headphones

The market for quality headphones is still growing by leaps and bounds, so there are lots of new brands getting into the game.

When Hifiman introduced the HE-5 headphone in 2009, I was so impressed I compared it with $1,000+ models from Audio Technica, Denon, Grado, Sennheiser, and Ultrasone, and the upstart company's headphone model more than held its own.

More recently I looked at the Hifiman HE-500 headphones ($699), and compared them with one of the best headphones in the world, the Audeze LCD-2 ($945). That one's low bass felt more solid and had superior impact, but the HE-500's midrange and treble were more detailed and present.

The HE-300 ($249) shares the HE-500's styling, but uses more conventional driver technology. It's lighter in weight (270 grams), has a leather headband and soft velvet earpads, and comes with a user-replaceable 9-foot-long cable terminated with a 3.5mm plug (and there's a 6.3mm adaptor). The long cable is bulky and a little stiff, but since it's user-replaceable, HE-300 owners may find shorter, more flexible alternatives. The headphone comes with a sturdy padded storage case. Comfort over long listening sessions was good, but not up to full-size Sennheiser headphone standards. That company has a real knack for making comfy headphones. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The show floor at CES 2012 looks like a spaceship full of headphones crash-landed onto it, blasting earbuds and DJ headsets into every booth. AfterShokz finds a way to cut through the clutter by bypassing the ears completely.

AfterShokz sit over the back of your head and hook over your ears. The pads touch at the back of your cheekbones and use bone conduction technology to deliver the sound.

I already tested out Yurbuds, rubbery earbuds designed for athletes. The AfterShokz are also designed for athletes, particularly runners.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--It's easy to get caught up playing with the AR.Drone WiFi quadracopter at the Parrot booth here at CES and almost almost miss one of the smartest pairs of headphones around.

Most products by French designer Philippe Starck come with a simple yet elegant appeal, and the Parrot Zik by Starck headphones are no exception.

However, what captured our attention about the Zik is really all the underlying technology it incorporates. Besides supporting active noise-cancellation technology, it also sports a touch-sensitive panel for tasks such as volume control. The Zik can be connected to devices via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm analogue line-in. It even comes with compatible apps on iOS and Android smartphones. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--With so many headphone makers at CES emphasizing brain-vibrating bass, it's great to see the folks at Moshi bragging about precision acoustics in the company's new Clarus flagship earbuds for discerning audiophiles.

A 15mm woofer and a 7mm tweeter in each earbud power the Clarus headphones (Moshu calls this "DynaDuo") for accurate reproduction that shines in warmer genres like jazz, classical, and acoustic music. And Moshi claims the dedicated high-frequency driver with passive crossover lets you hear the recordings the way the artist and producer intended.… Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Sennheiser, the German maker of headphone and audio products, announced today at CES 2012 a pair of head phone designed to take the style "from the club scene onto the streets," called Amperior.

The audio specialist says the new Amperior is based on the high-end HD 25 DJ headphones and comes with aluminum finish and have been optimized for connection to an iPad, iPhone and iPod. They also comes with a microphone for easy telephoning.

According to Sennheiser, the new rugged rugged headphones can deal with an extremely high sound pressure level and offer professional-level … Read more

It's already been a great year for the Danish headphone designers over at Aiaiai, and it's about to get even better.

The company's TMA-1 DJ headphones recently earned a spot in an exhibit at SFMOMA documenting contemporary industrial designs influenced by Dieter Rams, and its latest headphones, the Capital, are already garnering shrieks of schoolgirl glee from audiophiles who appreciate equal parts form and function.

Aiaiai supplied the audio technology for the Capital headphones, but once again leaned on Scandinavian design group Kibisi to design their form. The two made a great first impression last year with the release of the Tracks supra-aural headphones, and Kibisi's simple design ethos is made clear again in the Capital.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Monster's collaboration with Dr. Dre for his Beats line of headphones and speakers has seemingly been fruitful for the company. And if one partnership did well, why not add a few more to the mix?

To that end, Monster has teamed up with music producer J.Y. Park, fashion brand Diesel, and Radio Shack for three new lines of headphones.

Pictured above are the Diamond Tears-Edge High Definition Music Headphones born from an alliance with J.Y. Park, founder of JYP Entertainment (JYPE). The new headphones by Monster get the same audio engineering that made its Beats line popular, but with a jewelry-like design to appeal to "younger consumers." … Read more

LAS VEGAS--You tell me, is it good or bad that the announcement of Monster's first noise-canceling over-ear headphones was more focused on the design than the sound?

The new headphone line, called Inspiration, does have "advanced noise-canceling capabilities," but that's about all the detail I have on that right now.

More importantly, (at least going by the announcement) is that they'll be available in titanium, pearl white, and a limited-edition silver finish and have an interchangeable headband that will initially come in eight different styles.

Monster says they have the "big high-performance sound of … Read more

Have a peek at AKG's two new pairs of noise-canceling headphones, the $349.95 K 495 NC and $249.95 K 490 NC.

AKG is highlighting that these both are on-ear models that fold flat and have built-in rechargeable batteries that charge via USB. Unlike a lot of noise-canceling models, including those from Bose, these can play sound when the battery dies or if you simply want to turn off the active noise cancellation.

The marketing line on the higher-end K 495 NCs is that they "deliver high-quality audio defined by a clarity of sound across all ranges, from crisp highs to deep lows." They feature brushed-metal parts, leather earcups, and an adjustable leather headband, and ship with a small carrying case, two audio cables, a USB charging adapter, and a flight adapter.… Read more