Product: EA Tech Design Earwig
Price Paid: USD 39
Submitted
01/25/2008
at
05:21am
by
Lou
Features
:
9
This post is simply an update on the previous one...
Somehow mis-typed the price...and now have more current info.
but Features are still a 9
Sound Quality
:
10
Still a big 10
Reliability
:
8
While wearing headphones,was reaching for a CD,stupidly yanked it off a table with the cord--- headphone connector is still solid,
and the body hit the floor & bounced---no damage.
Raising this to an 8
Customer Support
:
10
Mailed the company again with a question about the AC adaptor
jack,& had an answer the next day.Their mail detailed
how to check the function I was asking about.
("Does the battery cut out of the circuit when
you plug in an AC adaptor? Yes,it does.
Here's how to check that...")
I tried the check and was happy with the results.
Two days later,I got another mail,making sure
I had received their instructions!!
Now Customer Support gets a 10
Overall Rating
:
9
Still a 9....but only because it can't
make coffee or do my laundry.
Product: EA Tech Design Earwig
Price Paid: USD 3
Submitted
01/18/2008
at
06:31am
by
Lou
Features
:
9
This is a small,portable headphone amp,suitable for
electric guitar/bass/keys/whatever you can adapt to a 1/4 inch(guitar cable size) output.
It has a (METAL,not PLASTIC) belt clip,so you can wear it as you play.
It has an line input,which will accept pretty much any source,CD,tape player,MP3,computer--AND has a volume knob to control that input,
independent of the instrument source-a very handy feature-it allows you to 'mix' your instrument with the track your listening to.Runs on a 9V battery (included,wow) or a typical stomp-box AC adaptor.Gotta be solid state,since it's so small(think cigarette pack size). Has an On/Off/Volume knob. Also includes a (1/8th to 1/8th) cable to plug in your track source.Everything I wanted,nothing I don't need.
Sound Quality
:
10
Sound quality is....clean,clean,and CLEAN. No if,ands,or buts.
I maxed out the volume control,and heard nothing--no hiss,line noise,
nothing. Then tried playing an electric,listening through the same set of mid-line Sony 'phones,and found that anything over
approximately 1/3 volume starts to get uncomfortable.LOUD,and juice to spare,unless you're just plain deaf--but still clean.Put a Jazz bass through it,and beat it pretty hard-still clean.Plugged the headphone output into a 16 ohm 4X10 cab,for giggles---it was loud enough to piss off the neighbors.Still clean.
The blurb on the website says it's around 1/4 of a watt!?
Wonder how they do that.Sound Quality gets a 10,hands down.
Reliability
:
5
Only had it a couple days---played maybe 6 hours total so far,on the original battery. Plastic body looks pretty tough. 'Prolly survive
getting knocked off a table,or being tossed around in a gig bag.
I'll mention the metal belt clip again..I've broken several typical plastic body-pack type clips in the past. I'll give this a neutral '5'
Customer Support
:
7
No need yet,after such a short time. I'll say this...
I e-mailed them a question before purchasing...had an answer that day.
Another e-mail when it arrived,also answered the same day.
I'm guessing it's a small shop--they only show 3 items for sale on the website.
I'll give them a '7' just for being prompt.
Overall Rating
:
9
Been a pro player since the late '70's....had all the usual stuff,
Rockmans,etc.... sound quality beats anything I've heard.
Forget price,this is better. I waited a long time for someone to build this.Hey,if you're lost without distortion,
put a pedal/preamp/whatever in the line,I'm sure it will take it.
