Audio | Imagination Works

Alesis Core 1 – USB audio interface with 1 input, 1 output, 24 bits and 48 kHz and aluminum body

Among products of Alesis company there are different devices, for example, USB audio interfaces, one of them is a Core 1 – device with 1 input, 1 output, 24 bits and 48 kHz work mode support and aluminum body. On its frontal panel there are : TRS 1/4″ jack monitor headphones output, their volume control, input gain control, its work mode switch between linear and instrumental Hi-Z modes and USB port for connection to computer and powering. On its back panel there is combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack analogue input.

USB audio interface Alesis Core 1 ( back panel )

Alesis Core 1 works in Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.7 and newer with support of ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio interfaces, through which it interacts with modern DAWs : REAPER, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live and others. It can be connected to Apple iPad and iPhone via Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit; after purchase there is ability to download from manufacturer’s website DAW Cubase LE.

Package with Alesis Core 1 audio interface contains : USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all, this is a good interface of entry-level, which will fit small and in-home studios; taking into account company’s prices policy, there is ability to anticipate, that Alesis will set on it acceptable price and, when there is no need in very functional device and compactness and mobility are needed, then Alesis Core 1 can be viewed as great solution for its tasks. There is also need to note, that other manufacturers : Steinberg, Behringer, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio and others, also have good entry-level USB audio interfaces with acceptable price.

AKG K52 – 40 mm monitor headphones with 110 dB sensitivity, 18 Hz – 20 kHz and 32 Ohms impedance

One of the novelties among monitor headphones is an AKG K52 – 40 mm device with 110 dB sensitivity, 18 Hz – 20 kHz sounds frequencies reproduction support, 32 Ohms impedance, closed acoustic architecture and price around 50 USD. Their maximal input power is 200 mW, mass is 200 g; cable with length 2.5 m is attached to only one cup, it is not removable and connects to sound source via 1/8″ mini jack connector; headphones are not foldable and are supplied only in matte black color variant. Earpads are made from leatherette.

Package contains : AKG K52 headphones themselves, adapter to 1/4″ jack connector, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all, headphones are good, they have high sensitivity, wide reproducible sounds frequencies range and large enough membranes. From one side their price is not too high; from the other : there is ability to buy cheaper 40 mm monitor headphones with the same or even better characteristics or for approximately the same price 50 mm monitor headphones with better basses reproduction. So, to buy or not to buy there is need to decide by accordance of technical characteristics of these headphones to tasks, that they’ll handle, and by availability of discount in the shops.

Philips FX3BK – 40 mm monitor headphones with 8 Hz – 23 kHz, neodymium magnets and 102 dB sensitivity

Company Philips brings mirth again with its novelties in monitor headphones area and releases 40 mm device FX3BK with closed acoustic architecture, 8 Hz – 23 kHz sounds frequencies reproduction support, neodymium magnets and 102 dB sensitivity. Their impedance is 32 Ohms, maximal input power is 40 mW and mass is 154 g. Cable with 1.2 m length is connected to both cups and is plugged to sound source via 1/8″ mini jack gold-plated connector. Device’s sizes are 185 ( height ) x 173 ( width ) x 40 ( depth ) mm, they can be folded for more compact carrying and storage.

Package with headphones Philips FX3BK contains : warranty card and user’s guide; they are supplied only in black color variant. Headphones are great : they have wide reproducible sounds frequencies range, neodymium magnets, large membranes and good other characteristics; there is ability to anticipate, that Philips will not set high price on them and they can be recommended for purchase. There is also need to note, that there are 50 mm monitor headphones, providing better basses reproduction quality, with acceptable price.

Alesis V49 – middle-sized USB MIDI keyboard with 8 drumpads, 4 knobs and 4 buttons

One of the devices with middle-level size and functionality of Alesis company is a MIDI keyboard V49 with 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads, 4 assignable knobs, 4 programmable buttons and, as it follows from its name, 49 velocity-sensitive full-sized keys. It also has : octaves control buttons, modulation control and pitch-bend wheels, USB port for powering and connection to computer and 1/4″ jack input of sustain pedal. Keyboard is fuly powered from USB connection and has no power adapter input. It can work in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X and interact with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others and their VST/AU instruments and effects.

