Maximo, who you may recall from my recent review of their iM-590 earbuds, has just released a new earbud product targeted at the smartphone users among you: the iP-HS5. The headphones are of similar make to the iM-590 but Maximo has added an in-line microphone and control button that works with most smartphones on the market today. As with the iM-590, the iP-HS5 produce quality sound and ship with enough accessories to make the headphones a positive experience.
Appearance/Build Quality
I’m going to say “as with the iM-590” a lot in this post, so just get used to it. The products are very similar, and for a lot of good reasons. The packaging is smart as ever, with everything well organized for the consumer to see. Open it up and you’re greeted with all the accessories you’ll need to use the iP-HS5 with the smartphone of your choice.
The headphones ship with a 3.5mm jack installed, but include two 2.5mm adapters for various smartphone wiring configurations. This ensures the product will work with whatever phone you happen to have. For iPhone users, no adapter is required. You also get a 4-foot extension cable, four sets of earbuds, a shirt clip, a carrying case, and a detachable lanyard.
Maximo has again employed their knit cabling, which I’m still not sure I’m a fan of. While it has its benefits, the sound produced if anything rubs along the surface is pretty tough on my ears. Attaching the shirt clip, at the recommendation of a Maximo rep, did improve things significantly.
The included lanyard is also a bit of a puzzler for me. While I understand you might not always want noise reducing earbuds in your ears, wearing them around your neck seems similarly out of the question. The included carrying case can be worn on your belt if you really need a place to store the headphones. For someone like me, the extra use I get from the lanyard isn’t worth the frustration that comes with having so much extra cord. Continue reading »
Do you ever look back on your first iPod and get a little tear in your eye? Do you lovingly remember the first time you took the original iPod Shuffle to the gym? Yeah, neither do I. I wasn’t all that taken with the iPod until the third generation to be honest. But for the early adopters out there, Apple has a special treat.
