Even though Dragon Ball is 25 years old, it’s still one of the most popular anime and manga series out there. There are tons of Dragon Ball-themed video games and other merchandising stuff all around the world, but Tokyo-based gourmandise [JP] today announced what seems to be relatively rare: Dragon Ball-inspired gadgets. Their so-called DRAGONBALL HEADPHONE will be available in two versions.

The “Kame Type” [JP] model features the Chinese character for turtle (kame in Japanese), while the “Dragon Ball type” [JP] headphone features four stars, just like on the dragon ball Son-Goku received from his grandfather before his death.

The headphones can only be pre-ordered online and cost $40 each. As they’re Japan-only, contact the usual suspects Japan Trend Shop, Geek Stuff 4 U or Rinkya in case you want one shipped outside Japan.

Via AV Watch [JP]

The SA-1s have a first of its kind custom tuned 6mm driver in a rosewood body, and you can still change the tips to get the best sound depending on your requirements just like the SA-6. The SA-1s only have two tips though, and they adjust the treble to be, well “more” or “less”. You choose which one sounds better, and swap them out as needed. Best part, the SA-1’s will only set you back $79.99. To me, that’s a whole lot easier to swallow then $250.

Sleek’s SA-1 earphones will start shipping early this November, and are currently for sale on the Sleek website for $79.99.

[via Slashgear]

The Long Version: As a spoiled blogger and gadget reviewer, I get to test out a lot of headphones. Sometimes I struggle to find the salient differences between one pair and another, especially are both good, as in the case of Logitech’s G35 and the Razer Megalodon. In Sleek Audio’s case, I have no trouble separating them from the pack. The use of switchable components makes these units unique to my knowledge, and allow me to settle this right away: it’s not just a gimmick.

Okay, it’s kind of a gimmick, but it’s a gimmick with a real effect. People switch devices frequently, and of course you listen to different music from day to day (to say nothing of year to year), so why shouldn’t you have a pair of headphones that’s as flexible as you are? Certainly you can get a good pair like the Klipsch S4s I recently reviewed, for $75 or less, which will serve you well in most circumstances (just use anything but iPod headphones, really). But if you use your headphones a lot, why shouldn’t you make an investment in them, the way you do with other devices you know you’re going to wear the hell out of? It’s my standard argument for bumping up your budget and it applies here as well as with the Klipsch X5s I loved so much.

Removable what now?

So it’s got removable bits. What does that mean exactly? Well, why tell you when I can show you? Check out the following short video to see the process of switching out the bass and treble components.

I should mention that in real life, it doesn’t take more than a minute for the whole process.

The pieces you get are -, =, and + pieces for bass and treble, indicating reduced, normal, or increased levels of that range. If it sounds like a bit of a coarse adjustment, it is — but that doesn’t make it useless or anything. I also received an “extended” treble tip which I don’t believe will be in the retail packages because Sleek felt many users would find it harsh.

So the effect of all this switching of tiny bits around is a tangible difference in sound. Maybe I’m just an adrenaline junkie, or maybe it’s the music that I listen to, but I worked my way up to the + bass and ++ treble within a couple days. That’s not for everybody, but I wanted to see how far these things would go, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Sound quality

The sound of the SA Sixes is fantastic. They were good with the default pieces in place, but now that I’ve traded them out for the extreme pieces, they’re killing me. The strength of these is in the mid-highs and mid-lows, I feel, where they do something magical. I’m not sure what it is, but my reference songs sounded more powerful, more dynamic, with these SA6es, even before I put in the crazy tips. There’s a lot of punch in the lows, although I felt I was missing out on the low lows, such as the bass line to Deerhunter’s “Octet,” which should sound chunky and up front, but has trouble getting through on anything but large speakers. Similarly, the high highs are on missing what I feel is a tiny bit of definition, though I am really only able to say so because the X5s focus on high end clarity to a fault. Still, those caveats are minor compared with the power that I feel is added to the sound in the ranges that really matter for most music. I might not be able to make out that third clarinet in whatever big band song, but the whole affair sounds more lively.

