These are Europe-only for now, as far as I can tell, but man, I really hope they get them over to this side of the pond. I’m a sucker for nice-looking headsets, and honestly, next to the TMA-1s, these Ultimate Weapons are the nicest set I can think of. The DR-GA200 is just the headset, but if you spring for the signal box with the DR-GA500, you’ll get 7.1 surround sound and a USB… → Read More
No, that picture is not Kratos’ new weapon in God of War 3, though you could be forgiven for thinking so.
Note to PR people: when your product goes in someone’s ears, try not to make it look like a weapon. The reflections aren’t helping. → Read More
Aiaiai’s TMA-1 is, theoretically, my favorite pair of headphones. I say theoretically because they only just started shipping out of Denmark this week and I’m not sure if I’ll ever actually have a pair of them wrapped around my head. But the next best thing is seeing them in this Cool Hunting video, with their designers talking about what went into creating these lovely things. → Read More
I’m no audiophile, but it’d be silly to deny that there’s a wide range of quality in the audio devices out there, and material and construction can be the difference between a perfectly good speaker and a buzzy piece of trash. I was delighted with the ceramic and cork construction of the speakers I reviewed a few months back, but I have to say I’m a bit skeptical of the… → Read More
Short version: What do you get when you cram 7.1 Dolby sound, gaming-grade wireless, a few buttons, and a noise-canceling microphone into one headset? Sweaty ears. Seriously → Read More
Short Version: V-Moda’s Crossfade LP headphones are designed for versatility, with the idea of taking them anywhere and providing you with a rich listening experience. I found a mixed bag full of excellent sounds, somewhat awkward hardware, and a confusing compatibility list. → Read More
While poking around for pictures of those Swirl earbuds I posted a few minutes ago, I saw this headset teased at Aiaiai’s site. It’s been around here and there, but I haven’t really seen much attention given to it — so I thought I’d post it up, because this is one of the most gorgeous pieces of industrial design I’ve seen in a long time. → Read More
These headphones, made by Kilo Design for Aiaiai, are pretty normal except for a few little details. There’s a built-in kink at the end of the cords that lets you hook it over the back of your ear, instead of having it hang from the front. And there’s that little coil on one cord, which I couldn’t figure out until… oh yeah, it’s just so you know which is left and… → Read More
ZEM headphones are a new product created by an audio researcher, who claims to have come up with a noise cancellation technique that doesn’t require specialized electronics in order to work. This makes the headphones lighter and cheaper, but sometimes products like this oversell and under deliver. → Read More
Fresh off the boat from Sweden are a-JAYS’ new pair of affordable ear buds — the a-JAYS Three. The set is priced at $60, which is somewhat of a tough price point as it’s just above the cheap, impulse-buy mark and high-end ‘phones traditionally start north of $100. But we’re not here to discuse market pricing schemes. Nope, we’re here to find out how these… → Read More
Oh look, a random pair of UK-only, Bluetooth headphones! They’re the Beewi BBH100, and I will readily admit that they look fairly spiffy. Not too expensive either, at £32.90, or around $50. → Read More
Deaf people may not be able to hear music, but soon they might be able to feel it, even on the go. A concept device from German designer Frederik Podzuweit promises to make hearing music a reality for the deaf community based on synesthesia — a type of sensory stimulus evokes the perception of an entirely different sense. → Read More
Skullcandy has officially announced the availability of their Roc Nation Aviator headphones, the only headphones officially sanction by Jay Z. Jay Z is a rapper who raps about, among other things, his 99 problems, New York, and detritus under your ear. → Read More
Need a quick and easy place to store your headphones? I’ve been unplugging mine and putting them in a drawer, but I think I like this idea better. → Read More
Another addition to our “Clearly I’m dumb or I would have thought of that” folder. [Lifehacker] → Read More
If you are looking to get a little more “Boom Boom Pow” sound and “Ouu Ouu Oww” styling from your iPhone headphones, Aerial7’s new Phoenix headphones are ready to soup your earholes. The new Phoenix line has all the comfortable padding and quality drivers (44mm) of modern on-ear speakers in addition to an urban range of colors and some nice practical features. → Read More
