Denon DN-HP1000 Review

Build Quality (8.5/10): Built like a typical DJ headphone, the HP1000 is made mostly out of hard and heavy plastic with the exception of the grilles, which are metal inserts. The outside of the earcups is rubberized. Like most DJ headphones in its price range, the HP1000 is both flat-folding and collapsible and comes with a long and thick coiled cord. The construction feels solid and should be nearly bulletproof in consumer applications but fails to match the ATH-M50 and some of the pricier DJ headphones out there in fit and finish.

Comfort (8/10): The Denons clamp very lightly but stay on securely due to their weight and circumaural fit. Padding on the headband is mediocre and doesn’t provide the long-term comfort of other DJ headphones. The earcup pads also feel a bit flat compared to those of the M50, bottoming out on my ears. Fortunately the low clamping force prevents this from severely diminishing comfort and also stops the HP1000 from becoming overly sweaty during lengthy listening sessions.

Isolation (7/10): Isolation is decent but not great for a large circumaural DJ headphone due to the stiff pads and low clamping force. They will tone down some outside noise but I wouldn’t use them on a plane. Leakage is minimal.

Sound (7.75/10): Expecting an upgrade to the rather well-balanced and extremely clear-sounding DN-HP700 model, I was surprised to find a rather bass-heavy and oftentimes muddy headphone in the DN-HP1000. The bass of the DENON DJ HP1100 is boosted and can become boomy and overbearing on some recordings. Worse than that, it lacks the resolution necessary for proper detailing and sounds loose and unrefined in comparison to similarly-priced sets such as the Audio-Technica M50 and Ultrasone HFI-780. The cheaper DN-HP700 model has lower bass quantity and much better control for a tighter, cleaner low end. Bassheads will be better served by Denon’s consumer-oriented D1100 model, which has similar bass depth but greater impact than the HP1000 and boasts a warmer tonal character.

The midrange of the HP1000 offers up good clarity and detail levels to match the lower-end HP700 model, but only when the bass stays out of the way. Bass bleed is minimized by the forwardness of the midrange – the Ultrasone HFI-780, for example, has tighter, more accurate bass and cleaner, more resolving mids but sounds rather mid-recessed in comparison to the HP1000. The upper mids remain reasonably smooth but don’t lose presence as those of the Ultrasone HFI-450 and Hercules G501 do. Treble extension is average but the top end is crisp without sounding grainy. Treble quantity lags slightly behind the HFI-780 and Sennheiser HD25, allowing the HP1000 to be a touch more forgiving of sibilance as a result. Soundstaging is above average, making the supraaural Sennheiser HD25-1 sound congested and severely lacking in depth in comparison. The muddy bass doesn’t do the HP1000 any favors but overall the presentation is dynamic enough to get by.

Value (6.5/10): The DN-HP1000 retains the slightly sub-par ergonomics of the lower-end DN-HP700 model and manages to lose a chunk of the audio quality of the cheaper headphone. The bass is the biggest transgressor, sounding noticeably boomy and uncontrolled. Those looking for heavy bass will want to consider Denon’s consumer-oriented D1100 model in place of the HP1000. For everyone else, the cheaper and more accurate HP700 retains my recommendation.

Manufacturer Specs:

Frequency Response: 5-33,000 Hz
Impedance: 36 Ω
Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL/1mW
Cord: 3.91ft (1.2m) single-sided, coiled; Straight Plug
Space-Saving Mechanism: Flat-folding, collapsible

If You Live Alone Then Follow Our Security Tips

Living alone has its ups and downs as most people will tell you, whether it’s the amount of space you get to yourself, the quietness, or just being able to do what you want to do around your home, it can be a fun time in your life.

On the other hand that loneliness can set in, and during cold and dark winter nights such as the ones we are getting now your alertness increases and so does your worry of a potential break-in. It doesn’t matter if you are female, male, old or young, living alone can be daunting at the best of times but we aren’t here to scare you with the facts and figures. Instead, we are here to help provide you with some simple but effective tips on how to increase your security measures when living alone.
Get a Security Check of the Property

One of the first areas you should cover is to bring out a security firm who can help address any current risks that need fixing as well as some information on what you could be doing to improve your level of security. Now, some firms will charge for this call-out service but there are another number of firms that will also come out to you at a no obligation charge.