Fit and build

The fit of the headphones is something that’s always hard to judge, since everyone’s ears are different. There are three sets of double-flanged silicone tips for the SA6es, and I found the default medium tips to be the best for me. I feel that the silicone is thicker and stiffer than any I’ve used before, however, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. I think it blocks sound out better, and indeed, when I’ve got them adjusted to that sweet spot, they isolate extremely well, but there’s a downside. The stiffness means they press more on the inside of your ear canal, which, depending on the fit, may irritate you. I felt they also transmitted sound along them somewhat, which made my ears itch.

I don’t know, maybe I’m just crazy. But I would recommend that Sleek include (since it’s so big on customization anyway) thin flanges as well as thick in their next retail offering.

One other issue I had (and I understand I received a pre-production pair so this may not be an issue for you) was that the sheath for the jack kept coming off. Why it’s on there in the first place I don’t know, but it came off half the time when I disconnected the things. Otherwise the build quality is excellent. They’re nice-looking little things as well.

Update: I’ve been told that the production audio jack is one solid piece, so no worries there.

Conclusion

$250 is a lot to ask for a pair of headphones, but if you truly want to enjoy your music, you shouldn’t short yourself in this department. I know it’s easy for me to recommend things that I’m getting to try without spending the money, but I was buying expensive headphones long before I started reviewing them. I’m a believer.

I don’t want to overstep my bounds, however, and I can only compare these to those which I’ve tried before, and the closest relatives are the Klipsch X6es. These SA6es outperform them in many areas, and the customization aspect makes them perhaps the better buy. At any rate, they’re excellent; buy or investigate further at Sleek Audio’s site.

The claim to fame is Ultrasone’s S-Logic technology. I’m sure there’s all sorts of fancy science behind it, but it basically means that the drivers are mounted off-center. This allows the sound to bounce around your head for a bit, instead of being pumped directly into your ears. Supposedly, it gives the effect of a much more three dimensional musical experience. Other high points include a reduced sound pressure level, meaning less strain on your ears. Also, the “MU metal shielding” reduces the amount of magnetic radiation “as much as 98%” So if the only thing holding you back from buying a pair of headphones was the lack of proper radioactive safety regulations, these might be the pair for you.

They fold up into a convenient size, and have a detachable, straight cable. And the technical schematics all say the right things to make a audiophile-level pair of headphones.

Frequency range 10 – 25000 Hz
Impedance 70 Ohm
Sound pressure level 94 dB
Driver 40 mm gold-plated

Headphones like this are an investment. Mostly because you can’t afford to eat for a week after you buy them. The HFI-2400s are available for pre-order at $295.00. Just remember, it could be worse.

EXCITING TIMES, MY FRIENDS! Meritline just dropped a headphone bomb of awesome-tastic proportions with these – WAIT FOR IT – double-sided earbuds! One side is a cruddy, cheap earbud like you’d find included with a cruddy, cheap MP3 player while the other side is a fancy earbud that goes into the deepest depths of your ear for the ultimate in fancy sound, just like all the cool kids from Party Town, USA get to listen to all the time! Now you can too!

So what would you expect to pay for such thrilling earbuds? Keep in mind that you’re getting two earbuds in one! A hundred dollars seems reasonable, although $50 would be much nicer. Beggars can’t be choos—WHAT? ONLY $9.99??? WITH FREE SHIPPING?!!!

Double Sides (In-Ear and Normal) Earphone [Meritline]

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years of tech reporting it’s that you should never say Bose makes good products. Bose, like Apple, is a lightning rod for informed and uninformed attacks from both the pro and con camps and to say they do things well – or poorly – is a dangerous proposition. That said, I’m here to tell you that if you travel a lot then you should get the QuietComfort 15 headphones.

