B&O Play H3 and H6 bring Bang & Olufsen’s newer badge to headphones

Posted on 09/04/2013 by Jon Fingas

Bang & Olufsen already offers headphones, and it has the B&O Play line to serve a mobile-oriented world. Wouldn't it be nice if the two categories mixed? As of today, they do. The B&O Play H3 in-ears and H6 over-ears apply that Danish love of aluminum and leather to the kind of headphones you'd want to pack with your MP3 player or smartphone. The H3 carries 10.8mm drivers, a mini bass port and a 20Hz to 16kHz range in a unibody shape that should hold up to exercise; the slightly more stationary H6 over-ears sport 40mm drivers and a wider 20Hz to 22kHz range. Both have primarily iOS-oriented in-line mics and remotes, although the H6 alone has Monster-sourced daisy chaining support to share tunes with others. Don't expect a significant break in B&O's premium pricing just because they're B&O Play-branded headsets, however. The H3 and H6 will respectively cost €249 and €399 when they hit some retail stores in May, and US pricing isn't likely to be much cheaper.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video

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Source: B&O Play

Jabra’s Revo, Revo Wireless and Vox headphones get priced, now shipping

Posted on 25/03/2013 by Alexis Santos

Jabra's fresh batch of stereo headphones were first trotted out at CES, and now they've just been graced with price tags and are up for grabs. The Revo Wireless over-ear headphone rings up at $249, while the wired flavor will set folks back $199. Jabra's in-ear Vox hardware hits wallets with a little less force thanks to a $99 asking price. If you're in need a refresher, the gear was designed with durability in mind, sports Dolby Digital Plus tech and works with its manufacturer's Sound App for iOS and Android, which promises souped-up audio quality. Pining for a set of the cans? You'll have to head over to Amazon or Dell's online storefront to pick one up.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

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Jabra readies Revo and Revo Wireless over-ear headphones, Vox in-ears

Posted on 07/01/2013 by Jon Fingas

Jabra has been venturing further and further into headphones after years of focusing on headsets and speakerphones. CES 2013 is a perfect mirror of that shift: all three products it's launching at the show are geared towards music lovers rather than plain old conference calling. The Revo and Bluetooth-based Revo Wireless (above) both integrate Dolby Digital Plus audio processing and, along with a companion app for Android and iOS, may eke out more detail than usual from compressed songs. These and the in-ear Vox (after the break) are also designed to take a fair amount of abuse, Jabra says. The audio firm is mum on prices, but its new earpieces should grace ears sometime in the second quarter of the year.

Continue reading Jabra readies Revo and Revo Wireless over-ear headphones, Vox in-ears

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

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Source: Jabra

V-Moda’s M-100 headphones get priced at $300, will ship ‘in time for the holidays’

Posted on 17/10/2012 by Joe Pollicino

It wasn't long ago when we got an early look an listen to a near-final version of V-Moda's audiophile-tuned M-100 lifestyle headphones -- and now, after months of crowd-sourcing feedback, the company is finally green-lighting mass production. You may recall that pricing and availability hadn't been set, but now the company has confirmed that the fashionable metal-clad cans will be ready by the holidays, priced at a cool $300. As a refresher, that dollar amount snags you the foldable mil-spec 810G-rated headphones themselves, a hard-shell case, a duo of 3.5mm cables (one with a single button remote / mic, and another with an auxiliary output), corks for both cable inputs on the earcups and a quarter-inch adapter. You'll have a choice in color between white with gray, black with red (pictured) and matte black with an orange cable, while adding in an extra 10 bucks also lets you add-on a second set of customizable back-plate 'shields' and its Fader earplugs. If you're eager to ensure you'll have your own pair once the M-100 headphones are ready to ship, they'll be up for pre-order by day's end at the source link below. You'll find more details in the press release after the break -- and don't forget to peruse our detailed ears-on and interview with owner Val Kolton from last week while you make up your mind.

Continue reading V-Moda's M-100 headphones get priced at $300, will ship 'in time for the holidays'

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables

V-Moda's M-100 headphones get priced at $300, will ship 'in time for the holidays' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony ships new Extra Bass headphone lineup to the US, delivers that Direct Vibe to your brain

Posted on 03/10/2012 by Jon Fingas

If you'd like your Sony headphones to be a little less judgmental, we've got good news. The company's MDR-XB400, MDR-XB600 and MDR-XB800 Extra Bass headphones, along with the MDR-XB60EX in-ears, have arrived in the US for those who want low-end frequencies without the talent show branding. All four carry Sony's newer Advanced Direct Vibe to emphasize the sub-bass notes of "today's music styles" (read: electronic and hip-hop) as well as a serrated cord that keeps the cord tangling to a minimum. Working your way up the range mostly improves the frequency range, which starts at an already bass-heavy 5Hz to 22kHz in the XB400 and scales up to a tooth-rattling 3Hz to 28kHz for the XB800; you'll also see the sensitivity jump from 100dB/mW to 106. Provided you don't mind tweaking software to occasionally recover some treble, the entire collection is ready to wobble your head at prices that range from $60 for the starter XB400 headphones to $150 for the XB800.

Gallery: Sony Extra Bass over-ear headphones

Continue reading Sony ships new Extra Bass headphone lineup to the US, delivers that Direct Vibe to your brain

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Sony

Sony ships new Extra Bass headphone lineup to the US, delivers that Direct Vibe to your brain originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smartphones for audiophiles: is the iPhone 5 more musical than its rivals?

Posted on 02/10/2012 by Sharif Sakr

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The love of audio. It's a dangerous condition, because every minute spent obsessing over headphones or specs or conflicting opinions is a minute not spent enjoying your favorite tracks or discovering new ones. That's why a review like this, which compares the iPhone 5 with rival phones based largely on acoustic qualities, runs a high risk of time-wastage -- no one really needs a cacophony of flowery words with no concrete conclusions.

