Noisy Motel's review of the thinksound ts02+mic headphones

For the majority of people who live in Australia, they are yet to discover the quite impressive sound of the thinksound range of headphones. One of my favourites in the range is the thinksound ts02+mic headphone.

I am fortunate in that I have the pleasure of listening to various types of headphones and this allows me to compare the thinksound ts02+mic with Klipsch Image S4i and the Jays a-JAYS Four headphones.

The popular headphone choice for the iPhone has been the Klipsch Image S4i for both quality and price. The Jays a-JAYS Four’s have also slowly started to develop a cult following, since their release in January.

I’m a big fan of both the Klipsch and the Jays for different reasons, though after listening to the thinksound ts02+mic for a few months, I have been able to carefully compare them to the things I like about both the Klipsch and the Jays.

If you happen to already know about the thinksound company and their range of headphones - I guess I could call you an early adopter. The thinksound range was designed to reduce its overall environmental impact, to create incredible sounding headphones with the smallest eco-footprint possible. “Clear sound with a clear conscience is what we believe in.”

So for me not only was it a plus that they're green, but they truly do have a really beautiful warm sound that emanates through their wooden housing, as opposed to some other in ear headphones.

When comparing the thinksound ts02+mic against the Klipsch Image S4i and the Jays a-JAYS Four, the ts02+mic has a smoother and more balanced sound. The bass is deep and punchy, without it being too overpowering. The midrange and highs are clear and balanced. Vocals sound absolutely amazing. Overall, the ts02+mic has a beautiful warm and lush sound.

Another really important factor for me - being a petite woman with small ears; I find it difficult to get the right seal with some earphones. The thinksound silicone tips are incredibly soft, easy to fit and comfortable, giving me the perfect seal.

I struggled a little trying to fit the Jays tips to the earpieces; being a little cheeky, I quickly discovered that I could use the thinksound tips on the Jays, and that for me improved my listening experience. To note, the Klipsch tips also provided me with a great seal, due to their unique oval shape and soft gel that seals your ear.

The thinksound cable, being entirely PVC-free, also feels much stronger than the Klipsch. The Jays a-JAYS Four flat cable’s design looks fabulous and tangle free, however it is much heavier and is prone to more cable noise.

In terms of controlling your iPhone, the thinksound ts02+mic has a single button, which answers and ends phone calls, and the same button controls your music, allowing you to play, pause, or skip tracks. However, it does come up a little short against the Klipsch Image S4i and the Jays a-JAYS Four which also include volume controls.

Above and beyond this, I have come out a changed person and surprisingly; the thinksound ts02+mic is my overall choice for a smoother, more balanced and well-rounded sound. The thinksound ts02+mic is available in two colours, Black Chocolate, and my personal favourite Silver Cherry.

Eleni

Buy the thinksound ts02+mic in-ear headphones at Noisy Motel.

Our review of the Vers 1.5R Hand Crafted Wooden Alarm Clock & iPod/iPhone Dock

Billy's Review:

Can I just start by saying that the sound that comes out of the Vers 1.5R is amazing! The Vers 1.5R is a single speaker unit (15-watt full range speaker), but it will have you guessing as to what is actually hiding inside. The sound is deep, full and clear. The sound easily fills a bedroom, study or small room. Even as an iPod/iPhone dock, the Vers 1.5R is up there with the biggest players!

We have been using the Vers 1.5R here for a little while now, and we keep using it as the benchmark when we listen to other devices. We keep repeating “it just doesn’t sound as good as the Vers!”.

Whether you use it as a radio, an iPod or iPhone dock, or an alarm clock, the many uses will have you wanting one in every room. There’s also an auxiliary 3.5 mm input jack to allow you to connect a different music player other than an iPod or iPhone.

The story behind the Vers products is fascinating... For every hardwood tree that is used in producing a Vers product, they replant 100 trees through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation! Whenever I mention to someone that it takes a week by hand to create a Vers 1.5R, the look on their face says it all. I’m sure I had the same look when I was first told! An energy efficient class D amplifier also helps keep energy consumption down and allows the unit to run cooler.

The Vers 1.5R looks the part! The design is one of our favorites.

One of the most common questions we get asked is whether the Vers 1.5R is compatible with the iPhone 4. Yes, we can confirm that it works! You still get the usual ‘This accessory is not optimized for this iPhone’ message, however the message disappears after a number of seconds. The iPhone is charged whilst in the dock and you have full control with the Vers 1.5R remote.

The location of the connectors on the Vers 1.5R has also been thought out. To not disturb the beautiful aesthetics on the back of the unit where the bass port is located, the cable connectors are on the bottom and can be easily maneuvered to the back or side of the unit. One feature that gets missed from discussion is the internal antenna. If you’re very particular of the amount of cables you have connected to your Vers 1.5R, simply select the switch on the bottom of the unit to use the internal antenna.