I tested these headphones during three long overseas flights. I’ve been a fan of the QuietComforts for a few years now and always wore the QC3s, the smaller version of the original QuietComfort headphones. However, the noise reduction built into the new model is quite staggering. In an airplane cabin turning these headphones on and off shows you how effectual they are. Instead of the steady, buzzing hum of the airplane you hear silence.


The music and audio quality are also excellent. I’ve tested a few headphones in my day and I’ve always gone back to Bose. This model takes one AAA battery which lasts 35 hours, give or take. It has a removable cable and is large enough to cover the average pair of ears.

Compared to the QC2 the QC15 noise canceling is strikingly more effective. This is an important point and it may be worth going ahead with the upgrade. Compared with other noise-canceling models I’ve tried I’d say these are the best.

Now for the caveats: when the headphones are out of juice, they’re useless. They don’t just pass through the audio. Instead, if the circuitry is off, the headphones are off. This is a huge issue if you run out of battery half-way to Djibouti but has yet to happen to me with either the QC3s or the QC15s. Thankfully this model takes standard batteries.

The other caveat is the price. $299.95 is pretty steep for headphones while other noise canceling models cost a third of that. Considering the QC3s are $349, however, it’s not too bad.

Bottom Line

Bose is a hard nut to crack. They make great noise canceling headphones but I think most audiophiles bristle at their various claims of audio quality, especially in some of their higher-end audio systems. I’m not music nut but I have found the QC3s – and now the QC15s – to be faithful to the source without too much bass and the comfort and noise-canceling seal the deal. If you travel, give them a try.

Sony has always made good looking headphones and these are no different. A lot of people have moved past over-the-ear type headphones and onto earbuds, but some still prefer this type; I’m one of them. It’s just that most of the current crop look like poo, but these look great and are probably comfy too as the ear pieces slide up and down for a better fit. But it’s the side arms that do it for me. They look different and are far from the norm, but at $65, aren’t priced out of this world. Well done, Sony. Well done.

We (well, I) completely forgot about the BIG Sony Ericsson announcement that went down yesterday. It may have to do with the fact that nobody e-mailed us (well, me) about it, and that the FCC announced its Net Neutrality deal. Be that as it may, we now know, definitively, what Sony Ericsson was on about last week: yes, it’s a pair of headphones that sense when they’re in use. People are dancing in the streets already.

The headphones, the MH907, use what S-E calls “SensMe” technology. As a result of this magic, the headphones will play automatically when placed inside your ear. Um, the music will play automatically when the headphones are inserted into your ear. You know what I mean.

Since the headphones use a proprietary connector, called the Fast Port, they will only work on select S-E phones. I’m guessing this is a Europe thing, because the last time I saw a S-E phone in America Pierce Brosnan was using it as James Bond.

Are you thoroughly excited by this news? Is SensMe a fun gimmick? Sure, yeah; who wouldn’t want their music to play as soon as you put in your headphones, then stop playing when you take ‘em out? Is it OH MY GOD HUGE NEWS? I don’t think so, especially when we have no price nor release date.

There are a variety of tips for the headphones, as is becoming standard these days. Small, medium and large black silicone tips provide the standard seal, but one thing Auvio has on the competition is the inclusion of Conform microfoam tips, the kind of material used in earplugs you might wear to a concert or in a shop. I found that these offered superior sound insulation, but at a cost: once I got the foam tips on (no easy task for some reason), I found they would not come off. I ended up tearing off a large piece of the smallest foam tips and eventually managed to get them off, but I’m not going to try that with the medium-size ones, which fit my ear better. I think they’re the best option of the six available, but that doesn’t mean I don’t ever ever want to take them off to clean them or anything.

