Kibbles & Bytes Blog

Yes, that’s right: headphones by Adidas. Recently “**Adidas**”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adidas joined “**Sennheiser**”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sennheiser in a collaborative effort to create sport-specific headphones. They are in no way the first to take this on, but in my eyes, they’re the first to get it right.

It makes sense as these are two of the best known companies in their field: Adidas — as a long standing name when it comes to sports, and Sennheiser — as a manufacturer with a great reputation for superior sound quality. Put the two together and you get a sweat proof, stay-in-your-ear, great-sounding sport headphone.

The line covers many different models, from in-ear, to behind the neck, and all come equipped with a sweat proof headphone and kevlar cabling to ensure they don’t tear under the stress of playing hard. Check out the complete line of “**Sennheiser**”:http://www.smalldog.com/mfg/?MfrName=Sennheiser+Electronic products here.

Now all of the above looks great on paper, but what about the real world? What about mountain biking, running, hitting the gym, and all the other fun sports we partake in (except swimming — unfortunately, they’re not fully waterproof)? How do they work in these environments?

Recently I got the “**Sennheiser CX680i**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/80403/sennheiser-cx680i-adidas-ear-canal-sports-headphones-w-volume-control to see how they worked while mountain biking. They’re better than advertised and I was blown away by one feature in particular: fins.

Two versions include a new fin system that holds the headphone in your ear. I’ve used countless headphones while biking from $25 Skullcandy units to $200 Shure units and haven’t ever had something as comfortable as these. Bombing down the hill over roots, rock gardens, and off jumps they never came out. One thing I will add is that it’s worth taking the time to try the different size fins and ear pieces they include to get the right fit.

If you’re a discouraged athlete who has never found the right headphone, I believe you’ll be as impressed as I am.

__Questions? Click “**here**”:mailto:will@smalldog.com or on my name at the beginning of the article.__

It wasn’t all that long ago when someone would look at a set of speakers and think, ‘only bigger speakers can give a bigger sound!’ That’s definitely starting to change, and not only in size, but the way in which you can connect to the speakers as well.

I was a little skeptical when I first started using the **Soundmatters foxL V2 Portable Speakers,**:http://www.smalldog.com/product/79658/at_bis but after listening to a few songs, I came away very impressed. The best thing about these speakers was not just the sound, but the fact that the speakers or the audio device that you’re using (assuming it can connect to Bluetooth) don’t have to be plugged in.

The Soundmatters foxL speakers are a completely wireless solution. The speakers themselves have up to a 12 hour battery life, and you can connect your devices with Bluetooth anywhere up to 30 feet away. That pretty much sealed the deal for me. One other added feature is that you can actually make hands-free phone calls with these speakers, which is something you don’t see in a lot of portable speaker setups.

All in all, this little guy will impress you with every feature. Gone are the days of wires and big bulky boom boxes on your shoulder. Now you can listen to these sweet sounds in your kitchen, dorm room, on the trails, or at the beach.

Come on in and check them out. I think you’ll like what you see and hear.

*A Hearty Hello From SB*

What’s up, Best in Showroom readers! It’s so great to be back in the saddle and writing for you once again. We have a fantastic lineup this month for all of you audiophiles — so much so that I’ve dubbed this month “Sick Sounds September!” We have reviews on audio solutions from Small Dog veterans, as well as some new faces, but perhaps the biggest news is that we’re now carrying the super-popular Beats by Dr. Dre line of headphones!

We’re also excited to announce that our S. Burlington Service department has gotten a bit of a makeover. Due to an overwhelming increase in repairs over the last two months (about 45%!), we have decided to expand our Service check-in counter. We have more than doubled the space, and we hope that this will help to alleviate backup and serve our customers better. There are more changes in store, but it’s a start! The best part is that we’ll have no downtime — by the time you read this, it will all be finished.

So, after you’ve given these reviews the once-over, come into any of our retail locations to test out some amazing headphones for yourself! **Both our S. Burlington and Manchester locations will be open on Labor Day, Monday, September 3rd.**

Mike
“**michaelb@smalldog.com**”:mailto: michaelb@smalldog.com

The 6th Annual Apple to iPods Event kicks off September 5!

Find a wooden apple in any of the participating Vermont apple orchards, and you may win an iPod touch, classic, nano or even an iPad!

See “*VT’s Tourism and Marketing website*”:http://www.vermontvacation.com/ for more details!

Attention! Our Manchester, NH and S. Burlington, VT retail stores (as well as Service in each location) will be **OPEN** on Monday, September 3.

Our Waitsfield store and headquarters will be closed and will reopen Tuesday, September 4 at the regular time.