Headphone News

I’ve seen some very strange headphones here at Headphone News, but I think the TubeSurround Sound Headphones stands a pretty good chance of being the weirdest.

Looking like some sort of personal halo, the TubeSurround headphones incorporate six individuals speakers positioned around the head designed to give full 5.1 surround sound. Understand the unusual shape now?

However, that’s not it. Just to add that extra level of craziness, the headphones use bone conduction and direct sound at the same time. Told you they were strange.

Being a natural cynic, I’m a bit unconvinced but Jasmine France at Crave has had a go and reckons they work pretty decently. Well. better than those virtual surround sound headphones that were all the rage about five years ago.

Available now for $99, but don’t blame me if you get laughed at for using them.

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In these days of climate change, global warming and soaring electricity bills there’s never been more reasons to save power. And what better way than with a Soltronix solar powered FM radio?

Looking rather like a headphone radio I had in the 80’s (and suspiciosly like last years WIN23 solar powered headphones) the Soltronix set provide 19 hours of AM/FM radio when fully charged. Presumably on a sunny enough day they’ll go on for ever (an arctic summer, for example).

Available now for $49.95.

[Found via Coolest Gadgets]

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Despite my constant attempts to pour scorn over previous bone conducting headphones, TEAC are undeterred and have announced their very own set, the HP-F100.

Actually a re-branded set of Filltune headphones, the HP-F100 come with an amplifier and give around 10 hours of use on a single set of batteries.

If you want a pair, a trip to Japan will probably be in order with the price converting to around $440.

[Found via Engadget]

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That’s right, waterproof headphones. No matter how pointless they seem to me, iLounge seem to like them enough to give them a B rating in their recent review.

Apparently they actually sound quite good, both above and below water. They also come with a buoy which, I have to admit, almost makes me want to buy a pair.

Much more info at the Aquapac site.

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Japanese manufacturer Thanko are quickly becoming a favorite at Headphone News with their ever growing range of crazy headphones. Just last month they released a set of on-head bone conducting headphones but they’ve really outdone themselves with the VONIA Bone Conducting Sports Headband.

Designed to be used with an iPod Shuffle, the headband vibrates against your skull so you can “hear” the music without sending sound through your outer ear. It’s not entirely clear why you’d want t actually do that but it’s certainly different than the Bluetooth headphones that most companies are focusing on right now.

Available in Japan for around $84, I wouldn’t expect to see this in your local shop soon (unless you live in Japan, of course).

[Found via The Unofficial Apple Weblog]

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More money than sense? Then these $2500 Swarovski diamond encrusted headphones are ideal for you.

Designed by celebrity DJ Donna D’Cruz (no, I’ve never heard of her either), they’re apparently available in a variety of colors to match your outfit (presumably also diamond encrusted).

[Found via Portalino]

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If like me you can’t wait for the Transformers Movie, then you’ll love these pictures of the forthcoming headphones based on the characters of Frenzy & Rumble. They even transform from headphones to desktop speakers. I’m sure they’ll sound rubbish, but that’s not the point, is it?

Available in July, priced $37.

[Found via Gizmodo]

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Obviously worried that Headphone News hadn’t mentioned bone-conducting headphones for at least two months, Thanko have quickly moved to remedy the situation with a particularly ugly new set of headphones.

Costing somewhere around $82 the Thanko Vonia headphones are placed somewhere around, but not on, the ears and vibrate the sound through your jaw bone. Did I mention that they’re also very, very ugly?

[Found via Sci-Fi Tech]

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Andrea Electronics have decided what the world really needs is a pair of flashing headphones so have introduced the new Blinx headphones which flash in time to your music.

This isn’t the first pair of headphones to do this (e.g. the Evergreen !tude) and once again I have to question the point of it all.

Available now for around $30 (batteries included).

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To be honest, I’m not really too sure who the Evergreen !Tude are meant to appeal to but I guess some 12 year-old girls might be attracted to bright pink headphone cables that flash in time to your music. I’m not sure if they’ll be able to lift that huge battery pack though…

Available now in Japan for around $43.

[Found via Engadget]

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