How to steer clear of the technological equivalent of a wine-tasting? By trying our damnedest to focus only on the more practical pros and cons of these top handsets, specifically from the POV of someone who listens to a lot of music on their phone. We're talking about someone who likely prefers high-bitrate recordings and who is ready to spend money on something better than the earbuds (or EarPods) that come in the box.

In addition to testing Apple's new flagship we'll also look at the iPhone 4S, which is now a ton cheaper than it was a few weeks ago, as well as the Galaxy S III (both the global and the Sprint US version) plus the HTC One X (global and AT&T), and run them all through an audiophile obstacle course that goes right from purely subjective observations through to slightly more scientific tests as well as storage, OS and battery comparisons. There'll also be some consideration of the iPhone 4, Nokia Lumia 800 and PureView 808, although it'll be more condensed.

And yes, we'll end up with an overall winner, but the research here is about more than that. Different phones may suit different people, depending on their priorities. Moreover, new handsets are just around the corner -- the Lumia 920, the Note II, the LG Optimus G and whatever other goodies the future undoubtedly holds -- and so it makes sense to have a bed of knowledge against which new entrants can be judged. Interested? Then let's get started.

Continue reading Smartphones for audiophiles: is the iPhone 5 more musical than its rivals?

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Mobile

Smartphones for audiophiles: is the iPhone 5 more musical than its rivals? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung VOLVE Headphones Concept: A Bit of the Old, A Bit of the New

Posted on 14/09/2012 by Range

This headphone design looks pretty interesting. It combines a sort of retro-looking design with modern tech. They are sleek and stylish, and designer Andreas Konradsen says that they’re supposed to blur the boundaries between music and mind – whatever that means.

volve headphones over ear controls

The VOLVE Headphones are distinctive because of the way that you can control the music of your MP3 player or smartphone. You simply tap a rubber disc situated on the ear pads. Play/pause is activated by pushing the centerpiece of the ear pad.

volve headphones over ear controls colors

The stainless tubing is supposed to be easily adjustable, and reminds me of older headphones, the kind of the thing you’d use when you’d have been doing studio recordings. While they’re not as sleek as some of the more fashionable headphones, they are certainly distinctive.

volve headphones over ear controls music

volve headphones over ear controls dimensions

[via Yanko Design]

Sony X Headphones: X-Factor or Tech Factor?

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Range

When I think of X-Factor, I think of the mutant heroes in the Marvel Universe, not the Simon Cowell’s American Idol knock-off. Sure, Havok can’t belt out any tunes, but he can disintegrate your with his plasma blasts. That being said, these new Sony headphones look good, tech-wise, if you can get past the X-Factor branding.

sony x factor headphones over ear

The Sony X Headphones are aimed at the audio enthusiast market. Despite the X-Factor tie-in, their design is striking and eye catching, and I’ve heard that they are very comfortable to wear for long hours. Naturally, after some time, you’ll probably get the sweaty-ear syndrome, but that can’t be avoided with full-size headphones.

sony x factor headphones over ear side

They have 50mm drivers that will deliver a powerful bass directly to your ears. They offer a very wide frequency response range froms 3 to 29,000 Hz and the sensitivity is 106 dB/mW. They also offer an in-line microphone and remote control for use with iOS devices.

sony x factor headphones over ear folded

The headphones fold up pretty neatly for traveling, though if you are looking for active noise-cancellation, you’ll need to look elsewhere. The Sony X headphones will be available starting September 27th for $300 (USD).

[via Sony]

Logitech Ultimate Ears Headphones: One for Every Kind of Ear

Posted on 30/08/2012 by Range

Logitech released a couple of teasers late last week about their new series of headphones from their Ultimate Ears line, and they finally have made public what they have been working on. The UE series of headphones includes 4 different models that will go over your ears and into them.

logitech ultimate ears headphones

The Logitech UE 4000 headphones ($100 USD) are available in three colors, black, blue, and magenta. The cord is detachable and has an in-line mic as well as audio controls that will work with iOS devices. The UE 6000 ($200) is the over-ear model that folds up nicely for when you are on the go. It’s got an in-line remote and active noise cancellation.

logitech ue 6000 9000 headphones The UE 9000 ($400) are the top-of-the-line wireless Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancellation. The UE 900 (also $400) are their high-end in-ear model that sports a quad-armature design with in-line controls.

logitech ultimate ears headphones earphones

All of the headphones are available now, and you can find more details over on the Logitech UE website.

Logitech unveils lineup of UE headphones for in, on and around your ears (hands-on)

Posted on 29/08/2012 by Michael Gorman

Logitech acquired Ultimate Ears awhile back to take advantage of its experience with professional audio, and now it's leveraged some of that institutional knowledge to create a UE line of headphones aimed at consumers. First up, there's the $100 UE 4000 on-ear model that comes in three colors: black, blue and magenta, plus a detachable cord with an in-line mic and audio controls compatible with iOS devices. The UE 6000 model takes things up a notch with an over-ear design that folds up for easy storage on the go, has an in-line remote, plus it adds active noise cancellation technology for $200. Then there's the UE 9000 Bluetooth wireless cans that also have ANC and a full suite of on-ear controls for iPhone or iPad, which can be had for $400. Lastly, there's the $400 UE 900 in-ear headphones sporting a quad-armature design and two sets braided cables -- one with in-line controls, and one without. All of the UE models start shipping in the US today, and will be available in Europe next month. We got to try on and try out all of Logitech's new gear for a brief listening session awhile back, so join us after the break for our impressions.

Gallery: Logitech UE 4000, 6000, 9000 and 900 headphones hands-on