Hasta La Gadget!

There are three different ways you’re going it give the gift of audio this holiday season, the first being the massive amount of smart devices out there with their own external speaker – so many do these days that it’s taken for granted – see: all of the smartphones, notebooks, and tablets we’ve worked with for several years – they’re all able to play music, imagine that! The second way you’re going to give the gift of audio is with speakers galore, starting with the Jawbone BIG Jambox and/or the Jawbone Jambox standard edition – or with custom color combinations if you wish with the company’s new “The Remix” initiative – it’s fun stuff!

Stand-alone speakers are almost always a good gift for that random person in your life in need of a “just because” gift: check the iFrogz Boost Nearfeild audio speaker for example. If you’ve got a smartphone, not even necessarily if you’ve got an iPhone, your gift receiver will be amazed at the hot sound enhancement that occurs with this fabulous unique technology. We also suggest you take a peek at House of Marley for some bright and fabulous audio equipment – see their showing in our Redemption Song on-ear headphones review as well as our review of the massive Bag of Rhythm. Noone else will have those gifts to give at your party, you can bet!

Other highly approved stand-alone speakers we’ve had a peek at and enjoyed include, first, the SuperTooth Disco 2 – the original Disco and the Disco 2 remain out and about in our office on the regular. They’re out because they’re extremely simple to use and they’re both compact in shape – they’re just that nice. The Libratone Zipp has been an entirely reliable speaker made to work first and foremost with wireless commands from your iPhone or iPad.

Another of the most unique and creative of speakers we’ve got here is HiddenRadio – a speaker that connects to your smartphone (if you wish) then plays music louder or softer based on how high or low the knob is on the device. For those of you who want to go just about as wireless as a non-battery device will bring you, you’ll want to see the Sonos collection for music in your home – and stay tuned to SlashGear for a review of the Sonos SUB – it’s bumping right now for real.

For those of you that don’t want to spend too much cash but do want to afford a pair of headphones rather than a tiny pair of earbuds, there’s always the greatness of Tenqa Remxd – a hot ticket indeed for very, very few dollars from you. Moving up the scale as far as headphone quality goes we’ve got (in no particular order), Marshall Major Pitch Black headphones, ThinkSound ms01 monitor series earbuds, the Jabra Supreme-UC Bluetooth headset (wireless greatness), and don’t forget the Monster Inspiration Active Noise Cancellation Headphones – they’re beastly!

The folks at Plantronics have been hitting it correct this year with gems such as the BackBeat Go wireless earbuds and the lovely Plantronics m55 bluetooth headset to kick up the market in the quality sector. This year Apple also revealed their own new and updated pair of earbuds called Apple Earpods – they drown your eardrums in lovely warm sound! The team at V-MODA has been coming correct this year too with such beasts as the V-MODA Limited Edition Crossfade LP2 headphones as well as the slightly newer and slightly smaller V-MODA Crossfade M-80 White Pearl headphones – both are powerful and made with extra high-quality materials to boot!

SlashGear 2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Audio Equipment is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Have you heard of Griffin Technology before? Well, if you haven’t an inkling of an idea as to just who they are and what they do, here is a quick primer to get you started on the right footing – Griffin is rated to be one of the world’s foremost creators of innovations for everyday life, where their latest addition to the market would be their latest remote-controlled accessories known as the MOTO TC Monster, as well as the MOTO TC Racer, where both of them are tipped to roll out sometime later in the middle of November.

Both the MOTO TC Monster App and the MOTO TC Racer App will offer touch controls for iOS devices for the respective remote controlled cars, virtually placing you in the driver’s seat where you have the freedom and flexibility to create, record and replay custom routes. The MOTO TC Monster can be picked up for $59.99 a pop, where it comes in the form of a remote-controlled monster truck which relies on Bluetooth connectivity to iOS devices for its controls. Once you have downloaded the free MOTO TC Monster App, you are able to make full use of your “driving license” to so speak in a quartet of way :-

Touch: maneuver using a virtual steering wheel and throttle on the Multi-Touch display
Motion: control steering by tilting the iOS device
Slide: slide a finger across the Multi-Touch display to direct the truck
Tracks: drive using a series of preset routes already configured in the app, including figure eights and track laps

The MOTO TC Racer would not be a monster truck, but rather, a remote-controlled car which comes with an integrated RF (radio frequency) transmitter that paves the way for an easy set-up as well as automatic connection. Once you have downloaded the forthcoming MOTO TC Racer App, you can drive it using the joystick or tilt control. Which would you gun for?

Press Release

[ Griffin Technology announces the MOTO TC Monster copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Yesterday, Gino Covacci was walking peacefully by the sea when he found this: a gigantic, monstrous eye still oozing blood. Scientists haven’t identified the leviathan who lost it yet. Was it a giant squid, a whale, or the eye from a titanic monster born mutant because of nuclear tests? More »

Sure, I like Diesel, but I never thought I’d see them make headphones. That’s probably one reason why Monster, whose widely-publicized split from Beats, provided the technical know-how to help make these. I’ll give the VEKTR Headphones one thing: they look unique.

