Today’s Gear Deal brings us the Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Canceling Headphones at a nice discount. They feature noise canceling technology, noise reduction, a digital Equalizer, an internal Lithium-ion battery, and more. Normally $399, our Gear Sponsor has found a number of different ways you can save that, when all are applied, drops the price all the way down to just $229. You’ll find details and ordering information here on the deal site.

Gear Deal: Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Canceling Headphones via LogicBUY

Bodyguardz offers some slick options for using and/or enhancing your various mobile products. Sure they offer their BodyGuardz UltraTough Clear Skins but they also offer a line of BodyGuardz armor skins (my favorites!), cases and even their own brand of earphones, the earjax. (I have a pair of the earwax that I bought on CyberMonday and they are great!)

Well, Bodyguardz has been kind enough to provide two discount codes for use on their site and, this weekend, we’ll be giving them away.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Most modern games come with some use of stereo sound, and games with higher budgets make use of Dolby Surround Sound to provide realistic experiences of being surrounded and FEELING the impact of what is going on around you. If you are using a pair of Apple earbuds in your gaming laptop … you are really missing out. I recently looked at another set of Dolby enhanced headphones, but to truly get the experience you needed entirely too many cables. Now we have a new headset from Plantronics that offers Dolby 7.1 surround … but only requires a USB connection!… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

My daughter Maggie, getting gear for her isn’t that hard; she’s fine with the default iPhone ear buds.  She’s also not much of an audiophile; if it’s pink, she’s fine with it–I got her a pair of iHome rechargeable speakers for her iPhone, for example, and she loves them not because of the sound, but because they’re pink.  Such is the life of a parent.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I have said many times that running with headphones in is not a good idea. It’s dangerous for multiple reasons; you can’t hear cars, animals, or people coming up behind you. Even with the music turned down you lose a sense of what’s around you. The common suggestion is usually to leave one earbud out, but then you’re stuck with a mono listening experience. That’s why One Good Earbud is such a smart idea.

From their website:

One Good EarbudTM is the ideal way to safely listen to music, podcasts, audio books, and mobile calls while running, cycling, snowboarding, or working out at the gym. Our custom-designed earphone mixes both channels of sound from a stereo

Here at CES last year I was introduced to a new earbud company. YurBuds was offering their Inspire earbuds. The bright red earpieces stood out and promised a degree of comfort and “stay-putt-edness” that is in great demand among people who  listen to music while doing a strenuous activity. I was skeptical but ended up impressed by their sound. Elana, who hates in-ear headphones, tried them on and within minutes co-opted the pair the company had given me for review. (The company kindly replaced mine.) A year later Elana’s YurBuds are going strong and she continues to evangelize for them every chance she gets.

Apparently she is not alone. The company had a fantastic 2011 that saw tremendous growth and a significant expansion of the offerings. Among them are the Inspire Pro headphones. The build upon the original version in some significant ways and take good headphones and make them great. Once again the company was kind enough to provide a pair for review (I expect to lose these to her as well) so lets take a quick look at what is new.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The other day we reviewed eskuché’s 33i and Control-i headphones. At under $70 for each pair they are certainly worth considering if you’ve been looking for a pair of on-ear headphones that include an in-line mic. You can read the full review here.

We were giving both away and they are going to…… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Back in November we brought a pair of on-ear headphones to your attention that look great, sound good and don’t break the bank. At under $70 for each pair eskuché’s 33i and Control-i headphones are worth considering if you’ve been looking for a pair of on-ear headphones that include an in-line mic.

We’ve had both of them here for the past few weeks and have used them to listen to a variety of music. In this lightening review we will take a quick look at both, give you some of the upsides and some of the potential downsides and then give you a chance to win each.

So without further ado here

I have reviewed a number of earphone solutions in just about every price range; yes, I do have a problem. If it were up to me, I would try all earphones with the goal of  finding the perfect fit and sound. Earphones are an interesting product because you can find them anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. One has to be cautious when formulating an opinion on them and make sure they are comparing apples to apples. A pair of $250 earphones should be superior to a $35 set, logically. That is not to say that a $35 earphone is not good or worth the purchase, though. I recently received the E461-BM earphones from Arctic and put them through some rigorous testing during our football playoff travel run. Arctic products have impressed me with their quality in relation to their price ranges in the past; read on to see how the E461-BM earphones stack up.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

We want to thank Monster for joining with Gear Diary and providing this amazing contest. I hope everyone got a chance to enter. Let’s cut to the chase and announce the winner of the Monster Accessory pack given to one of our lucky readers.

And the winner is…..

Dudebroman17

You have 24 hours to send your name and address information to contests@geardiary.com and your prize will be shipped out.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

If most of the iPhone 4 and 4S cases you’ve seen have been too boring, then you might enjoy the “Knuckles” case by Rebecca Minkoff ($58).  You certainly wouldn’t have to worry about dropping your phone when it’s in this silicone case, and the added benefit (?) is that when you hold the case a certain way, no one will mess with you. An offbeat case deserves an offbeat headset, so while you’re at it — take a look at “Zipped Up”, the new wired headset also by Rebecca Minkoff ($48).

Both… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I remember the days of the cassette Walkman, when headphones were all alike. Black foam covered speakers that sat on top of the ear was pretty much the only option. Boy how these times have changed. The options for headphones have become nearly endless with in-ear and DJ style and almost every color of the rainbow available. Along with these options, we have also seen a huge increase in audio quality and comfort. Headphones have become an extension of who we are and our own personal style. Design is as important to some as sound quality and comfort. With all of this in mind, Energy Sistem is announcing a new DJ headphone designed by Porta… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

I had the pleasure of reviewing the Monster Turbine Pearl In-Ear Speakers this summer and still use them as my primary headphone solution for high quality audio. (You can read the review here.) Let me tell you, these things are the best earphones I have ever used– bar none. They are so good, and let me feel like I am so fully immersed in the music experience, that they often keep me listening to music far longer than I had planned. Just in time for the holiday season, Monster is running a contest that will give all of you a chance to win some of their wonderful products. With that let us tell you about Monster’s 8X iPhone 4S Sweepstakes we are co-sponsoring with the company this week.

Back in February of 2010 I reviewed the ZAGGsmartbuds. At the time, this was my conclusion

So are the ZAGGsmartbuds worth their $79.99 price? Absolutely. They are comfortable to wear for extended periods, sound very good and, thanks to the Hangin’ Tight system, have what is probably the best cable-management system I have used. At under $80 I would say that they are not only worth their price tag but that they are a good deal to boot!

The ZAGGsmartbuds have an MSRP of $79.99 and are available directly from ZAGG. And right now ZAGG is including a free dual USB car charger with purchases of over $40.

What I Like: Love

From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Here are a few more great gift ideas.

Keep your iPad safe with the Kensington SecureBack™ Security Case with 2-Way Stand & ClickSafe Lock

Anyone who owns an iPad will appreciate extra peace of mind for his or her beloved tablet’s security. Surprise the iPad aficionado on your holiday shopping list with the easy to use SecureBack™ Security Case with 2-way stand & ClickSafe Lock to protect their tablet all year round. The thin, yet strong three-piece construction combines into a durable plastic case for iPad, while a 2-way extendable stand accommodates flexible iPad orientation for landscape or portrait viewing. An adjustable slider bar allows quick access