Remote Control Unit

The remote control unit is a fully featured MP3 recorder and player in its own right.
Unique to this device is the ability to interrupt play and broadcast music or voice directly to the headsets, e.g. "5 mins till break time".
MP3 content on the remote control unit can also be transmitted to the headsets as an alternative to syncing them on the docking station.
The unit also has a record feature which means that children or teachers can use an external or the built in microphone and record directly onto the unit.
This content can subsequently be transmitted or synched to the headsets.
The MP3 line input also allows other devices such as a CD player to be linked directly with the unit and therefore headsets.

• Teacher can control play, pause and track selection on the headsets
• Unique broadcast feature - teacher can interrupt listening and speak to all headsets
• MP3 recorder / player
• Transmit content to headsets
• MP3 line input
• Battery life approx. 20 hours

The headphones and remote control unit contain 256Mb of Flash memory, which is enough to store more than 2 hours of MP3 recordings.

MP3 Headphones

One of the main features of the MP3 headphones is the fact they are wireless. This means children can listen to the content teachers have uploaded to them anywhere in the classroom, or even outdoors; there is no need for pupils to be tethered to a CD player, which can commonly be the case. Not only do the headphones offer children freedom of location whilst listening, they also provide children with the independence to control what they are listening to using the buttons on the side of the headphones (play next/previous track, pause track).

• Robust - the headphones are extremely robust; the headband can even be twisted without them breaking.
• Adjustable - suitable for the youngest children right through to adults, the headphones are simply placed onto your head and then pulled down to fit until they cover your ears. The action of putting the headphones in place also triggers the headphones to switch on automatically and play.
• Comfortable, replaceable ear cushions - Unlike other headsets, the ear cushions on the Easi-Ears headphones are difficult for children to pick and remove. However, should teachers wish to replace them, spares are available to purchase. The cushions are also of a substance that means they can be wiped clean for hygiene.
• Automatic pause - if the headphones are removed whilst in use, the track will pause automatically for approx 20 mins, enabling the child to return to the headphones and pick up where they left off. If they are not used again after 20mins they will switch off completely.
• Visual indication of modes -there are three coloured LEDs on the headphones to indicate the state of use. This is useful for the teacher so they can see what's happening whilst the headphones are in use. For example, flashing red - needs recharging; green - track is playing; flashing green - track is paused, amber - signal being transmitted from the remote control unit.
• Rechargeable - the headphones are recharged through the docking station supplied.
• Capacity - the headphones and remote control unit have the capacity to hold approx 2 hours MP3 recording time. This is a substantial amount and more than adequate for classroom use.
• Battery life - approx 12 hours

Software

The Easi-Ears software is easy to use and enables you to add or remove tracks on the headphones and remote control unit. To upload content simple dock the headphones / remote control unit into the docking station and connect the docking station to your PC via USB.

• Adding / deleting tracks - the software enables you to navigate to MP3 files on your PC, through 'My Library'. From here tracks can be selected and dragged into the 'My Playlist' box to create individual playlists. Individual tracks or playlists can be added to individual headsets, or a simple 'Copy to headsets' button enables you to copy the same tracks to all six. Tracks are deleted by selecting then dragging to the dust bin or right clicking on the mouse.
• Playing a track - Tracks can be played from within the software by double clicking on it or by playing - through the play panel. Useful before copying to headphones.
• Importing files - there are various tools within the software that enable you to import files. This could be bringing in MP3 files through the Library, importing files in a format that the software then automatically converts to MP3, recording sounds directly into the software (using a microphone) or ripping tracks from a CD, i.e. copying the contents off a CD into MP3 format that can then be brought into the software. This flexibility enables teachers to have a breadth of options in terms of the audio content they wish to add to the headphones.
• Converts files - imported files such as WAV and WMA are automatically converted to MP3 (Easi-Ears preferred format); no need to use separate file converter software first.
• Copy files from a CD - copy tracks from your favourite CDs into MP3 format for use on the headphones and remote control unit.

Site licence for Easi-Ears software included.

Minimum spec

The minimum system requirements for Easi-Ears software are:

• Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
• 100MB free disk space
• At least 1GB memory