I received Maximo Products’ iMetal iP-HS1 and iP-HS2 headsets designed specifically for the iPhone early last week. The iP-HS1 and iP-HS2 feature a lightweight alloy metal body and a “high definition” microphone sensor. Both feature neodymium drivers and similar Sensitivity and Frequency Response numbers. I decided to try each of the products out for a few days each. In this review I’ll break down a few pros and cons I observed over the course of the past week for both items.
iP-HS1 Product Details:
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iP-HS2 Product Details:
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Product Images
Maximo offers the iP-HS1 headset for those individuals who do not want to block out their surroundings whilst wearing headsets and the iP-HS2 headset for those who prefer to block out everything else. I tend to be of the latter set of individuals -- specially when I am at the office and want to focus on my task without being distracted by inter-office chatter and the occasional loud phone conversations people have.
One of the things I enjoy about my iPhone is that I can listen to audio on my iPod and switch to making/answering calls, and Maximo's headsets make that transition really easy with the click of the soft-touch button which can be used to answer incoming calls as well as pause/start song playback.
The quality of sound is great on both headsets during the song playback, but the iP-HS2 seemed to have a richer richer output compared to the iP-HS1. During the phone calls I made on the iP-HS1, though, I heard quite a bit of background noise and static, this was not the case on the iP-HS2. The callers could hear me clearly on the iP-HS2 and there were many points while using the iP-HS1 that callers complained that my voice volume was fluctuating. The microphone on both headsets are not noise-cancelling, so any background noise is easily heard by the callers.
In terms of comfort, I prefer the iP-HS2 by a long shot. The earbuds on the iP-HS1 were large and started to get uncomfortable to wear after about an hour of use. The iP-HS2 earbuds (as you can see in the image above) are small and I wore them for a straight 4 hours in one coding session without any discomfort. Kudos to Maximo for that!
Bottom Line:
At a cost of $69.99 each they may be a bit pricey, but are worth the cost if you're looking for quality replacements to the stock headphones that come stock with the iPhone.
I give the iMetal iP-HS1 a 3/5 and the iMetal iP-HS2 a 4/5.
Comments: (6)
on Sun, Apr 20th, 2008 at 01:55 PM
Are they only available for the iPhone?
on Sun, Apr 20th, 2008 at 03:15 PM
I don’t think 70 dollars is a lot but then again I don’t have a job lol
Sufian on Mon, Apr 21st, 2008 at 12:05 AM
I’ve used them on my iPod as well. I haven’t tried them on any other phones, but they are marketed primarily for the iPhone.
on Mon, Apr 21st, 2008 at 01:31 AM
are they comfy
on Tue, Jun 10th, 2008 at 02:45 PM
I purchased a set for my iphone in March. I like the headphones a lot, the only issue being the cord is too long for me (I’m 5’3"). I’ve tried vibe moda, ultimate ears (not made for iphone --used with shure adapter), cheap ultimate ears (Rival), skull candy (for iphone)and the apple headset. I like the Maximo’s best--sound better than the Rivals, but at one point you could get Rivals for under $15. I had to get used to the weighty metal phones which click against each other when I’ve got them hanging around my neck. I prefer canalphones to the in-ear (apple style) headset and with the 3 sizes, you’re bound to find something that fits. I’ve worn the earphone for 4 hours without removing it and did not feel any discomfort. But, at the beginning of June, the right earphone died. I contacted the company and within twelve hours heard back from them, received an RMA number in the next few hours to return the headphones for service. A week later, I received a message that they’d be replacing my defective headphones. Needless to say, the customer service is great. I’m looking forward to receiving my replacement headphones from the company.
on Mon, Jul 28th, 2008 at 10:58 AM
These can also be used on other mp3 players. The iPhone has a standard jack. The thing that is keeping other headphones to being used with the iPhones is the plasic around the jack. In standard headphones the plastic is too big so you can’t plug it into the iPhone.
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