Hasta La Gadget!

Etymotic is holding down fort in the iLounge Pavilion at CES showcasing its new line of less expensive moving-coil based headphones. The mc-series consists of the hf2, hf3, and hf5, and employs the moving-coil sound tech instead of more expensive balanced armiture hardware. As Etymotic explained, it’s the extra air chamber that makes the moving coil acoustics better than they would normally be. We’re not crazy audiophiles, and we can’t really make a realistic judgment in the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center, but the sound quality was definitely passable. They’ve got a couple of models sporting in-line remote controls for iPhone / iPod touch, and you can score ’em in any color to match your iPod nano. Check the neon ‘buds out in our gallery below.

Etymotic moving-coil based earphones ears-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t just hear your music, feel your music. That’s the message from Technocel, which just announced the Ear Vibe ear buds. This is the first stereo headset that vibrates to the beat of the music. When songs hit low-frequency bass, these vibrate, adding a whole new dimension to your songs. It seems a little scary, right? I’d like to try them out, but I’d want to have some aspirin nearby, just in case.

More than headphones, the Ear Vibe also includes a microphone for making hands-free calls. It’s compatible with most mobile phones that play music, and works with all MP3 players including the iPod. Look for the Ear Vibe January 15 for a reasonable $29.99.

While many companies are trying to keep their CES announcements under wraps until they’re ready for the big reveal, gadget-maker Scosche has announced its 2010 accessories. Fellow gadget nerds, take note.

Owners of the third-generation iPod Shuffle will be able to protect their players with clear shatterproof polycarbonate TapStick cases (shown). The TapStick adds Play, Pause, and Volume controls to the Shuffle for those who want more than headphone controls. Speaking of the iPhone, Scosche will also unveil the new FlipSync keychain charge and sync cable for the iPhone and iPod. It provides owners with a convenient syncing cable that fits on a keychain.

Scosche will also unveil the IDR655m Earphones with TapLine II Remote and Mic, noise isolating earphones with convenient in-line controls and a microphone. For power on-the-go, the company will offer the ReviveLite II, a smaller version of its ReviveLite, which offers an additional USB port. Users will be able to charge their iPhone or iPod plus an additional USB device. The ReviveLite II also features a night light, so it’s perfect for unfamiliar hotel rooms.

Every time trade shows such as CES and CEDIA open their doors, the collective masses are flooded with headphone after headphone, speaker after speaker. After awhile, one driver looks just as round as the next, and frankly, you start to take for granted what all goes into bringing the tunes we all dig to our ears, dens and underutilized kitchens. One of the mainstays in the audio industry opened their doors up to us this past weekend, and it didn’t take much arm pulling to get us inside. We’ve generally found the design and sound qualities associated with Klipsch gear to be top-shelf, and we’ve struggled in the past to find too many gripes with the headphones and sound systems we’ve had the opportunity to review. Needless to say, we were quite curious to hear about (and see) what all goes into imagining, designing, testing and qualifying the ‘buds and speakers that we’ve enjoyed for so many years, and if you share that same level of curiosity, join us after the break for the full walkthrough (and a few heretofore unreleased secrets, to boot).

Continue reading Klipsch headquarters walkthrough: behind the scenes and between the ears

Klipsch headquarters walkthrough: behind the scenes and between the ears originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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