Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

headsets

Shure versus Ultimate Ears--Ask the Editors

Q: I just want your personal opinion on this as a CNET editor of music devices and accessories. Let's say money is not a factor. I am wondering which of the below is the best option (I have an iPhone 3G and love to listen to music): the UE Triple.fi 10vi, the UE Triple.fi 10 Pro, or the Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Headphones. Keep in mind I own and am very comfortable with the fit of the Shure SE110 Sound Isolating headphones, and Shure SE210 sound isolating headphones. Thanks.--Ashwin, via e-mail

A: Given that you are … Read more

Super compact wireless stereo headphones from Sony Ericsson

As an increasing number of mobile phones incorporate a music player, more and more stereo Bluetooth headphones are unleashed onto the market. The audio quality offered is still not on par with wired models, but the headsets offer the advantage of cord-free listening. Still, size can be an issue for some: very few models offer an earbud-style design, and even then, there are often larger earpieces attached.

Sony Ericsson addresses this issue with its HBH-IS800 Wireless Stereo Headphones, which are the tiniest wireless earphones we've ever come across. With a suggested retail price of $200, this set is far … Read more

Ultimate Ears releases stellar Triple.fi 10vi for the iPhone

The Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10vi Noise Isolating Earphones are a slight variation on the UE Triple.fi 10 Pro. The 10vi headphones offer the same spectacular sound quality and gigantic earbuds found across the Triple.fi line, but come with the added bonus of an inline mic and call-answer button for use with your iPhone or other music-friendly cell phone.

Other handy features include a nice, hard-sided metal carrying case; several varieties of eartips, including the super-comfy foam variety; an extender cable; a quarter-inch adapter; and an airplane adapter cable. Be forewarned, though: the ear pieces are truly huge … Read more

Coosh Headset: Only active multitaskers need apply

There is such a thing as too much multitasking, but we understand the urge to make the most out of your gadgets. Listening to music and taking calls while working out is just one of many possible combinations. For that, you need a music phone and an active-style headset with an inline mic and a secure fit.

The $30 Coosh Headset fulfills that last requirement nicely, although it's neither the most comfortable nor the best-sounding set of earphones we've come across. Still, it gets the job done at a fair price.

Read the Coosh Headset review.

A Jawbone Bluetooth headset for $39.49 shipped

Many folks regard the Aliph Jawbone to be one of the best Bluetooth headsets on the planet. I tend to agree, which is why I'm excited that eCost is offering the Jawbone for just $29.99 (after a $6 mail-in rebate).

Alas, that rebate (PDF) doesn't quite cover eCost's ridiculous $9.50 shipping charge, but even the final price of $39.49 is well below what you'll find elsewhere.

Renowned for its fashionable design and unparalleled noise-canceling capabilities, the Jawbone earned an four-star rating from CNET.

Users were a bit less enthusiastic, mostly due to the … Read more

Able Planet headset goes easy on the ears

Here's something we haven't seen before: a headset designed to lessen the damaging effect loud music and gaming can potentially have on the ears. Able Planet introduced the PS500MM gaming headset back in December of 2008, claiming that the device's onboard "Link Audio" technology will soften the blow to your eardrums.

Basically the technology is supposed to prevent the user from having to raise the volume in order to drown out background noise. Interestingly enough, it was first developed for those with mild to severe hearing loss. AblePlanet claims it's patented Link Audio technology … Read more

Review: iHarmonix makes iPhone tunes more harmonious

Once in a while you get something and like it so much you wonder why you hadn't gotten it a long time ago. Or, as in my case, why you didn't use it.

This happened back during CES. I was given a headset from iHarmonix, the Platinum i-Series, as a freebie. I didn't have a chance to really use it until just now and asked myself why I waited so long.

The headset's sound is much better than that of Apple's OEM included with the iPhone. For the first time, I can enjoy the bass and really control the multifunction button (that ends calls as well as controls music playback), thanks to its round shape and larger size. The iPhone's included headset has a very tiny button that's hard to press on. It was almost impossible for me to make a successful jump to a previous track.

What I like best, however, is the fact that the Platinum i-Series is black instead of having the same white color as Apple's headset. Now I can blend in without people looking at me and thinking, "Oh I know, you got an iPhone, all right."… Read more