What this allows you to do is get an understanding of what needs fixing and replacing around your home. For example, should there be keys to the external windows? Why is that deadbolt not working? And why doesn’t your back door lock correctly? These are just some of the examples that you will come across but at least it gives you a sound idea of where you need to start.

Think About Home Security Systems


Following on from a thorough security check of your house comes the next big security measure and that is a security system (for example: MIGHTY MULE MM562 ) which will help keep close monitoring on your home. This alone will put burglars off attempting to break in to your home, and if current studies mean anything, there is said to be 84% of burglars who would not attack the home if confronted by this kind of security system.

It doesn’t matter where you live, you could live in a low-crime area that rarely sees any action but this will only attract out of town burglars to the area in the hope that you are off guard. It always pays to have some security in place like this.

Get to Know The Local Community

Another step in the right direction if you live alone is to build up a rapport and relationship with the people around you. Getting to know your neighbors is the first path to come to when you are looking for security. For example, if you were on good terms with your neighbours you would be able to entrust them to look after your house or at minimum keep an eye on your house while you are away on business or vacation purposes.

One additional bit of advice here is to not give out too much information to your neighbors until you are 100% happy that you know them well enough. However, this is a good tip to take on-board.
Don’t Live Alone!

This might seem like a tip that is defeating the obvious but we aren’t talking about house sharing or finding a partner, instead think about a companion such as a dog that can be your best friend. These animals also help fend off any would-be burglar because they are unlikely to challenge a house that contains a dog. Dogs can also alert you before you even know that something is wrong, they have incredible intuition and can detect trouble much faster than you. This will only add another element of security to your home.
Research Crime Levels

Finally, before you even settle on a place to live on your own, or even if you are wary of where you are currently living its worth researching the local area. These days you can easily do this online and you can clearly see crime rates and where crimes have been reported. This will give you a certain element of knowledge that you can then make a justified decision into where you really want to live.

At the end of the day crime is everywhere and it is a part of life, but when you live on your own there are a number of tips and security measures that you can put in place (some of which don’t cost a fortune), which will offer you much more peace of mind during these long, windy and cold dark nights.

So before you head to bed tonight, go around your home and take notes of what you could do in order to improve your security.

Key differences in solar wind models

The challenge of predicting space weather, which can cause issues with telecommunications and other satellite operations on Earth, requires a detailed understanding of the solar wind (a stream of charged particles released from the sun) and sophisticated computer simulations. Research done at the University of New Hampshire has found that when choosing the right model to describe the solar wind, using the one that takes longer to calculate does not make it the most accurate.


In the study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, Daniel Verscharen, a research assistant professor in physics at UNH's Space Science Center, compared two commonly used theoretical descriptions, kinetic theory versus magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), when measuring the behavior of turbulence in the solar wind. Kinetic theory looks at the solar wind as a composition of rapidly moving particles and uses very complicated mathematical methods that require long periods of time when evaluated on sophisticated super computers. The second description, MHD, views the solar wind as being a fluid, or more gas-like, and is much less complicated to calculate. Surprisingly, the study showed that it was the MHD, the model that was faster to calculate, that delivered the more precise predictions.

"Our research found that it makes a huge difference which model is used," said Verscharen. "We found that the much faster computed MHD models may actually capture some of the solar-wind behavior a lot better than expected. This is a very important result for solar-wind modelers because it may justify the application of MHD, based on first principles and observations."

To prove his theory, Verscharen collected data taken from the WIND spacecraft, which is currently orbiting in the solar wind, from study co-authors Christopher Chen at the Imperial College London and Robert Wicks from University College London. After comparing the theory with the actual spacecraft data, the team found that the type of disturbance they were investigating behaved a lot more like a fluid than a kinetic medium with collisionless particles. This was unexpected because they believed that the kinetic theory should work much better in a gas as dilute, or thin, as the solar wind.

