do not offer a built-in microphone. They are also a little more expensive than the 7M’s and here I will attempt to see if the extra cost and seeming loss of functionality are justified. The 7M’s were specifically designed for use with phones and MP3 players and the 8’s are not so that explains the microphone omission. Don’t take the ‘not’ in that sentence too seriously though because they work exceptionally well with mobile music players despite their more general market appeal.

The specifications of the NE-8’s and NE-7M’s are almost identical, but there is a reason for the price difference; the components in the NE-8’s are better quality and the sensitivity rating is lower which bizarrely means they are more sensitive. They also require less power to drive the sound and so less volume is needed, which in turn means that the sound should be clearer with a more rounded tone and slightly less harsh bass reproduction.

The first thing I noticed with these headphones was the understated plastic look which belies their price-point. There are mouldable stalks coming out of the ear pieces which initially seem to do little besides make you look like an alien from Star Trek. Once I realised what they were designed for I was impressed by the way they worked; you put the ear pieces in your ears and mould the stalks around your ears for a perfect fit. It is a simple solution to a common problem and one that works better than any others I have used in the past.

Like the NE-7M’s, there are a selection of inserts to ensure that you get the right individual fit and in my tests I would put the 8’s as slightly ahead in terms of sound quality. The stalks do help with the positioning and make for a tighter fit, which in turn ensures a consistent sound no matter what you are doing.

There is little more I can add to this review except to say that the sound quality alone is reason enough to consider these seriously. Everything works as it should and the build quality should ensure that they will be with you for a long time to come.

Available from Audiologica for £78.95

The invisibleSHIELD concept from ZAGG has received plaudits from around the world from many of the larger websites. It has also received much criticism from smaller websites. The theory behind the product is great- you get protectors which cover the front screen and housing and another protector to cover the back. For devices like the iPhone, which I tried one on, this is a great way to protect your phone and also keep the overall size down to a minimum.

The claims of strength are also impressive. Take a look at the video below which demonstrates a scratch test on an iPhone-

There are other videos on the ZAGG site which demonstration how to install the protectors as well, and the process seems to go well in each of them. Now, I am a seasoned screen protector applier and have installed protectors on many PDAs and smartphones, but this one proved to be a challenge beyond my capabilities.

I followed the installation process to the letter and even let the protectors dry for the required amount of time, but the process of removing all air bubbles was akin to nailing custard to a ceiling. The front part was fine because it is of course completely flat, but the back was a nightmare. There are simply too many areas which need shaping to get it right and I eventually removed both shields.

There is a much better feel to the phone after applying the protectors and ZAGG is right to claim that it grips better, but I cannot see how this kind of protector will work for most people. The product is great, the claims are probably true and there is huge potential for this kind of protection. The problem lies in the fact that you cannot always stick things to surfaces which are not even, and no protector in the world will get around that problem.

Any of you tried one of these, and did it work for you?

Available from www.zagg.com for a variety of smartphones.

Bluetooth headsets come in all shapes and sizes- some are super sleek and cost a fortune, others make you look like a total noob and some claim to do all sorts of fancy things such as cancel out the environmental noise and display the incoming number (useful when it is on your ear?).
Mine latest one broke the other day and once again due to battery failure so you can imagine that after 5 in a year I was not particularly intent on spending lots of money on a replacement. My local Orange shop was selling the i-Tech Clip 2 which I have always liked, mainly because it is a half breed between a standard Bluetooth headset and a wired unit. All you need to do is clip the main part of the unit to a front pocket or anywhere else on your shirt and stick the other part in your ear. The rest of the set up was extremely easy and pairing was completed in a minute. All in all the set up and go effect of this accessory is excellent.

You do not get much with the headset- simply an a/c charger, 2 white earbuds and that’s your lot. To be fair I don’t really need a fancy box, smart carrying case and a desktop charger so I was not too bothered.
In use the sound quality is very good and much better than my previous headsets and most of that will be down to the fact that the speaker does sit in your ear. People on the other end of my phone calls also said that the quality was pretty good and for once a conference call done in my rather noisy car was not a waste of time. It is too early to tell how good the battery life is but my previous i-Tech headset (a Clip 1) lasted for ages on a charge. The quoted time is 4 hours talk and 160 hours standby. Charging takes 3 hours from empty to full and low battery warnings are given via a beep every minute and the LED flashes red.

Incoming calls are notified by a sound in the headset and a buzzer which is useful and there are only two buttons on the unit- a volume key on the front and an MFB (multifunction button) on the earpiece. You press the MPF to answer and end a call and pressing the volume key once when the headset is ringing will stop the buzzer but leave the normal ring in the earpiece playing. Voice dialling is also catered for- press the MFB button and say the name and away you go. Finally, pressing MFB twice will redial the last number. All in all the feature set is enough for most people and crucially easy to use when in situations that require ‘easy to useness’
In the first few days of use I have not had one problem with the headset and I am impressed with what some would call a basic Bluetooth headset.

It is fairly basic but the sound quality, battery life and build quality are very good. There is one feature that takes this accessory way up my lift of favourite accessories- when I asked the shop assistant how much it was I was surprised to hear ‘GBP12.99′. For the price it must be close to impossible to buy a better value headset than this. Available from Orange shops- availability will vary though.