Headphone News

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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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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As it nears the Christmas holiday season the headphone market has noticeably hotted up. There have been a number of big releases but probably the most notable announcement has been the Ultrasone Edition 9 headphones. Billed as “the best headphones in the world” the Edition 9’s $1500 price tag is the sort of Christmas gift I dream of. Maybe next year…

Also interesting is Bose’s new Triport OE and IE headphones. Although Bose have a lot of critics, I still like the look of these headphones which are now available to purchase.

Finally, Sony seem to be really pushing noise canceling this month. First we had the full-size MDR-D777SL, then the S700 range of digital audio players with built-in noise-cancelation and finally the MDR-NC22(JE) noise canceling earphones. This certainly looks like a tactical move on Sony’s part, probably inspired by Bose’s considerable success with the Quiet Comfort series.

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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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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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Sony have increased their headphone range with the release of the MDR-NC11, a set of noise canceling earbuds.

These earphones block out external noise both via close fitting earbuds and active noise-canceling circuitry which attempt to negate ambient sound. This is done via a small box in the cable which is powered via a single AAA battery (Sony claim this should provide around 40 hours use).

The ‘phones are reviewed in this months T3 magazine and although they get a good write-up, T3 were disappointed by their tendency to pick up interference from mobile phones, including at least one painful, ear ripping, experience.

The MDR-NC11 are available now, priced at around £70.

[Found via T3 Magazine]

Related Link: Noise Cancelling Headphones Noise cancelling headphones are available from the world’s largest headphone store. Sale now on featuring all noise cancelling headphones

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Sony have announced a new mobile phone headset, the Sony DR-BT10CX.

This headset will pair with any Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to allow you to listen to your music and make phone calls wirelessly. Well, sort of, there’s still wires between the headphones and the Bluetooth receiver but no direct link to the phone.

As is usual with wireless headsets, the DR-BT10CX requires a separate power source and includes a Lithium-Ion battery which Sony claim will provide 11 hours of communication time or around 100 hours on stand-by. The headset will also ship with a handy charging dock.

There are no details on the price or release date yet but there’s some more info (including the user manual) on the FCC site.

[Found via MobileWhack]

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