Author: James Longman

Hello, my name is James Longman. I’m a writer and editor at AudioReputation. I disassembled my first portable AM/FM radio when I was only 8. At the age of 11, I burned the circuit board on my old boombox cassette player. I’m not going to explain how but it was reckless and stupid. Since then, I have become much more careful around radios, boomboxes, and other audio devices (at least, I like to think so) but I have never lost the passion for audio equipment. Throughout 20 years of my professional career, I've been working for various audio equipment manufacturers and even started building speakers on my own in my little workshop. I love the work we do here at AudioReputation. Testing, comparing, and evaluating all kinds of audio devices (speakers, soundbars, headphones, home theater systems, etc.) is something I truly enjoy. I try to be unbiased and give you my honest opinion on every piece of equipment I test. Still, you should take my reviews with a pinch of salt and always be just a little bit skeptical. The fact that I liked some speaker or soundbar doesn’t mean that you are going to love it. If you have the opportunity, you should test it/hear it before buying it.

Dec102018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 2 Review

Single Reviews

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 2 comes from a very popular Onyx Studio line of Bluetooth speakers made by Harman Kardon. The first version was released in 2014 and this is the second iteration of this beautiful speaker. You probably know that there are also Onyx Studio 3, Onyx Studio 4, and Onyx Studio 5. Harman Kardon is, as you probably know, part of the same company as JBL, and they have obviously decided to target different types of customers. JBL is known for its rugged and waterproof outdoor Bluetooth speakers, while Harman Kardon makes more stylish, more elegant-looking speakers. Some Harman Kardon speakers are technically portable and can be used outdoors, but they all look a bit too refined and too sophisticated to be used outdoors. That’s the case with the speaker we are about to r

Dec62018 by James LongmanNo Comments

What is Headphone Impedance?

Blog

When people are searching for a new pair of headphones, they usually spend a lot of time reading their characteristics and specifications but the truth is they pay more attention to physical characteristics, battery life, Bluetooth version, etc. The part where frequency response, sensitivity, and impedance are listed are often skipped and neglected but these are very important features that affect headphone performance and sound quality. If you don't know how your headphones work, you won't be able to use them and maintain properly, and this is often one of the reasons why people are complaining about their headphones performance. We have run into this problem so many times that we have decided to write this article and explain headphone impedance in detail. If you understand what imp

Dec32018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Audeze EL-8 Titanium Review

Single Reviews

Audeze EL-8 Titanium headphones represent Audeze’s first attempt to make portable headphones that you can use on the go and without an amplifier. They are significantly cheaper than the previous Audeze high-end headphones from the LCD line. The idea was to penetrate deeper into the market and expand the target group. As a result of that effort, two versions of EL-8 headphones were made – closed back and open-back. In this review, we are going to talk about the latest upgraded version of the closed-back EL-8 headphones called EL-8 Titanium. Audeze is a young company, but it’s already considered one of the world’s best headphone manufacturers. All of the Audeze headphones are high-end planar magnetic headphones. Regular dynamic drivers you can find on most of today’s headphones are repla

Nov292018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Razer Hammerhead USB-C Review

Single Reviews

Razer Hammerhead earbuds are one of the rare USB-C earbuds on the market. They are specially made for Razer gaming phone but they are also compatible with some other USB-C smartphones (unfortunately not with all of them). In this review, we will discuss our impressions about these earbuds but we will also try to explain this relatively new connection type and figure out why manufacturers stopped using the good old 3.5mm jack and decided to replace it with USB-C. USB-C port is supposed to be the next big thing, especially when it comes to smartphones, notebooks, computers, and of course, headphones and earbuds. Theoretically, this port should become universal and should replace most of the other ports on your devices including HDMI and VGA ports, charging ports, other USB Type-A and Type...

