Surprising Headphone Find - Sears/Kmart

[priell3]

I wanted an inexpensive pair of over the ear headphones for my daily commute on public transportation with somewhat better noise isolation than earbuds. The old women on the bus can be loud and chatty.

I walked into the nearby Kmart the other day at lunch and found these Alphaline 10650 headphones on sale for $23.99 (normally $29.99).

I wasted no time plugging them into my 8GB Sansa Fuze for a test.

Here are my non-expert observations:

• Nice looking design, low profile. I don't look like an array searching for extraterrestrial signals while wearing them.
• Lightweight. Construction seems good and durable.
• Good fit. Not too tight but don't slip off either.
• 1.5m flat cord that doesn't get twisted.
• Nice padding on earcups and headband provide comfort.
• Swivel earpads for compact storage
• Moderate isolation of external noise.
• The sound is superb! Highs, lows and everything in between is clear and crisp. Brass, strings, bass and vocals all sound wonderful.
• Zero distortion at maximum volume. No hiss, crackle or pops.
• Good soundstage, if that is the correct term.

Specs from the box:

Drivers: 40mm
Frequency response: 20-20kHz
Impedence: 32 ohm +/- 10%
Sensitivity: 112±4dB



After several hours of listening I have no complaints about these headphones. They seem to be built to last but only time will tell. In my opinion, the sound is fantastic and I've sampled several genres of music for comparison.

For $25 I think these are an excellent value for casual, on the go listening or even for a quiet night at home.

Made in China for Sears, Roebuck and Co.

[CrowdAds]

[aimran]

Those look almost identical to the JBL Tempo.




JBL also has exactly the same specs including sensitivity.

[CDMP3PlayerFan]

I purchased these headphones based on priell3's recommendation and I'm impressed with them. I'd seen them while shopping for headphones but didn't consider them since I hadn't heard of the brand. I've used them for a few days and my experience with them basically matches priell3's comments.

[JK98]

This may be very good, however the question is how does it compare to the very highly rated JVC HAS400 that is around $27.

[priell3]

Originally Posted by aimran

Those look almost identical to the JBL Tempo.

JBL also has exactly the same specs including sensitivity.

I believe you are correct. Close visual comparison confirms this.

@CDMP3 - I am glad you like them and that you found my review helpful.

My followup: No complaints. They have become more comfortable with use. Durable. I have roughed them up a few times and my cat bit the cord to the left ear but only the sheath suffered. Sound remains fantastic, maybe even better than when new.

My only complaint and it is personal preference only is that the cord is a bit long and I get snagged from time to time. Some matching orange electrical tape fixed that.