The majority of new devices that find their way to market are well-rounded gadgets. Our phones are no longer just phones anymore, and for a lot of people out there they haven't been for a long time. (And, for others, asking, "What's a phone?" isn't all that strange anymore.) Our smartphones are our music players, our cameras, and a plethora of other gadgets that we've managed to squeeze into a single frame, all in the hopes of consolidating our essential equipment into one device. The results have always been pretty stellar if you ask me, but considering how powerful our technology is these days, the handsets that we're seeing -- and have yet to see -- in 2014 are truly inspiring.
Of course, seeing as we're all human and we love to compare things, and look for "the best possible thing" at all times, despite the fact that these devices are meant to really be a Swiss Army Knife, we still look at individual features to weigh against the competition. "Well, that camera is better than that camera!" or, "My processor's faster than your processor!" are real arguments people are having out there *right now*.
Which is why it makes sense that there are some handsets out there in the world that, while they can still be considered a device full of consolidated parts, still focus on one major feature above all others. Recently, and probably what we'll continue to see well into the future, is the camera. Sure, you can still do plenty of other things on a device like the Lumia 1020 from Nokia, but the true path for that particular Windows Phone-based device is the camera. That's the focus (no pun intended).
More frequently though, the focus has been music. Devices that have featured different ways to listen to music, whether it be software and apps, or actual physical perks like headphones or speakers, we've seen plenty of these handsets in the past. HTC recently launched the Harman Kardon edition One M8, for example. And I'm sure we'll see more devices lil this in the future.
Those types of handsets are some of my favorites, simply because I love listening to music. I listen to music from my phone every single day, and if there's any one reason why I lose the life in my battery, it's because I'm listening to some tunes. That's why, early last year, I asked all of you for some input when it comes to headphones, so I could find out what you think is the best out there on the market.
I've gone through plenty of them since then, but I generally stick to the newly-designed Apple earbuds, simply because they're easy to carry around, slip in and out easily, and I find them comfortable enough. The sound isn't amazing by any means, but it isn't terrible, either. But I've recently been trying out the Luxe headphones from iFrogz, and so far I've been relatively happy with the results.
The Luxe headphones have plenty of the standard stuff you'd expect from any headphones, but especially from over-the-ear 'phones. The 40mm driver, the comfortable cushioning over the ears, and an in-line mic-and-button combination to make answering calls easy and fluid.
This button is great, because you can also skip forward or backwards, but also pause and play tracks. That's pretty standard, but it's something that I just now take for granted and expect from any pair of headphones I use. On the same side of the coin of my expectations, though, is the one area where I've found a big flaw with the headphones: no volume controls.
If there's one thing I hate, it's digging around for the volume controls on the device I'm using, rather than just being able to adjust the level right from the mic/button area.
As far as sound goes, it's not groundbreaking by any means, but it's also probably going to be good enough for most people. The bass is powerful enough, but sometimes the highs can be pretty ear aching.
In the end, for a pair of headphones that run around $40, there's not much here to be disappointed about. They're comfortable enough, and transporting them is easy thanks to their foldable design. If you're looking for a pair of cheaper over-the-ear cans, you wouldn't be wasting your time checking them out.