Audio quality is a very subjective matter, so of course take everything with a grain of salt, but I didn’t particularly like the way these sounded. They certainly didn’t sound bad, but there were two effects going on that I could identify: first, I felt like there is a sort of empty area of sound right in the middle of my head, as if things could be right channel or left channel but not be centered. This changed somewhat based on the tips I used, but it was always present. Second, and more of an issue to me, there was a sort of mid-level boost that tended to drown out the other sound. It made it sound great when the primary sound is in that range, but I felt like it added a sort of mid-level “halo” to all the other sounds, which really subtracted from the clarity in the high end.

On the positive side, they come with a great case, almost as good as the one that came with Klipsch’s X5s. Roomy but not bulky, a little case like this is a great addition to any pair of headphones, and protects the silicone tips from being covered in pocket lint.

These Auvios aren’t bad headphones, but they have serious competition at the $80 level, notably Klipsch’s S4, which shares the asymmetrical design but has, I feel, more balanced sound. I look forward to more stuff from Auvio, though; although these headphones didn’t hit my auditory sweet spot, the case and Conform foam earpieces do suggest a company that knows what it’s doing.

The new headset has improved and enlarged speakers (50mm) and for interface, you can choose between the original 3.5mm flavor or the new USB 7.1 surround version. I’d go with the surround, as long as you can turn it off during movies (it can make incompatible audio sound pretty weird).

Say what you will about Dr. Dre, but the man is a hip-hop legend. Say what you will about Lady Gaga, but she’s terrible. So you can either consider the fact that “Heartbeats by Lady Gaga” was just announced as one of two things: a callous cash grab, attempting to earn (?) more money while Lady Gaga is still popular, or… no, that’s the only reason these things exist.

The press release makes it sounds as if Jupiter himself designed the headphones, and that they will forever be known for their “incredible sonic clarity, pounding bass, and all the power demanded by today’s music.” Okie dokie.

That may well be true, considering the biggest knock against the original Beats by Dre was the price. The headphones weren’t too shabby, but $350 just wasn’t reasonable.

I kid you not, this is what Lady Gaga has to say about the headphones:

In the deepest hour of the night, I confess to myself three things; I would die if I was forbidden to write, forbidden to love, or forbidden to fashion. Heartbeats embody the trinity of my human-being, with one additional vow: that SOUND matters. Wear Heartbeats, love each other, and celebrate the art and lifestyle of music

“To fashion”? Does Lady Gaga carve little figurines out of soap or something? Or does she mean “to fashion,” like, to wear quote-unquote outrageous clothes all day long just to get heat? Because, frankly, Gorgeous George wants his gimmick back.

There’s only so much you can say about a pair of headphones without having heard them. (Not that they’ll give us a pair now!) There’s a built-in microphone, meaning that you can use ‘em on your phone and be able to talk to your friends and assoociates without missing… without missing a beat. They’re due this October, in several colors, and priced between $99 and $149, which, to be fair, isn’t too out of the norm when we’re talking about mid-tier headphones. But I somehow doubt too many of you guys would be interested in Lady Gaga headphones!

Also announced was the Beats Solo, a sort of entry level cousin to the original Beats by Dre. Those are anywhere from $179 to $219, and they’ll be available in November. No photos of those, though. Eu sinto muito.

Mid- and high-end headphones are everywhere these days. AKG, previously known for recording and broadcast equipment, just added to the bunch by outing a slew of headphones, including these totally acceptable $119 K 340 in-canal buds. I’ve spent some good listening time with them, and I have to say that they are solid performers once you get over the somewhat awkward design.

These AKG in-canal headphones aren’t the only set I’m testing. I also have the portable K 450 and the pair should feel privileged as for the first time in years, I actually have a DVD player hooked up in my home in order to test these with a 5.1 analog audio stream. I could have just as easily hooked these two up to an iPhone and called them decent, but I was hoping that with the AKG nameplate, they could do better than a portable device. I was right.

I would describe the sound of the AKG K340’s as full, but accurate. They aren’t bass heavy, but you also don’t get blown out by the treble. They are very satisfying.

