RCA HP245 Folding Neckband Style Headphone for Smartphones, Tablets, MP3 Players

BEHIND THE NECK HEADPHONES"Behind-the-neck" headphones are generally the most comfortable type you can purchase. They also the best at staying in place when exercising. However, you can buy a half-dozen different headsets which look identical except for the brandname. Some will be comfortable, some won't. Apparently different folks have different shaped heads and ears, which is important to the fit of behind-the-neck headphones. So, when you find a set which is comfortable for you---buy an extra set or two and stash them. Personally, I find the RCA HP245 headphones uncomfortable---but your experience could be different.FOLDABILITYThe foldability of the RC HP245 is a nice feature, but they may break if handled roughly. Careful adults only. They fold to a small package which can be stuffed into a pants pocket (or a purse). However, there is no provision for the cord.For an "outside the house/office" headset, I still prefer my J-buds JBuds Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing Ear Buds (White) with my Budkeeper Carrying Case - Fire Engine Red (BKFD20-G47) case, which I clip to a belt loop. I can also stash a couple of extra AAA batteries with my J-Buds in the Budkeeper. The J-Buds in the Budkeeper are a much smaller package, and J-Buds are better at noise reduction, for example in a doctor's waiting room with a TV on.ADJUSTABILTIY"Behind-the-neck" headphones are non-adjustable because no adjustment is necessary. In fact, that is one of the advantages of "behind-the-neck" headsets as compared to "top-of-the-head" headsets.CORD LENGTHDespite the silly complaints of a few other reviewers that the cord is short, it is in fact the standard length---long enough for you to carry your MP3 in your pants pocket. Short is better than too long---you can always add a cheap extention, for example Cables To Go 40405 3.5 mm Male/Female Stereo Audio Extension Cable, Black (1.5 Feet/0.45 Meters). If the cord is too long, it will catch on things, straining the cord at the plug----which is what will ultimately kill the headset. If you need an extension, consider an extension with a built-in volume control Koss VC20 Volume ControlSOUND QUALITYThe sound quality of the headphones is VERY crisp and clear, (unlike many headsets which are optimized to "pump up the bass" which makes voice and treble muddy). I use the headphones to listen to audiobooks for which it is perfect.CONSTRUCTION QUALITYVirtually all headsets "die" by strain on the wires at the plugs---so straight plugs are far better than angled plugs (because straight plugs pull out easily, rather than straining the wire). Unfortunately, the RCA HP245 has a right-angle plug.OVERALLA very good headset for the price.COMPARISON WITH OTHER TYPES OF HEADPHONES"Top of the head" headphones slip easily, require adjustment, interfere with wearing hats and interfere with women wearing hair "up". The only purpose for which a "top-of-the-head" headset is better, is for listening to music while taking a nap.Apple/airline type earplugs are just plain uncomfortable, fall out of your ears easily, and do not provide the noise isolation of earbuds.Earbuds (such as J-Buds), although a good choice in many situations, are uncomfortable after several hours. I suspect that the build-up of heat and moisture in your ear canals might lead to infections if earbuds are worn several hours daily. Indeed, enough heat builds up to melt your earwax, which then solidifies in and on the earbuds. Premium earbuds even have replaceable "wax filters". If you wear non-premium earbuds, clean the earwax out regularly.MY QUALIFICATIONSI use headphones at least 12 hours per day, and have used every style which exists. Over the past 20 years, I have owned probably 50 headphones (including at least 20 behind-the-neck sets.GENERAL RECOMENDATIONS"Behind-the-neck" headphones are the most comfortable, period. I wear "behind-the-neck" headphones at home/work (I work at home) about 12 hours per day. When I go "out", I wear J-Buds, because they are less obtrussive, and easy to "put away" if necessary. Earbuds are also useful for noise reduction in noisy environments (traffic, mall noise, etc.). If you want true noise reduction (for airline flights, mowing the lawn, etc.) you need active noise-cancellation. Phillips makes a cheap noise-cancelling set which works remarkably well. Philips SHN2500/37 Noise-Canceling Earbuds. I replace the earbuds (in both my J-Buds and my Phillips noise cancelling set) with 3-level buds for greater comfort and better noise isolation. 2 Pair, Mens Size - Earphones Plus Brand, Tri-Level, Replacement Ear Cushions, Earbuds for Sound Isolating Earphones. (See Fit Information in Details Below), Larger headsets which consist of rubber cups over your ears, with active noise-cancelling, are even better, but are very expensive, and bulky when traveling. Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

I bought this primarily for the foldable feature; since I had owned a previous pair of foldable headphones which were out of stock, and liked foldable headphones when going out for their ease to quickly slip into a pocket without damaging. However, the foldable feature in this I find lacking. My previous pair (Philips SHS8200/37) folds sideways/inwards, so the speakers lie mostly flat and the wire can be wrapped around it so it is flat enough to fit in a glasses case. These headphones fold backwards, so the result is a triangle like shape with the speakers ontop of each other that fills my entire pocket regardless (about the size of my fist).I do not find the foldable feature very helpful, although this kind of folding maybe the norm rather than the exception.Im am not an audiophile; so take the following with a pinch of salt. The sound is mostly fine; but the speakers lack a little bit of bass compared to others. I find these mostly comfortable on their own. The foldable area folds back slightly so it fits my head regardless of hair. However resting your head against a surface will cause the foldable area to push the speakers forwards, which can be irritating. Cushions are ok, and the headphones tilt upwards so it doesnt pinch the ears. However, after about a year of non-regular use, the right speaker does not work unless at a particular angle. As expected from cheap headphones.Not terrible, but you could find better. Dont buy this for the folding feature if you need something to fit in your pocket.

These were great headphones but like almost all wired headphones I've tried lately, they don't last very long at all with regular use. I think there must not be thick enough wire inside the rubber not to get messed up in their connection quickly.

I really wanted some headphones that folded up nicely so I could put in my work bag (with computer) and not take alot of room and reduce chance of breaking them. This pair does the trick. The sound quality is adequate but definately not top notch, they also are not noise cancelling (which I didn't want).5 stars is because they were better quality than expected for the price (less than $10)

After less than 3 months of incredibly light use, the back joint of these headphones has just snapped. You get what you pay for, I guess. I just had hoped that since I hardly used them, they'd last at least until Christmas (received these in the beginning of June). If I had used these in any sort of backpack these would have been crushed long ago. With the cheap joints, I was careful, but not necessarily ginger with them. Next time I'll probably stay away from any foldable type of headphones.As for audio quality, there's really nothing special about these. They play music, and at that price point, that's what I wanted.

These are comfortable, light, and sound fine. I've listed to talk radio and a few genres of music on them. Compared to my small Sony cans, they don't have very much bass and almost no noise isolation, but that's to be expected. Clarity is good, and I'd say they're actually more comfortable than the Sonys. I'm wearing them with eyeglasses too BTW and they work fine. They compare favorably to any earbuds I've used in sound quality, which I would say is what they're competing with. They're really cheap, too. The only reason I didn't rate them five stars is because they don't fold up as small as I was hoping. They'd be fine for a bag of some kind, but maybe a little bulky to fit comfortably in some pockets. They have a right-angle style plug, which I think is nice to save a little space.If you don't like earbuds and want something portable, I definitely recommend these.