Headphones from Harman - AKG Y50, 45 JBL Everest series Review !!!

JBL Everest 700

These are slightly bigger than the Everest 300 and comfortable as it sits around your ear. The cushions are incredible soft and well designed, which also gives you passive noise isolation. The headphone is fold-able like the beats solos, which makes them extremely portable. They sound incredible with the main intention to retain the highs with balanced bass. The bass is not at all over empowering with just the feel of existence. The headphone gives you a balanced feel at the first and is enough to drive through your mobile phone. The headphone share feature again is a advantage if you wish to share with your partner.

Pros:

Balanced sound

Fold-able and portable

Aux cable

Bluetooth sharing

Passive noise isolation

Built quality

Cons

Not for bass lovers

Slightly on the higher price range

Competitors:

Beats pro

Bose AE2 Bluetooth

Skullcandy Hesh 2.0

Sennheiser Momentums wireless

Sennheiser Urbantine wireless

Sonyxb950BT

Vmoda Crossfade

JBL Everest 300

These are on the ear headphones with the same built quality of the 700s and maintain same incredible soft and designed cushions.  Fold-able and smaller makes it portable. When comes to the sound quality it’s got the bass which 700s lacked, however there seem to be a drop in Highs and overall sound stage of the 700s. The Audiophile category is a miss on this model but you still get amazing sound out of these for casual music listeners. They are comfortable and again very well built.

Competitors

Beats Studio

Momentum Wireless

Bose on ear Bluetooth

JBL  Everest 100

These are in ear headphones with a tag price line of 100$. Very impressive design, which are extremely light, and can keep them on through out the day. How do they sound? They sound fantastic and easily one of the best Bluetooth headphones. The sound stage they deliver is incredibly balanced with accurate bass which goes deep but not hampering the mids and highs. Again the highs are not screaming but rightly blend with the other bars. Extremely comfortable and recommended for any kind of genre. The volumes do not go high when compared to any other Bluetooth headsets like Jay birds etc. which could be a con but JBL is developing the JBL headphone app which should help this power up a little more. The noise isolation is again a plus as the design helps the isolation hand in hand. The headphone looks neat, light and portable. The buttons on the right side is not heavy and do stay at a place during workouts. They work on every gadget seamlessly and the buttons also work as required. Highly recommended

Pros:

Balanced and great sound

Fit and design

Cons:

Could have been louder

Competitors

Jay Birds X

Power beats

Sony

Brainwavz

AKGY45 Bluetooth

Small and light weight compact headphones. They have the AKG sound in them and good bass.  The sound seems to be slightly warmer when compared to the AKG k450s as the design seems to be similar. Casual listeners would be happy picking them up mainly due to its compactness and sound.

The unique 3D-axis mechanism doesn't just make these headphones easy to fold and carry; it also ensures a perfect fit against your ears. The soft, padded, headband and earpieces further add to the long-term comfort of these headphones. Although light and comfortable, the Y45s are durable, too. A soft travel pouch is also included with the headphone

Pros:

Good Bass

Compact, fold-able

Good Built

Cons:

Not for an Audiophile

Slightly expensive

Competitors

Jabra move/revo

Creative Jam

Sony MDR330

Skullcandy Uproar wireless

AKGY50

These are exceptionally well made headphones.Their aluminum ear cups – which house 40mm drivers – have a smooth, glossy feel and feature fine cosmetic detail. Thanks to a neatly designed mechanism that lets them fold flat and collapse inwards for easy storage.

The leather ear pads sit firmly on the ears – physically blocking out almost 95% of the noise. The 3.5mm-ended cable also has an in-line remote for hands-free Smartphone calling.

AKG has also put a lot of thought into the sound of the Y50. They’re not too hung up on sounding entirely accurate, and happily take on a little extra bass because it’s what most people are after these days. The balance is still very much present and sound is Incredible clear. They provide fantastic sound stage which makes you drown into the music and sometimes realize that you were lost for awhile, but yes the ear cushions do provide a hot feel after an hour of use. Bass is deep heavy and very clean. They sometimes take a lot out of your source volume to be powered up which again is a con.