Everything from John Legend to a fantastic rip of the Beatles to Gorillaz sound great. Now, I’ll caution that if you’re looking for a bumping set of headphones, these will not rattle your teeth. What they will do though is hang out comfortably in the mid-range and occasionally surprise you with confident lows and clean highs. I’m good with that.

The only thing is that I don’t dig the physical design. They are very large and awkward. Plus, it took me a while to find the left and right channel label. (it’s on the inside, down by the wire in about a 4 point font) I didn’t find the set all that comfortable though. Even with the smaller set of rubber tips, I still feel like my ear canal is being stretched. I’ve never had that issue before.

But everyone’s ears are different. You may find that they feel great in your ears. I can tell you that they sound great, which is really what you wanted to know anyway. Just make sure that you find a retailer like Amazon with a fair return policy if you don’t like the way these $119 earphones feel. I would totally recommend them on the basis of sound alone, though.

$119 @ Amazon

Product page

Don’t you hate pants?! Wait, wrong post intro. Don’t you hate when your headphone wires tangle?! There you go. Behold, a solution!

The simple fix comes to us by way of Lee Washington, a London-based gentleman. His main idea is: headphones tangle because the separate cords between the actual headphone and the jack work up a sweat, and get all higgledy piggledy.

What you do is make it so that the cords are able to zip together, like a Ziplock bag. When you want to listen to music, you unzip. When you’re all done, you zip ‘em back together.

No more tangles.

This is the first time I’ve seen such an invention, so feel free to correct me if some indie inventor (like an East Side Dave, for example) had already developed a similar solution.

I have to say, I would have to go with the highest end one, because the cheaper one obviously uses a different headphone driver (which accounts for its low-end “emphasis”), and the mid-range ones have a garish enough design that I’m willing to pay an extra $10 to have the low-key styling of the HD-448. The materials used on the 438 and 448 appear to be significantly better as well.

I don’t have any info on these headphones besides that they are homemade and awesome.  But what info do you really need? It’s not like you’re going to actually make some of these. And I’m guessing that if you have the skill to make these coconut cans with instructions, you can probably figure it out on your own anyway.

Dau Gi Bach via MAKE

From the presser:

The HA-M750 is a full-size headphone with a 1.57-inch (40mm) driver unit for deep bass reproduction. It offers “DJ-style” one-ear monitoring with an innovative twistable housing, and a foldable design for easy packing. It comes with a 3.94-foot (1.2 meter) pure copper cord as well as a 6.56-foot (two meter) extension cord. So that it’s ready for any application, the HA-M750 comes with a slim, gold-plated iPhone-compatible plug and a ¼-inch plug adapter. The JVC HA-S650 is a flat-folding model so it’s easy to pack, and light weight so it’s comfortable during extended use. The slim design does not compromise on sound quality, with a 1.42-inch (36mm) driver unit providing deep bass and the 3.94-foot (1.2 meter) pure copper cord minimizing friction noise. It’s outfitted with a slim, gold-plated iPhone-compatible plug.

Both are foldable, glossy, and sexy. Expect to pay $79.95 for the HA-M750 and $69.95 for the HA-S650.

My, my, what do we have here? Noise-canceling headphones for $8? That’s insanity in a box!

It’s true, though. Woot! is selling the Philips SHN2500 Active Noise Canceling Headphones for $7.99 plus $5 for shipping. They’re brand new, too — not refurbished.

Ewww, refurbished headphones! Actually, for eight bucks I’d probably look the other way. This deal is good today only, so get while the gettin’ is good.

Philips Active Noise Canceling Headphones [Woot!]

More power to Apple and its legion of accessory makers. Asking people to pay $20 to use your own headphones with an $80 MP3 player is ballsy — brass ballsy. Such is the story of the new iPod shuffle, though, and I’m willing to bet that people will indeed pay for an inline headphone adapter.

If so, Belkin’s now got one for $19.99. Called, very simply, the Headphone Adapter for iPod Shuffle, it’s a 3.5mm plug that sits between your headphones and your iPod shuffle, and features the requisite controls for playing, pausing, skipping forwards and backwards, and invoking VoiceOver to hear the song title and artist read aloud.

