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Etymotic unveiled a number of new headsets and headphones this week, along with a new program where buyers can have the in-ear tips for their Etymotic headphones custom molded and fitted to their ears. The new Etymotic MC3 and M5 in-ear earphones both bring superior audio quality to a colorful set of earbuds. The MC3 comes with an in-line control pod and noise-isolating microphone that allows you to adjust the volume when you’re listening to music or take phone calls. Both models are polished aluminum and come in black, red, blue, and green. The MC3 and its included headset retails for $99, and the M5 earphones retail for $79.

Etymotic also unveiled the $179 hf3 in-ear headset, which is a step up from the MC-series. It also comes in three colors and will work with any device with a 3.5-mm audio jack, but is designed for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The h3 also features a noise-isolating microphone and three-button control pod that’s in-line with the audio cable.

If you prefer wireless headsets, the new etyBLU2 Bluetooth headset will run you $129, and features a noise-isolating boom microphone strip that attaches to the headset, unlike other so-called “cheekbone” Bluetooth headsets. It also uses Etymotic’s interchangeable fitted eartips for maximum comfort and noise isolation for call clarity.

In addition to the new line of earphones and headsets, Etymotic also announced a new program for all of its products where buyers can sign up for a voucher to see an audiologist to be fitted for custom eartips that match their ears for free. Once your custom fitting is complete, the audiologist will send your ear impressions to a lab where your impressions will become custom-molded, Etymotic-compatible eartips. Each set of custom eartips will be $100 and carry a 1-year warranty. The program begins on July 1, and buyers of any qualifying Etymotic product can participate.  

Got yourself a smattering of Sonos ZonePlayers in need of some direction? Still trying to figure out exactly why you ripped someone’s arm off to buy that last local iPad? At long last, the turmoil in your life can be settled… but you’ll have to wait till late August for complete peace. You know — ’cause the gratis Sonos controller for iPad ain’t hitting the App Store before then. Head on past the break for a video of how it’ll all go down, or just scroll on down if you’ve got the world’s greatest imagination.

Continue reading Sonos Controller for iPad: multi-room music dictation, supersized

Sonos Controller for iPad: multi-room music dictation, supersized originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tritton’s gaming headsets are well known and loved by people who own them, and by gamers looking for high-end audio peripherals that are portable enough to be connected to any gaming console or their PC when they’re ready to fire up their favorite title. The AX 180 has been one of Tritton’s most popular wired headsets for a while, but at E3 this week the company unveiled a 2.4 GHz wireless version of the AX 180 Gaming Headset that features the sound quality of the wired version just without the wires.

Additionally, the Wireless AX 180 is a USB device, so it connects easily to your PC, Mac, XBox 360, or PlayStation 3. The headset comes with a compact receiver that plugs into your console or PC, and Tritton’s “Portable Control Unit” that features independent game and voice volume controls so you can tweak the volume of the game versus the chatter of your teammates and friends individually. The controller also has a monitor switch so you can mute or hear your own voice when you speak, and a 3D audio switch that toggles surround sound on or off. The Wireless AX 180 gaming headset will be available this fall, and retail for $149.99. 

For those of us who can’t stand shiny white electronics in our entertainment systems or on our countertops, Sonos has unviled a black version of the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 that was released late last year. When we reviewed the S5, we found it a great way to get some of Sonos’ best features, like streaming music from your iTunes library, Pandora, Last.fm, and SIRIUS Internet Radio into your living room with as few wires as possible, or wirelessly if you have other Sonos S5s in your home already.

The black S5 will set you back $399 US, the same as its white counterpart. The two devices offer the same features, including great sound quality in large spaces and the ability to control what’s playing on your Sonos device using the Sonos Controller app for your iPhone or iPod Touch, or by using the Sonos Controller desktop app for your Mac or PC.

You’ll still need at least one Sonos plugged in to your home network in order for the apps to work. Also, the device still doesn’t have an iPod dock or another place you can connect another digital music player directly to the device, but the S5 still delivers Sonos’ most popular features to a tabletop music system that’s more affordable than any other Sonos product. Now that it’s in black, you can be safe in the knowledge that your S5 won’t clash with the rest of your home audio equipment.

Check out the full review of the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 at PCMag.com!

Zoom is better known for its guitar and effects equipment than handheld audio recorders, but the Zoom H1 Handy Recorder brings professional audio recording to a package small enough to fit in one hand. There are a number of companies with audio recorders at the same size and price point, but the Zoom H1 features twin microphones at the top of the device configured in a crisscross pattern to obtain full depth and clarity of surround sound while recording.

The H1 records and stores audio as WAV files in 96, 48, and 44.1 kHz in both 16 and 24-bit audio, and in MP3 at your choice from 48 to 320kbps depending on how much recording you plan to do. If you decrease the quality or increase the audio compression, you can fit more audio on the device, which will ship with a 2GB microSD memory card. If you need more storage, you can swap the included 2GB card for any microSD card up to 32GB.

The Zoom H1 also has a mounting joint so you can use it to record panels or meetings, and has a mic input so you can connect an external microphone as well. It also has an audio output so you can connect the H1 to external speakers. The H1 will cost $99 USD when Zoom starts shipping them to major electronics retailers and music stores on July 30th.