For your ears only

Casio and Sennheiser have come up with two headphones that should enthuse music lovers

Loud and tough

Delivering a rich and balanced sound performance, the XW-H1 headphones from Casio, a company known more for its watches, focuses specifically on music enthusiasts and professional musicians. But the XW-H1's selling point is its brilliant design and durability.

The XW-H1 has a high output volume - so it can be very loud at times. It also offers noise-insulation, so there is very little loss or leakage of audio. The XW-H1 is apt for audio that has a lot of treble and bass. It performed impressively on this front. The audio did not get distorted even at utterly high volumes. As mentioned, the noise-insulation feature in the XW-H1 allows the user to enjoy music in a loud environment as well.

The on-the-ear headphones come with encapsulated comfort-fit earpads. They fit the ears snugly and don't move much even in case of sudden jerks. It has a detachable 1.2-metre flattened cable, which means that users will not face any 'tangle' problem. One of the most attractive features of the XW-H1 is its flexible, foldable headband. The folding feature makes the XW-H1 eminently portable and therefore useful for users who are constantly on the move. This also makes the headphone extremely durable. Apart from the 3.5 mm jack, the XW-H1 also comes with a 6.3 mm stereo plug adapter that can be used to connect the headphones directly to other musical devices. Priced at Rs 5,995, and available in three different colours, the Casio XW-H1 is a nice option for those who like to enjoy their music in a loud and uninterrupted manner.

Looks good, sounds good

German audio brand Sennheiser has pitched the PX-95 mini-headphones as an answer to the Indian consumer's demand for entertainment on the go. Light, stylish and pleasing to the eye, the PX 95 puts in an impressive performance in terms of sound too.

Strong on bass, the PX 95 is excellent for the closed environment - be it your living room or office space. There is a lot of external noise suppression in a closed environment. On the other hand, the suppression is minimal when you step outside with the PX 95, which means that natural sound and traffic will be audible if you are using these headphones outdoors. A word of caution though: the PX 95 has a constant sound leakage, especially when you are indoors. In lay terms, when you are listening to something on high volume, a bit of the sound will escape and be audible to others.

At 71g, the PX 95 is very light. The flexible lightweight steel headband fits quite easily and is very durable - giving the headphones a nice look overall. The earcups have very soft pads and can be adjusted to fit the user. The PX 95 has a super-aural ear coupling design, which means the headphones sit on top of the ears. The improved foam design in the earpads not only adds to the acoustic performance of the PX 95, but also make it very comfortable. Rest assured, you can wear these headphones for long hours without discomfort. The 1.2-metre symmetric design cable has a metallic look and is durable. The Sennheiser logo is prominent on the PX 95, placed strategically on the headphone jack and on either side of the earcups.

Available for Rs 3,990, the PX 95 is a well-crafted pair of headphones that has been designed with a lot of emphasis on both sound and design quality.