Oct 24

Westone’s 4 R-Series quad-driver IEMs pack Acoustic Symmetry, cost $500

Posted in: audio, earphones, headphones, Music, sound, Today's Chili
Remember those impressive Westone 4 in-ear monitors that came out late last year, priced at a whopping $450? Well, the company’s ready to best itself again — and have audiophiles open their wallets a bit wider — with its new 4 R-Series. This latest set is relatively similar to the 4, still packing Westone’s EPIC cable (now detachable) and four balanced armature drivers, but will set you back an extra fifty bucks in the name of Acoustic Symmetry. Westone claims the ‘phones achieve an “extremely tight tolerance of +/- 2dB between earpieces,“ meaning your sound should be extra consistent from both buds. The 4 R-Series buds are expected to arrive before the year’s out, so in the meantime we’ll just direct you to the PR past the break.

Continue reading Westone’s 4 R-Series quad-driver IEMs pack Acoustic Symmetry, cost $500

Westone’s 4 R-Series quad-driver IEMs pack Acoustic Symmetry, cost $500 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 06

Shure SE215 earphones review

Posted in: earphones, headphones, review, Today's Chili
There are a lot of in-ear headphones out there these days, from the ones at the checkout line at the grocery store, to the ones that came with your iPod, to ones you’ll need to take out a second mortgage to get your ears on. And most of them will do a decent job of pumping sound into your ears. Shure‘s SE215 earphones sit at that magical $99 price point — not for everyone, but highly tempting to those committed to splurging a bit to replace those awful ‘buds that arrived with their PMP of choice. So, how do these guys stack up against the immediate competition? Read on to find out what we heard.

Continue reading Shure SE215 earphones review

Shure SE215 earphones review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 01

Ask Engadget: best earbuds for outdoor / fitness use?

Posted in: AskEngadget, audio, earbuds, earphones, headphones, Music, Today's Chili

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Henri, who seems understandably tired of his earbuds falling out whilst exercising. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m planning to buy a set of earbuds for outdoor use, mainly for sport. There are so many options — I’m curious if anyone has any specific suggestions. It goes without saying that the plugs should be easy to pop in the ear as well as take them off, and the wire to player should be as light as possible. Thanks for the help!”

Got any headphones you love taking to the gym? How’s about a set that doesn’t fall out? Toss your suggestion(s) in comments below!

Ask Engadget: best earbuds for outdoor / fitness use? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 18

Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over

Posted in: earphones, expensive, headphones, sony, Today's Chili

This dizzying array might seem like overkill, but Sony’s premium “Experience Balanced Armature” (XBA) ‘phones are carefully targeted at different price points and types of listener. You’ve got the entry-level XBA-1 containing a single full-range driver. Add a woofer for bigger bass and you get the XBA-2. The XBA-3 also squeezes in a tweeter for high-freq perkiness, while the XBA-4 rounds it all off with a super woofer. Each pair also has a smartphone twin with inline controls, denoted by the iP suffix. Finally, there’s a trio of single-driver specialists: the noise-cancelling XBA-NC85D, the sporty XBA-S65 with basic waterproofing for sweat and rain, plus the Bluetooth XBA-BT75. It’s unclear when these will hit our hemisphere, but we’re looking at a November release in Hong Kong and Taiwan with prices ranging from 3,000 to 14,000TWD ($100 to $475) depending on the model. Need more detail? We have product pics and info slides below courtesy of our bros at Engadget Chinese.

Gallery: Sony XBA headphones

Gallery: Sony XBA headphones info slides

Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 15:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 09

Bose BT2 Bluetooth headset cruises through the FCC, unsurprisingly mum on specifications

Posted in: audio, bluetooth, earbuds, earphones, headphones, mobilepostcross, Today's Chili

We’re surmising that Bose has at least one other thing on the docket for its September 15th press event, but for those who still think Bluetooth headsets are must-have accessories… well, this guy ought to be hitting store shelves soon. The BT2 just passed through the FCC’s database, showcasing a left ear placement and letting us know that it’ll be “powered by a rechargeable, non-replaceable lithium-ion polymer battery.” We’re guessing it’ll be priced accordingly (read: incomprehensibly out of reach for most), and will have precisely zero specifications printed on the box. But hey — would you really expect anything else? Stay tuned.

Bose BT2 Bluetooth headset cruises through the FCC, unsurprisingly mum on specifications originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 02

Jabra Sport bluetooth headset lets you work the Thigh Master during concalls

Posted in: Android, app, Apple, apps, BlackBerry, bluetooth, earphones, Google, headset, iPhone, Today's Chili

If you’re secretly wearing Spandex bicycle shorts underneath your suit for on-the-fly workouts between conference calls, then perhaps Jabra’s new Sport bluetooth headset is for you. Of course it allows you to answer calls, but what’s cooler is the built-in FM radio and A2DP technology for wirelessly connecting to your MP3 player — claiming to be the first headset to handle both. The company also threw in a free download of the Endomondo Sports Tracker for iPhone, Android or BlackBerry — which is kind of like the Nike+ app, tracking runs and giving speed and distance updates. This $99 device will be sold by Sprint, Apple and T-Mobile, and available sometime in September along with a corded version, aptly named the Jabra Sport-Corded, for $69. Get ready to tear away those wool trousers and check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Jabra Sport bluetooth headset lets you work the Thigh Master during concalls

Jabra Sport bluetooth headset lets you work the Thigh Master during concalls originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

Engadget’s back to school guide 2011: headphones

Posted in: audio, earbuds, earphones, headphones, PMP, sound, Today's Chili

Welcome to Engadget’s Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we’re here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we’re giving your ears some love with a plethora of headphones that will keep you rocking around campus — and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of the month we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — and hit up the hub page right here!

