Cheap. Functional. Not Particularly Cool.
Written: Sep 12 '02 (Updated Sep 13 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap, comfortable, functional.
Cons: No perks.
The Bottom Line: For a set so cheap, who am I to complain?
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| lambchops's Full Review: Aiwa HP-A091 Consumer Headphones |
It was time. My poor old foldable Sony headphones had finally worn out. The cord was too short in addition to the fact that the foam layer was worn through to the hard plastic thus rubbing my delicate ears raw.
I had a few simple requirements. First. I wanted nothing fancy…not necessarily cheap but not exactly cutting edge. I didn’t want anything thought of as cool really. I didn’t want the painful in-ear headphones nor was I keen on the new trend of neckbands. Nor was I willing to spend enough cash to get wireless. All I wanted, darn it all, was a relatively decent relatively inexpensive old fashioned over the skull set of headphones.
My trip to Best Buy yielded few options. Most manufacturers seem to have recently been concentrating on making their headphones “cool” via in-the-ear and behind-the-neck products. My requirements immediately therefore cut my options in half. I wasn’t going to spend over about twenty bucks…these were for my radio at work. This cut my options in half yet again. So there I stood with about ten packages in front of my nose.
I finally, after little thought, settled on the dirt-cheap Aiwa HP-A091 traditional, boring, headphones. For just $6.99 I wasn’t expecting to be impressed by the extras or their bass. I just wanted something functional. Sure enough, this set proved itself quickly to me. I plugged ‘em in to the front of my Aiwa stereo and they worked. Perfectly. Wow. (You can just feel my amazement, eh?)
So they passed the first test. Simply functionality. Upon tenderly placing them over my head I first noted that they were indeed comfortable. The actual part that touches my ears causes no immediate shooting pain. Another good thing I’d say. The one strange thing about these Aiwa headphones is that they appear to have been fitted in the design room on a very large, possibly gigantic head. Even on the smallest setting they barely fit me. My head isn’t small. It’s average. Opened all of the way, even Shaquille O’ Neal would have zero trouble. In fact, they may even fall off of him.
That little quirk aside, I have no real troubles really with my new headphones. They are silver and black…not that I cared in the least what they looked like (though bright red would have suited me nicely). There are no particular perks or reasons aside from the fact they function and the miniscule price tag to purchase the Aiwa HP-A091. For those who know more about the technology than I, they aren’t water resistant nor no they offer noise canceling. The driver unit size is 30mm, the frequency response is 15KHz to 20KHz, the sensitivity rests at 100db, and finally the cord length (I know all about this one) is rather short at just 3’7”. Finally, Aiwa offers an unnecessary though appreciated 1-year full warranty on both parts and labor.
So yeah, I have to recommend these Aiwa headphones to individuals looking for something simple. No perks, no benefits, nothing special. Just an old-fashioned set of headphones suitable for the big-head in your family. And at just $6.99 I’d expect nothing more or less.
Rating:3/5 stars
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lambchops
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Member: Shelly T.
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
Reviews written: 1172
Trusted by: 842 members
About Me:
Bye-bye CL hat. Hopefully I'll write some new reviews some time soon!
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