Lady Gaga Heartbeats In-Ear Headphones (Bright Chrome)
by Monster
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Category: Speakers
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: MonsterBrand: Monster
Edition: Electronics
Model: 129446
Color: Bright Chrome
Publisher: Monster
Studio: Monster
Music Label: Monster
Product features:
- Bold styling turns your headphones into more than just ear-buds
- Flat cable remains tangle-free when stored in a pocket or backpack
- Multiple sizes of noise-isolatiing eartips for a comfort fit
- Wire with Monster cable
- Protective case included
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Lady Gaga Heartbeats In-Ear Headphones (Bright Chrome)
Customer Review: Gorgeously Wicked and One of the Best You Can Find, But Still Needs Work
Summary: 4 Stars
Lady GaGa's Heartbeats by Dr. Dre are what I like to call the Special Occasion kind of buds; though they are sexy, gorgeous, and will match anything it is plugged into or anything the user wears, these babies are, in a bittersweet way, the stilettos and high-heels of headphones.
Lady GaGa's Heartbeats are sold in three different colors; Bright Chrome, Rose Red, and Black Chrome. Though I honestly would have liked to have seen them in purple, the three choices all have a flair that will attract anyone even if they're not crazy about any of the three available colors when it comes to personal taste. You can't look at these and walk away not thinking "I *really* want those!" The design is alluring and exotic, and will get quite a bit of notice even when walking past pedestrians on the road or passing people in stores. When it comes to appearance, these are one-of-a-kind.
One fall back with the design is the paint job; rather than already-colored plastic, the buds and any other plastic area of the buds and wire are painted over. Excessive use or carelessness will lead to the wearing-away of the paint-job... And these are not the kind of buds where you can stick either bud in either ear; left fits left, and right fits right. If you get them opposite, you will know.
Now to get down to business...
Looking for 'perfect' noise isolation? These are one of the few buds to look at; they offer a lot of noise isolation... Though it may be a bit much, especially for people walking on busy streets, which will even get the consumer to be concerned every now and then.
The sound quality depends on the music you listen to; generally the quality is phenomenal, but it's even more awe-inspiring when you listen to what they were designed for... Electronic, Pop, Hip-Hop, Glam, Techno, and synthesized or special-effect filled tracks. I have noticed so many different things in the songs I've listened to that I never noticed when I used any of my other buds. Again, beautiful quality, but won't be used to it's full potential when listening to certain genres of music.
... And this is where I note why these buds are the 'stilettos and high-heels of headphones'.
Despite it's ergonomic design meant to conform to the user's ear, Heartbeats were not designed for comfort, at all. They may fit, but they sure won't feel comfortable for long periods of use.
It's nothing about the shape or the aesthetic design of the buds; it's about its *size*. They are simply too large to be comfortable for almost every consumer. Your ears will feel uncomfortable; on my end, I experienced chafing in my ears due to how much the triangle of the buds were rubbing against my ears due to constant readjusting. Along with their somewhat unreasonable size, they are also unreasonably heavy, and will pretty much fall out of the ears of nearly everyone.
The Heartbeats should have been reflected on with its size and level of comfort a few more times prior to release. For multiple consumers to complain about the size, nine times out of ten, it means something was overlooked... Which reminds me...
The Heartbeats feature five pairs of silicone fittings, Extra-Small, Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large. You're sold, aren't you? Wait just a minute...
Either very few people were chosen to sample the Heartbeats when they were prototypes, or the designers have strange ideas about the size of a human's ear.
Of course, too small will make it fall out. Too large will also make it fall out or be too snug. Medium might give you a stroke of luck, but no matter what size or fitting, all five pairs will be uncomfortable, and wouldn't even be suitable to the ears of cats and small rodents if there ever came a day that animals somehow listened to music. Even when you find the 'right size', it is still either too squished and bothers the inner ear, or still too loose and the earbuds will constantly fall out due to the lack of balance. There was quite an error with the size of the fittings. Though they offered many sizes, it won't change the fact that for the unfortunate (which is the majority of us), the buds will never stay, and the fittings will never be comfortable or the needed size.
That was another issue with design; with the silicone fittings themselves, be very careful, especially if you're one of those people who get impatient with buds falling out and try to give a 'vacuum-sealed' kind of push to keep them snug, or one of those people who give that kind of push just to 'make sure'... Actually, be careful in general. The silicone fittings do not stay on the buds themselves; it seems that the fittings don't have the right kind of rook to click with the buds. They can fall out if the buds are swinging about and will most likely get lost, or you might (and I hope no one does) end up dealing with the worst-case scenario of having one of them (or both of them) lodged inside your ear.
Once they're lodged in your ear, they are staying unless you see a doctor as you should when something's lodged in your ear, or you can be courageously foolish and try to get it out yourself, which will mean taking the chance of definitely damaging your inner ear or the actual eardrum. Hopefully you'll see a doctor to avoid mistakes, and hopefully this will never happen to begin with.
Yes, the slipping of the silicone fittings can happen to any pair of headphones, but I have never seen fittings so loose on the headphones they are designed for where, sometimes, even when it's rubbed against something barely, the fitting will come out.
Now enough about the buds themselves, let's talk about the cable.
