Denon DJ HP1100 Professional Folding DJ Headphones

Build Quality (8.5/10): Built like a typical DJ headphone, the DENON DJ HP1100 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 HP1000 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.

Solar Info: The Down Low on Everything Up High

Rain or shine we get a huge number of calls about solar power each day. We’ll attempt to answer the questions asked most often so we can save you a phone call. With the SUNJACK 20W PORTABLE SOLAR CHARGER it is easier than ever.

Before we get started, you should know that solar power is not the cure-all for replacing spent energy. For example, some people are trying to recharge batteries for a trolling motor, boat, RV, house, electric scooter, backwoods cabin, etc., and they want it done in very short time, usually in just a few days. Assume you take a discharged 100-amp hour battery and charge it with a 30-watt solar panel under ideal summertime light conditions. After a full week, the battery will be just about fully charged. Using this example, you can see that it will take at least 100 watts of solar power to recharge a 100-amp hour battery in a few days.

Also, keep in mind that it takes direct sunshine on the surface of the panel to produce the maximum-rated power of a solar panel. Conditions such as an overcast sky, shadows, improper mounting angle, equatorial direction or short winter days will reduce the actual solar panel output to below the rated values.

VOLTAGE RATING

Most solar chargers are designed for 12 VDC, but we do have limited availability on a 24-volt panel. Typically, when 24 volts or greater is needed, solar panels may be wired in series, or we can special order solar panels that are made to deliver more DC Volts such as 24, 36, 48 etc.

CONTROLLERS

Anytime you use a panel that is over 5 watts rated output, we recommend using a solar charge controller. Actually, a charge controller is a good idea in a majority of applications, as it can provide several benefits such as preventing overcharge, improving charge quality, and preventing battery discharge in low or no-light conditions. Some solar panels are made with blocking diodes pre-installed that prevent battery discharge during low or no-light conditions. In most cases where a 6-watt or larger solar panel is installed, the use of a charger controller is highly recommended. In a nutshell, a solar charge controller acts like an on and off switch, allowing power to pass when the battery needs it and cutting it off when the battery is fully charged. Something to be aware of when selecting a controller is that they are typically rated in amps, while photovoltaic panels are typically rated in watts. That means a solar charge controller such as the Morning Star SS6L, 6-amp controller will work with nearly every panel we sell, right up to about 70 watts.

POWER RATING WATTS AND AMPS

Solar panel manufacturers rate solar output in watts. As a rule of thumb, a rating of 15 watts delivers about 3,600 coulombs (1 AH) per hour of direct sunlight. As an example, the Pulse Tech SP-5 panel can output .33AH per hour of direct sunlight. This is a very popular panel for maintaining single and dual batteries for stand-by and storage applications.

HOW DO I FIGURE SOLAR PANEL SIZE

The first thing to remember about solar power is that it is all a matter of numbers. The power you require vs. the power the panel can put out. Before you can even get started when purchasing a panel, you need to know how many amp hours or watts you’ll need to produce in a set period of time. This figure could be measured in hours or days. Since there are 24 hours in a day, we suggest you use that as a baseline. First, determine your total electrical consumption in that time period. Then figure the amount of direct sunlight the solar panel will receive in that time period and come up with a total amount of watt hours needed. You should always err on the side of caution and over-estimate your power needs. Typically we see an average of 4 hours of usable sunlight in the winter, and 6 hours of usable sunlight in summer. Granted, there are exceptions to these averages, but erring on the side of caution creates a more reliable solar system. These averages also help compensate for variables like shade, clouds, panel angle, etc. Once you have a good handle on your power requirements, I suggest you go to our Solar Calculator.

OUTPUT CONDITIONS

Solar panel ratings are calculated in bright direct sunlight. Conditions such as indirect sunlight, overcast and partial shade conditions will decrease the output. We always recommend over-sizing the size of your solar array, as these conditions occur often. Also, remember that the length of daylight in summer vs. winter can make an impact.

One of the biggest errors commonly seen is when a solar array is designed in summer using summer daylight hours, but then it’s also used in the winter. The first complaint is often related to the batteries no longer holding up under load. This is a gradual process that begins when you lose daylight hours, and you start taking the battery pack beyond a 50% depth of discharge. When this happens, the batteries start to sulfate at a much quicker rate, and begin to no longer hold under load. As you can imagine, this is an expensive mistake! The solution generally involves more panels and new batteries with a higher Amp/Hr reserve. Therefore, we advise our customers to be conservative when accounting for daylight hours. Also, if you plan to utilize a solar array year-round, then you need to factor in your daily solar input for winter.

Best Practices to Keep Your Home and Business Premises Safe

We all want our homes and businesses to be sanctuaries. Places where we can feel uninhibited and safe at all times. No one should ever have to endure the feeling of uneasiness in their own home. To make sure that your home is as safe and comforting as possible you’ll need to take some precautions. There’s no need to hire a full-time security guard or buy a pack of attack dogs. The odds that your family will be in some way adversely affected or your belongings stolen are slim. However, the best way to ensure that things like these never happen is to take some preventative measures.

Safe Store Your Belongings

Everyone has valuables that they would just about die for. Passports, insurance papers, wills, birth certificates, and other valuable papers shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves out in the open. Secure these items with a fireproof or home safe and keep them in an obscure corner of the house. Jewellery and laptops may also be better suited in a safe than in a desk drawer or closet. Thieves will only ever take what they can carry. Your golf clubs or big-screen TV will most likely be left alone if robbers ever do make it past the moat of alligators.

Fast and Easy Solutions for the Most Common Business Travel Nightmares

While travelling on business looks like fun from outside, ask anyone who travels constantly and he will tell you it is not as exciting as it looks. There are number of things that could go wrong including flight delays, troubling passengers, lost luggage and so on. You not only have to deal with these issues during travel but you also need to arrive at your destination ready to jump into business right away. Those who can deal with these issues effectively can get more accomplished during the travel and still get back in good shape.



It also helps to use your credit card during travels to help you to keep a close eye on your expenses and can also give you some extra rewards along the way. Here are some of the tips derived from talking to frequent travelers that can help you be more effective during business travel.

Delays are inevitable

If you frequently travel on business and take plenty of long-haul flights, you will no doubt already be aware that delays are almost inevitable from time to time.

There is nothing more frustrating than spending hours of your valuable time at an airport, while waiting for an update or your existing flight or waiting for a connecting flight to get the go ahead when the weather clears.

5 Questions You Must Answer Before Starting a Small Business

There are many reasons people decide to start a new business. They could be looking for a new career following redundancy. They may have finally built up the courage to put themselves out there and embark on a new venture. They could even have started a business to find a way out of unemployment.

Whatever your reasons, it is important to know that starting a new business will not be easy, but you can guarantee all the hard work and effort will be worth it once your company starts to make a profit. To help you on the road to success, we are offering some questions for you to read to ensure you achieve your goals.

Would You Buy Your Product or Service?

You might have your heart set on your business idea, but would you buy the product or service yourself? If the answer is no, it might be time to step away from the project before you invest your time, money and energy. You can’t expect customers to buy a product you are not willing to buy yourself.