headphone

A couple of small--but I think somewhat serious--issues regarding the audio output of the iPhone have been percolating on the Web for the last week or so. The issues involve the iPhone's headphone/headset jack and the phone's ability to output stereo sound via Bluetooth.

Let's start with the headphone jack. In Walt Mossberg and Katherine Boehret's iPhone review for the Wall Street Journal, they state, "The headphone jack, which supports both stereo music and phone calls, is deeply recessed, so you may need an adapter for existing headphones." Why the port would be … Read more

One of the little-mentioned aspects of the iPhone is its recessed headphone plug, liable to render some earphones incompatible. If you've invested in a sweet pair of high-end headphones or earphones for your iPod, and you're feeling a little iffy about the iPhone sending you back to the stock Apple "mug me" earbuds, then Shure's new Music Phone Adapter might be just the thing. It's a cable adapter with a built-in microphone and a control button, allowing your existing set of earphones to be adapted for the iPhone. The product, to retail for $39.… Read more

It's rare to get the opportunity to review custom-molded earphones. Custom ear products are usually just too expensive to be relevant to most people, and the ear-impression process can be an inconvenience. But when John Diles from LiveWires offered to come by CNET and take the ear impressions onsite, it was a tough proposition to pass up. (Click here to view a slide show of my custom earphone fitting, but be warned! These photos are not for the squeamish.)

I've had the earphones for over a week now, and they sound fantastic. At $249, they're less than … Read more

If keyboards and USB drives can be built to survive everything from Mack Trucks to nuclear blasts, why can't earphones get a little reinforcement too? After all, unlike a lot of these other devices, it's actually understandable if they're dropped or otherwise put in harm's way by accident.

Denmark-based Kilo Design understands this well and has come up with a pair of $75 buds designed to withstand a good measure of abuse, with a thick coiled cord that looks like it should be attached to a phone, not your head. Our favorite thing about them, however, … Read more

When CNET reviewed Turtle Beach's Ear Force HPA headphones in 2005, we found that they produced a very convincing surround sound effect, thanks to the presence of four drivers in each ear cup--effectively mimicking the front, rear, center, and subwoofer channels of a 5.1 surround system. But there was a big catch: the PC-only headphones required a tangle of wires--including an AC power adapter--in order to connect to the necessary outputs on a computer's soundcard.

Now, Turtle Beach has gone back to the drawing board and delivered a more streamlined version of the headphones. The Ear Force … Read more

As some of you may have noticed, I have somewhat of a history with ridiculous wearable gadgets. Who am I to let that legacy die? Enter the TubeSurround Sound Headphones, which are, to say the least, interesting-looking. You wear them halo-style around your head, then adjust the two tube-style earbuds into your ears. There is a point to this not-so-low-profile design: it serves to position six minispeakers in different spots around your head, thus creating a true surround-sound experience. The TubeSurround then uses a combination of bone conduction and traditional audio to create an immersive experience.

Naturally, I got to … Read more

The idea of solar-powered headphones is certainly a worthy one, but we're not sure how well products like this will fare in hotter climes. The "Soltronix Headphone Radio" looks a little bulky for summertime wear and, as we've noted many times in this space, we're morally opposed to anything that might draw perspiration.

And as Ubergizmo notes, plastic tends to warp and crack if left in the sun too long. But if they do hold up, this $50 headset can get 19 hours of playback time on a four-hour charge.

Just remember, unless you've … Read more

Back in March, I reviewed Arriva's sports headphones, which feature a unique cord design that does a remarkable job of keeping the headphones' earbuds securely in your ears. The fledgling company hinted that it would be creating "wireless" headphones for Apple's second-generation iPod Shuffle, and we now have our first concept photo of what the headphones will look like. The irony is that the headphones aren't wireless in the traditional sense (Bluetooth, IR, or RF), but they simply have the tiny Shuffle II integrated into the headphones at the back of your neck.

Arriva's … Read more

There's nothing more annoying than getting your headphone cables tangled up or losing the headphone adaptor for your mobile phone. Enter the Philips SHB6102 Bluetooth headphones, which might solve your mobile music woes.

These stylish headphones allow you to listen to your music and answer calls wirelessly over Bluetooth. You can pair them with your stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)-enabled phone, or alternatively use the provided 3.5mm adapter.

The adapter lets you connect these headphones to any device with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, which means you can connect them to your old Walkman cassette player, CD player … Read more