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PlugUp
the S plug
Next Generation of
Ear Canal Phones


They effectively screen out just the
right amount of outside noise to be
worn inside your motorcycle helmet
or worn around town. They have an
excelent bass responce and clear
mids and highs. I wore these for a
extended motorcycle ride (17 hours)
and they stayed comfortable for the
whole ride. They stay in place.
A good way to test earphones is to
have a meal while listening and see
if they stay in place. I guess the two
cup design give these earphones
the edge, or should I say the double
edge, over the single cup design
that Apple and Sony use.

One size fits all
With the S Plug, one size fits all.
I have been able to eat while
wearingthem, without having
toreadjust.I don't know of any
otherearphonethat you can say
that about.

S Plug goes deeper
(hence: Canal Phones)
Because the S Plug goes deeper
into your ears, the sound is closer
to your ear-drum. The result is that
you don't need to turn up the
volumeas loud as most, if not all,
other earphones. Because of the
double cup design, you have double
the outside noise blocking
capabilities. I tested the S Plug on
a long flight to Japan (13 hours) and
these seemed to be a match to the
Noise Canceling on-the-ear
headphones from JBL or the
over-the-ear headphones from
Philips that I bought for that trip
thatI had picked up at Costco.
For my next trip I will be leaving
the bulky Noise Canceling
headphones behind. One of the
benifits of the of the S Plug's
design is that in most cases
the S Plug goes so far into your
ears that only the wire is seen
coming from your ear. The benifit?
If you want to use the S Plug
inside your motorcycle helmet,
they will not interfere with riding,
taking off and on your helmet.
Because of the noise blocking
design you can choose to leave
the music off and enjoy reduced
wind noice.

Oh, and did mention just how
good the S Plug sound? Nice,
really nice.

Speaking about how good
earphones sound, I should
mention that I have tried and
returned both the Etymotic
ER 6 Isolator Earphones and
the Sure 3c Sound Isolating
Earphones.

Still speaking about how much
I likethe S Plug, after buying a
pair for myself, I gave a pair to
my girlfriend for Christmas,
and she loves them!

(The following text if from the
PlugUp website. Two other
models are also available, the
iPhone model and a Dual Driver
model. My review is for the
single driver only.)

THE S PLUG
Next Generation of Canal Phones

The smallest and best fitting
earphone on the market.
The S plug provides an alternative 
to standard earbuds withthe only 
flexible body earbud on the
market. The ear tip was designed
toconform to the S-shaped ear
canal, placing the speakers deep
in the ear for increased bass
response. Single and dual driver
micro speaker versions available
in different cable lengths (refer
to the drop down menu below).

Unlimited time to upgrade into a
custom set. Speakers can be
repaired individually.
• NRR 27 db
• Warranty: 1 year, 30 day trial
• Because we understand that ears 
can be  different, we offer the best
warranty on the market. 
30 DAY FULL REFUND TRIAL
PERIOD, AND UNLIMITED TIME
TO UPGRADE INTO ONE OF OUR
CUSTOM PRODUCTS.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
• Speaker Type: Balanced
armature micro speaker
• Frequency Response:
single driver- 25 - 18 kHz         
• Sensitivity:                
single driver- 102.5 db SPL      
• Impedance:               
single driver- 26 Ω                   
Blue leather rigid case and
cleaning tool is included.
 
 
 
 
 

the S plug Next Generation Canal Phones


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APPLE
High-Performance
Dual Drivers
In-Ear Headphones



Pros:
Clear quality sound.

Inline remote allows control of:
volume, play, pause and next-previous
tracks. iPhone compatible microphone.

You may notice little nuances in music
that know by heart, like a Beatles song
where you hear something that you've
never noticed before.

In-Ear design isolates background
noises.

Low priced for dual driver headphones.

Cons:

Remote has sharp edges that can get
caught on clothing when you move
your head.

The storage case can damage the
headphone wire, if you are not
extremely careful, when storing.

When you are on a phone call the In-Ear
design isolates your own voice so you
hear your end of the conversation from
the inside of your head, which is very
weird, but I think you will get used to it,
I hope.

Though three sets of silicone ear tips
are supplied, it is possible that none
of the three are a perfect fit. I have
trouble keeping the headphones seated
snugly in my ear while I'm eating. They
keep loosening and need to be pushed
back into place in that situation.

(The following description is from the
Apple website)

Turns out you haven’t heard everything.
The new Apple In-EarHeadphones with
Remote and Mic are engineered for
superior acoustic accuracy, balance,
and clarity. So you hear details you’ve
been missing with other, lesser
headphones. And the biggest
breakthrough? They’re just $79.

Two is better than one.
Unlike many small headphones, each
earpiece of the Apple In-Ear Headphones
contains two separate high-performance
drivers — a woofer to handle bass and
mid-range sounds and a tweeter for
high-frequency audio. These dedicated
drivers help ensure accurate, detailed
sound across the entire sonic spectrum.
The result: You’re immersed in the music
and hear details you never knew existed.
Even when listening to an old favorite,
you may feel like you’re hearing it for the
first time.

