Tunes for Techs

Here’s one more holiday-related entry, this time for those of you who enjoy listening to music while troubleshooting obscure event log messages. Or for those of you who *know* someone who enjoys music from electronic sources. You may be using a portable player, phone, laptop, or desktop, but whatever the device, the chances are you’re using a set of mass-market earbuds or “PC headphones”. Some of these devices sound great, but that’s like saying that some politicians are honest. Most of these devices are made to look better than they sound, with fuzzy highs, muddy bass, and an exaggerated midrange.

For example, the earbuds that come as standard issue with the iPod or iPhone are far inferior to the best available, and noticeably worse than a good midrange set. Most folks haven’t heard what their computer or music player can do. Putting on some good gear is a revelation. Vista, by the way, has very good-sounding audio, unlike XP, which tended to introduce distortion at any volume setting lower than 100%.

I thought about getting into some of the tech specs like impedance and sensitivity, and realized that you may not be as interested in that stuff as I am. So, here are some straightforward recommendations. My favorite portable listening device is the K26P over-the-ear phones from Austrian manufacturer AKG. This company has done a terrific job creating a tiny product that sounds great, and the cost is affordable at around $60. If you want to go up a notch and get headphones that will sound good enough to use with your home stereo, the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 run about $110 and are getting rave reviews from the audio press.

The Sony “Fontopia” earbuds are excellent-sounding, also, if you prefer an in-ear product and would like to spend closer to $30. (Get one of the sets that comes with a variety of different rubber surrounds so you can use a size that fits your ear.)

Happy Hollidells

Setting up Federated Searching in MSSX

Configuring MSSX: Opening Up the UI