A wireless gadget offers the freedom to roam around without a tether. It makes life easier. The Phiaton PS 210 BTNC, the latest wireless earbuds, are totally free from the confines of your music player. But are they really more convenient? More »
We died a little on the inside when Klipsch launched a set of purple, Lou Reed-endorsed headphones last year. Now, the company is continuing its colorful theme, but fortunately this time it’s ditched celebrity endorsement and gone rugged instead. More »
The last we saw some colorful headphones from Klipsch was when it introduced the purple Lou Reed X10i in-ears last holiday season. Just in time for the summer, the headphone maker is unleashing a rugged version of its S4i earbuds — and in four vibrant finishes, no less (red, yellow, orange and blue). Although this water-resistant S4i variant seems practically identical to the S5i Rugged in-ears, we’re told that internally they pack the same 8.5mm dual magnet drivers as their namesake. Naturally, the in-ears feature an iDevice-compatible inline remote / mic, but you’ll merely get a basic case in place of the flashlight-equipped version reserved for the S5i. The S4i Ruggeds are set to go sale before the month’s out, and best of all they’re just priced at just $99. Hit up the press release after the break for more info in the meantime.
Continue reading Klipsch gets vibrant, intros S4i Rugged in-ear headphones
Klipsch gets vibrant, intros S4i Rugged in-ear headphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 06:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Many gamers prefer to wear headphones rather than use external speakers when they play video games for a lot of reasons. Sometimes the reason is more privacy so you play a game without bothering other people nearby. However, many people prefer headphones because you can pick up more nuances of the sound, and in some video games that can make a difference because you can hear when the enemy is nearby.
Genius has a new folding gaming headset that might be ideal for mobile gamers using notebooks. The headset is called the HS-G550 Foldable Gaming Headset. The headset has an interesting feature that allows the user to adjust the volume for each ear cup. The idea for that feature is that you can turn one ear cup all the way down and leave the other one turned up to allow you to hear people sitting next to you.
The headphones have 50 mm drivers and an in-line control box for controlling the master volume and muting the microphone. The headband is adjustable for a comfortable fit, and the headset connects to your computer using a 3.5 mm headphone jack rather than a USB port. The cord is 2.5 m long, and the headphones have a frequency response of 20Hz~20KHz. Pricing and availability are unannounced.
Genius announces Lychas HS-G550 folding gaming headset is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Remember the days when an MP3 player was the in thing to purchase? Well, those things certainly cost quite a handsome amount of money back then, but fast forward to today, and MP3 playback capability has been thrown into the mix for many a device, smartphones and tablets included. That relegates the standalone MP3 player to the realm of antiques. Well, here is a throwback to the past, a pair of headphones that comes with a built-in MP3 player that will not cost a bomb. This particular model supports SDHC memory cards of up to 32GB in size, and will play nice with MP3 and WMA file formats. Also knonw as the DNSB-80677 if you are a sucker for model numbers, this particular digital audio player is said to be able to deliver up to 16 hours of continuous playtime. The entire thing tips the scales at just 160 grams thereabouts. Most folks will most probably think that you are wearing a pair of wireless headphones…
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: ZIK Parrot now up for pre-order, The Amazing Headphone comes with a digital visual representation of your music on its ear cup,
“Do you really like music, man? Then why are you listening on your iPhone? You’re not even listening to music—you’re listening to static.” Sound like you? The V-Moda Vamp is the iPhone accessory you’ve been waiting for. More »
Remember those cool-looking Parrot Zik wireless headphones we saw back at CES? Well, now we have a date and a price for you Philippe Starck fans out there. Announced at the Hong Kong launch event earlier today, these NFC-enabled, active noise cancelling Bluetooth cans will be available globally in August, with the US getting a price tag of $399 before tax (and for those who care, you’ll be able to nab one in Hong Kong for HK$3,399 or US$440). During our brief ears-on, we certainly enjoyed the Zik’s great audio quality, noise isolation and the intuitiveness of its swipe gesture input. While the battery is swappable, note that this expensive package only comes with one cell (accessible under the magnetic cover on the left can) that typically lasts for around five hours, so road warriors will need to chip in about $30 for a spare one. Alternatively, product manager Theodore Sean (whom we had the pleasure to interview at CES) pointed out a unique and handy feature that sort of bypasses this problem: you can still use the Zik as a pair of passive headphones using the included 3.5mm audio cable, but without any battery juice left, you obviously won’t be able to enjoy the noise cancellation function (on a plane, for instance) or even make phone calls.
Continue reading Parrot Zik launching in August for $399, free app included for iOS and Android
Parrot Zik launching in August for $399, free app included for iOS and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Monster announced its 2012 headphone line-up back in May, including cans borrowing style from the Stealth Fighter and some seriously ostentatious models even Lady Gaga might blanch at, and we grabbed some hands-on time today. Most eye-catching – though we’re not sure we’d actually wear them – are the Monster Diamond Tears, as faceted and light-catching as the name would suggest.
They even come in a jewelry-esque box which lifts the headphones up toward you as you open the lid. So far so good – they even sound decent too – but we’re glad Monster ditched their original tagline of “Edgy like diamonds, smooth like tears” as it almost sounds like a threat.
If the Diamond Tears aren’t butch and manly enough for you – or if you fly a top-secret spy plane – then the Monster VEKTR with Diesel might fit the bill. Fewer facets and a lot more black plastic, they use similar internals but tuned to the fashion brand’s “musical style” which, as far as we can tell, is a mixture of thumpy-thumpy and punchy treble.
Looking almost pedestrian in comparison are the Monster Inspiration headphones, squared off and folding conveniently, with a choice of regular or active-noise-cancellation models. They feature interchangeable headband inserts, which snap into place magnetically, allowing you to replace the discrete black leather default with studded, colored or fabric alternatives. Monster will be running a promotion in the UK for the Olympics, bundling two different bands as standard and offering buyers their choice of a country-themed insert too.
Then there’s Monster’s range for teens, slotting into the gap, so the company explained to us, where previously it would have been pushing the Beats Solo headphones. Both over-the-ear and in-ear options are offered; the former, rather than folding, have a “practically indestructible” headband based on the idea that most wearers tend to hang their ‘phones around their neck when they’re not using them, rather than putting them in a bag.
The in-ear alternative, meanwhile, has neat anti-tangle flat wires and magnetic backs that click together behind your neck, allowing you to wear the set like a lanyard.
Monster headphones hands-on: Diamond Tears, VEKTR and Inspiration is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The Parrot ZIK Bluetooth headphones is currently available for pre-order in the U.S. market. Designed by Philippe Starck, these headphones are equipped with touch-sensitive surfaces on the outside of the earpiece, allowing you to skip music tracks or adjust the volume using touch gestures. The Parrot ZIK Bluetooth headphones feature four integrated microphones for active noise-reduction and hands-free calls. You can pre-order the Parrot Zik Bluetooth headphones for $399.99. Watch the video after the jump.
If it never occurred to you to plug all kinds of peripherals into your ear cans — including the media player making the sound — a new patent from Redmond’s brain trust might give you pause. The headphones are shown as a catch-all, with receiving spaces for snapping in devices like rechargeable battery packs, storage, Bluetooth or WiFi reception modules and media players — such as the Zune-like one sketched in above. The headset could also have controls to operate those peripherals, as well as an optional boom mic and USB ports, according to the document. All this is claimed to allow for numerous configurations, letting you pimp your headset to fit your own needs, and interface with games, movies or music in various ways. If they ever get to market, you might start thinking of humble headphones as full-blown entertainment centers instead of mere accessories.
Microsoft patent imagines headphones as accessory docking motherships originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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