iPad2 vs Retina Display on New iPad

For some people, there's no reason to spend the money to get a new 3rd-gen iPad. The iPad2 is a great machine, it works great and has a lovely interface. And for some people, they wouldn't really notice the difference in the screen.


I am not one of those people. The Retina Display on the new iPad is gorgeous. And since there's more pixels in its 9.7 in. display than in my "high-def" TV in the living room, everything, from photos to text to icons in the App Store, are super crisp. The screen is brighter, and it may just be a figment of my imagination, but seems to look better at more extreme angles than the iPad2.


Below are just a couple comparison shots of the iPad2 versus the new iPad that I took this evening. While you can easily tell in the pictures, the difference is most striking when you're actually using both. With the new iPad, everything is amazingly crisp, and as something of a typography geek, I love how text displays on the new iPad. Now that I have a direct comparison, I'm glad I waited for the new iPad. Check out the photos and let me know if you agree.

Left: iPad2, Right: iPad 3rd Gen

Top: iPad 2
Notice the haloing in the gradient on the iPad2, whereas it's perfectly smooth on the 3rd generation.

Perhaps a little harder to tell in this picture, but Flipboard is stunning on the 3rd Generation iPad (right) compared to the 2nd Gen (on the left).

Review: Audio-Technica ATH-CK6A High-Fidelity Binaural In-Ear Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-CK6A High-Fidelity Earbuds

Specifications
Driver Diameter: 10.7mm
Frequency Response: 15 - 28,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power: 200mW
Sensitivity: 100 dB/wM at 1kHz
Impedance: 16 ohms
Weight: 0.12 oz without cable
Cable: 4 ft, Y-type
Connector: 3.5mm mini stereo, gold-plated, iPhone compatible
Accessories Included: interchangeable earpieces (S, M, L); Interchangeable loop supports (3 types); pouch



I’m not exactly an audiophile but I do consider myself perhaps more aware of headphone quality than the average person using the default earbuds that came with their iPod. 

There are three main things that I consider when looking for a pair of headphones: nice design; good comfort and fit; and of course high-fidelity sounds, which means they’ll have clear and accurate sound with any kind of audio from talk to classical music to action movies, and at a wide range of volumes.

Currently, my favorite set of headphones Phillips over the ear earbud style which have really good frequency response and they're nice and comfortable I can wear them all day, which is really important for me as I listen to music for the better part of every workday. So I figured these Audio-Technica headphones had a lot to live up to, and I was particularly excited about this review because judging by the specs on the web page, these were high-quality earbuds.

The ATH-CK6As come with three sets of loop supports and three different sizes of earpieces so you can get just the fit you want. A drawstring bag is also included to keep the ‘phones in. One thing that drew me to these was the advertised wide frequency range of 15-28,000 Hz and the rare-earth speaker drivers, rare for any set of headphones, much less small earbuds like these. Basically it means that since the average human hearing range is around 20-20,000 Hz, these headphones will let you hear everything recorded that you’re physically capable of hearing. In simple language, this means you’ll be able to really hear both the deep notes as well as the mid and high ranges without distortion.

The headphones themselves are very lightweight. The ear loop pieces that were already installed were just right for me, but I switched the ear covers to the smaller sizes to make it fit right for me, so I appreciate having the options available to me.

Once I had the attachments to my liking, the earphones fit nice and tight inside my ears, which makes for good clarity of sound as well as blocking outside noise.

For this review I tested three different genres of music in order to exploit the full potential of these headphones.

First up was Josh Groban’s Si Volvieras a Mi. The vocals in the mid-range were nice and clear, and the instruments were full and rich. I felt like I was really getting the whole experience of the music. Also, important for earbuds is that it doesn't sound like any music is leaking out, and with the right fit, the Audio-Technica’s seemed to direct everything right down my ear canal, which made the music sound great.

For rock music, it's hard to beat Breathe Into Me by RED. The guitars came through nice and full, vocals were clear, and the bass was spot on. Tweaking the equalizer settings on the audio device (I used an iPad for this review), I was able to experience let the advertised high fidelity of the ATH-CK6As shine through.

Moving on to hip-hop to see how good the low bass response was, I chose Get It In by PRo. I love a song with good bass, and, having installed subwoofers in all the vehicles I've had, I know what full deep bass sounds like and how it can really enable you to feel the music rather than simply hearing it. Therefore, I only consider a set of ‘phones "good" if it can sound like I have small subs in my ears. Once again, these phones came through in spades, with the super-low frequency response capability a treat for my ears. Moreover, the Audio-Technica earbuds stayed firmly planted in my ears, something that my Philips ‘phones only do as long as I don’t move or yawn or swallow. I’m looking forward to using these new earbuds for my next trip to the gym.

And speaking of having a good sound seal, I found that these do a good job of blocking outside noise as my wife just came up and asked me why I haven't been listening to her for the past few minutes. I couldn't even hear her!

With each music selection, all frequencies came through clearly, and even turned up to the point that it almost hurt my ears (something you need to be careful about with earbuds), I couldn't detect any distortion on either end of the range, which made me smile since it's nice to be surprised with a such high-fidelity sound in such a small package. I was dubious at first that these small light earpieces would have drivers that could handle the music I like to listen to, but the Audio-Technica ATH-CK6A headphones are winners in my book, especially considering the mid-range price.

In fact, my only real complaint is the alphanumeric naming system of these headphones, which will make it hard to remember when you want to tell your friends how awesome your new headphones are!

To wrap up, if you're looking for a high-quality pair of earbuds that don’t break the bank, these are a great choice. Sure, you can buy earbuds for $10, or use the ones that came with your mp3 player, but if you appreciate great sound at a decent price, these are for you. You could also spend at least three as much for other brands of headphones, but you’d be hard pressed to justify the price when these sound so good.


Check them out today on BuyDig.com.