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.
If you enjoyed Eric Franklin's post on 8-bit NES-style hip-hop, you'll definitely enjoy Team Teamwork's "The Ocarina of Rhyme." It's a mix tape of mashups that combines hip-hop tracks with the score to the Zelda game Ocarina of Time.
Team Teamwork produced the mix, which features unique tracks by Spank Rock, Common, Aesop Rock, Clipse, and my personal pick: MF Doom. Most of the songs fit well with the background score; for example, in "Fumbling Over Words," artist Edan Portnoy's intensity melds seamlessly into the rumblings of the "Battle" music from OoT, but other tracks, like Common's classic "I Used to Love H.E.R.," just sound too silly over the theme from the Hyrule Marketplace.
Stream the album above or download it here, and let me know what you think in the comments!
Click for more pics.
(Credit: CBS Interactive/Corinne Schulze)Fashion-forward designs have recently been making quite a bit of headway in the headphone space. It doesn't take much effort to find a pair that matches your MP3 player or can be coordinated by outfit, although manufacturers with true eye for design take things a step further. Take Monster Cable's Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones, a super stylish set of cans announced at CES 2008. The company is now adding to the fashionable line with the Tour In-Ear Headphones, an ultraportable set that sports the signature red and black coloring. This $150 pair once again proves that hip hop-branded headphones won't necessarily offer an overwhelming low-end response, and also leads us to believe Dr. Dre may have the deepest ear canals known to man. Read the Dr. Dre Tour earphones review.
Click the pic above to see the gallery.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)It's not always easy to get excited about a pair of headphones on first glance. Generally, the listening experience, which is gathered only after putting a set on and sitting down with some favorite music, is what draws people in. Not so with the Monster Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, a sweet-looking set that will relieve you of $350. While their sound quality is nothing to scoff at, their appeal as eye candy is undeniable. For audio enthusiasts who are tired of the same old look, the Beats are a must.
Read the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones review.
When Dr. Dre rapped that he would "keep those heads ringin," the Grammy-winning artist perhaps only meant to foreshadow the Friday release of his new headphones, "Beats by Dr. Dre."
"Beats by Dr.Dre" headphones will be sold at Apple and Best Buy for $350.
(Credit: BeatsByDre.com)While they are marketed with the name of the rapper-turned-producer, the headphones are actually made by Monster Cable, which specializes in audio and video accessories. Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, also was on the development team.
Monster claims that the Beats headphones are "the most advanced headphone ever built." According to the product Web site, they were designed so that consumers could hear music at the same quality as producers in the studio, specifically clearer music with an emphasis on bass.
"Beats by Dr. Dre" headphones have extra-large speaker drivers and a high-power digital amplifier, isolation technology to lessen outside noise, and a Monster iSoniTalk headphone cable with microphone, so the device can connect to music-enabled phones, according to the Apple Store.
Starting July 25, the headphones will be sold at Apple Stores and Best Buys around the nation and online, as well as BeatsByDre.com. In-store purchasers can also test out the high-end headphones, which retail for $349.95.
(Credit:
Monster)
As far as celebrity-branded products are concerned, at least this makes more sense than the J. Lo USB drive. Dr. Dre --never one to miss a marketing opportunity himself--is getting into audio gear with a pair of headphones made by Monster.
But we're not sure if his name alone will justify the $400 price of the "Beats" line when there are so many other high-end headphones on the market. And as MobileWhack says, it might help if there was something current by Dre to listen to.
- prev
- 1
- next