The sound stage is very wide which makes you feel you are listening to a set of speakers in your drawing room. They are extremely superb sounding headphones with great looks and color options to pick from. Audiophiles will not complain with these. Highly Recommended

Pros:

Incredible sound quality

Design & Portable

Adequate Bass

Cons:

Sources might need to be turned up

Ears get warm after a while

Competitors :

Audio Techinca m40x

Bose Sound true

Sennheiser HD280s

Sony XB900

Skullcandy Hesh 2.0

Over all, AKGs and JBLs new models are impressive and definitely compete with the top brands and it easier to introduce them into a personal audio segment in the US, however not easy in India as the segment is just in its growing, baby stage. These headphones start at a minimum 100$ which is a lot of money for a normal working class in India. The target should be Audiophiles who collect high end audio stuff through marketing. It’s not impossible but would take a lot of time and the pricing of these is very important and should ensure the Indian cost of living rather than a pure currency calculation.

Headphones like M50x has proved that it will sell around the 120-150$ tag in the Indian market just because of pricing and strong reviews, same module will help with Harmon if they want to be at the top 5 in the personal audio market.

Audio Reviewed using

Samsung Galaxy Edge Plus

I phone 6

IPod Touch 5^th Gen

IPod Classic 6^th Gen

Fiio x1

Fiio e11k (Amplifier)

Files of MP3 (320 kbs), FLACS, WAVS and AIFFS.

Rockstar – Musical Brilliance that is immeasurable

Long and eagerly awaited score of A.R.Rahman because the name says it all, this genre is something which he wanted to experiment and we his fans wanted to hear from him. Movies likes Rock on proved that rock music alone can make a movie a big hit. The icing on the cake here is Rockstar is not only a rock musical also a Romantic drama by Imitaz who has proved the same in his previous works.
Sadda Haq is now the youth anthem and in fact other songs too like Katiya Karun, Tum ho is popular due to some very brisk and clean marketing by the whole team. When you have an ARR album which has 14 tracks in your rack that too with all of them masterpieces you can’t ask for anything more from him and Rockstar is an example.

Phir se - Begins with chorus which reminds of Dil se bgm, heavenly feel when the bass pours in and then the journey of the track is one which can be felt only when experienced by oneself. Mohit has done an extremely superb job on the vocals and infact in each and every song hence I won’t be mentioning much about the vocals as it is evident. There is drift in the last few minutes of the track where he tries the techno beats which gives us a smile why? But I am sure it will gel with the visuals. A terrific start to the album.

Jo Bhi – First traces of guitars used in the album and a very sweet and long effect track with lots of variation and the tune is strong throughout and will drive every youngster to listen, play this track during their convocations, get together etc. The song is fresh and this attempt is something only ARR can give to Bollywood . The Vocals again is fantastic and flows so freely and will linger in your mind thought-out.

Katiya Karun- Punjabi number accompanied with some good orchestration. Happy, funny and peppy number which would be loved instantly by any normal listener, Beats might be familiar but the presentation of the song seems to be fresh.

Kun Faya Kun – Divine is the word to define this track. Yes it is another Qawwali but each time ARR has something which just not touches your soul but move it too. This time this song has a major audience including people who were not great Qawwali admirers. The song is just right length and very creative in terms of arrangements, guitar in a Qawwali is superb and the vocals of ARR are again very divine. The second charanam is pleasant soothing and tapping. Overtime I listen to this track it gets better and better and I have a huge friend’s circle who just loves this song.

Sheher Mein – Thoroughly enjoyable number with some good beats and interludes and will sure become popular on radio channels. The tune on the whole is very situational at same time catchy.
Hawaa Hawaa – This song need some time to grow on as there has been some serious layering on it, gypsy, Arabic blend with heavy orchestration makes it a very colorful number. It has all the elements of an ARR song in terms of creativity that has gone into it. Perfect song to listen to in your car on a long drive.

Aur ho – Anger, pain and frustration written all over and after a long time a track on the lines of satrangi re from Dil se. Stand out here is the vocals by Mohit and Alma which gives an western touch. A must in your IPOD.

Tum ho – Soft , romantic number which is an instant likeable hit in lines of ARR’s must number in all his albums for the last few years. The chorus by Suzanne is mind-blowing and makes you feel good. This song can never get you bored and can be heard at any time on repeat. Lovers have a treat in form of Tum ho.

