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 Klipsch Image S4i earphones (Updated to include the new Klipsch Image S5i Rugged earphones)

We at Noisy Motel have been using the Klipsch Image S4i in-ear headphones since close to their introduction, and now we are excited that we have them available for sale at Noisy Motel.

Every time we use these headphones, it totally surprises us how they outperform much more expensive headphones. The sound is dynamic, crisp with plenty of detail in mids and highs along with a punchy bass! We consider these a great all-rounder, suited to most music styles.

Personally, I use these earphones when I’m out on a bike ride, they provide a great fit, and I don’t need to adjust them all the time. The gel tips do a great job of staying where they should.

They’re also one of the first items we include in my travel bags. They do a great job of isolating the noise of the airplane engines, and because of their smaller size, you don’t notice them in your ears when you’re asleep on the plane.

The microphone and remote work perfectly with our iPhones, as they’re intended to. The Klipsch Image S4i headphones look great, the finishing and build quality is simply first class.

They’re a very special set of headphones that come highly recommended!

They’re available in two colours, Klipsch Image S4i In-Ear Headphones in Black and Klipsch Image S4i In-Ear Headphones in White.

Update: The new Klipsch Image S5i Rugged In-Ear Headphones

Since our review of the Klipsch Image S4i's, Klipsch has released a new more rugged version in the Klipsch Image S5i's. The Klipsch Image S5i Rugged earphones have the same excellent sound of the S4i's, however the cable has been upgraded to a much stronger cable, and they're now moisture resistant, perfect for runners, skiers, and snowboarders.

A larger remote allows you to easily use the buttons by feel, so you don't have to continuously look at the remote to see what you're doing. They also include a hard case which has a handy flashlight feature.

A point to note, is that the remote is quite a bit larger than the S4i so take that into consideration, even though it's more user friendly, it does add a little weight.

Purchase the Klipsch Image S5i Rugged In-Ear Headphones at Noisy Motel.

Designing and Making the AIAIAI TMA-1 Headdhones

We thought we'd share some videos talking about the design and making of the AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones.

Introducing the super cool TMA-1 DJ headphones from AIAIAI!

Here are our thoughts on the AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones:

The TMA-1 is a minimalistic matte black headphone, developed in cooperation with the world’s leading designers and preeminent DJs.

We love the look of the TMA-1’s and we’re not alone in our thoughts. Since they’re launch, they continue to receive high praise. We love the minimalistic design and the only branding you will see is the AIAIAI embossed logo on the inside of the headband.

The TMA-1’s are not just known for DJ’s… They’re great for all rock, metal, hip-hop, and electronic music listeners. The TMA-1’s shine with these styles of music!

The thing you will notice when you first listen to the TMA-1’s is their warm signature sound. The soundstage is also quite impressive for a closed headphone.
The bass is quite deep, crisp and punchy. The midrange is clear and vocals sound the way they should! The treble has been tamed subtly on purpose. This is a clever idea coming from the designers, which may take you a few attempts to appreciate, but once you do, you will love them for it.

Originally designed for club DJ’s, they isolate noise really well. They’re also perfect for your daily commute, or when you just want to escape into your own world. But beware, when you start wearing your TMA-1’s amongst friends or in your work environment, be prepared to guard them with your life. Everyone will want them!

Even though they’re designed to sit on your ears, they’re extremely comfortable. I prefer the semi-leather earpads instead of the foam earpads, for both comfort and sound. The sound is nowhere near as good with the foam earpads. They tend to become too bright and lose the bass response.

For everyday use, there’s also an optional extra straight cable, which is shorter (1.2m) and much lighter than the included coiled cable.

The TMA-1 headphone has been tested and tweaked by 28 of the world’s most skilled DJs (including Ghostly’s own Matthew Dear and Seth Troxler), designed by the inimitable Danish design-firm KiBiSi and further developed by Tartelet Records, Mannhandle and Thank You For Clapping. All of which means that the TMA-1 is one carefully considered piece of equipment.

The guys at AIAIAI talking about the motivation behind the project:

We had been doing different headphones for a while, mainly in-ears, but had an idea of doing a robust, high-quality headphone aimed mainly at DJ’s. There are of course quite a few out there, but among them we especially liked the Sennheiser HD 25. Both the look and technical aspects of it. Through friends who dj at different levels we heard same story, though, the Sennheiser would break to easily during gigs and travel. So we thought we would give a shot, and make something really sturdy. From a design point of view, we wanted to move away from the very colorful, and try to do something that alluded to the idea of the dj-headphone. You know, if you take a pair of headphones, be it Pioneer, Sennheiser or Monster and hold them in front of a bright light, the shadow they cast on a white wall looks quite similar. You can’t see the logo’s, colors and other little differences. We wanted to work with that shadow image. The robustness of the TMA-1 was also a factor when designing – the less you put on it, the less can break. In that sense, the TMA is thought of, and build as a tool.

  

    

 Buy the AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones from Noisy Motel.