Not all they're cracked up to be.
Written: Jan 06 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Relatively inexpensive
Cons: Sound quality not great, fit not terrific
The Bottom Line: I would recommend these headphones for gaming or for someone who is not picky about the sound quality of their music. Otherwise. spend less and get the same quality.
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| dennisfan's Full Review: Aiwa HP-X222 Consumer Headphones |
I needed a pair of headphones to perform two basic tasks:
1. For PC Gaming
2. To listen to stereo-quality songs on my computer.
In my search for a pair of headphones I wanted a pair that:
1. Had clear, full, stereo sound quality
2. Was under $30
3. Had solid, sturdy construction
I knew most of these things were not impossible to find since I was replacing a comparable pair that had been purchased about five years ago.
We went to Best Buy and narrowed our search between the Aiwa X222 and a pair of Koss UR20 for $24.99. We told the clerk what we were looking for and these were the options he recommended.
We ultimately selected the Aiwa X222 over other brands/models for a couple of reasons.
1. They have a closed design to minimize external noise.
2. There is a mute button on the earphone to easily stop sound.
3. The packaging said it was for digital sound.
4. They looked sturdy (you could not feel them because they were enclosed in packaging).
5. They were advertised as "stereo dynamic," so I assumed that meant stereo sound.
6. They were under $30.
The headphones are easy enough to install. You simply plug them into your jack. It does come with a larger gold adapter plug.
If you are just looking for basic sound for a game or something, these will work fine. I have actually enjoyed using them with my games. I get a full range of sounds, both high and low.
However, I am less satisfied when I use them to listen to my music. The sound quality is much less than satisfactory. I use WinAmp to play my music (as I have done for years), so I don't think it's my player. These headphones have a very hard time processing bass. To me, the treble sounds tingy. I played with adjusting the equalizer, and there was a minor improvement, but overall, I would have to say that I am still less than satisfied. I will probably go buy another set and up my price limit, unless I find better reviews for $30 pair.
I'm not looking for Mozart here, just good, clean sound. Like I said earlier, I had a comparable pair that I LOVED, but my husband's big head broke them in half. :)
Which brings me to my next point, the fit. The earphones have this foamy, plastic material that is supposed to form a seal around your ears. While the material helps, it certainly does not form a tight grip, so sound travels both in and out of the headphones. I am a female with a pretty good size head. It's not petite by any stretch of the imagination, but I find that even on the smallest setting, the band still fits my head a little too loosely. So if you have a particularly small head, these might not be the best fit for you.
The final reason I am not happy with this set is the supposed mute button. I assumed that if you push the mute button, the headphones would remain muted until I pushed the button again. This is not the case. You must hold the mute button down to keep the sound muted. Once you release the button, the sound resumes. This is a pain in the neck. I tried to use the feature and wind up ignoring it because I don't want to sit there with my hand to my head holding a mute button.
All-in-all, I'd say this pair is average at best. It's a good pair for gaming, but had I just wanted a pair for games, I would not have spent $30. For stereo quality music, I am grossly disappointed. It was not worth the money because now I have to go out and spend who knows how much more for a better quality pair.
You know how the saying goes. "You get what you pay for."
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
dennisfan
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Location: Indiana
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 8 members
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