headphone

I sympathize with the hordes of urban dwellers who begrudgingly subject themselves to the purgatory of daily public transportation -- the screeching teenagers, sticky floors, and potpourri of smells are part of the reason I ride a bicycle. That said, there are things you can do to ease the pain of your commute.

First, don't look at anyone -- gawkers are universally creepy, so pick a spot on the ground and stare. Next, source a pair of headphones using the following criteria as your buying guide: durable, compact, noise-isolating, and "closed-back," meaning they won't betray your privacy and leak your music to fellow commuters.

This list includes both circumaural (over-ear) and in-ear, bud-style headphones. Both styles are suitable for noise isolation, though you may prefer active noise-canceling headphones if your ride is extra-annoying. If not, earbuds with well-fitted tips (silicone or foam) can be just as effective at muting the world around you.… Read more

Apple dislikes seams in things. This very obsession led it to the point where it spent an estimated $6.6 million on a remodel of its Fifth Avenue store in New York to cut the number of glass panels it was using in its exterior cubic entrance from 90 down to 15.

Now another iconic Apple-made item could be in line for a seamless makeover: the company's earbuds.

In a patent application published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and picked up by Apple Insider, Apple has laid out a plan for ultrasonically welded, unibody headphones.… Read more

I've written about Schiit's amazing headphone amps before, but their new Lyr is the company's first high-output headphone amplifier. It delivers up to 6 watts into 32 ohm headphones. If that sounds like overkill for most headphones I'd agree, but there are a few headphones that need more power to sound their best. That's where the Schiit Lyr ($449) comes into its own.

When I first auditioned the Hifiman HE-6 ($1,299) full-size headphones last year I wasn't impressed. The sound was lackluster and I couldn't get them to play loud with any … Read more

Don't expect HTC to pack Beats headphones or earbuds with the Evo 4G LTE -- or any of its smartphones for the time being.

HTC is shelving the idea. One lesson the company learned from last year's Sensation XL and the Rezound: customers don't really choose smartphones based on the headphones -- even headphones with a brand as recognizable as Beats.

"An accessory like the headphone doesn't factor in when someone is buying a smartphone," Martin Fichter, an HTC product executive, told CNET. "If they want a Beats headphone, they'll buy it … Read more

Headphones are among the most popular products on CNET, and, not surprisingly, many of you are looking for a pair that delivers a lot of bang for the buck.

With that in mind, I've put together a list of our favorite headphones that offer good -- and sometimes excellent -- performance for the money. It's a bit of a hodgepodge of products, with a mix of in-ear, on-ear, and over-the-ear headphones, and even a few Bluetooth models.

Since there are literally thousands of models available, we've most likely missed some great deals, but we're determined to find as many headphone bargains as we can, so feel free to offer up your own nominations in the comments section below. We'll be reviewing additional headphones throughout the year and will be updating this list as we go along. … Read more

It's hard to design really small wireless Bluetooth earphones because you have to cram a battery and some extra electronics into a compact housing the size of something that's not much bigger than, well, an earbud.

That's a challenge Plantronics has managed to overcome with its new $99.99 BackBeat Go wireless stereo headset, which the company has just started shipping to stores. It's one of the smallest and lightest stereo Bluetooth headsets out there, with two slightly oversize earbuds joined by a flat, fettuccine wire that's designed to cut down on tangles. … Read more

If Geordi La Forge were to go punk, we imagine he'd wear something like these OneSense headphones.

Designed by Joe Doucet, this work of art will be on display at a design exhibition in Milan soon and are meant to encourage users to focus on listening to music and not be distracted by the world around them.

According to Doucet, the cautionary red hue and intimidating spikes are meant to "alert others not to intrude, while covering the wearer's eyes reduces distractions. There's no word on the actual specifications of these headphones (we doubt they actually work), but we have to admire the idea behind this Lady Gaga-esque design. … Read more

If Beats Electronics acquires Mog, the maker of the popular headphones has plans that go way beyond subscription music.

CNET broke the news three weeks ago that Mog, an also-ran subscription music service, was for sale and AllThingsD yesterday reported that Beats intends to acquire Mog, but the deal has yet to close.

A Mog spokesperson did not respond to an interview request. A Beats representative wasn't immediately available.

Sources close to Beats say managers intend to build a Web store that will sell music, headphones, and numerous other products. Apparently, the idea is to cash in on the … Read more

Finnair business travelers flying between Helsinki and Shanghai will soon have the chance to be test subjects on the effect that "brain stimulation" headphones have on jet lag.

The $240 earbuds, made and tested by Finnish company Valkee, already blast LED lights instead of music into desperate and willing ear canals with the intention of alleviating seasonal affective disorder. (The company has claimed, too, that the light helps improve reaction time--at least in Finnish hockey players.)

Now Valkee is working with the airline Finnair to determine whether the lights may instill a sense of well-being in long-distance … Read more