Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin?

Posted on 19/09/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Whether you think they're infamous or merely a signature piece of Apple design, there's no doubt most of us have been exposed the company's iconic white earbuds. Along with the latest batch of iPods and the iPhone 5, Apple announced the replacement for those dreaded earphones, a pair of 'buds called the EarPods. Given that these are bundled with new iDevices (also sold as a standalone for $29), it's hard not to think that the folks at Cupertino are drinking some sort of spiked Kool-Aid, claiming these rival headphones that cost hundreds more. While reviewing the likes of the iPhone 5, we also gave the EarPods a listen to find out whether or not they're just an over-engineered set of 'buds. You'll find our detailed verdict after the break.

Gallery: Apple EarPods review

Continue reading Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin?

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Mobile

Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: portable audio

Posted on 20/08/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we're taking our audio with us -- 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!

With all of the studying and on-campus traveling you're about to delve into, sometimes adding a bit of music to your step can spice up those mundane times in your daily routine. That's why we've rounded up a selection of portable speakers and headphones that'll not only help you rock out whenever the mood strikes, but also go a step further by letting you take phone calls without skipping a beat. It may not be audiophile-grade gear in the official sense, but it won't matter when you're enjoying good sound just about anywhere your smartphone-connected life takes you.

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Filed under: Wearables

Engadget's back to school guide 2012: portable audio originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ears-on with Klipsch’s latest intra-aural headphone lineup: Image S4 (II) series, X7i

Posted on 10/08/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Been fancying a new set of in-ear headphones as of late? If you'll recall, it was last week when Klipsch quietly revealed its new $200 Image X7i and a trio of Image S4 (II) series in-ears. Today, after getting our mitts on the new Image One on-ear models at its NYC event, we were able check out the in-ears for the first time. To refresh your memory, the X7i is the company's first set crafted from ceramic materials, featuring balanced-armature drivers and intended as a step-down option from its $350 X10i. The S4 (II) models, on the other hand, are unsurprisingly refreshes of its tried and true S4 line. So if you're interested in finding out more, join us past the break for our detailed impressions.

Continue reading Ears-on with Klipsch's latest intra-aural headphone lineup: Image S4 (II) series, X7i

Filed under: Wearables

Ears-on with Klipsch's latest intra-aural headphone lineup: Image S4 (II) series, X7i originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Klipsch quietly teases new in-ear headphone lineup: S4 (II) series, S7i set to arrive this month

Posted on 03/08/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Leave it to Klipsch to surprise us with new gear for our ears when we least expect it. Within the last day or so, the company quietly pushed a "coming soon" page live on its website chock full of new in-ear headphones. To start, the S4 series is getting a complete refresh across the lineup and taking up the (II) moniker -- namely, the $80 S4 (II), and the $100 S4i (II) and S4a (II), which respectively feature an inline remote / mic for iOS and Android devices. While the trio of intra-aurals look largely similar to their ear-pleasing predecessors, Klipsch has graced them with flat cables to kill the tangled-cord issues we've experienced.

Better yet, it's also showcasing the $200 S7i (seen middle), a curvaceous set of balanced armature-loaded ceramic 'bubs, equipped with an iOS-compatible remote / mic. The S7i essentially fills the "mid-range" gap in price from the S4i to the $350 X10i. Detailed specs for all the sets aren't anywhere to be seen currently, but we'll likely find out more at Klipsch's NYC event next week. For now, you can rest assured knowing that you'll have a choice of black or white for everything except the S4a (II) -- and that it's all already up for pre-order at the source link below.

Klipsch quietly teases new in-ear headphone lineup: S4 (II) series, S7i set to arrive this month originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 18:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari, Logic3 team on headphones, may be closest we get to an Enzo’s engine note

Posted on 19/07/2012 by Jon Fingas

Ferrari likes to brand just about everything. That said, the two new lines of in-ear and over-ear headphones it's introducing with Logic3's help seem like more natural fits for the supercar brand than for other gadgets. The speed-loving elite will inevitably swing towards the Cavallino series' premium materials and universal microphone remote. Us plebeians have to consider the more plastic-laden Scuderia range, which still manages to pack in some Formula 1 styling along with the remote control. Prices are high at $150 to $315 for the Scuderias, or $201 to $352 for high rollers eying the Cavallinos -- but it's hard to dispute that either series is much more likely to turn up at our houses than a hybrid Enzo.

Continue reading Ferrari, Logic3 team on headphones, may be closest we get to an Enzo's engine note

Ferrari, Logic3 team on headphones, may be closest we get to an Enzo's engine note originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 23:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harman Kardon trots out five iPhone-matching headsets, keeps you in high Apple fashion

Posted on 12/06/2012 by Jon Fingas

There's no shortage of iPhone-friendly headsets. Not many are actually designed to match an iPhone's looks, however, and Harman Kardon is counting on that urge to coordinate to draw a few listeners into a new line of very tersely-named headphones and headsets. The more conspicuous resemblances to Apple's creation come through the wired CL on-ear headphones, the Bluetooth-equipped BT over-ears and the noise-cancelling NC over-ears, all of which share a distinctly familiar-looking leather-and-steel design. Subtler listeners will still get a trace of similarity with the in-ear NI and upgraded AE buds, although most of the iPhone friendliness at their size comes through an in-line microphone and remote. Both the BT and NC are battery-powered and last for 12 and 30 hours for their respective special tricks; they'll both keep working through a wire if you've forgotten to charge up just before that Hong Kong vacation.

In step with the iPhone-heavy focus, Harman Kardon is only selling the quintet of headphones through Apple's online and physical stores, where they start at $100 for the NI and peak at the NC's $299. One caveat: we wouldn't factor the NC into any short-term trips, as it won't show until the late summer.

Gallery: Harman Kardon AE, BT, CL, NI