Nov252018 by James LongmanNo Comments

How to Build a Speaker Box

Blog, How to

Speakers are one of the most popular audio devices, probably right after headphones. They come in all shapes and sizes and all of them have their own place in our cars, in our homes, offices, etc. Each of them has its own purpose and depending on that purpose, it has a specific build and size. You might think that the market offers anything you could possibly need but it wouldn’t be surprising if you couldn’t find the speaker you are looking for, especially if you’re looking for the speaker for your car. One of the simplest but the least applicable solutions for this problem is to take some basic material, some basic tools, a woofer or two, and build a speaker on your own. If you think about it, this may be great not only because the speaker box dimensions will fit perfectly your car, l

Nov242018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Best Noise Cancelling Headphones and Earbuds for Sleeping In 2018

Earbuds, Headphones

The main reason why we have decided to write about noise canceling headphones and earbuds for sleeping is insomnia that has overpowered many of us. We are constantly exposed to stress in every aspect of our lives and we have to deal with it every day. The problem is that we want or have to do everything and be successful at everything, but we just don’t have enough time. Because of that, we are constantly running from task to task, trying to complete them all. Many times, we actually succeed completing all of our tasks and we feel satisfied, but when we go to bed and try to relax, we just can’t fall asleep. That’s mostly because we are thinking about the tasks for the next day or it can be pilled stress that we have been suppressing all day long and it has finally come to us. Of

Nov232018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Optoma NuForce BE2 Review

Single Reviews

Optoma NuForce BE2 is the cheapest version of Optoma NuForce sports Bluetooth earbuds. The manufacturer tried to make a few compromises but keep a certain level of performance and overall quality you would expect from this brand. NuForce BE2 is not far behind more expensive models from the same line of sports earbuds (BE Sport3 and BE Sport4), but it still lacks some features and accessories you would get with those more expensive models. It all comes down to your willingness to make compromises in order to save money. When it comes to things we like, it’s important to mention the design (which is practically the same as the design of the BE Sport3 earbuds but without the ear wings and colorful ear tips). We also liked the in-line controls, IPX5 water resistant rating, battery life, an

Nov222018 by James LongmanNo Comments

Tribit XSound Go Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

Single Reviews

The market is flooded with all kinds of cheap Bluetooth speakers and a budget speaker really needs to be special to stand out. Tribit XSound Go is one of those. Tribit is another generic name that meant nothing a decade ago, but they have managed to earn their place on the Bluetooth speakers’ market. The speaker that made everything possible for this audio manufacturer is the one we are about to review – Tribit XSound Go. This speaker made the Tribit brand recognizable. This is a compact, portable, battery-operated Bluetooth speaker. It’s fashionable and stylish, and it’s made of plastic but doesn’t look cheap at all. It is a perfect choice for outdoor use since it’s IPX7-certified and delivers impressive playtime. You won’t be impressed by the sound quality or blown away by the ba

Nov222018 by James LongmanNo Comments

What Are Planar Magnetic Headphones & How Do They Work?

Blog

If you have a pair of full-size headphones, the chances are quite big that they have standard dynamic drivers as this is the traditional and very popular technology that has been used for ages now. One of the reasons these headphones are so popular is that they are easy and inexpensive to make. Inside their cups, you can find a voice coil with a cone-shaped diaphragm and a magnet behind them. We can’t say these aren’t great but their main problem is inconsistent sound production across different frequencies, which makes the sound they deliver not completely accurate. Also, being cheaply made, the parts inside the cups are glued together and the glue wears off over time and the headphones begin to fall apart. Along with the hardware, the sound also gets worse. On the bright side,

Nov212018 by James LongmanNo Comments

ActionPie VJJB-V1S Review

Single Reviews

ActionPie VJJB-V1S is such an uncool, generic, and easily forgettable name for such a cool-looking pair of earbuds. The manufacturer didn’t even try to give them some real name and that’s a shame especially considering the performance you get for the price. If you’ve already heard of ActionPie, then you probably know that this is one of many generic brands and that they make affordable, or rather cheap earbuds. We are now supposed to lower your expectations regarding the earbuds we are about to review and tell you that you have to make some compromises when buying cheap audio equipment but you probably know that and we are not going to bother you with unnecessary explanations. VJJB-V1S is a cheap but nice-looking pair of earbuds. The presentation and the design are quite impressive a