Items tagged with headphones
Look who showed up on the gaming headphone scene. Sennheiser, a trusted name in the world of audio, has just introduced two new headphone models, both of which are targeting Xbox gamers. The X 320 and X2 are the company's first-ever Xbox headsets, and they're designed for all the Xbox LIVE action you can handle. The top-of-the-line X 320 features Sennheiser amplified stereo sound, which boosts the Xbox 360’s audio experience. A professional-grade, noise-canceling microphone ensures that only the gamer’s voice is heard. Dual volume control lets gamers independently adjust the game’s audio and fellow players’ voices. The automatic microphone mute feature allows gamers to...
Read more...
Did you know that Microsoft and Mad Catz were in cahoots? They are, and they aren't ashamed of it, and neither should you be. The company landed a deal earlier in the year to provide accessories for the Xbox 360 platform, and now we're seeing that partnership blossom into shipping product. Mad Catz has announced the shipping of the Detonator Stereo Headset, the world's first official co-branded gaming headset designed for use with the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. In addition, the Detonator is compatible with a wide range of MP3 players, cell phones and audio devices. The Detonator Stereo Headset includes 50mm Neodymium Drivers, Detachable Boom Mic and Selectable...
Read more...
New headphones? From Razer? Now, that's no surprise these days, as the company is quickly becoming the go-to rival for Turtle Beach in the gaming headset department. The latest set, the Electra, aren't as fancy as some of the company's other headset offerings, but they are great for gamers on a budget. The Electra headphones are designed to deliver more bass than usual (explosions!), and the thick earcups should provide plenty of comfort even during long gaming sessions. Buyers also get replacement sound-isolating leatherette ear cushions, flexible headband structure / snug-fit ear cup, a detachable rubber sheathed cable and a detachable inline microphone audio cable. The headphones are coming...
Read more...
Typically, Bluetooth earpieces aren't all that exciting. If you've seen one, you've seen them all, as the saying goes. JayBird has a habit of producing some pretty unique looking headphones, and that tradition has now been passed off to the world of Bluetooth headphones. The company originally announced the JF3 Freedom Bluetooth Headphones at CES, but now, they're ready to start shipping 'em to those in need of new ones. They're specifically designed with secure-fit ear cushions, perfect for fitness freaks who can't stand their current 'buds falling out of their ears. The company is relying on a custom-made honeycomb design to keep them in place, and they're also sweat-proof and carry a lifetime...
Read more...
Creative is on a serious roll this week. First, the D80 Bluetooth speaker, and now a line of new BT headphones. The new WP series is comprised of the 450, 350, and 250, ANC all three feature support for Bluetooth calling and music listening. The company is really playing up the invisible mic angle, and they're insinuating that these were specifically designed to work with mobile devices. You'll find a degree of noise killing powers throughout, with the 450 able to last around 8 or 9 hours when listening to music. Pricing on the trio ranges from $60 right on up to $129, with the 350 on sale this month and the other two on sale in September. MILPITAS, Calif. -- May 5, 2011 – Creative Technology...
Read more...
Earlier in the year, 50 Cent and Sleek Audio decided to partner on a set of wireless over-the-head headphones, and while the company had traditionally stuck to earbuds, this seemed like a great opportunity to brand out. After all, Beats by Dre are as popular as ever, so why not try to steal a piece of that market? Evidently the plan hasn't worked out so well. The company today announced that they were killing all hopes of collaborating with 50 Cent on these headphones, and in fact, the enter licensing agreement between G-Unit and Sleek Audio has been "terminated." It's interesting that the two seemed so thrilled to be working together just a few months ago, and now the whole thing is off. Mark...
Read more...
Ever heard of ColorWare? If you've been around the modification area of consumer electronics at all, that name has probably surfaced in conversation before. Basically, it's a company that does tremendous paint work with everyday gadgets, from phones to laptops and everything in between. The latest gadgets to land in their paint labs is Apple's Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pro and the Beats Pro headphones from Beats by Dre. ColorWare's giving consumers a choice of 46 different color options on the MBP, and two finishes on top of that. On the Beats Pro, they can also be clad in any color, enabling users to match them up with their favorite team, or outfit. It's a pretty simple concept: either ship...
Read more...