The cable is flat as opposed to the typical circular shape we commonly see with headphones. This does *not* mean it's tangle-free; it only means that it will be easier to get pretty much every knot out (unless you deliberately do some strategic tying of the cord).
I loved the flat cable, though it gets very dirty, and also difficult to clean... But the plug?
If you look at pretty much any pair of headphones or headphones, more-so now than in the past, the plastic encasing the inner-parts of the plug will be a very durable plastic, and not as soft as the wiring. Even when the plug is L-shaped you can guarantee durability... To an extent.
The top of the TRS Connector (or audio jack) that does not go inside the device you are using the headphones for, is shaped similar to lipstick, and has cheaply-painted white coloring over it, which will also wear down. To conform to the erratic shape of the jack, the part of the wiring that attaches to the audio jack is made of the same material as the cable... Making it very soft.
This is where heavy listeners of music should either take extra care of the Heartbeats, or look elsewhere, because the glue keeping the two parts together wears out while the jack is constantly rubbing against something, or you're 'forcing' the wire to conform with whichever way you pocket your portable device (such as keeping the device right-side-up when the port for the audio jack is in a very low spot or at the bottom of the device). The wearing happens most often when you keep your portable device in your pocket. Even with the connector exposed, you need to be careful with what rubs up against it. It will wear quickly.
And judging from personal experience, the wiring that is closest to the audio jack seems to curl up in a 'pocket' in the soft plastic covering, which means you've got quite a situation to tend to; most often, by now, the most you can do is barely use it, as it seems most methods of gluing or fixing the jack will prove fruitless. It will not look clean, and will only make it harder to fix when it happens again. And, of course, with any wiring exposed, you can guarantee that the wiring will wear, too, leading you to suddenly (and permanently) lose sound in one or both buds.
Whether or not you take the included small carrying-case with you wherever you go, at all times, is your prerogative; not taking it means taking the chance of wasting $120 (That's if you paid by the listed price; I understand prices vary depending on where you get them, or if they were ordered online and shipped, but once anything's over $30, you're cringing no matter where you got any product for any 'deal'), and taking it means the tedious and annoying action of unplugging, wrapping, and delicately and properly placing the headphones in the case. It will not fit when just stuffed, at least not nicely.
It's not even so much the soft plastic itself as it is that the audio jack is shaped in a creative, but by no means truly functional way; If the top of the jack was entirely inserted and covered by the plastic, we would most likely have less fraying.
As a heavy listener of music, I was quite upset to see that the Heartbeats couldn't keep up with the excessive use. I feel that you pay for what you get, but I never did fathom the fact that the jack on older pairs of headphones lasted longer, for some of them more than a year, than the jack of the Heartbeats that are nearly triple the price. Manufacturer's method of design? Possibly. Though it would probably be more fair to compare products of the same brand. I purchased the Heartbeats in May, and the wire started becoming a problem by early August, the wearing of the paint following soon after. Again, this happens with a good deal of use and not babying the headphones, but whether they're in their case or not, durability, even to the less-than-frequent listeners of music or anyone in general, is probably the most important concern about any headphone, or product.
But, to sum up this review, Heartbeats wouldn't be entirely far from being one of the most creative headphones that also give a near-top-notch sound and noise isolation. However, the durability of the jack, the size of the buds, the improperly-fitting silicone fittings, and the paint-job all need a lot of work. They are fashionable, but uncomfortable even after two or three tracks, and are not entirely durable for the extremely avid listeners.
The Heartbeats may make a statement, but if they are dangling from the consumer's neck/sitting on their table or sitting in the box the Heartbeats came from, be it if it's because of how dainty their construction is, how much discomfort the buds cause, or both, the buds do not do $110 out of the $120 you spent purchasing the buds any justice, and might as well turn into a nifty trend as either a necklace or a bracelet.
Description of Lady Gaga Heartbeats In-Ear Headphones (Bright Chrome)
Sound is Fashion Heartbeats by Lady Gaga are holistically designed to deliver the soundtrack of your life with clarity and power, as well as satisfy your passion for fashion. Immerse yourself in pitch-perfect highs, precise mids, and club caliber bass. Because when your music sounds amazing, you stop hearing it, and start feeling it. In other words, sound really matters. Plus, Lady Gaga didn't just style-check Heartbeats, she created the design to ensure they look like no other headphone out there. Sound Matters Because the Music Matters A great song transcends sound. It has the power to move you to tears?or the dance floor. And the better your music sounds, the more emotional it is. Heartbeats faithfully reproduce artists' vocals and the music behind them, so you can hear the heart felt emotion your favorite singer wants to share with you. Get ready to experience your music like never before. Feel Every Note of Today's Hottest Digital Music These days music is recorded and mixed in a super advanced environment. We designed Heartbeats by Lady Gaga to let you experience every bit of the energy and creativity today's hottest artists put into their digitally recorded music. The amazing hit of the deep bass. Pitch perfect highs and lows. You'll feel more power and hear more details in your favorite music that you didn't even know were there. Flat Cables by Monster: No Tangles, No Tears. Thanks to Monster's exclusive flat cable design, Heartbeats are tangle free. Bye bye, bird's nest.Digital Cameras & Photo Categories
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