Tum ko – Classical version intruded by blend of ballad by Kavita Krishnamurthi reminds me of Taal, Zubeida and Yuvraaj. The voice captures your mood instantly at beginning of the song and continues to amaze you till the tablas roll on. This song is again a collection in your IPOD and nice to have this blend in a rock album.
Coming to big ones Nadaan Parinde and Saadda Haq which fall in place to complete the rock album. My favourite is Naadaan Parinde as it has everything in it. A song to start with ARR vocals followed by terrific drumming by Sivamani and the guitars which is so clear in tune with the flow of the song. The first charnam is ARRs part which he wins easily and the power is clearly shown. Suddenly you have a feel of bengali rock when Mohit comes in and charanam is utterly cute and lingers to make you hum with the lines. A perfect grand concert number by ARR which is thoroughly deserved to be one of his best ever.

Coming to the big one Saadda Haq is a heavy rock song which defines the genre and mood of the film. The tune and lyrics are a steal out which can impress any normal music listener. ARR again has not only dragged rock lovers towards this song but also normal janta. The song starts off with heavy percussions then when Orianthi guitar work starts its only goosebumps throughout. The tempo of the song is high and kills you at one stage when the guitars are dancing at its peak. The tune is simple backed up by some terrific programming that makes this song stand out when compared to any rock song composed in bolywood till date and ARR runs away with the best rock song award. It is indeed a youth anthem and a killer. Experience the music, excitement, madness and the craziness with saddaa haq and you will never feel full and will want more of it. Saaddaaaa Haq .

There are two instrumentals Tango for Taj and The Dichotomy of fame which again amuses us in terms of orchestration and clearly shows the amount of time that would have been invested in this soundtrack and it is worth all of it.

This album would go waste and might sound just average if you do not give it repeat hearings. This soundtrack is in the leage of Roja, Laagan. Taal, Rang De Basanti and D6. Thanks to ARR for this wonderful music journey in form of Rockstar which not only touches the soul but also stirs it.

Solo HD (Beats) Vs Bose OE

Both are considered as the word best headphones, I personally am a big fan of Bose. I have been owning a Bose OE for more than 3 years and enjoy every music that I listen on them till today. Often while surfing the net I have read that Dr.Dre have beaten all the headphones in the market with their style, design and off course quality.

In India thankfully Bose is easily available though slightly expensive compared to the US, also the best part is we get service at perfection with all spares available so investing on a Bose will never make you worry about the long run investment. Why Bose ?? I have an history to it as I have grown listening to Bose 901's at home as my dad smartly brought them with him when we moved from Saudi. I have always wanted to own Bose headphones one day and my first one was the OE. Till date i feel these blow all the other ones in terms of bass, quality and comfort.

Today I have added the Dr Dre HD Solo to my kitty and here I am sharing my thoughts on my music experience. Firstly these are not available in India and I had to get it through a dealer though I have the warranty attached to it but no service centre here in India. The packing is mind-blowing and the package contents seems to make you feel WOW. The looks, finish and the feel is first class and stands out compared to any other headphone in the market currently.

Dr.Dre mentions clearly on the imprint of the box that artists spends lot of time fine tuning music and all that happens in the studio goes unheard in other headphones and this can be experienced only on Monster Beats. You will agree with him once you experience music on these headphones. Class apart as the bass along with mids and lows are very clear and the ambience that it creates can only be experienced once you hear them on beats. The sound is crisp and holds on to the ambience that it creates and yes those studio sounds can be heard.

Coming to Bose, these will stand out for its own class and according to me they should never be compared to Beats as Bose is affordable and easily portable as it is a good travel partner. The bass that Bose produce is something which no other brand can figure out and it is strong holding bass which makes them stand out. OE is clearly the best headphone from Bose in the non noise cancellation segment.

I love both of them and in this segment they are the best in the world though there are few others like AKG, Koss and klipsch who make much bigger and costlier headphones in the world.

Koh Samui - Thailand

Koh Samui is an island located in southern Thailand tailor made for tourists around the world. I had heard a lot about this place from our friends asking me how I had missed this place in Thailand. I love Thailand and I have travelled through out; this place had always been at the back of my mind. This time around I decided to venture out to this considering its complexity in reaching to this island.