Can’t fault Belkin for capitalizing on this gaping void that Apple’s created, although the $20 price tag might be a lot easier to stomach if it were, say, $10. Time will tell, though.

Belkin : Headphone Adapter for iPod® Shuffle [Product Page]

Use Any Headset with Your iPod shuffle with Belkin’s New Headphone Adapter [Press Release]

SHURE INTRODUCES PROFESSIONAL HEADPHONES FOR STUDIO AND HOME RECORDING

New SRH840, SRH440, and SRH240 Offer Unparalleled Audio Performance, Comfort, and Durability

NILES, IL, July 20, 2009 – /PRNewswire/ — Shure Incorporated today introduced three new professional headphone models, the Company’s first over-the-ear headphones designed specifically for studio applications. The SRH840, SRH440, and SRH240 join Shure’s lineup of professional and home recording equipment, including the recently introduced X2u, XLR-to-USB Signal Adapter and PG27USBand PG42USB Side Address Condenser Microphones to offer a complete recording package for studio engineers, musicians, and home recordists. Building on more than 84 years of delivering premium audio experiences, Shure’s Professional Headphones offer unparalleled audio quality, ergonomics, and durability.

Traditionally, the market for professional headphones has been limited to recording studios and production houses. However, the proliferation of portable listening devices, user-generated content, and home recording studios has increased demand for affordable, professional quality recording gear. Shure Professional Headphones achieve a masterful balance between comfort, durability, and rich lows, warm mids, and crisp highs. The SRH840, SRH440, and SRH240 each have a unique sound signature, and offer home recordists, performing artists, and studio engineers premium sound quality for a variety of uses – from active listening to critical monitoring.

“Recording engineers need three critical things: flat, natural audio reproduction, comfort during extended wear, and gear that can stand up to the rigors of everyday use. To perfect those attributes, we combined Shure’s legacy of working with sound engineers and recording artists with the depth of experience we gained with our consumer line of Sound Isolating™ Earphones,” said Scott Sullivan, Shure’s Senior Director of Global Product Management. “Our new Professional Headphones represent the next step in Shure’s recording story – one that engages professional and amateur recordists.”

Shure’s Professional Headphones’ closed-back, circumaural design maximizes comfort during extended wear. Additional features include:

• SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones – Optimized for studio recording and critical listening, the SRH840 features reference-quality frequency response, rich bass, clear mid-range, and extended highs. The model’s ergonomic fit and collapsible construction offer added comfort and portability.
• SRH440 Professional Studio Headphones – Tuned to deliver accurate audio reproduction, the SRH440 is optimized for professional audio equipment, including DJ mixers, mixing consoles, and headphone amplifiers. The adjustable headband and collapsible construction make the SRH440 ideal for recording and monitoring.
• SRH240 Professional Quality Headphones – Calibrated for connection to consumer listening devices and professional equipment such as mixing consoles, the SRH240 reproduces full bass with detailed highs.

Pricing and Availability

• SRH840: $199.99 retail [$250.00 MSRP]
• SRH440: $99.99 retail [$125.00 MSRP]
• SRH240: $59.99 retail [$75.00 MSRP]

Shure Professional Headphones will be available to consumers this summer and will carry a two-year limited warranty. The headphones will be available for purchase through www.shure.com and select retailers. For a complete list of where Shure products are sold, please visit www.shure.com.

It also has what they call “passive noise reduction” built in. Passive noise reduction is also known as putting things in your ears.

The Moray+ is really meant to be a mobile gaming headset, for trash talking your DS opponent while sitting at a cafe (no, I don’t do that), so it’s got adapters for both DS and PSP. Its main cord (without the splitter) is actually iPhone compatible, so it’s got that going for it as well. I’ll have a full review of these little guys soon and you’ll find out if they’re worth the asking price of $60.