Once Monster dipped its toes into the headphone market, there was no stopping the cable manufacturer from releasing a bevy of earphones on the unsuspecting masses. From in-ear to on-ear to over-the-ear, you shouldn't have trouble finding a pair of undeniably stylish Monster headphones to suit your needs.
The latest offering is the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo, an on-ear model that features ControlTalk, which is essentially fancy terminology for an inline mic and integrated controls for the iPod. This $200 set offers all the bass we expected from the first two Dr. Dre headphones in a slick, compact package. Unfortunately, while the low end is satisfyingly ear-shaking, it also tends to muddy up the overall sound space.
This week, Donald will just not_shut_up already, so Jasmine tries to impose a word cap on his ramblings (it fails). Items that are babbled upon include the overly bass-heavy Dr. Dre Beats Solo headphones, a potential Zii war between Nintendo and Creative, an itty-bitty $9 MP3 player, and a potential HD video player from Cowon. Also, Donald shoots Jasmine with lasers, and we drool over an ultraquiet vacuum with a built in iPod speaker.
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The BackBeat Pros are available now for $99.99.
(Credit: Altec Lansing)When we reviewed Altec Lansing's line of BackBeat earphones, we were pleasantly surprised that they sounded as good as they did for what they cost. Expounding on the bang-for-the-buck theme, Altec's now introduced the line-topping BackBeat Pro UHP606 for $99.99.
Altec says the earphones include "high-end armature technology, engineered to deliver an in-studio sound experience at a price level far below competing headphones costing several hundreds more."
The press release goes on to discuss how great this technology is and how it helps achieve professional "studio quality." In other words, Altec's setting the bar pretty high, so let's hope the BackBeat Pros deliver when we get our hands on a pair.
These earphones are are actually shipping now--they're available at Best Buy and www.alteclansing.com.
On Sale Now: $24.95 - $72.74
View the latest prices for Altec Lansing BackBeat Pro UHP606 headphones
On Sale Now: $39.99
View the latest prices for Altec Lansing BackBeat Titanium 326 headphones
On Sale Now: $31.99 - $49.99
View the latest prices for Altec Lansing BackBeat Plus UHP206 - headphones
On Sale Now: $17.58 - $19.99
View the latest prices for Altec Lansing BackBeat Classic UHP106 headphones
Altec Lansing is a long-standing competitor in the iPod speaker market, so it makes sense that the company now produces a variety of headphones, as well.
For $40, the Altec Lansing BackBeat Titanium 326 headphones offer an excellent value and make a great replacement for the stock earbuds that came with your MP3 player. They're more comfortable; feature a durable, cloth-covered cable; and offer impressive sound quality. There's not much more we can ask for from a set of earphones.
Totally rad box-art!
- WiiWare
- BIT.TRIP BEAT (Aksys Games, 600 Wii points): Retro-themed rhythm gaming at its finest! Use your Wii remote to control the beat alone or with up to four players total. The 8-bit soundtrack is sure to please gamers of all ages.
- Virtual Console
- Summer Games II (1985, Commodore 64, 500 Wii points): 1985's Summer Games II puts you up against thousands of athletes from around the world. Compete in various events including cycling, equestrian, fencing, high jump, javelin, kayaking, rowing, and triple jump.
What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off at our discussion board!
You better clean up your act, random gadgets and services! That's right, we're talking to you. You can't escape our scorn, because you JUST...DON'T...GET IT! Don't think we won't continue to use you, though. Cold turkey was never our strong suit.
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EPISODE 125 |
Today’s episode inspired by Tributes.com
Dell’s Mini 10 Netbook debuting on…QVC?
Wheego Whip electric car coming to America in May for $19K
All the DJ’s in the house say “OW”--the Samsung Beat DJ has arrived
Bear sleeping bag will keep you safe from bear attacks, I assume
The eagerly anticipated MP3 speaker/perfume convergence
A propos (of) nothing
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With so may cell phones on the planet, it's hard to find a model with a design that stands out from the crowd. Yet, Samsung manages to do just that with its new Beat DJ. I caught up with it at the GSMA World Congress in Barcelona.
With rounded edges and a bright blue trim, the Beat DJ offers a striking design that feels comfortable in the hand. As a touch-screen phone, the only physical controls on the front face are Talk and End controls and a back button. Over on the right side you'll find a memory card slot and a camera shutter, while a handset locking switch, a volume rocker and a Micro-USB port sit on the left spine.
I admit that the 2.6-inch display is a bit small for my tastes. It felt slightly cramped when browsing through the menu and tapping out messages and phone numbers. On the upside, the display is responsive but people with larger hands should give it a test-drive first.
The Beat DJ has its own look.
(Credit: Samsung)The music player interface is quite unique. In the center of the display you'll find a large circle that is reminiscent of the curves on either end of the phone. By tracing your finger around the circle you can advance through a song. It's a tad gimmicky, but it's cool nonetheless.
You also get access to a whole menu of DJ effects such as a record scratch. The music player on the model we examined wasn't completely functional but the whole experience looks fairly promising. Sound quality from the stereo speakers was impressive thanks to the Bang & Olufsen amplifier.
Other features include an FM radio, a 3-megapixel camera with video recording, stereo Bluetooth, an external memory slot, a 3.5-mm headset jack, organizer features, and a speakerphone.
To get the full effect, check out the Samsung GSMA slide show.
It turns out the blogosphere was correct. At its GSMA World Congress press conference on Monday, Samsung took the wraps off the Ultra Touch, the Omnia HD, the Beat DJ, and the Beat Disc. The four phones offer touch displays with a big multimedia focus. Check out the slide show for full specs and glamour shots and another peek at the Samsung Touch Blue.
Beats for your brain.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)In the final MP3 Insider of 2008, Donald and Jasmine discuss Dr. Dre's super stylish in-ear headphones, a way-too-pricey iPod dock from DLO, some touch-screen alternatives to the iPod Touch, and a gaggle of gear for the Creative Zen family.
Plus, find out how to follow Jasmine and Donald while they cruise around CES 2009.
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So you love creating hip-hop beats, right? I mean come on, who doesn't? Let's say one day, a particularly awesome beat pops into your head but you're nowhere near home.
Now you're in a race against time to get home before it's lost forever, deep within walls and walls of other memories. According to Akai, you should not have to worry about such things ever again.
(Credit:
Akai)
Akai's XR20 Beat Production Station is a portable beat production station that allows you to create hip-hop and R&B beats wherever you are.
The device contains more than 700 preloaded sounds and covers a range of acoustic and electronic drums, percussion, single (one-shot) hits, bass and synth sounds, and instrument samples. It includes an integrated effects engine that features reverb, EQ and compression, enabling users to make complete backing tracks. While the device does not come with a microphone, it does include a mic input for mixing in vocals.
Key features include:
- More than 700 sounds produced by music company Chronic Music
- Ninety-nine preset patterns and 99 user patterns
- Backlit LCD
- Bright, glowing, backlit pads that follow the beat
- Microphone input and headphone output
- Pattern play mode permits different patterns to be triggered from individual pads
- Drum roll/note repeat feature
- Powered by batteries or AC adapter
XR20 is now available for a suggested retail price of $499.