USB MIDI keyboard Alesis V49 ( back panel )

Package contains : MIDI keyboard Alesis V49 itself, USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide; after purchase there is ability to download from manufacturer’s web site DAW Ableton Live Lite 9 and program AIR Music Tech Xpand!2. Keyboard is good : it has large amount of keys, drumpads, modulation control and pitch-bend wheels and assignable controls, wherein Alesis usually does not set high price for its devices and Alesis V49 is one of the cheapest MIDI keyboards with such functions. So, it can, for sure, be recommended for purchase for long-time creative development; there is ability to wish power adapter input for work with tablet PCs and notebooks without load on their batteries, but these are devices with larger price.

M-Audio Bass Traveler – USB headphones amplifier with 2 outputs, built-in battery and volume control knob

USB headphones amplifier M-Audio Bass Traveler

Among M-Audio devices there is headphones amplifier Bass Traveler with 2 outputs, built-in battery and volume control knob. Battery is charged via USB port, wherein it is used only for this purpose and device cannot be used as audio interface. On its top panel there are : volume control knob and TRS 1/4″ jack headphones output; on bottom panel there are : device work mode selector, TRS 1/4″ jack signal input and USB connector. On its frontal panel there is battery charge level indicator; device can power 16 – 100 Ohms headphones and supports smartphones remote answer buttons.

USB headphones amplifier M-Audio Bass Traveler ( top and left panels )

Package contains : M-Audio Bass Traveler device itself, USB cable, recharger, warranty card and user’s guide. This headphones amplifier is needed only if portable deice can not give enough power for their loud sounding. But overall : it is better to choose such headphones, that sound good with available equipment and, instead of this amplifier, buy good audio interface of Steinberg, Behringer, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio and other companies production, if headphones are used with tablet PCs or notebooks; there is need to say, that some Android and the most modern Windows smartphones also allow to use USB audio interfaces.

Philips SHL3065 – 32 mm monitor headphones with microphone, 10 Hz – 22 kHz, 106 dB sensitivity and neodymium magnets

Lets look today in audio part on 32 mm monitor headphones Philips SHL3065 with microphone, closed acoustic system, 10 Hz – 22 kHz sounds frequencies reproduction support, 106 dB sensitivity and neodymium magnets. Their impedance is 24 Ohms, maximal input power is 1000 mW and mass is 125 g. Cable is attached to both cups and has 1.2 m length, in its volume control module microphone and smartphones call answer button are built-in, it is connected to sound source via 1/8″ mini jack connector. Headband is adjustable and cups has soft cushions for comfortable wearing over long time. With Philips SHL3065 package contains : warranty card and user’s guide. Headphones are great, they have high technical characteristics, microphone and smartphones control button; probably, Philips will not set high price on them, so they can be recommended for purchase, when there is need in compactness and lightness with high-enough sound quality. However, when sound quality is main selection criterion, then there is ability to look on 40 or 50 mm monitor headphones.

Behringer Ultragain Digital ADA8200 – ADAT audio interface with 8 MIDAS preamplifiers and 48 kHz and 24 bits

ADAT audio interface Behringer Ultragain Digital ADA8200

Among the most functional studio audio interfaces of Behringer there is an ADAT-device Ultragain Digital ADA8200 with 8 MIDAS preamplifiers for analogue inputs and 48 kHz and 24 bits work mode with Cirrus Logic converters. On its frontal panel there are : 8 sets of XLR microphone inputs and TRS 1/4″ jack linear inputs ( both types can work in balanced mode ) with signal and clip indicators and gain control knobs; synchronization mode indicators ( is it master and is it locked ); phantom power +48 V switch button with backlight and power on button. On back panel of device there are : power line input, digital optical ADAT input and output; synchronization connector with work mode selector; and 8 linear XLR outputs, able to work in balanced and unbalanced modes.