The display has three brightness settings, another handy feature. We have it on the lowest brightness, as we’d like to keep the room as dark as possible when we're asleep.

In the end, it will be a simple matter of which finish you prefer!

Eleni's Review:

We recently bought a new wooden bed and I love it immensely. The feature is the beautiful grain that runs through the wood. With an extended headboard and side draws to show this off- there is no room for clutter. So I had to think carefully as to what I could place on it, that would complement it. Hence, my dilemma in regards to choosing an alarm clock from a womans perspective - lol! Lets face it, its something that is needed, though most clock radios are really ugly and predominately come with a lot of plastic. That is, until I saw the Vers 1.5R Hand crafted Wooden Alarm Clock.

Coming from a design background, at a first glance, I thought to myself, nice - its retro rounded wooden cabinet finish makes it aesthetically pleasing, and to my surprise as I looked at its features, it actually impressed me even more. I really do believe that everyone should experience the warmth that comes from having something wooden in their home and this alarm clock tends to do this nicely.

The colour choice for us was Natural Walnut, as we thought it looked nice against the timber colour of our bed. To be honest, I'm sure the Bamboo would look just as nice. I like the colour contrast the Natural Walnut and the Bamboo holds against the speaker cover. The Dark Walnut option, loses the aesthetic quality.

It has an adjustable backlit LCD with large easy-to-read display. It has a dual alarm - wake up to AM/FM radio or iPod and when the alarm goes off it 'gradually' gets louder. This is a really nice feature, given our last alarm clock gave us a shock every morning. Another great feature is that you can live stream music stations to play from your iPhone using the variety of applications now available.

The overall sound gives a really nice warm punchy sound, and I do believe that the wood complements the sound immensely. It also comes with battery back-up which wakes you up and also saves your settings when a power loss occurs.

Overall, not only is it packed with great features, the sound that emanates through the wood is amazing and it also looks like a piece of art that you are more than happy to place anywhere in your home.

View the range of finishes we have available for the Vers 1.5R Hand Crafted Wooden Alarm Clock with iPod/iPhone Docks at Noisy Motel.

thinksound eco-friendly headphones now available in Australia

When we came across the thinksound earphones, we immediately appreciated the philosophy, the concept, and of course their design! You will fall in love with the beautifully handcrafted wooden housings, and be amazed at the naturally warm sound that wood delivers. We couldn’t help but bring them to Australia for everyone down under to enjoy!

thinksound™

Co-founders Aaron Fournier with an audio engineer background and Mike Tunney previously working as a creative director in audio, began thinksound with a simple goal: to create incredible sounding headphones with the smallest eco-footprint possible.
“Clear sound with a clear conscience is what we believe in.”

For the last several years, think sound™ engineers and designers have been perfecting their unique line of headphones. Their headphones are made with real wood, creating a more natural resonance and unparalleled acoustics with quality craftsmanship and attention to detail.

thinksound™ have also taken their environmental impact seriously, as their headphones are designed with the following features to reduce its overall environmental impact:

• Wood is from renewable sources
• Packaging is made from recycled materials
• Bleach-free packaging materials
• Smaller packaging size = less materials used
• Elimination of plastic bubble insert
• Cotton carrying pouch is sewn from renewable sources
• PVC-free cables

We encourage you to browse through the range of thinksound headphones available at Noisy Motel.

Here are some comments from the reviews thinksound have been receiving:

thinksound rain 9mm headphones

"For any price, you're not going to find a set of headphones more attractive, or immediately distinctive." — Gizmodo

The same attention to detail is showcased on the outside, with PVC-Free cables and a hand-crafted wooden housing that doesn't just look good, but enhances performance, creating a sound that's "less digital and a little more natural than what you'd get from standard earbuds made of metal or plastic" (Beatweek Magazine).

thinksound ts02+mic 8mm headphones

The ts02+mic features reduced speaker diameter and housing size to provide better ergonomics, upgraded acoustics, and a wider sound-stage. "The ts02+mic fits comfortably and its high-definition driver pumps out warm sound that is as clean as the artist who made it probably intended." (Gear Diary)

“Thinksound has a solid winner on their hands with the ts02+mic ear buds. Audio enthusiasts should find these ear buds sound great with most, if not all music genres; imaging and a warm midrange really make the ts02+mic stand out.” Rated 8/10!
- Ian Bell, Digital Trends

thinksound ts01 10mm headphones

thinksound™ ts01 headphones deliver a warm, rich, booming sound. The extra large, 10mm dynamic driver offers outstanding bass that "never distorts, even at maximum volume." (PC Magazine)

"They sound great, have a good build quality and best of all, they have a limited impact on the environment." — Digital Trends