I had never wished to combine northern and southern Thailand in one trip. This time I flew to Kuala Lumpur by Air Asia and then to Penang by road. Few days at Penang was refreshing and not to forget the drive to Bahtufirrangi.

Penang to Hat Yai (Southern Thailand) by road was around 4 hours. The roads in Malaysia are one of the best in the world,absolute bliss to drive in those speedways. The Malaysian immigration is cleared and then enters the Thailand immigration; should admit the first goof up I have seen in Thailand out of all my experiences. If you hold an Indian passport, it is not easy to get through without 10,20 Ringgits depending on the immigration officers’ mood.

Hat Yai is a small city with an abundant Muslim population considering its proximity to Malaysia. The visitors are mostly Malaysian travelers who are hunting for some night life and not to forget the Thai massages. It is indeed a very peaceful place if you just want to get lost for some time.

Few Muslim restaurants helped me get some vegetarian food around there and yes, this was my second trip to this place in Thailand. Few days of stay here. Later, travelled to Koh Samui from Hat Yai. The drive was for around 7 hours which was a bit tiring.

Donask is the pier to the God gifted island called by Thais as Samui. A one and half hour cruise should I call it? Unforgettable. There are plenty of shared taxi’s running for 60-80 bahths from the Samui dock to the beaches. Hat Chaweng and Hat Lamai are Ko Samui’s most beautiful and most popular beaches. Both have a huge selection of accommodations suitable for every budget. Please note that room rates increase during the peak season i.e., from December to July, when Samui sparkles. The nightlife of each beach is different: Hat Chaweng is good for couples, women and families; while single men are drawn to the beer bar culture of Hat Lamai.

If you are looking for a private moonlight beach party, then what are you waiting for ? Go to Samui and yes, I would highly recommend this place for newly married couples for their honeymoon. ;-)

There are several ways to reach Koi Samui depending on the type of traveler you are.

By Air
Bangkok Airways flies from Bangkok to Ko Samui 13 times a day. The flight takes about an hour and 10 minutes. It also offers daily flights between Phuket and Samui.
For more information, call
Bangkok office, 0 2229 3456, 0 2229 3434,
Samui office, 0 7742 2512¬9
Samui Airport office 0 7724 5601-¬8.

By Bus

Air-conditioned and non air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal for Surat Thani several times daily. The trip takes about 11 hours. For further information, call 0 2435 1199, 0 2435 1200 (air-con), 0 2434 5557 - 8 (non- air-con).

By Car

From Bangkok, take Highway 4 (Buddha Monthon Road) through Phetchaburi and Chumphon provinces and then drive on to Highways 41 and 401 to Surat Thani Province. From Surat Thani, visitors can take their cars to Koh Samui by a vehicle ferry at Donsak Pier. The trip takes 1.30 hours.

By Rail

Several trains leave Bangkok's Hualamphong Station for Surat Thani daily. The trip takes about 12 hours. Train / bus / ferry combination tickets are also available. For more information, call Hualamphong Railway Station, 0 2223 7010, 0 2223 7020.

For some pictures on Ko Samui visit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharus100/sets/72157625274317232/

