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Reviews For: Radio Shack Racing Headphones (330-1198)

Category: Headphones & Boom-microphone Headsets

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Review Summary For : Radio Shack Racing Headphones (330-1198)
Reviews: 20MSRP: $49.99
Description:
High Noise Environment Communications Headphones (Mono).

Ideal for a day at the races, you can hear your scanner over the roar of the crowd through these closed-cup headphones.

The comfortable ear cups conform to your ears for maximum isolation.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=&product%5Fid=33%2D1198
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00204.6
KB9ERU Rating: 2002-11-09
Yeah Baby..... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought a pair of these after reading the reviews. I too was looking for something "XYL compliant", as I am starting to work a lot of CW at night.

They are really close to David Clark sets! They filter out background noise beautifully. It's like the sound around you disappears! Kids, XYL, phones...POOF! Even the XYL wants a set to block out the kids chattering. They have earned the coveted "XYL approval award" in my household!

True, they squeeze the melon a bit, BUT they are worth it. David Clarks squeeze a bit too...

For $50, I have NO complaints. They are WELL worth the money.

Yes, they are MONO, but the rigs I run can't do binaural audio. Us po' folk can't 'ford rigs like that.

So, if you are "money challenged" like me, and looking for the best bang for your buck, get these.
The guy at Radio Shack even ripped open a perfectly good package to get an adapter to plug into a receiver and let me test them out. He was THAT sure I was going to love em.

He was right....they da BOMB!!
(or something like that hihi)
KG4NMR Rating: 2002-10-15
ecellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Buy these....These headphones are very close to david clarks... They are built to last a long time and have good audio for radio monitoring. They do squeeze the melon a little at first, but a little adjusting made them a little more comfortable
WW6AW Rating: 2002-09-10
Close enough for radio work Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My old Koss stereo phones, circa 1980, were falling apart and my wife could hear the morse code at night. After reading the reviews here I bought this as an inexpensive stop-gap.

Pros: They seal out everything. The big magnets make the audio very accurate. Lots of padding. There is some high frequency roll off so the static is not as "bright" (good) but there is less "presence" to the sound too.

Cons: Tight on my big head. Cook your ears after a while. Monoural, so no good with binaural rigs. Have 1/8" jack on a "L" plug so a pain to plug into a 1/4" phone plug adapter for my Kenwood TS-520S.

Bought mine from RadioShack.com -- didn't get any sense they were on some sort of discontinue list.

Good enough for $50 and to keep peace in the family!
KD6LM Rating: 2002-05-24
work well Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got a pair on sale for 39.95 at my local radio shack. They had two pairs left. The designed impedence is 16 ohms so they are a good match for HF tranceivers. They are also responsive with a listed S.P.L. (1 mW cns) of 104 dB so they don't take much audio to drive them. This makes them a good match for QRP except I think they take up too much space, and weigh too much for field use, however battery operated portable is a different matter. However, they do an excellent job of blocking out outside ambient noise. If you are operating cw, you should have no problem operating in the same room with someone watching TV or talking on the phone. They appear to be very well made, and are comfortable to wear. The frequency response is tailored to emphasize midrange frequencies, with a listed resonant frequency of 145 Hz, which is good for SSB and CW. So, they don't sound overly "hissy" like full range Hi Fi phones tend to do, because the high end is rolled off. I think that the only downside is that they also lack low end responsiveness, which can take the fullness out of the audio you do hear, both SSB and CW. But, for pulling signals out of the muck, they work great. So are they perfect, no, but pretty darned good at what they do, and at 39.95 they get a 5 rating from me.
N5NJ Rating: 2002-05-11
Great Value & Sound Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After reading the reviews here, I was interested in these 'cans'. I went to the local Radio Shack, and they were sold out. Then I found that they were available from RadioShack.com and I ordered a pair. They arrived in 2 days! The construction of these things is great, and the sound quality is excellent. I have two teenagers and a very active XYL and with these things on, it's like I'm "home alone"! Perfect!

The only dissappointment I have is that they are mono - not stereo, so to use them as stereo (or for dual-receive or SO2R etc.) I'll have to re-wire them and put on a different cord. The original cord is excellent quality though, and I'll probably wait a while before 'improving' them.

They'll also be perfect when I go to Texas Motor Speedway the next time!
N1KSN Rating: 2002-05-06
Now on sale Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Based on previous reviews I went to my local Radio Shack and asked about them. They were on sale for $39.95. (Maybe this is because they might be discontinued?) I've only done a bit of testing, but they seem to be quite good.
KD5QPF Rating: 2002-04-03
Great bang for the buck Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have a pair of the 330-1198's and am absolutely growing to LOVE 'em. I have some stereo Sennheiser 'phones which work fine (esp with the Timewave 599ZX binaural CW mode) but felt the noise blocking & audio response of a true communications headset would be better. I'd been contemplating some David Clarks but kept getting warned about the different impedances used in the various models and how difficult it might be to match them to a low impedance (8-16 ohm) audio output.

I decided to try the MUCH cheaper Radio Shack 'Racing Scanner' Headphones ($49.99) and was not disappointed. I think you would be hard pressed to find a better set of headphones for HAM use at the price. They really let you dig in and hear those really weak signals that might have been lost due to ambient background noise in the shack.

One thing tho... when new the spring steel headband needs to be 'relaxed' by carefully springing it open. Otherwise it'll feel like it's gonna pop your skull like a pimple after a while. After you 'tweek' them to fit your head they are lightweight enough (14 oz) to be pretty darn comfortable even for long listening sessions. Truly a high quality 'hidden treasure' at Radio Shack and definately recommended.
N7XB Rating: 2002-04-02
Best Bargain On This Page Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
These headphones retail at $49.99 and are worth every dollar. While not fitted with/for a boom mic, they are terrific for cw/ssb monitoring. Designed for race track use, they live up to their noise blanking claims.

Great seal, adjustable frame, 8' coiled cord, and a solid build not found in many Radio Shack products. Koss has long provided Radio Shack with many of their headphones . . . don't know who makes these, but you won't find a better buy at $50 on this review page. Check out the prices for the other reviewed headphones, then go pick up these bargains while they're still available.
K9FE Rating: 2002-02-18
Nice and Quiet Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used them for 2 years....great and super quiet. They tend to get a little hot during field day use...so well sealing that they can get uncomfortable. They are so close to the David Clark Aviation sets it is uncanny. Being mono however I can't use the split receiver and split audio in different ears.
AA7JC Rating: 2002-02-18
Great Ham headphones Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
These headphone block 99.99% of all outside noise and are absolutely the best headphones I have ever used for Ham Radio.

They are so good that I use them all the time. I can monitor my SSB signal at reasonable volumes without fear of feedback.

Kids can be playing music or watching TV show in same room and I can still concentrate on CW when wearing these phones!

I have worn them for extended periods without problems.

I think Radio Shack is discontinuing them.