headphones

LAS VEGAS--Music can serve as a great motivator in a long workout at the gym, but it's a universally bad idea to use headphones during outdoor exercises, especially if you live in a big city with traffic and obstructions coming at you from all angles.

For cyclists and runners who still want to jam to a soundtrack, Panasonic introduces the RP-BTGS10 wireless headphones at CES with a unique take on sound transmission, using your cheekbones to deliver audio straight to your head. (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Calling this device an "earphone" is a misnomer, since they actually … Read more

LAS VEGAS--With its innovative hi-fi docking station, the upcoming Ghost Bee headphones by BeeWi add a new level of versatility to a typically straightforward headphone experience.

According to BeeWi, Ghost Bee headphones can connect to any Bluetooth-enabled device to support stereo music playback or hands-free communication. Along the edge of one of the earcups are buttons that enable you to control your music or calls. These buttons lie flush with the molded plastic, giving the product an overall sleek look.

But the most intriguing thing about Ghost Bee is its unique hi-fi dock, which can be plugged into a home … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Looking for bleeding-wallet-level headphone gear? The Sennheiser IE 800 earphones emerged at CES Unveiled, costing $999 and promising the best in-ear performance anywhere, period.

The IE 800s have been hanging around for much of 2012, but they're making a stronger push at this show. The extremely tiny buds have an absurd range of 5Hz to 46,000Hz. A dual-vented design is meant to reduce any unwanted distortion, and the overall sonic impact is meant to be extremely natural, with a slightly elevated bass level to counteract the noises of commuting.

Listening to them, they are impressively crisp. But $… Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Analyst: Instagram will be big moneymaker for Facebook.

- NY Senator drafts bill to make ticket scalping at benefit concerts illegal.

- The most expensive, useless, awesome 3D-printed object ever.

- Home invasion plot foiled by Xbox 360.… Read more

Lucky me -- I get to play with lots of headphones, but I sometimes wonder if they're all made in the same factory, and their mostly plastic construction, similar features, and designs feel interchangeable. So when CNET's David Carnoy put the Meze 88 Classics in my hands I was intrigued. The beautifully finished, hand-carved ebony wood ear cups gave a high-end sheen to the design, and a quick audition proved the 88 Classics' beauty was more than skin deep.

Build quality is a step up from what you get with Beats by Dr. Dre 'phones, and I liked … Read more

An apparent shell company has filed a $3 million patent infringement lawsuit against Apple for including headphones with its iPhones.

A company called Intelligent Smart Phones Concepts sued Apple last week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that Apple infringed on U.S. Patent No. 7,373,182. The abstract for "Wireless Mobile Phone Including a Headset" describes an interface that allows a removable headset "to receive at least telephony audio signals from the phone, and to provide audio signals to the phone."

Art included with the patent application and … Read more

Amazon's Gold Box feature is a catch-all page for the retailer's daily deals, and Cyber Monday gives music lovers the opportunity to grab a pair of the site's best-selling headphones at a seriously generous discount:

The Klipsh Image X10 are an older model, but still well worth the $84.99 price tag (76% off retail). CNET reviewed this one as well as its updated sibling that includes an in-line remote and microphone for calls, but their exceptionally clear and balanced audio response with passive sound isolation and superslim earpieces make a great sidekick to your music player. … Read more

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades. Ideally, they'd have built-in earbuds. And now they do, thanks to Sanpei Optics.

Sanpei uses fancy lingo like "audio-adaptable glasses" and "hinged temple bar design eyewear" to describe its new product, but it's really pretty simple. The glasses look like regular shades, but you can slide the included earbuds into a dock at the end of each arm, pop the securely fixed 'buds into your ears, and connect to your smartphone or other mobile device right from your glasses.

Getting the glasses to fit just so depends on adjusting the aforementioned patented hinged temple bar (tilt it down for a tighter fit, up for a looser feel). That took some fumbling when I first got my hands on a pair of these, but once I'd angled the arms right, the polarized glasses felt lightweight and comfortable. The earbuds rested at a slightly strange angle when attached to the shades, but I'm still not sure if I need to further fiddle with the dock and three sizes of included silicone earbud tips -- or if, like my former CNET colleague Jasmine France, I'm just weird-eared. … Read more

Frankly, I was a little disappointed when I first unboxed the new ALO Pan Am tube headphone amp. It looked so cute and tiny; how could it possibly deliver the goods? The dainty 4.6-inch-by-3.8-inch footprint makes it easy to place anywhere. The amp's rear end houses three inputs: stereo RCA and 3.5mm analog inputs and a USB connection. The built-in digital-to-analog converter accommodates up to 24-bit/96-kHz audio. The amp is available in anodized silver or black finishes.

I started listening with my trusty Grado RS-1 headphones and loved the clarity. The Pan Am has the … Read more