Written by Sharad Srineevas.R
Editor : Pooja M Kudva

Jhoota hi Sahi an A.R.Rahman weapon

Pam Para : Instantaneous feel of an ARR track from the 90’s. Full of energy with some of his trade mark sounds, beats and tune. The first interlude proves the presence of Sivamani in ARR troupe, classy and very foot taping. The feel in this song is very similar to the Ooolaala song especially the rhythm, tune play and the entire song structure. It was Chitra in Oolala and its Shreya who took it away completely in this song. ARR is in the modern 2010s era but still he has pulled out one number from his vintage collection. Try this song when you are working out or in a social gathering at your place (Girls Meet) lol, I can envision them dancing around with lot of soft toys and pink colour.
Do Nishaniyan : I wait for this song in the album, what an piece of music , I firstly want to bow down to ARR. This song alone proves that ARR has been keeping his soul touching tunes in the box since nobody has been giving him the right opportunity to utilize them. The opening stands tall and it’s a ride to the heaven. Sonu Nigam has one more track which will rank among his best of best. The Charanam, Interludes is at top notch throughout the song. Heart melting tune and anybody would fall for it on the go. Real feel good when you are travelling and on the go (Foreign locales, with nature)
Call me Dil : A simple tune, however the overall presentation makes it creative and instantly likeable. The guitar sound is crystal clear like Rashids Ali’s voice. A beautiful evergreen song with amazing lyrics and orchestration. This album has a more a western feel to it is because of this song and off course I have been waiting for the moonlight.
Hello Hello : My beloved in the album cause it just my kind of ARR song. The opening beats will drop you down and leave you astonished when the guitar strings follows up. Karthiks voice is well suited here because the track falls under the category of virus. ARR virus songs include Hey Ennachu, Khoyee Khoyee Aankhein , Kya kare ya na kare etc. Majority of these songs are rendered in a subtle and lower scale accompanied by violins at the bg. The phone sounds are totally new and the interludes blow your mind completely out. This song will grow on you immensely and is well suited for driving on a freeway, workouts and an early morning jog.
I have been waiting for the moonlight: In and out western track and you will feel it. Bollywood is very lucky to get a jazz track of immense quality for this film. Vijay has over performed in this track and will be credited rightly by all. The interludes give you pure bliss if you are on a candle light dinner with your loved one. Even a non Jazz lover will get hooked on to it that’s my challenge. Best suited for a candle light dinner, relaxing at home with a cup of coffee at your drawing room enjoying the nature.
Maaya Yoshoda : Fun loving, groovy festive track. Majority of the people will just love this track for the beats and the tune. Chinmayee man she is crazy what a voice phew. You will never recognize her voice here until you read on the CD cover. The sitar interlude leaves you with goose pumps wow wow wow. I just wish ARR uses sitar a lot more in his future albums. There is also a remix version which is neatly done and will go well with the dance floors. This song is for the festive time baby and dusara and diwali knocking doors.
Cry Cry : Here comes Kabhi kabhi aditi -2 . I just do not have anything to say about this song. How many times has a song become an hit with just seconds of its trailer or even before the audio releases, examples are kabhi kabhi aditi and cry cry. Cute, funny, crazy, maddening song for the young crowd so listen to it and ash karo.
Abbas Tyrewalla has proved that he falls in the category of Mani Ratnam, Shankar, Shyam Benegal, Shubash Ghai and Rakesh Omprakash Mehra in terms of his rapport with ARR. All the above greats have consistently extracted quality and creative music from ARR. Abbas is super successfully in extracting something different which is his style for the second time. The best album this year in Bollywood so far bearing in mind Rockstar is yet to come.

Thoughts from my FrIENd.... Once my boss ..

Yesterday, I was driving and the FM radio went off for a few seconds. I thought I should have had an iPod. Then suddenly I realized that I had not used my iPod in the last six months. And then … more things-- handy cam in the last two years, digital camera in the last two months, DVD player for a month and many more gadgets . Now, I can say that I bought that handy cam out of impulse as I had used it only twice in the last four years.

So, what’s wrong and where? When I look at myself or my friends, I can see it everywhere. We are not happy with what we have but all are stressed and not happy for the things we don’t have. You have a Santro, but want a City. You have a City, but want a Skoda. Just after buying a new phone, we need another one. Better laptop, bigger TV, faster car, bigger house, more money… I mean, these examples are endless. The point is, is it actually worth? Do we ever think if we actually need those things before we buy them?

After this, I was forced to think what I need and what I don’t. May be I didn’t need the handycam, the iPod or the DVD player. When I see my father back at home, he has a simple BPL colour TV. He doesn’t need a 32″ Sony LCD wall mount. He has a cell phone worth Rs 2,500. Whenever I ask him to change the phone, he always says … “It’s a phone, I need this just for calls.” And believe me, he is much happier in life than I am with those limited resources and simple gadgets. The very basic reason why he is happy with so little is that he doesn’t want things to make life luxurious, but wants themonly to make his life easier. There’s a very fine line between these two, and after looking at my father’s lifestyle closely, I got the point. He needs a cell phone but not the iPhone. He needs a TV but not the 32″ plasma. He needs a car but not an expensive one.

