Oh! Gizmo

This post is syndicated with permission from Gadgetoholic.com

When it comes to headphones there are lots of differ products to choose from. Of all the headphones of various styles that I have ever used, they tend to always have one thing in common—lack of bass. Monster announced a set of headphones at CES back in January called Beats by Dr. Dre that promised to bring new technology and a new level of sound quality to consumer earphones.

At CES Monster didn’t give a clear idea of when the headphones would be available, but it did say they would retail for slightly under $400. That price is a serious chunk of change for headphones. Monster has announced that the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones will be available starting July 25 at the Apple store, Best Buy and from Beatsbydre.com.

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By Jonathan Kimak

Headphones have always been a good friend of the gamer. They keep the parents, girlfriend, neighbors or pets from ruining a perfect moment by shouting/barking “Turn that damn game down” just as you were about to execute a perfect headshot. Many times you had to sacrifice comfort for functionality or vice-versa. But the AudioFX Pro 5+1 gaming headset hopes to give you everything you need, including comfort.

They do look rather comfy and the 5.1 surround sound is a really nice feature. Bonuses to the design are the included force feedback effect and LED lights on the side that indicate the volume level. It’s a USB headset and has a price tag of $79.94. Be sure to use the mute mic button if you still live at home and you don’t want to be caught on YouTube being chastised by your mom and laughed at by millions of others.

[ eDimensional ] VIA [ Everything USB ]

By Evan Ackerman

Fine, they won’t really snap your neck, but at least they’ll make your ears tickle, and that’s gotta be good for something. The iFeelU EX2 2.2-channel “Body-Sonic Vibration Ear Wearing System” uses two speakers in each earbud; I’m guessing that the second speaker at the back is actually more of a mass driver, producing vibration rather than sound. According to Gizmodo, who got some eartime with them, “for explosions and other big booms, these things are surprisingly great, with solid feedback and definite in-ear quakage [sic].” They may not be as great for listening to music, although it looks like you can adjust the strength of the vibration separately.

They should be available not too long from now for about $40 a pair; for that amount, it might be fun to pick some up just to see what they can do.

[ iFeelU ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Whenever I listen to music I like to block out all the background noise and other sounds around me. So instead of speakers, I usually opt for either a set of earbuds or full-sized headphones. While it means I can enjoy my music without distraction, I unfortunately often end up missing phone calls or delivery men knocking on my door when I’m at home. It’s even more of a concern if I’m out wandering the city, as I have to be extra conscious of people, bicycles and other vehicles I don’t hear.

And that’s what interested me in the AirDrives as an alternative to my regular headphones. Instead of completely covering or blocking the ear canal, they’re designed to sit just outside your ears, allowing you to hear your music as well as everything else going on around you. The AirDrives were created by Mad Catz and the company has recently released a version designed specifically for the iPhone. I had a chance to try them out and you can find my full review of the AirDrives for the iPhone after the jump.

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By Luke Anderson

Growing up in a family of musicians has given me a fairly good ear, though I’m by no means an audiophile. I just know good sound quality when I hear it. I had the opportunity to test out ableplanet’s latest high-end noise-canceling headphones.

The difficult thing about testing audio equipment is that unless you have something to compare with, it’s hard to be fair. Luckily I had the chance to pit their Linx Audio Clear Harmony headphones against a comparable set from Bose. After listening to a couple of selections with both, it was clear that the Linx Audio set were of a much higher quality. Not only could I not hear a single thing going on around me (which seemed like a miracle in that environment) but the mids were much clearer.

You’ll have to pay for a quality set of headphones like these. The ones I tested out will run you around $300, which isn’t too outrageous if you’re into music recording, or something similar that requires the clearest possible sound.

By Luke Anderson

Are you one of those people that must always be listening to your iPod? I’m horrible about using mine, I always think that I’ll use it, but I rarely find the need. I’m usually in my car or at my desk, both of which have an ample supply of music. However, for those that are outdoors a lot, possibly walking or jogging, you’ll love this Tooks Beanie which features a built-in headset.

The beanie looks rather normal, except for the two circles for the speakers, and the cord running down the back. I probably wouldn’t wear this if I were just going out somewhere, but those that like to exercise in the cold might get some use out of it. The Took Beanie comes in six different colors and will set you back $25.

[ EpicOutfit ] VIA [ ChipChick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s kind of weird for a company to refer to a pair of headphones as a set of ‘personal field speakers’ unless of course that company is Sony, who seems to like to do everything differently. In this case however it might actually be a good thing, since the headphone’s unique design apparently mimics the experience you’d get from sitting in front of a set of audiophile-grade speakers.

The PFR-V1 ‘headphones’ use a pair of orb-shaped speakers that are suspended just outside your ears. These deliver the mid and treble frequencies while the bass sounds are reproduced through an “extended bass reflex duct” that actually sits in your ear. It all sounds rather complicated, but they apparently take advantage of the shape of your ears and the way we hear a lot better than a conventional set of closed headphones do. Unfortunately though, Wired’s Gadget Lab had a chance to test them out and while they managed to recreate a very natural sound with a wide frequency response, the bass tubes had a tendency to buzz loudly when listening to anything more energetic than classical music. And the ‘personal field speakers’ were very fragile too, limiting their use to your home or office.

The $499.99 price tag from AudioCubes isn’t going to convert the average headphone user either. But from what I can tell, that’s not who Sony is marketing these to anyways.

[ Sony PFR-V1 Personal Field Speakers ] VIA [ Wired Gadget Lab ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While headphones allow you to listen to your music without disturbing other people, they’re also more likely to damage your ears due to the concentrated sounds, and can prevent you from hearing anything else. So as an alternative you might want to try these OUTI headphones from Zelco which actually clip to the outside of your ear and transmit the sounds as vibrations through the skin and cartilage. That way you can listen to your music while still carrying on a conversation for example.

However Popular Mechanics found that the parts that attach to your ears actually make it easier for other people to hear your music when compared to traditional ear buds. And the sound that eventually reaches your eardrums is a lot quieter. On the plus side the OUTI’s produce an intense bass sensation that can actually be felt throughout your entire body. That alone makes me want to try them out, though I’m not sure if it’s enough to make me switch.

The OUTI headphones are available directly from Zelco for $110.

[ Zelco OUTI Headphones ] VIA [ Popular Mechanics ]

By Shane McGlaun

In addition to the Lycosa keyboard Razer announced yesterday it also announced a new gaming headset called the Piranha. The Piranha joins the Razer Barracuda headphones, but the new headset differs greatly from the Barracuda.

The Piranha is not a surround sound headphone, but uses what Razer describes at true-to-life stereo audio with superior clarity and bass. The Piranha has a built-in noise cancelling mic and in-line controls for volume and mic mute.

The Barracuda headphones could be used with the DVI-like input of the Barracuda sound card. Razer makes no mention of this connection option with the Piranha and says it works with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack that should work with DAP devices and CD players. Frequency response for the headphones is 18 – 22,000 Hz with an impedance of 32 ohms. The Piranha headphones will be available in October for $79.99.

VIA [ Razer ]