Of the many new headsets on display at Turtle Beach’s booth here at E3, the one pair that really caught our eye was the company’s Z Seven for Mac and PCs. Priced at $249, the Z Sevens are the first PC headphones to offer uncompressed surround sound audio. Naturally, we had to go ears-on with the Z Sevens to hear just how good they sounded.
The Z Sevens include a variety of interesting features including their own audio control unit (ACU) that lets you configure things such as volume, surround sound and chat settings. The ACU also offers its own presets if you don’t feel like customizing your audio experience. Turtle Beach says this is the first time a PC headset has included an ACU, and it certainly paid of during our testing, allowing us to setup and save our own audio profile quickly and easily. The feature even works when listening to music, so you can set audio profiles for specific genres like rock, country or hip-hop. Read the rest of this entry »
Audio technology developer DTS’s new Headphone X is a new mobile audio solution that promises to faithfully recreate the sound of specific listening environments using even the simplest pair of headphones or smartphones. The software, which will be deployed in a variety of devices ranging from headphones to smartphones and tablets, allows listeners to hear music, movies and, most importantly for E3, games as their creators always intended. To see just how good audio using this solution could sound, we visited DTS’ booth here at E3 for a private demo session.
To give us a good idea of how accurately Headphone X can reproduce audio, DTS reps set up a meeting room with a 7.1 surround sound layout, that includes speakers up front, on the sides and around back, and placed four chairs in the center. We then put on a pair of headphones and listened to a prerecorded voice do call outs from each individual speaker. Why the speakers if we were going to listen to audio from a pair of headphones? It turns out, DTS set up the speakers and then scanned the room to determine how audio would sound when seated in the chairs between them. The company’s reps then programmed its Headphone X technology to reproduce exactly how the speakers would sound using a simple pair of headphones. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s a case of gaming with no strings attached. PDP, a third-party video-game peripheral maker, has unveiled its latest creation on the E3 2013 show floor — the Afterglow Prismatic Wireless Dolby 5.1 Wireless headset. A refresh of last year’s model the $179 headphones are packing Dolby 5.1 surround sound technology for a more immersive gaming experience. The headset is universal which means they’ll work with your PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. However there’s no word if the headset will feature Xbox One support.
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Bose doesn’t release new products very often, but when it does, you know you’re in for an earful of awesome. Such is the case with the company’s latest Soundlink Mini Bluetooth speaker (coming July 11th for $199) and the QuietComfort 20 headphones ($299 later this summer). Both devices excel at putting big sound into compact packages, but they out-innovate the competition in their own ways. Read the rest of this entry »
SuperTooth is sinking its teeth into the Bluetooth headphone market. Ahead of CTIA, the company has announced the launch of the Freedom headphones, a pair of over-the-ear, NFC-enabled wireless headphones. Available this summer for $149, the cans will be featured with a high-gloss finish in white, black and blue. Read the rest of this entry »
Sure, you’ve seen headphones with customizable headbands or earcup shields. But what about headphones with speakers personalized to your listening tastes? The new Myth Lab Pro Headphones let people choose their own headband and speakers, creating a look and audio that’s truly personal.
The Myth Labs website features two speakers, Genesis and Eclipse with six headband colors. The Genesis speakers are lightweight and work best with lower-quality mp3s, YouTube videos or analog devices. The Eclipse are more versatile, focusing on playing up the intricate parts of a track that are usually buried by lower-quality headphones. Read the rest of this entry »
Not all headphones are created equal, and neither are headphone accessories. Last year headphone maker V-MODA released the Vamp, a headphone amp that transformed your iPhone into an audiophile-quality audio device. Now the company is back to give Android users some love with its new Vamp Verza, the world’s first Mobile Hi-Fi system for Android and iOS.
Once again, Neurowear proves that tech is simply mind over matter. After unleashing the adorable and curiously amusing Necomimi Brain-Controlled Cat Ears, word on the street was that a matching tail was to follow. But it looks as if the company has set its focus on the audio space.
At South by Southwest in Austin, the company is showing off its newest project, a set of mind-controlled headphones called Mico. To make the device, Neurowear took the familiar forehead sensor and earlobe clip from the Necomimi and attached them to a positively massive set of white headphones, which utilize Bluetooth to connect with your smartphone. Read the rest of this entry »
How do you improve upon a headphone using bone conduction technology? Simple. Make them wireless. AfterShokz announced Bluez, the world’s first open-air Bluetooth headphones. Building upon the success of the popular Sport headphones, AfterShokz has begun accepting pre-orders for the $99.95 Bluez.
With the rise of mobile devices, headphone-makers are beginning to create products specifically for mobile. During CES 2013, Munitio unveiled its new SV Mobile Performance earphones.
