headphones

1964 Ears custom in-ear headphones beat their competition on price

1964 Ears makes custom-molded, in-ear headphones, just like Ultimate Ears, JH Audio, and Westone, but 1964 Ears is a relative newcomer. It has to try harder than the more established brands, so 1964 Ears offers a wider array of customizable features and service options than the others. Prices start a little lower, at $350 for the 1964-D, and $650 for the top-of-the-line model I'm reviewing here today, the 1964-V6. That's significantly less expensive than the established brands' flagships.

1964 Ears can also "remold" your old universal-fit balanced-armature headphones, like a Shure or Etymotic pair, and make … Read more

DTS headphone surround-sound technology

DTS demonstrated its new Headphone:X surround processing system at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. The system is capable of reproducing up to 11 channels of surround sound over conventional stereo headphones. I didn't hear it, but a few friends at the show who heard the Headphone:X demo came away impressed with its ability to project a sound field well outside the confines of the headphones. DTS is promoting Headphone:X technology as HTiP -- Home Theater in Pocket, and claims that the system can emulate the DTS reference listening room or a … Read more

Wowed by the Woo WA7 headphone amplifier

The Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies is one of the most beautiful audio products I've ever used. For my money it approaches a level of design grace comparable to that of Apple products. The 5-inch cube headphone amplifier has two vacuum tubes protected by a thick glass cover. The WA7 also has a built-in 32-bit/192kHz USB digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and lots of custom-made parts, including dedicated nickel alloy output transformers. There's a 6.3mm jack for home-style headphones, and a 3.5mm jack for portable ones. That's noteworthy, as few headphone amps have both jack sizes. The … Read more

Recalibrate your expectations of how good an in-ear headphone can sound

I've been listening to Jerry Harvey's custom-molded in-ear headphones for years. The very first one, the UE10, was a game changer; in 2006 it was the best sounding in-ear headphone I'd heard. Now with his new Freqphase JH13 and JH16 in-ears, Harvey's done it again. The performance gains in clarity, detail, resolution, and stereo imaging are huge -- the adrenaline-pumping sound of the music you love over a set of Harvey's headphones can't be matched by any other in-ear 'phones.

Years before he made headphones, Harvey mixed stage monitor sound for Kiss, Van Halen, … Read more

Rumor Has It: Bringing back souvenirs from CES 2013

We come at you live from CES 2013, where we saw so many TVs our eyes started bleeding. Kind of.

The week was a blur, but through the rubble we recall images of giant televisions, curved screens, a fork that vibrates, an awesome gaming tablet that Karyne wishes she owned 100 of, and blackjack tables. So many blackjack tables.

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Heard a tech rumor you think we should cover? Leave a comment below; ; send us a tweet (@EmilyDreyfuss, @karynelevy, and @CNETRumorShow); or call and leave us a voice mail at 1-800-750-CNET. … Read more

A headphone amp and USB digital-to-analog converter for just $99 each

Schiit Audio's very first product, the Asgard headphone amplifier, left me shaken and stirred back in 2010. It sold for $249, looked and sounded amazing, and to top things off, it was made in the U.S. -- not just assembled here. Most of the Asgard's parts are sourced from U.S. companies.

The Asgard is still in company's product line, and it's still $249. But Schiit has grown since then, and now offers a full line of more expensive headphone amps and USB digital-to-analog converters (DACs) -- which is great. But the company's most recent offerings sell for just $99 each! The Magni headphone amp and the Modi DAC are also made in America, and they sound spectacular. … Read more

Fitness sensor earphones gather health data, deliver music

LAS VEGAS--The last time we caught up with Valencell, the company was hoping its PerformTek fitness-monitoring sensor technology would be available to consumers last fall. It's taken a little longer than expected, but the tech has been licensed to Iriver and will be available in March in the form of the $199 Iriver On earbuds.

As we've seen at CES this year, everybody and their grandmother has developed some sort of wearable fitness technology. What sets the Iriver On apart is that it's integrated with a device you already wear while exercising: earbuds. There's no bracelet to wear or dongle to clip on; you just monitor your heart rate, distance, cadence, speed, and calories burned while you rock out.… Read more

Hands-on with Onkyo's sweet new $149 ES-FC300 headphones

LAS VEGAS--It seems as if almost every audio company is getting into the headphone market, so it's not surprising Onkyo has gotten into the game with two on-ear and two in-ear models.

I spent a little time with the two on-ear pairs, the ES-FC300 ($149) and ES-HF300 ($179). The difference between the two is the cord -- the FC300 has a tangle-resistant flat cable while the more expensive HF300 features an "audiophile-grade" 6N copper cable.

I liked the understated look of the headphones and found them pretty comfortable to wear. They're fairly lightweight but don't … Read more

AfterShokz Bluez cut cord on bone conduction headphones

LAS VEGAS--You can't really call AfterShokz products earphones, because they don't go into your ears. The term "headphones" works, though. Last year at CES, the company unveiled its original design, corded headphones that send the music into your mind via your bone structure. The new Bluetooth Bluez takes the same approach, but it's all done in wireless style.

The controls and battery are integrated into the part of the headphones that wraps around the back of your head. A rubbery strip helps customize the fit and keep them in place for active users.

The big selling point is how AfterShokz keeps your hearing available for more important issues than music, like your boss yelling at you, or a car coming up from behind while you're jogging. The $100 Bluez is a couple of steps up from the originals, ditching the hassle of cords and other dangly bits that can get in the way while you're exercising.… Read more

Ultra HD TVs are big at CES 2013

Tuesday's CNET Update from CES 2013:

The show floor has officially opened at the International CES, and here's a quick breakdown of the highlights so far:

Televisions and home entertainment tend to be the star of the show. This year, LG announced shipping and pricing details for the 55-inch OLED TV that everyone was gawking at last year. The buzz now is more focused around Ultra HD resolution, also called 4K. You need a very large screen to appreciate that extra resolution. Sharp showed two Ultra HD TVs. Samsung unveiled an 85-inch Ultra HD TV with a floor stand. … Read more