Review

Review - Pro|Tone m250 ear phones

Razer refers to their Pro|Tone m250 ear phones as "Street Style," which, I think, refers to the fact that they are not "in-the-ear" phones. Instead, these phones clip onto the outside of your ear via a hinged arm as shown here:

Quite frankly, after just a few minutes of testing, I knew they were not for me. But since ear phone selection is a very personal thing I asked several of my friends to check them out and tell me how they liked them. I was surprised to discover that at least one of my friends (hi Chuck) has a problem with in-ear headphones and can't get them to seal properly in his ear canal. He says he's never found a pair of in-ear headphones he can use, much as he wishes he could. And he really liked the m250s, saying they offered "pretty good" sound and were lightweight and comfortable.

Personally, I much prefer in-ear phones, the kind that have foam tips to seal in the sound and reject ambient noise. So the m250s missed the boat for me in several ways. First, I didn't find them particularly comfortable. Second, they weren't loud enough and their bass response seemed to lack punch. And finally, ambient noise was much more annoying than with in-the-ear headphones.

The m250s come with a two-prong "jet-set" adapter for use on airplanes with two-prong audio jacks and a soft fabric case with mesh pockets, both shown in the photo above, and are also available in black (not shown).

Last but not least, here are the Pro|Tone m250's technical specifications as provided by Razer:

Frequency Response: 50 ~ 20,000Hz
Dynamic Transducer
Impedance: 32 ohms
Max Sound Pressure Level (SPL): 105dB
Cable Length: 1.15/ 3.77ft
3.5mm connector plug
Max Power Rating 50mW
Weight 38g (with cable)

The Bottom Line

If you don't care for in-the-ear phones and want lightweight earphones, the m250s may suit you. But otherwise almost any in-the-ear phones are probably a better option.

Just The Facts

Pro|Tone m250 ear phones from Razer

MSRP US$49.99

Pros: Small, lightweight, over-the-ear instead of in-the-ear.

Cons: Not loud enough, ambient noise issues, weak bass response, over-the-ear instead of in-the-ear.

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gslusher said:

member since 13 Nov 2002 with 2088 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

They weren't loud enough?

"Max Sound Pressure Level (SPL): 105dB"

That's enough to cause permanent damage. OSHA standards require hearing protection above 90 db. Daily exposure to 105 db for an hour can easily cause permanent hearing loss. As that page says, it's as loud or louder than a chainsaw or pneumatic drill--up close.

As I recall, Bob Levitus is also a musician, as well as a superb writer (I have several of his books!). Perhaps his hearing is already damaged and he needs loud headphones. My hearing has suffered a bit from age and some exposure to jet engines (always with hearing protection, but that was in the 1970s--our protection wasn't as good as today's) and I don't need to damage it any more. I've known several young people, on the other hand, who had permanent hearing loss before the age of 18.

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DoctorMac said:

member since 16 Oct 2006 with 45 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

gslusher wrote:
They weren't loud enough?

"Max Sound Pressure Level (SPL): 105dB"

That's enough to cause permanent damage.

I find it hard to believe that they produced the quoted SPL. Even pressing them tight against my ear they just weren't very loud. And the ambient noise leakage made whatever SPL they put out seem even lower.

The last time I had my hearing tested (which was only a couple of years ago), it was near-perfect. I have a little bit of high frequency drop off in one ear but only a little. That's probably because when I work on stage I almost always use ear protection of some sort.

I have no way of testing the output of the m250s but I would be willing to bet that they don't come anywhere close to 105db in real life.

I hope that helps...

Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus

Author of the review

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