Hear, hear.
The Apple In-Ear Headphones deliver a
truly immersive sound experience by
drastically reducing unwanted outside
noises. The soft, silicone ear tips fit
snugly and comfortably in your ear,
creating a seal that isolates your music
from your surroundings. Three different
sizes of ear tips are included so you can
find a perfect fit for each ear. Also
included are a convenient carrying case
for the ear tips and a cable-control case
for the headphones themselves.

Keep it clean.
Inside each earpiece is a stainless steel
mesh cap that protects the precision
acoustic components from dust and
debris. You can remove the caps for
cleaning or replace them with an extra
set that’s included in the box.

Be in control.
The control capsule located on the cable
of the right earpiece includes a
microphone and three buttons. With this
convenient remote, you can adjust the
volume, control music or video playback
— including play/pause and
next/previous — and record voice memos.
(See compatibility information below.)

Technical Specifications
Frequency response: 5Hz to 21kHz
Impedance (at 100Hz): 23 ohms
Sensitivity (at 100Hz): 109 dB SPL/mW
Drivers: Custom two-way balanced
armature (woofer and tweeter in
each earpiece)

Length and weight
Cable length: 1065 mm from audio
jack to splitter; 330 mm to earpiece
Weight: 0.4 ounce (10.2 grams)

Connector
Four-conductor 3.5-mm audio jack

Frequency Response
Two dedicated drivers in each earpiece
provide incredibly accurate, balanced
and detailed sound across the entire
sonic spectrum.

Compatibility Information
The remote and mic are supported
only by iPod nano (4th generation),
iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch
(2nd generation). Audio is supported
by all iPod models.

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

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NAVMAN
ICN 520
Portable GPS
Navigation System


By now (Dec 2010) this is an old review.
Navman in the USA was bought out
by another company and now retails
low end GPS through Radio Shack.
I still list it because it is still working
and has some features (external
volume control) that both Garmin,
TomTom and Magellan still don't have,
and in my opinion, need.

It color codes roads so you know if a
road is a main road or a secondary
road as you approach it.

It talks when you use it to lead you to
a destination. This feature does work
well.

For use in your car you can just use
the supplied suction cup. While I was
testing it on my motorcycle I first tried
using it unit under the clear map area
of my tank bag so I could just glance
down at it (when was safe to do so)
to choose a new road or to stay on
my present road. With the 3D angle
I can tell if a road approaching goes
a distance or just loops back onto
the road I'm already on. More recently
I used several nylon restraints (the
type used by the police for instant
handcuffs) to secure the suction cup
shaft to a flat surface just in front of
my instrument cluster. Now I can see
it at a glance without having to look
down too far. I strongly suggest that
you get a good mounting platform
from a third party and mount the
device securely under your fairing
or to your handlebars if you intend
to use this unit on a motorcycle.

Since this unit is intended for use in
a car it has not been optimized for
use on a motorcycle. Therefor the
button placement does not work
well while wearing gloves. This unit
is much less expensive than the
made for motorcycle GPS units.
I use it as a cross platform device
(car & motorcycle) to save money
and because at the time I bought it,
GPS units for motorcycles were
selling for $1000 and were not
cross platform.

These GPS units come with software
CDs with maps for Canada and the
USA and regional maps for the East,
Central and West of the USA and you
store the maps on a SD card.

I'm sorry to say that you will not
find much about Navman at the link
below for the USA. Now if you are in
Europe, then you will be in luck.

 

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GARMIN nüvi® 855

4.3" GPS Receiver

PROS:

Geo-tagged photo reader
Headphone jack
Lane assist
Memory card input
Mp3 player
Removable battery


CONS:
Weak FM radio transmitter
Bad voice recognition
Low low sound

Traffic capable. To get traffic reports you
will have to buy the FM antenna at a cost
as much as this unit or you might be able
to find one at about half price of this unit.
Make sure you get the antenna with Lifetime
Service aka "Garmin GTM 20 Lifetime Traffic
Receiver - 010-00544-13". Other antennas
don't come with lifetime service.

The top volume my test unit is capable of, is
only about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. The
volume is so low you can't hear the voice if
you are driving faster than 30MPH. Voice
recognitions is almost completely useless.
FM transmitter (to your car stereo) is also
mostly useless. This used to be a 'top of the l
ine' unit.

One of the best things about this unit is the
removable battery and the headphone
capability. You can use the headphone jack
to output the sound to your stereo (if your
stereo has an input) or to an external
amplified speaker.
 
Like most Garmins you get one map update,
which you will need, as this model is more
than two years old and is now discontinued.

Good Luck.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Garmin nüvi® 855 GPS Receiver

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