These headphones look like they came out of some science-fiction movie. The cans are covered in jagged lines, that give them a sort of asymmetric feel. They remind me of a Lamborghini Aventador or an F117 stealth fighter.

Thusfar, Diesel is vague about the exact technical specs that go into these headphones. One thing I know is that they don’t have active noise-canceling, but are priced like a pair of cans that should. On the other hand, they do offer large, comfortable ear cushions and a microphone and remote for your iPhone, iPod, or Blackberry. I also like the unusual tri-folding headband design.

You’ll have to spend $279.99(USD) in order to get your hands on a pair of VEKTR headphones, though you can score a pair for about $30 less over on Amazon.

It used to be that you were judged on what music you listened to – now it’s what brand of headphones you choose to listen to it with. Monster segued from cables to cans back in 2008 and, with the dissolution of the Beats Electronics partnership this year, is now pushing its own brand on models like these, the Inspiration. Promising active noise cancellation with some relatively restrained style, they also carry a significant $299.99 price tag, but do they deliver? Read on for our review.

Hardware and Design

Sturdy and relatively conservative, the Inspiration headphones mix leather earcup inners with brushed-metal finish outer housings. The band itself is interchangeable – it uses magnets on the straps to clip them into place – and Monster will offer a selection of aftermarket alternatives as well as including two in the box from the start.

Also interchangeable are the cables, of which Monster supplies a total of three. In addition to a basic 3.5mm cord, there’s a “ControlTalk” version with in-line buttons and microphone for use with Apple devices, and a “ControlTalk Universal” cable with the generic equivalent for Android phones and those from other manufacturers. It’s an admirable bundle, given most headphones – even if supporting changing cables – generally only include one in the box.

Finally there’s a zippered pouch for transporting the Inspiration headphones and keeping them scratch-free. The earcups fold inward to make the bundle smaller overall. A pair of AAA batteries – also included – power the active noise cancellation system.

The rectangular earcups themselves are long but relatively narrow: as a result they overlapped our ears somewhat, though not to the same extent that a traditional (and usually round) over-the-ear pair of headphones might do. Still, they were comfortable even for extended periods – we were able to wear them for hours at a time with no discomfort – and managed to cling to our heads while we went about our daily business.

They’re heavier than other headphones we’ve tried, though, and that means you do tend to notice you have them on more than rivals which blend into the background. Those with smaller heads might find they can slip forward some if you move suddenly.

Performance

With its work with Beats Audio and Dr. Dre, Monster has built up a reputation for bass-heavy sound, and though the branding might be different, the Inspiration headphones still show an affinity for the lower range of the frequency spectrum. There’s a noticeable emphasis on bass tones, and that makes them particularly suited to RnB, rap, and dance music.

At the other end, the trebles are bright but can be overpowering, and the headphones can be finnicky about how they’re placed on your ears. Slightly offset, and it can sound hollow. Get the fit right, though, and they sound solid, though the mids can end up getting lost somewhat in the process, overpowered by the heavy bass and piping treble.

The noise cancellation system can be selectively operated; without it, there’s a little isolation from the well-fitting earcups, but with it turned on the Monster system does a reasonable job of ironing out background noise. As with all such active cancellation systems, it can’t really smooth out irregular or unexpected sounds – you’ll hear a car horn, for instance, though it’ll be a little quieter – but it performs well with persistent background noise, such as you might encounter on a plane. It’s good, but it’s worth noting that it also appears to bump up the audio volume somewhat too, which artificially distracts from what’s going on around you.

Wrap-Up

The collision of fashion and headphones has left shoppers not only with far more options from atypical names, but with some more difficult choices to make. Whereas headphones might once have focused on providing as transparent sound as possible, attempting to pass on as much of the core audio as possible, now individual brands have their own “house style” of tuning.

Monster’s Inspiration headphones don’t fall far from what we’ve seen the company produce before, albeit with different branding. An emphasis on bass and aggressive treble suits the target audience, though it’s not at home with jazz, classical, or more sedate vocal tracks. The styling doesn’t scream in the same way Beats does, though there’s plenty of room for outlandish dressing-up with the interchangeable strap inserts.

Whether they’re worth $299.99, however, is questionable. Viewed solely as a way to enjoy music, the Monster Inspiration headphones can be fussy about their fit (though are comfortable when you have it right) and are certainly tuned to a particular genre of music. You need to factor in the fashion element – and a few bundled goodies – to decide whether what your ears are wearing is as important as how they affect what you’re listening to. They’re a solid pair of headphones, but you pay extra for the Monster cachet.

Monster Inspiration Active Noise Cancellation Headphones Review is written by Ewdison Then & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.