Headphone News

CrunchGear must’ve being bulk buying headphones lately cause they’ve got another review up, this time of the Sony MDR-NC22 noise canceling earphones.

Unfortunately, despite some good features, CrunchGear have reported big problems with hiss, something that can affect noise-cancellation systems. They also note the fit isn’t perfect but this will of course vary from ear to ear. Despite these problems they do note some positives with the sound and build quality which might make them worth checking out.

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I’ve mentioned quite a few times that I don’t really see the point of Bluetooth headphones but trust Sony to come up with something I find even more pointless, a set of full-sized Bluetooth headphones.

I guess the DR-BT50 headphones will be useful for those who like to wander around the house listening to music, assuming anyone actually does that. Or are you actually expected to wear these outside? Either way, for those who fancy a pair, they appear to be Japan only at the moment but will probably reach the rest of the world eventually.

Technically, they support the A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP protocols so should be able to pair with almost any Bluetooth device. They’ll last for around 17 hours on a single charge and weight around 180 grams.

Also announced is the slightly more useful DR-BT21G wrap-around earphones. These actually look quite nifty and again support all the latest Bluetooth protocols. Available in black or white, they will clock in at a fairly lightweight 63 grams.

[Found via CrunchGear]

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Sci-Fi Tech have a list of their top 10 ways to listen to an iPod which is an interesting read. Most of the choices are as to be expected with the Sony MDR-NC11 and the Shure i4c making an appearance.

However, their last choice, the AKG K240 Studio is a bit of a strange one. It’s not that often you see people wearing full size studio ‘phones with their iPods but obviously it’s something they go for at Sci-Fi Tech.

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Sony have announced another new range of headphones in the build up to Christmas, this time the scarily named Sony MDR-EX85SL N.U.D.E Ex (Monitor) Earphones.

As far as I can tell, Sony are promising professional quality monitor sound from these earphones for only $59. No, I don’t believe it either.

Still, some people will appreciate the styling of these in-ear phones which will be available in red, blue, black or white.

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At the moment, it seems nearly every new set of headphones released incorporate some sort of noise-reduction technology. But how does it work? And will it work for you?

How noise-canceling works
There are two basic ways for headphones to reduce external noise. The most basic way is to simply block external noise from reaching your ears. This can be done by either encompassing your full ear with a tight seal like the forthcoming Sony Altus headphones or by blocking your ear canal like the Bose TriPort IE earphones.

Both of these techniques work to an extent, but have their down sides. The over-ear design relies on forming a seal with your head which can get very warm and uncomfortable. It also tends to produce large and heavy headphones, fine for use in the home but not so useful in the sort of situations where you’d actually want to block out external noise, for example, on a train. The ear canal design is more successful at blocking out sound but, unless you can find a set of earbuds that fit perfectly, can quickly get uncomfortable. Many ear-canal ‘phones come with a selection of sleeves to offer you a better fit but even they are unlikely to fit perfectly (those with lots of money might try Ultimate Ears custom-fit headphones if they really crave the perfect fit).
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Related Link: Noise cancelling headphones For the biggest range of noise cancelling headphones in the UK visit iHeadphones. Sale starts now on all noise cancelling headphones!

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Sick of a lack of recognition for their headphones, Sony have really pushed the boat out with the announcement of the forthcoming Sony Altus headphones’ 80 KHz frequency ceiling.

Of course, observant readers will recognize that the vast majority of humans can only hear up to around 20 Khz making the top range of these ‘phones somewhat redundant. Still, it’s the sort of boast that marketing departments love to make so we can probably expect to see it repeated a lot.

Apart from their extreme audio range the Altus (or MDR-D777LP to it’s friends) is similar in looks and specs to the recently announced MDR-D777SL.

They’ll be available in November priced around $150. Personally I can’t wait to part with my hard earned cash so that I can enjoy sounds I’m not even capable of hearing…

[Found via DigitalTrends]

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It looks like Sony are about to take a real interest in noise-canceling technology by bundling noise-canceling headphones with their new S700-series of digital music players.

For example, the Sony NS-S706F player incorporates noise-canceling technology for use with the bundled earphones. The player will cost around $240 for a 4GB version making it more expensive that an equivalent iPod Nano but, assuming you like the headphones, it works out as a decent deal.

[Found via CIO Tech Informer]

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Faced with the possibility of extinction Sony have found a new channel to sell their products, vending machines in airports.

Need headphones for your next flight? A snazzy new vending machine at Indianapolis International Airport has them, along with digital cameras, batteries, memory sticks, MP3 players, CDs, DVDs and all manner of other entertainment gizmos.

Seems a pretty good idea to me, especially if you get to the departures lounge to find a room full of screaming babies all itching to make your flight the worst ever.

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Another new release from Sony’s headphone department, although this time it’s a set of in-ear noise canceling headphones.

Similar to the highly regarded Shure E500PTH the MDR-NC22(JE) block external sound both by being close fitting in the ear canal and through noise canceling circuits stored in the box on the cable. Sony promise these ‘phones will cancel out an impressive 75% of ambient noise although it’s hard to tell how they actually judge this.

As with most noise-cancelling headphones, they do require battery power, in this case Sony claim a single AAA battery will power the headphones for 50 hours.

At the moment, these headphones are only available in Japan and pricing is unclear.

[Found via Gizmodo]

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Sony have added another set of full size headphones to their range with the announcement of the MDR-D777SL. Despite their size, they do fold down and come with a noise canceling mechanism so could be useful while flying or commuting.

Apart from the noise canceling, there’s not particualrly much interesting about these ‘phones though the design is sure to appeal to some.

No news on release date or price as yet.

[Found via Akihabara News]

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