Initially, I had a lot of questions.

I am earning good, still I am not happy …why?

I have all luxuries, still I am stressed ... why?

I had a great weekend, still I feel tired … why?

I met a lot of people. I thought over it again and again, I still don’t know if I got the answers, but certainly figured out a few things. I realised the one thing which is keeping me stressed is the “stay connected” syndrome. I also realised that at home too I am logged in on messengers, checking mails, using social networks, and on top of that, the Windows mobile does not let me get disconnected. During weekends itself, trying to avoid unwanted calls keeps my mind stressed. I realized that I am spending far lesser money than what I earn, even then I am always worried about money and more money. Also, I am saving enough money I would ever need, whenever needed. Still I am worried about job, salary and expenditure.

May be, many people will call this approach “not progressive attitude”, but I want my life back. Ultimately it’s a single life, a day gone is a day gone. I believe if I am not happy tonight, I’ll never be happy tomorrow morning. I finally realized that meeting friends, spending quality time with your loved ones and spending time with yourself are the most important things. If on a Sunday you are alone and you don’t have anybody to talk to, then all the luxuries of life and money are wasted. May be cutting down your requirements and recalculating your future goal in the light of today’s happiness are worthwhile things to do. May be selling off your Santro and buying a Honda City on EMIs is not a good idea. I believe putting your happiness ahead of money is the choice we need to make.

I think a lot can be said and done but what we need to do is re-evaluate the value of happiness and time we are giving to our life and people associated with it.

Komram Pulli – A Commercial Brilliance

Success is an equation which is a combination of experimentation and expertise. This album is one example of that equation. It takes a lot to experiment with new sounds and fit in a catchy and commercially viable tune. Every bit of music in Pulli is a commercial brilliance. This album gives you the feeling of the 90s when we used to listen to ARR songs on a cassette. S. J. Surya is a guy who has a lot of commitment towards film making and I like his genuine style of film making. He has extracted the right music from ARR.

Maham Maye: Instant hit is the USP of this track. Oh Chako Muke Oh Shishi Muke is ARR naughtiness filled with beats which just holds on to your ears for hours. Javed Ali kicks off the tune in a style that gives you a new vocalist feel. Suchithra is welcomed to the ARR unit with this very sweet song. Trendy interludes containing heavy pads and keyboard sounds should imprint the future for young talents to follow. The techno riff at the beginning of the song is captivating and the first interlude is lost in heavenly stuff. A very catchy and an instantly likeable tune.

Amma Thale: Typical ARRish opening followed by a tongue-twisting tune. This song has the flavours of Theekurvil, Naadeshwaram Pollavandal, Moondrilvarthekethavarthe, Sakakra, Jack n Jill and Maarkandhiya. The orchestration is grand with traditional modernised beats. Singers have exceeded their expectations and will fall under the category for its permanence and will make it to the evergreen ARR playlist. The only corn here would be the recording level which reached its peak resulting in cracking the sound towards the second part of the song.

Power Star: Tailor made for heroism that has shades of Blue theme. Powerful beats and sounds backed up by powerful rendition by the singers.

Dochey: This one easily falls under his best-programmed song. Each and every sound is fresh and exciting. It has an international appeal and will be the anthem for the youth. The Arabic beats and sounds is an outshine effort by the composer and will stun his peers. Clever utilisation of singers gives an erotic feel and a killing instinct throughout. You would just want it played 24/7 in cars, pubs, etc.

Maaralente: Patriotic songs are a cup of coffee for ARR and he has succeeded again with this song which is heavily and strikingly orchestrated. ARR himself rendered this highpitch track making it the most favourite track for all his fans. The song would go very well with visuals and stun the audience when they experience cinema.

Namakame: In the lines of Oh Palanhare from Laagan and Amma song from New.It is bliss just because it’s a journey of vintage ARR and we will never get bored of this genre of songs from him. The choice of instruments is class and the tune ever rings in your ears giving you peace.

Overall, a very satisfying album meeting all expectations of various tastes. Enjoy the music instead of comparing it with other albums or composers. Thanks to S. J. Surya that we get to hear some foot-tapping numbers from ARR. I would like this combo to continue and give surprise packages every time.

Editing - Pooja M Kudva