Denon has released a new set of headphones, bringing the company’s total number of headphone models to 14. These new headphones, while exciting from a metaphysical standpoint (Questions can me asked, including “Does Denon really need to sell 14 different headphone models?”), are also interesting from a practical standpoint. The two in-ear models are iPhone and iPad compatibvle while the AH-NC800 … → Read More
Although these little headphones, at $10-$30, aren’t likely to push any boundaries audio-wise, they might just get a few kids to move away from the included iPod headphones or other even cheaper earbuds than these. That can only be a good thing. → Read More
As soon as I have a work bench area, I’m going to start getting into this stuff. The idea of having a headphone amp that I put together all by myself is incredibly attractive to me for some reason. I’ve messed around with old analog audio gear a bit but I’ve never had the parts or expertise to do anything constructive… but you don’t have to be like me. Got the necessary tools and a love of… → Read More
I don’t completely understand this fascination with in-ear headphones. Are regular headphones just so bulky and inconvenient that its worth the hassle and lower audio quality? Especially considering that in order to start getting decent sound, you need to drop at least $100. However, for those of who enjoy these marvels of miniaturization, Creative Labs has a new addition to their Aurvana… → Read More
The Short Version: Definitely the best sounding consumer-grade in-ear headphones I’ve ever listened to. The price tag matches the sound quality however. If you want good audio fidelity on your phone headset, you’ll be hard pressed to find something better than these. Just be prepared to shell out some serious cash. → Read More
Skullcandy headphones sound good, that’s pretty much a given. And while the styling is cool and everything, they seem a bit.. generic. Don’t worry though, you can get your awesome cans and be individual too. One crafty DIY person is selling customized Skullcandy SK-Pro headphones – but you better hurry, she/he is only making three pairs. → Read More
I always wonder what is really meant when people say that BMW, or Ferrari, or whoever, colluded with this or that consumer tech company to create a product. Obviously they didn’t get the lead designer for the 5 series to work on these from the ground up, but at the same time they didn’t hire the guy who created the seat-recline mechanism.
I’m guessing they get a few sketches from the art… → Read More
New set of headphones coming at you today. Well, not really new, but certainly more globally minded headphones. The Beats line from Dr. Dre is being bolstered with a special RED edition of the Solo HDs. → Read More
TDK‘s main business is producing not too sexy electronic materials and data-storage media, which means the company announcing [JP] new headphones today is a rare occasion. The TH-WR700, to be marketed under Imation‘s “TDK Life on Record” brand, are wireless headphones (2.4GHz) that are based on Kleer (not Bluetooth) technology. → Read More
Jimin-with-the-big-FLAC-collection and I met with one of the SteelSeries guys today. It’s funny: you think you understand where a company’s coming from, but then you sit down and actually talk to them and it’s like, “Wow, OK, you guys are pretty cool.” So to the people who will walk out of Sunday’s Grammy Awards with one of those fancy gift bags you always hear about, I can say this: you’ll… → Read More
Please indulge me as I begin this post with a quote from the Ultimate Ears 18 press release: “The Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors are expected to be available beginning in February for a suggested retail price of $1350 (U.S.). (The price of the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors does not include the initial cost to have a qualified audiologist create your ear impressions.) The optional… → Read More
Everything is always better in surround sound. Most 5.1 or 7.1 headphones are a convoluted mess of speaker drivers, usually resulting in massive ear cups. But these headphones from Psyko Audio Labs have a rather innovative way to trick you into thinking sounds are coming from all directions. → Read More
We found a pair of these previously announced Sennheiser headphones here at CES and got a hands-on demo for you guys.
The short version: Rugged, solid feel and great sound quality. A bit pricey, but if you are an avid outdoorsman, you won’t go wrong with these. → Read More
About a year ago, JVC started selling headphones with wooden housing in Japan, claiming the superior sound quality they bring justify the high price ($730). And today the company announced the HA-FX700 [JP], earphones partly made of wood. And we have the same things coming with it again: JVC promising high sound quality and a relatively high price. → Read More
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