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Celebrity-endorsed headphones: Some good, some bad

Monster and Dr. Dre spearheaded the trend of celebrity-endorsed headphones, starting with the eponymous Monster Beats by Dr. Dre and Lady Gaga's own signature earbuds. But an increasing number of artists are partnering with other manufacturers for their own collaborations.

Signeo announced the Soul by Ludacris headphone series at CES 2011, and 50 Cent stopped by the CNET stage this year to demo his own wireless cans, but does a celebrity shout-out mean that those devices sound better than the competition?

Check out the following list to get the real scoop on all these new headphones supported by famous musicians.… Read more

AKG ships two new wireless headphones

Austrian headphone-maker AKG, now owned by Harman International, is getting into the wireless headphones game with two premium new models--one Bluetooth, and one based on Kleer wireless technology--the K 830 BT and AKG K 840 KL. They list for $249.95 and $299.95 respectively.

For its Bluetooth model, AKG is targeted "the constant jetsetter who takes calls on the run yet enjoys listening to tunes on the train." That model is compatible with any device or smartphone that supports stereo Bluetooth audio streaming and has a built-in mic for taking calls. Its rechargeable battery is rated at … Read more

Bluetooth beater: TDK's WR700 headphones

Thanks to the increasing prevalence of Bluetooth-compatible devices (such as iPads, iPhones, and nearly all other smartphones), wireless headphones are starting to proliferate like never before. However, the only problem with Bluetooth is that it takes already-compressed audio (usually MP3) and compresses it even more, so it loses a little something in transmission.

On the other hand, a company called Kleer promises to deliver wirelessly uncompressed digital audio at CD quality. It says that when you compare it with other technologies like Bluetooth, you'll hear the difference, and--at least with TDK's $130 Kleer-powered WR700 wireless headphones--we did.

Of … Read more