The competition has most certainly heated up over the years in the headphone space, and while Turtle Beach and Logitech (among others) still maintain a high profile, smaller companies are swooping in and grabbing their own slice of attention. Cyber Snipa is one of those companies, with a clever name and a pretty impressive product. The Sonar 5.1 Championship Headset offers a nice, collapsible design, with four speakers in each ear cup and independent channel control via in-line controller. There's also a unique foam padding for added comfort, not to mention a noise-cancelling boom mic. It ships with a padded carrying case, and features of the headset include eight individual drivers to true multi-directional...
Read more...
Turtle Beach had a good thing going with the PX5 headset, and they still do. In fact, good is getting even better. The company has just announced the PX5 Advanced Sound Editor, and Dead Space 2 by Visceral Games is the first title to receive a custom developer-made preset list. The idea is simple: the PX5 accepts customized presets based on individual games, so each one could theoretically be custom tailored for use with the headset. If you're a fan of precision audio, you'll be a fan of this concept. The idea was revealed at GDC 2011, and we highly doubt this marks the end of them. The PX5 Advanced Sound Editor software tool for the soon to launch PX5 Programmable Wireless Dolby Surround Sound...
Read more...
Gaming peripheral maker Razer continues to make a play for console gamers, this time with the release of a pair of new wireless cans, the Razer Chimaera 5.1 Surround Sound and Razer Chimaera Stereo Gaming headsets. Both of these are intended for use with the Xbox 360 console, and both give you the freedom to jump around and do cartwheels without getting tangled up in cords. "Putting on this headset may cause serious jaw-dropping aural intensity," said Robert "RazerGuy" Krakoff, President Razer USA. "With the Razer Chimaera 5.1, we're giving every gamer the opportunity to experience surround sound in complete wireless freedom. We drew from our expertise in PC gaming audio and worked with Dolby®...
Read more...
Here's a couple of things that go well together: a USB gaming headset, and a new mid-tower case. It's an interesting combination to be perfectly honest, but it's a pair of new gadgets that Corsair is introducing this week. The Company's HS1A USB Headset falls into their Gaming Audio Series, while there's a new white version of the Graphite Series 600T mid-tower case. The new HS1A is similar to the older HS1, but adds an analog version for gamers who'd rather use their own sound cards. You'll still get sizable earcups, 50mm drivers, memory foam earpads and 3.5mm stereo plugs. There's even an inline volume remote and a microphone mute button. As for the case? It's a special edition one, with a...
Read more...
Creative really hasn't had a huge splash in the audio business (at least in relation to the PC audio business) since the early days of the Sound Blaster audio cards, but with such great audio cards being integrated into motherboards now, that business seems to be on the decline. But the company is still kicking, and they're still greatly involved with PC audio. This week, the Sound Blast Tactic 3D Omega Wireless Gaming Headset was introduced, and the company is calling it the first wireless, cross-platform gaming headset to work with the PS3, Xbox 360, Mac and PC. That's a fairly big selling point. Many gaming headsets are specifically designed to work on one platform or another, but hardly ever...
Read more...
The question just has to be asked: "Why didn't I think of that?!" Magnetic connectors have been around for years. They solve a common problem, in that they'll break apart if too much tension is applied. Apple has a patented version on their notebooks, a technology dubbed MagSafe, that is easily our favorite AC adapter technologies amongst all notebooks today. So what if a similar technology were applied to earbuds and headphones? That's what you get with Skunk Juice. These are a very oddly named line of earbuds, catering mostly to teenagers, that will go on sale for the first time later this month. Basically, these earbuds are designed to pass music along through magnetic connectors, so if you...
Read more...
Jays is a small headphone company compared to Sony and Shure, but they definitely have a thing for great design. The company has just revealed their latest earbuds, and they definitely look nothing like the pairs that are already out there. They're called the a-JAYS FOUR, and they're black in color. They seem rather simple at a glance, but we get the feeling that Jays was going for a minimalistic look with these. And they definitely achieved that. You'll also spot the company's tangle-free cabling that has appeared on prior sets, and there's a remote embedded in the cabling to control your iPod or iPhone music. Also unlike many competitors, Jays includes five ear tip selections. Most just throw...
Read more...
Shopping for headphones? Obviously a lot of other folks are as well. With the proliferation of digital audio players, there has been a huge boom in people looking for aftermarket headphones that'll actually sound decent. If you're interested in buying headphones that may actually cost more than your media player, Westone has a new pair that may be perfect for your golden ears. The Westone 4, or W4, is a new pair of audiophile-quality earphones, right up there with Shure and all the other high-end brands. What makes these special? A few things, actually. First off, these are the world's first universal fit earphones with four driver arrangement. The Westone 4 uses a four driver balanced armature...
