Reviews

April 15th, 2010 | by Greg Barker

Review: HearFones


Review of Reviews: we’ve studied the most important product reviews so you don’t have to.

Type: Headphones Acoustic Monitor

Item: HearFones

US $29.97 – $34.95
UK £25.00 – £34.00

Mic Scale

At a Glance: HearFones are designed to allow a vocalist to hear their own voice above the rest of the band. The idea is that if you can actually hear yourself properly, you will be able to take steps to improve your vocal output.

High Notes: Hearfones were assessed in 2004 by the Journal of Voice, the official journal of the Voice Foundation. The article concluded that in more than half of the test cases, the voice quality of singers was “less strained” and “better controlled” when HearFones were used.

Off Pitch: Attractive, they are not.

A Vocal Coach Says: “This device enables my singers to learn how to sing with much more ease and to recognize that true power comes from resonance and not the force of their air” -Dena Murray

More: “When I first took them out of the box, I thought they looked a bit odd but once I actually sang with them on, I have been pretty stunned how good they are” Georgina; Vocaltutor

HearFones Website

See Other Reviews

Review 1

Review 2

VN:F [1.9.13_1145]
Rating: 0 (from 2 votes)
Review: HearFones, 5.0 out of 10 based on 4 ratings

Share This Article:

If you've used this product, leave a rating here and a comment below

VN:F [1.9.13_1145]
Rating: 5.0/10 (4 votes cast)
  • http://www.kimchandler.com Kim Chandler

    I have a set of Hearfones (thanks to Paul at 'Vocal Care' http://www.vocal-care.com) which I occasionally use in my private teaching studio when the occasion demands it, usually when a client I'm working with isn't quite as tuned into their own voice as I need them to be. It's a great way to get people to become more aware of the 'air conduction' version of their voice that we hear rather than the 'bone conduction' version that only the singer can hear inside their head. You get a similar effect to these when you cup your ears with your hands. However, in my opinion, the downsides are: a) their appearance(!), b) the fact that the EQ is quite 'tinny', and c) I find they're not good for singing at high intensity. A useful teaching tool though :-)

    VA:F [1.9.13_1145]
    Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)
    VA:F [1.9.13_1145]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
  • Pete Mickelson

    Thanks for your review, Kim. Beauty is in the ear of the beholder, when it comes to HearFones: they're simply ellipsoidal reflectors so you can hear what's coming out of your mouth. We could have made them prettier (or pink?), but then they wouldn't be so effective . . . or so cheap. It's the very shape of HearFones that makes them what they are — better sounding than a cupped hand, and easier for holding sheet music while you rehearse.

    Pete Mickelson & Ray Miller, inventors : )

    VA:F [1.9.13_1145]
    Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)
    VA:F [1.9.13_1145]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
  • Mumugua21

    You get a similar effect to these when you cup your ears with your
    hands. However, in my opinion, the downsides are: a) their
    appearance(!),

    VA:F [1.9.13_1145]
    Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)
    VA:F [1.9.13_1145]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
  • Pete Mickelson

    Many thanks to those of you who responded to this review by getting a set for yourselves.  Singers are hard people to reach when you have a new hula-hoop — our customers hide in remote church choirs, middle-school music classes, speech pathologists’ labs, even schools for autistic folks . . . 

    Help spread the word!

    VA:F [1.9.13_1145]
    Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)
    VA:F [1.9.13_1145]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)