headphones

Skullcandy, maker of some pretty rad accessories, showed off its new headphone lines including the Lowrider ($29.95) and the G.I. Stereo ($59.95). The Lowrider comes in nine color schemes (several designed to match the iPod Nano) and has DJ-style swiveling ear cups. Its 40mm drivers should give you enough bass to make you forget slamming into that tree on your snowboard.

Those needing a beefier set of cans can check out the G.I. Stereo line, which uses 41mm drivers and comes in black camouflage, khaki camouflage, or Rasta color schemes. The headband is thicker, and you … Read more

Wet foam-based ear-pads are the natural result of heavy exercise while listening to music. Jensen addresses this soggy problem with its SportFone MP3 neck-phones (JHM3005). Rather than foam, the ear pieces are made of sweat-repelling and hypoallergenic silicon.

Sportfone comes in two flavors, a 512MB (due in February and priced at $69.99) and a 1GB version (due in summer 2007 but no price has been announced). An included USB cable facilitates music to neck-phone transfers of MP3 and WMA files, and the gray-and-orange wrap-around phones come in a soft-sided, foam-filled orange carrying case.

In a practice jaunt around the … Read more

Shure dropped some new sound-isolating earphones, dubbed the SE line, onto the masses. The company redesigned its popular E series and gave the models spiffy new looks as well as new, more confusing names. The SE210 ($149.99), the SE310 ($249.99), the SE420 ($349.99), and the SE530 ($449.99) all offer far better sound than those garbage earbuds that came with your MP3 player.

The SE210 and SE310 are both single-driver models and come with deluxe fit kits that include sets of replaceable tips, so you get that all-important ear canal seal (and so you don't gross … Read more

Sennheiser is clearly gunning for number one with its latest noise-canceling headphones. The PXC-450 is a set of full-size closed-back cans that make use of Sennheiser's brand-new NoiseGard 2.0 technology to make mincemeat out of ambient noise. But unlike a certain other brand (ahem, Bose), these will still work when the battery is drained. Another nice touch is a "TalkThrough" button on the right earcup, which lets you hear what's going on around you without removing the headphones. There are also volume and on/off buttons right on the headphones, and the detachable cable is … Read more

Remember Creative's high-end Zen Aurvana earbuds? The company has decided to expand the line with a full-size, DJ-friendly set. I managed to get my hands on a set of these as-yet-unannounced headphones and can attest that they're pretty sweet. They have a high-end look and feel, with a cushy headband, supersoft earcups (that flip all the way around), and brushed metal accents. The coiled cord is long enough to allow for unhindered motion between the decks and your vinyl collection. Plus, they sound great. You can pick up a pair for $99 later this year.

Headgear has come a long way from the days when it was almost synonymous with adolescent torment. Today, headsets and headphones are often considered fashion items--and, as with clothing apparel, that can be a good or a bad thing.

We think that Audio-Technica's "ONTO" headphones fall into the former category, mostly for their simplicity. They remind us of the early lightweight Sennheiser phones from the '70s, which were a revolutionary break from the bulky Koss-type standard of the day.

Rather than shun the headband, Audio-Technica has made one that's much thinner and, as Gearfuse says, … Read more

With so many headphone brands and types to choose from, it can be hard to select the right match for your MP3 player. There are the typical considerations--color, size, quality, style, features--but what about hearing health? With so many people investing in MP3 players, it's about time we consider the effects headphones are having on all of those ears.

The popular Apple iPod comes with in-ear headphones, also known as earbuds or earphones, as well as volume-limiting software within the latest updates. Some audiologists argue that in-ear headphones are actually better for hearing health, as they lie closer to … Read more

With all due respect to our fellow Cravers, we weren't exactly huge fans of speakers recently incarnated as penguins and hogs. It's just that they seemed so ... predictable.

But how often do you see stuffed animals with their own working headphones? Now that's original. The 'phones, in this case, are actually speakers that connect to your MP3 player. These iFlops come in a menagerie of bears, elephants, frogs, pigs and monkeys, as seen in this photo from Chip Chick. No penguins, though. (Sorry, Caroline.)

Clearly, Swarovski crystals have cornered a market in consumer technology. We're not sure what market that is, exactly, but they've cornered it.

There's no disputing this fact with the introduction of these crystal-encrusted headphones, which Cool Hunter says were designed by DJ Donna D'Cruz in a variety of colors (shudder) for a mere $2,500. The phones are the latest to join Swarovski's unfortunately growing collection of mice, phones, laptops and, yes, refrigerators. Who needs a disco ball?