Verdict: small, compact headphones but bulky battery pack is annoying.
Pros: Comfortable, fold up for travel, OK battery life, active noise cancelling, wireless, optional cable Cons: Cannot turn off noise cancelling, fiddly controls, weak sound, large profile, cannot be used cabled without battery Philips M1BT are compact Bluetooth headphones that sound good but have fiddly controls.
The advanced design and engineering of Monster Turbines offer music lovers a new way to enjoy big speaker sound in a compact in-ear headphone design.
They sound very similar to the bluetooth M1BT Philips headphones, with good range and a relatively spacious soundscape for compact on-ear headphones.
Others to consider: Audio-Technica ANC33IS, Digital Silence DS-421D Price £105 Light, compact, on-ear headphones that are comfortable to wear and collapse like a pair of reading glasses for travel.
But your money would be as well spent on the Specialist, especially so if you like your headphones compact and portable.
The company's most aggressively priced and most compact in-ear headphones yet, the UE metro.fi 2, are a very good buy at just $79.99.
For those looking for peace and quiet: Bose QuietComfort 3 While not as small as earbuds, these sleek headphones are compact enough to fold flat and fit in a slim carrying case so you'll always be ready to get a bit of peace and quiet.
I still don't really understand the draw to a semi-compact pair of headphones (in-ears provide better sound, isolation, and are far smaller) for "portable gaming".
The in-ear headphones are quite compact and have a simple, elegant design aesthetic.