Read more...
Best Buy's in the home theater business? They sure are. The company has been for some time, too, with their Insignia line offering low-cost HDTVs to buyers on a budget. But another in-house brand has been gaining steam as well, with Rocketfish providing numerous home theater solutions for people looking for ways to make their existing speakers wireless or connect their 1080p sources without wires. Today, Best Buy is introducing two new Rocketfish products, and you won't find these in any other store. The first is probably the most important. It's the 4-port WirelessHD Kit, which allows users to connect four HDMI sources (a Blu-ray player, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and media streamer, just as an...
Read more...
H2O Audio announced a new pair of headphones that is waterproof and works with your cell phone. The new Surge 2G Contact Headset features an in-line waterproof microphone and speaker. The company says the headset will enable you to "communicate via cell phone while underwater," though we have to admit, most of us don't talk on our phones while under water. Still, we can see where this may be useful for someone who needs a durable set of headphones as well as a headset for their phone. The new Surge 2G Contact Headphones are waterproof and sweat proof. They are priced at $69.99 and come with five different ear tips. H2O Audio Announces Surge 2G Contact Headset Surge Contact provides an improved...
Read more...
Sennheiser probably isn't the first company that comes to mind when you think about gaming headsets. That's because the company really isn't in that market. They're best known for higher-end headphones for musicians and music lovers, but rarely do they enter the same territory as Razer and Turtle Beach. Now, that's different. With gamers shelling out so much for accessories, Sennheiser has decided to try their hand at this game. They're announcing four new gaming headsets today, with the PC 360 being the flagship device. It uses an open-air design, while the PC 163D and PC 333D are equipped with Dolby Headphone technology for 7.1 surround sound virtualization. All three of these have fold-down...
Read more...
When you think PC Audio, there's a good chance that Logitech rings a bell. But mostly, those guys have focused on PC gaming sound systems. In the headphone world, there's Turtle Beach and Razer, but now even Logitech is joining that crowd. Their newest headset, the F540, is downright serious. These aren't built for casual gamers; they're built for gamers who take audio seriously, and who want the audio cupped around their ears rather than coming out of an array of multi-channel satellites. This new set is designed primarily for PS3 and Xbox 360, and it lets you connect up to three audio devices. It's also wireless (both audio and voice chat), so there aren't any extra wires to worry over. The...
Read more...
We're back again this week with another HotHardware video podcast chatting it up about recent developments in tech, PC hardware and related industry news. This week we cover NVIDIA's various announcements from the GPU Technology Conference which just took place in San Jose. We also cover some new chips from Intel and AMD, talk about our in-depth gaming headset / headphone buying guide and round-up, and we give you details on how to win a FREE, fully configured killer gaming system from CyberPower PC... Show Notes: 0:18 - NVIDIA Exposes GPU Roadmap: Kepler Arrives 2011, Maxwell in 2013 ______NVIDIA Finds Its Rhythm: Tegra 3 Imminent with Annual Updates ______Despite Delays, NVIDIA Building...
Read more...
Turtle Beach has been a respected name in console audio for years now, so when the company puts out a new pair of headphones, people listen. Literally. The Ear Force DX11 Gaming Headset has just hit the announcement pages, with Dolby 7.1 channel surround sound tucked into two major earcups that are sure to provide brain-rocking sound while engrossed in Halo: Reach. The new headset will be sold exclusively at Best Buy, and the company claims that the 7.1 audio support will let users gain a competitive advantage by being able to hear exactly where enemies and stray fire is coming from. These also have a pull-down microphone for chatting over Xbox LIVE, and there's even a bass booster, 40mm sound...
Read more...
Anytime a company can attach "gaming" to the front of a product, it usually ends well for them. Gamers flock to anything that they think is built specifically for them, but lately the term has been watered down somewhat. We've got gaming mice, gaming keyboards, even gaming mouse pads. Do all of these things actually cater to the needs of the gamer? Let's ask Sony, who just issued a new pair of headphones that they proudly claim as "Gaming" headphones. In fact, Sony calls these the ultimate weapon in gaming, with 7.1 surround sound within the DR-GA500. These are made specifically to hear shots and sound effects from all angles, but without requiring a full 7.1 speaker rig. If you live in a studio...
Read more...