ADAT audio interface Behringer Ultragain Digital ADA8200 ( back panel )

Parameter THD of Behringer Ultragain Digital ADA8200 equals to 0.008 %, channels isolation is 87 dB; device consumes maximum 15 W of energy. It can work in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X with support of ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio interfaces, via which it works with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others. Body of Behringer Ultragain Digital ADA8200 is made from metal with black and red coloring, its sizes are 44.5 ( height ) x 482.6 ( width ) x 217 ( depth ) mm and mass is 2.1 kg.

Package with Behringer Ultragain Digital ADA8200 contains : warranty card and user’s guide. Audio interface is oriented on use in large studios and has necessary amount of inputs and outputs and high characteristics for this. Small and middle studios can look on cheaper USB audio interfaces of Steinberg, Behringer, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio and other manufacturers production with the same high quality components and technical characteristics.

Puma PMAD6007 – 14.8 in-ears headphones with microphone, 15 Hz – 20 kHz and moisture protection for 8.5 USD

Company Puma presented its new device PMAD6007 – 14.8 in ears headphones with microphone, ability to reproduce 15 Hz – 20 kHz sounds frequencies and protection from moisture for approximately 8.5 USD. Cable with 1.2 m length is connected to both cups, to sound source it is plugged via 1/8″ mini jack connector, in its volume control module microphone and smartphones control buttons are placed; both cups have over ears bands for fixation. Package contains : Puma PMAD6007 headphones themselves, carrying and storage case, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all headphones are good and have great sportive in-ears headphones characteristics for such price. There is also ability to look on other in-ears headphones or, if there is need in sound quality over device’s compactness, then on 40 or 50 mm monitor headphones.

Sven AP-930M – 40 mm monitor headphones with microphone, 20 Hz – 20 kHz and 95 dB sensitivity

Among monitor headphones with microphone new device appeared Sven AP-930M with 40 mm membranes, closed architecture, 20 Hz – 20 kHz reproducible sounds frequencies range and 95 dB sensitivity. Their impedance is 32 Ohms, mass is 192 g; microphone perceives sounds in 50 Hz – 10 kHz frequencies range, its sensitivity is -42 dB. Cable is mounted to only one of the cups, microphone is located in its volume control module with smartphones control button, to sound source it is connected via 1/8″ mini jack plug; they are supplied only in black and white color variant. Package with Sven AP-930M headphones contain : warranty card and user’s guide. Headphones are good enough and do their job, they can be used as headset for phones, for communication in Skype and other voice applications; there is ability to anticipate, that Sven will not set high price for this device. So, if there is need in headphones for doing of set targets, then these ones are quite good; but if there is need in 40 or 50 mm monitor headphones for high quality music playback or professional work with sound, then there is ability to look on devices with higher technical characteristics and price.

ASUS EL33 – new 9.2 mm in-ears headphones with microphone, 20 Hz – 20 kHz and 103 dB sensitivity for 15 USD

In-ears headphones ASUS EL33 with microphone

Company ASUS presented new 9.2 mm in-ears headphones EL33 with microphone, support of 20 Hz – 20 kHz sounds frequencies playback and 103 dB sensitivity for 15 USD. Their impedance is 16 Ohms, cable is mounted to both cups and is connected to sound source via 1/8″ mini jack connector; in its volume control module uni-directional microphone and smartphones control button are built-in. Package contains : ASUS EL33 headphones themselves, interchangeable earstips of different sizes ( small, medium and large ), warranty card and user’s guide. From one side : headphones are good enough and have not very big price; from the other : in-ears headphones will not give high-quality sound due to small membranes and for 2 – 3 times smaller sum there is ability to buy similar devices, which are not weaker, than these ones. So, there is ability to look on other in-ears headphones, if compactness is needed the most, or add small sum and buy 40 or 50 mm monitor headphones, if sound quality is the most important.

Tag: Audio