Product Name: Philips SHB9000, SHE9800/9850, SHE3620/3621/3622
Description: Philips shot a hot load of headphones all over music lovers at CES.
The SHB9000 is a set of full-size Bluetooth headphones you can use with your music player, cell phone, or both. The headset portion has noise and echo filters, and it automatically adjusts volume depending on ambient noise. The headphone capabilities include “native MP3 decoding for loss-less direct streaming from many advanced music phones.” That sounds to us like lossless Bluetooth transmission, but that’s unlikely in cans that cost only $129.
The SHE9850 and 9800 in-ear headphones look like pretty standard fare; they block out noise passively and kick the crap out of regular earbuds. According to the press release, they benefit from an “Angled Acoustics design that adjusts the angle of the speaker tube to ensure a naturally comfortable fit for all ears.” Can’t wait to shove that into my sensitive canals. The 9850 come with memory foam tips in addition to the standard silicone.
Last and least, the SHE3620 Bubbles series consists of regular ol’ earbuds that come in “fun” colors like pink, green, and blue. These are low-end ‘buds, for sure, but they come with an adapter that lets you plug in another pair of headphones. (Take that for song sharing, Zune!)
Price: SHB9000, $129; SHE9850, $99; SHE9800, $79; SHE362x, $14.99
In-store date: March ’08.
Site: www.philips.com
Why it’s cool: The headphone market is so crowded with also-rans… There’s not much to distinguish any of these, though the SHB9000 is mildly intriguing.