In recent years, Monster Cables started to expand its business to include a handful of headphones, the first models coming from a collaboration with hip-hop producer Dr. Dre. The company's offerings now comprise a couple of in-ear sets, including the top-of-the-line Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers, a $299 number that features the same heavy, metal earpieces as found on the first Turbine earphones. While we wish Monster had incorporated an integrated mic and iPod controls at this price point, it's hard to overlook the Turbine Pro's high-end look and feel and top-notch sound.
(Credit:
Monster)
I bet companies like Monster are breathing a sigh of relief now that rumors of an integrated iPhone 3GS FM transmitter have been proven false. Otherwise, there's simply no way monster could have justified its newly announced $99 iCarPlay Wireless 1000 in-car FM transmitter and iPod/iPhone charger.
Truth is, I still don't know how you justify a $99 FM transmitter, or even a $79 FM transmitter like the also-announced Monster iCarPlay Wireless 800 (pictured). FCC regulations have pretty much capped the power of these things for the past few years, making it hard to argue that the devices are any more effective than last year's models. To Monster's credit, the refreshed gear looks twice as slick as last year's line-up, and this time around they're officially iPhone 3G certified.
Still, to anyone willing to drop $100 on an FM transmitter: do yourself a favor and please just upgrade your car's stereo. Also, remember, all you iPhone and iPod Touch users can use stereo Bluetooth now (hint-hint).
All ranting aside, Monster unveiled a few other in-car audio accessories today, including the iCarCharger 1000 iPod/iPhone power adapter ($49), the $19 iCarPlay Cassette 800 (yes, they still make these), along with a grab bag of $15-$30 aux cables (iSplitters, iCables--you get the idea).
The original Turbine. The new Pro looks similar, but with more gold.
(Credit: Monster)On Thursday night in Manhattan, Mr. Monster himself, Noel Lee, introduced a handful of journalists to his new top-on-the-line in-ear headphones, the Turbine Pro.
I'm a huge fan of Monster's original Turbine at $150. It's easily my pick for the best bang-for-the-buck in-ear. But the new Turbine Pro at $250, due out next month, is better. The Turbine remains in the line.
I was listening to a hand-built prototype Turbine Pro (the builder must have really tiny hands) and I have to say, the new baby has even greater clarity, more accurate bass, and sweeter treble. It's a more refined sound. Not that the standard Turbine is a slouch in those departments, but the Pro is just better in every area.
Lee also demonstrated his newly designed ear tips, which were extremely comfortable and provided improved isolation from external noise.
The headphone's technical details weren't disclosed. So for now I can't really say why the new ones are better. More to come on that.
(Credit:
Monster.com)
Is a job listing for an "experienced engineer to lead the gaming platforms team" final proof that Netflix's Watch Now streaming video service is coming to the PS3 and Wii? That's the question Crunchgear is asking after it recently got a tip from a reader who saw that Netflix had posted the job to Monster.com.
In case you're having trouble reading the job description above, here's the important part:
We are looking for a hands-on leader and innovator. We seek deep experience developing and testing media rich applications on current generation gaming consoles. Candidates will be technical, strong leaders, and execution focused. Expect to help build a small technology team to rapidly prototype and iterate on a variety of platforms.
The key phrase is "a variety of platforms," which one would assume means both home and mobile gaming consoles. You could also throw the iPhone into the mix, though you'd have to stream via Wi-Fi, not a cellular connection, because AT&T has bandwidth restrictions on streaming video.
As far as rumor mongering goes, the job listing, which went up on April 6, dovetails nicely with a recent Netflix survey asking subscribers whether they'd be willing to shell out a one-time fee of $10 to stream video to their PS3s.
Of course, if Netflix is just advertising the position now, it's unclear how far along it is with development for other gaming platforms beyond the XBox 360.
Thoughts?
- WiiWare
- Niki - Rock 'n' Ball (Bplus, 500 Wii points): Niki - Rock 'n' Ball is a platforming game that approaches a classic game mechanic in a brand new way. Liberate villages by eliminating the enemies that have appeared.
- Virtual Console
- Wonder Boy in Monster Land (1988, Sega Master System, 500 Wii points): Weird box art aside, you'll take on the role of Wonder Boy as you battle fire-breathing dragons and other strange enemies. Use magic spells and weapons to make your quest a little more tolerable.
What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off here!
At the risk of beating a dead horse, we dropped by our local Circuit City store this weekend to see if the oft-derided liquidation sales had picked up any steam. Hopefully, a couple of weeks into the CC death spiral, the discounts would ratchet up and we'd finally see some good deals.
While others have been prevented by store managers from getting actual in-store shots of the liquidation sales, we ninja'd our way through with the help of the iPhone's built-in camera, much as we did when sneaking pics of Wal-Mart's iPhone kiosks.
Many items were still listed at 10-percent off -- and that's 10-percent off the MSRP, not Circuit City's normally discounted prices, a distinction that has been noted repeatedly by reporters and bloggers. A few categories went up to 30-percent off (time to stock up on video game-hint books!), and even the 10-percent is worth checking out for items that normally don't get any kind of list price discount.
Check out the gallery below for a quick survey of what's on sale. We've even tossed in a few direct price comparisons for laptops and video-game gear to test just how liquid this liquidation sale really is.
The Monster Turbine headphones are so good, we're actually not allowed to call them headphones.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)Donald talks about his review of the Cowon S9 touch-screen MP3 player and Jasmine brings us up to speed on in-ear speakers (aka headphones). Then, we round-up six iPod alternatives that are compatible with DRM-free iTunes Plus downloads.
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In marketing materials for its new $150 in-ear headphones, Monster headlines its package with the question, "The world's best-sounding earphones?" I'm not sure if we should take this as a declaration or an actual question, but so far the answer from Amazon reviewers and some blogs is a pretty stiff "no."
Monster's new $150 earphones promise great sound.
(Credit: Amazon)To be fair, some blogs have reviewed the Turbines favorably. It's also worth noting that Amazon reviews can be written by anyone, including PR reps from other manufacturers (not that we're accusing anybody of anything). But it's rare that you see a product get a one-star rating from virtually every "reviewer" (at the time of this writing there were 11 one-star reviews and one four-star review).
Part of the problem stems from the fact that Monster has its share of both fans and detractors. As one reviewer from Amazon's End User blog notes, "Monster Cable has always had a bit of an embattled reputation amongst enthusiasts--strong opinions on both sides fly back and forth on message boards and newsgroups like verbal trebuchets whenever their name comes up."
Personally, I think it's risky for a manufacturer to go overboard with marketing hyperbole, especially when you're entering a fairly mature market. Yes, you want to make a splash, but there's the danger of over-promising and under-delivering.
In its press release, Monster says the Turbines are the "world's first high-performance in-ear headphones with specially engineered drivers that deliver impeccable audiophile-quality sound." Well, that's simply not true. Shure makes earbuds that deliver audiophile-quality sound. Etymotic, too. And several other companies would make the same claim.
What do you guys think? Is Monster getting a bum rap? Or are the Turbines as good as the company makes them out to be?
P.S. We'll have our own review of the earphones early next year, after the holiday break.
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.
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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