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Thomas PR Client Kidz Gear Wins
Bigbruin.com "Good Value Recommended" Award March 24, 2010
By Steven
Kean,
Bigbruin.com  
- Kidz Gear Wired and Wireless Headphones
Author: Steven Kean
Manufacturer: Kidz Gear
Source: Kidz Gear
Purchase: Amazon.com
Page: 1 of 4 [ 1 2 3 4 ]
March 24, 2010
Kidz Gear was founded by a mother that was tired of buying
headphones for kids that were made cheaply and could possibly
include hazardous materials. Their solution was to develop both a
wired and a wireless set of headphones that were built with adult
features, but in a size and price range that was appropriate for
children.
This review is going to take a look at both award winning units from
Kidz Gear. Before taking a closer look at the samples provided for
review, let's take a look at some information on then, as taken from
the official website.
Wired Headphones - The first adult-featured stereo headphones made
specifically for kids. Manufactured with the same high quality
components as those used in standard adult headphones, the Kidz Gear
Wired Headphones deliver extremely rich stereo sound quality for all
your audio needs - DVDs, MP3s, Game Players, Television, Radio and
more. They are a must for children in the car, on the plane or
hanging out at home.
Wireless Headphones - IR Wireless Car Headphones from Kidz Gear.
Delivering the same perfect fit, excellent quality and rich stereo
sound as our Wired Headphones, but now with total portability thanks
to no wires! These headphones are 100% Guaranteed to work with all
built-in car DVD/sound systems. Designed with custom sized ear-cups,
auto-power off feature, and comfortable padding, your child will be
sure to enjoy those trips in the car. You can even use these
headphones at home!
Wired Headphones Basics:
The packaging for the wired headphones is designed to fit in at a
retail location; bright and vibrant to catch the would-be shopper's
eye. The front of the package provides just enough information to
get the user interested. On the back we find more detailed
information; such as frequency range (20-20,000 Hz), sensitivity
(108dB), impedance (32Ohms), and cable length (1.5M).
As the above left image shows, the packaging was crushed a little in
transit, but the headphones remained undamaged.
On the top of the headband there is no cushion, which would be a
nice addition in order to make them a little more comfortable. The
below left image shows the headphones in their most compact
configuration, while the below right image shows them fully
extended. As these are designed for kids, a concern is whether they
would fit all kids without causing any discomfort.
As an adult, I was able to put these headphones on and wear them for
an entire day at work; and I was comfortable. The only place that I
had a little discomfort was at the top of my head. Thus the reason
some padding would be helpful.
On the cord there is a simple volume control. This is a nice feature
as it allows the user to adjust the volume as necessary without
affecting others that might be listening. Once the player was set at
an appropriate level, turning the volume control here all the way up
did not provide any discomfort, however if you are letting kids use
these, I would still turn the player down a little and let them turn
it up here.
Wireless Headphones Basics:
The packaging for the wireless headphones is similar to the wired
model; with the key difference being the color. The wired version is
a yellow/orange while the wireless is green/blue. In a retail
setting this will help to quickly find the desired model.
As with the wired version, the packaging got a little crushed in
shipment to me, but the headphones were undamaged. The back of the
packaging once again provides detailed information on the wireless
headphones. You have some of the same information as on the wired
set, plus details on the carrier frequencies for each ear, that 2
AAA batteries are needed, and the effective operating Range (8m).
The 8 meter range is more than sufficient for any vehicle.
Like the wired version these will fold up to be stored, and can also
be extended to fit larger heads. On the top of the headband, there
is no cushioning. This would be helpful here, as well.
On the left earpiece is the battery compartment. Taking off the
cover you need to install 2 AAA batteries, which are not included.
Most parents should have a bunch of batteries around, however
including them in the package would have been helpful. Something
else that would be helpful is making these rechargeable using the
car's power. This way if you are on a long trip, you can recharge
these when you stop.
On the right earpiece is a power switch. Leaving them on will drain
the battery, so make sure it is turned off when not in use. In
addition there is a volume control next to the power switch. The
audio level was similar to the wired version. Turning them up to
full was not uncomfortable. However, with kids always be sure that
at full volume it won't be too loud for their ears.
IR Transmitter Basics:
The IR transmitter came in pieces, not in any retail designed
packaging or even a plain brown box. It was simply placed inside the
box with the headphones. Included is an AC adapter, the IR
transmitter, and an audio cable to connect to devices with the old
RCA style audio connections.
The back of the IR transmitter only has one plug which is for the AC
power adapter.
There just isn't much to discuss regarding the IR transmitter.
Testing:
First, let me say I am not an audiophile; I know what I like to
hear, however that doesn't make me an expert. It only tells me what
I like. Testing of audio products is mostly subjective. If the audio
is clear, no crackles/pops/hiss, sufficient bass, etc then it should
be sufficient for most people. If you are looking for studio
quality, you probably won't get that out of a $20 set of headphones
intended for kids. What you should expect is exactly what I said
above.
These were tested in three vehicles with built-in IR transmitting
DVD systems.
» Dodge Grand Caravan SE
» Ford Escape
» Toyota Sienna XLE
The IR transmitter was also connected to an iPod for listening at
home.
Each of the headphones sounded great. The audio was crisp and clear,
even at full volume. The bass level was sufficient. I compared these
to an older pair of Sony headphones, and was unable to tell the
difference (other than comfort).
In each of the vehicles listed above, the wired and wireless
headphones connected without any issues. It was obvious that these
are IR and need line-of-sight to work. When in the back of the
vehicle, the sound was perfect, no snaps or other annoying noise. If
the headset was moved to the front of the vehicle, the sound would
break up and would only receive a portion of the audio.
Conclusion:
Both the wired and wireless Kidz Gear headphones were given to
several kids to test out. On a three hour trip, none of them took
the headphones off. At the final destination, they all stated the
headphones were more comfortable than the ones that came with the
vehicle. The parents of the kids now have to buy new headphones!
When my son was young, I was constantly buying new headsets for him.
It wouldn't take long for them to fall apart, get stepped on or for
them to become painful to wear over a long trip. The Kidz Gear
headsets were tossed around the vehicle as you might expect them to
be in normal use. The headsets were stepped on several times and
each time they were undamaged. However, they are not listed as
unbreakable, so try not to go to rough on them.
The quality of the audio from the headphones was surprising. At the
highest volume, there was no distortion in the audio, or rattles
from the bass. Everything sounded just as good at the high volume as
it did at a low or medium volume.
Each of these items can be purchased separately. The wired
headphones can be found online with a price of around $19.99
directly from Kidz Gear or at Amazon.com, while the wireless
headphones can be found for $29.99 directly from Kidz Gear or from
Amazon.com.
A few things to keep in mind. The IR transmitter is not battery
operational; so you will need to use a power converter if you wish
to use it in a vehicle (it is not designed for this use). For the
headphones themselves, I would like to see some simple padding at
the top of the headband. While the kids that wore these did not have
any issues, when I wore them for several hours the top of my head
was a little sore (but, I am not the target audience anyway).
The bottom line is that the Kidz Gear wired and wireless headphones
are a good, budget friendly option for parents looking for
headphones for their children, and therefore earn the Bigbruin.com
"Good Value" and "Recommended" awards.
Pros:
» High quality
» Low cost
» Works virtually anywhere
» Worked with four different systems
» Clear audio with good bass
Cons:
» IR transmitter not battery operable
» No padding on headphone headband
» Wireless headphones not rechargeable and no batteries included
» Wired cable a little short for use in mini-vans
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any
comments or questions.
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