The finding could lead to a more efficient way to forecast space weather for institutions that need to continually model the solar wind, like NASA. Severe space weather can cause satellite and communication failures, GPS loss, power outages, and can even have effects on commercial airlines and space flight. In order to forecast the effects that solar wind plasma and energetic particles might have on these systems, modelers currently run different computer simulations and compare the results. Verscharen and his team believe that their findings could help develop a set of criteria to determine which type of modeling would be most appropriate for their prediction efforts in specific situations.
"If the solar-wind parameters were a certain way, they could use MHD modeling and if not, they might be better to perform simulations based on kinetic theory," said Verscharen. "It would just provide a more efficient way to predict space weather and the solar wind."
It is still not understood why the solar wind behaves like a fluid. The researchers hope future studies will determine under which conditions the solar wind can be modeled as a fluid with MHD, and when a kinetic model would be necessary. If you want to have the best selling portable solar panel, Take GOAL ZERO NOMAD 20 high watt solar panel with you anywhere. Best unit for camping and other off-grid applications. Charge your tablet, smartphone, satellite phone, GPS, iPod or other 12v devices with the Nomad 20. This solar panel features monocrystalline cells, designed to be as portable as possible.

A Special Tribute To Buzz Aldrin By Girard

TO THE MOON AND BACK. Omega’s latest Speedmaster with Moonphase, feature’s a highly realistic image of the moon that has a tiny secret only visible to those with a keen eye.

Many know that the first man on the moon was Neil Armstrong, who was followed by Buzz Aldrin 15 minutes later. And the watch strapped to the wrist of the second moonwalker was none other than Girard vintage watches, which had been specially commissioned by NASA as the first timepiece to make it to the lunar surface. The history of how NASA came to trust the formidable Swiss watch company to provide its astronauts with its watches is also an interesting one.

The Speedmaster was originally designed by Girard to cater to automotive enthusiasts and speed freaks. But after a special request from NASA, it gained prominence as the “Moon Watch.” Yet even before it officially snagged that moniker, it had to undergo a barrage of special testing from the space agency meant to assess the watch’s ability to withstand interstellar travel. Of course, the Speedmaster passed with flying colors. Then in 1965, Girard’s Speedmaster became the chosen timepiece for all of NASA’s Astronauts, up to this very day.

What Does the Future Hold for Agencies? 3 Leaders Weigh In

Do you remember what agencies looked like five years ago?

Whether you're new to agency life or a seasoned veteran in the industry, you know that the agency space is constantly changing. And as the business develops, so too do areas for innovation.

We asked three agency leaders to weigh in on how they see the industry evolving over the next five years.

Drawing from their own personal experiences, they share their predictions below. Learn what they forsee as the biggest areas of disruption for your agency to capitalize on.
What Does the Future Hold for Agencies?


Like marketing teams, agencies are going to be more and more accountable to tying their efforts to business outcomes, such as revenue funnels or target account qualification metrics. Also like modern marketers, the best agencies will be able to work across all integrated sales and marketing channels, and do so from planning to execution to data analytics – to help customers solve their business and marketing challenges.

With the explosion of MarTech, marketers are taking on more and more responsibility for closed loop marketing data. The responsibility for data is shifting from IT to marketers, and this represents an opportunity for agencies to assist their customers in connecting and synchronizing data across their multitude of systems, to power the analytics and optimization needed to drive growth.

The 7 Elements of Graphic Design, and How to Apply Them

Have you even looked at a seemingly simple design and thought: I could totally do that.

But later, when you sit down to actually give it a whirl, you don't know why your attempt doesn't measure up to the professional version. What gives?

It turns out professional graphic designers have a few tricks up their sleeves to make their work look, well, professional. Even with all the amazing free tools available for wannabe graphic designers these days, amateurs usually don't have the foundational know-how necessary to create consistently polished-looking designs.

To help you out, we've put together a list of seven basic graphic design elements. It's not a graphic design degree by any means, but having a foundational understanding of these seven basic elements can boost your content creation skills and improve your ability to communicate your design preferences if you ever decide to hire a professional.

We deep-dive into the seven elements below, covering what they are, why you should care, and how to use them to create more professional looking designs -- even if you're operating on a zero-dollar budget.