Whether you’re dubstepping, duck walking or just plain sprinting to and from classes, you may want to add a soundtrack to your campus travels with some slick new headphones. Although, with so many choices and styles it can be a bit overwhelming to find a set that’s right for you. Luckily, we’re here to help! Don’t forget to enter our giveaway as well if you want a shot at winning your own set B&W’s brand spankin’ new C5 in-ears — not to mention more than $3,000 worth of gadgets that are sure to induce an extreme case of Gadget Acquisition Syndrome!

You’ll find some of our own recommendations just past the break, and another chance to enter our back to school giveaway. Simply leave a comment below to be entered to win, and click on over to our giveaway page for all the details.

Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide 2011: headphones

Engadget’s back to school guide 2011: headphones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 04

Apple’s inductive charging patent application finally puts its earbuds to good use

Posted in: Apple, charging, earbuds, earphones, headphones, ios, patent, patent application, PatentApplication, Today's Chili

How seriously is Apple considering the possibility of adding inductive charging to its line of iOS devices? Seriously enough to submit some crudely drawn images to the USPTO, at least. The company’s application for “Using an Audio Cable as an Inductive Charging Coil” surfaced today, featuring some interesting solutions to the problem of inductive charging. The first looks a bit like an iPhone scratching post. It’s a big monolith you wrap an audio cord around several times, effectively turning the cable into an inductive receiving coil. The earphones in the example have a metal mesh that serve as a contact for charging the device.

Another proposed system also puts the earphones to work — though without the need for that giant charging post. Instead the headphones slip into an acoustic charger, which cause their speakers to vibrate, creating a current that charges the device. As ever, just because a patent application surfaces doesn’t mean a final product will ever see the light of day — and these methods (particularly that big charging post) do seem like a long way to go to shave off the precious millimeters that inductive charging traditionally brings. But hey, Apple’s all about the svelte devices, and stranger things have certainly happened.

Gallery: Apple inductive charging patent surfaces

Apple’s inductive charging patent application finally puts its earbuds to good use originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 19

Turtle Beach unveils limited edition Modern Warfare 3 headsets, Simon Riley would’ve approved

Posted in: bluetooth, earphones, game, headset, Today's Chili, Wireless, xbox live, XboxLive
Listen up, soldier. Engadget HQ was dismayed when lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley — along with his skull balaclava and mondo communications headset — saw an arguably unjust demise in Modern Warfare 2. That being said, if he could play the upcoming installment we’d bet it’d be with one of the four limited edition offerings from Turtle Beach and Activision. The headsets all sport the same night vision-esque design, but offer varying specialties. On the front line is the $300 Ear Force Delta; based on the XP500 programmable virtual 7.1 headset, it adds a custom travel-case and MW3 specific sound presets. Next up is the $150 Ear Force Bravo, a variant of the PX3, which offers the same presets as the former in wireless stereo. Following close in formation is the $130 Ear Force Charlie, a take on the PC oriented Z6A; it delivers discrete 5.1 with a grand total of eight drivers. Rounding out the reserves is the $100 Ear Force Foxtrot; a PX21 universal stereo headset that’s also just received a fresh coat of battle paint.

All of the gear will be available in October along with “bonus content,” which gives you time to set aside extra funds for the game’s November 8th release. You’ll find photo-based intel below and more details in the PR past the break. At ease, soldier.

Gallery: Turtle Beach Modern Warfare 3 gaming headsets

Continue reading Turtle Beach unveils limited edition Modern Warfare 3 headsets, Simon Riley would’ve approved

Turtle Beach unveils limited edition Modern Warfare 3 headsets, Simon Riley would’ve approved originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 08

Turtle Beach Xbox Chat Adapter gets the hands-on treatment, admirably untethers talkative gamers

Posted in: bluetooth, earphones, hands-on, headset, Music, preview, Today's Chili, Wireless, xbox live, XboxLive
Turtle Beach Xbox Chat Adapter
Back at E3, Turtle Beach unveiled its wire-ridding Xbox 360 Bluetooth Chat Adapter bundled with its XP500 headset (a re-badged PX5), but there were no accounts of how the dongle performed. That’s now changed thanks to Joystiq, who’ve gotten their lucky mitts on one of ten prototypes. Spoiler: they’re really enjoying the little guy. Voice quality was reported as being “excellent” and the device easily paired with headsets. There’s no annoying charging cable required either as the XBA juices off the controller, but only time will tell how that impacts battery life. The big quirk critics found was that its single button, which operates as a muting / pairing and on / off switch, was oft-engaged accidentally — obviously not ideal for newb trash-talking. Sure, it’s not totally seamless like Tritton’s official digs, but Xbox aficionados should certainly be stoked about soon having options to ditch those chat cables for good.

Turtle Beach Xbox Chat Adapter gets the hands-on treatment, admirably untethers talkative gamers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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