Gear

Gear, Reviews

NOX Audio’s Scout Portable Headset (Review)

April 14, 2012 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on NOX Audio’s Scout Portable Headset (Review) Share this

We can say we’re very curious about NOX Audio’s Admiral headset that we saw at Comic Con last year, but while they’re still working on finalizing that beast, we wanted to take a look at NOX Audio’s Scout Portable Headset. While they appear to be earphones more than a headset, the compact design offers more than a few surprises.

Find out if you’re worth picking up in our review after the jump. (more…)
Gear, Reviews

Listen in Style: ASTRO’s A40 Headset (Review)

August 15, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Listen in Style: ASTRO’s A40 Headset (Review) Share this

We’ve reviewed many headsets over the years, but this is the first time we’ve taken a look at ASTRO’s lineup. The company needs no introduction as it’s long been one of the biggest names in the field of gaming headsets, being the official headset for Major League Gaming as well as being a constant presence at events including E3, Comic Con, and others.

Does the ASTRO A40 headset live up to the ASTRO name? Find out in our review after the jump. (more…)
Gear

SDCC 2011: NOX Audio’s Admiral Touch-Screen Headset Impressions

August 9, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

We’re still wrapping things up from Comic Con a few weekends ago, and thought the touch-screen enabled Admiral headset from NOX Audio was one of the strangest things we saw at the show (yes, even more strange than some of the cosplayers).

We’ve talked about last year’s Specialist headset and Scout earphones, each with their own unique design elements, but NOX Audio is working full-throttle on the Admiral headset, a unique beast equipped with a touch screen and Wi-Fi capabilities.

Is it worth your attention, or just a gimmick? Find out after the jump. (more…)
Experimental, Gear

Diego Stocco’s Fence Bass: A Survival-Horror Western Track Called Dustland

April 16, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

We’re huge fans of Diego Stocco’s work. While gamers may know him from his brief stint in the videogame industry as the composer of SEGA’s original Conduit, the majority of his time is spent on other pursuits, including playing pianos that are on fire and creating unique sounds for various sample libraries around the world. We also love his cool DS ear logo, which you can read about in our interview with Stocco from the time the original Conduit was released.

Well, Stocco is at it again. He’s recently created a unique metal bass instrument that he’s called the Fence Bass, and with it has created a cinematic track called “Dustland” that he believes would be perfect for a Western film. I think it would fit the survival-horror genre a little better… but maybe we could see it in a Western-style horror flick?

You can see the instrument in action in the video above, and I recommend heading over to his website to check out some of his other work. There’s even a medley of his music from Conduit which unfortunately never received a soundtrack release.

What do you think of the Fence Bass and “Dustland?”
Gear

Win the One-of-a-Kind OMG-1 Synthesizer From Spectrasonics

March 26, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Win the One-of-a-Kind OMG-1 Synthesizer From Spectrasonics Share this

Remember our coverage of NAMM 2011? It’s okay if you don’t. One of the highlights of the event was the unveiling of the one-of-a-kind instrument from Spectrasonics, the OMG-1 (Omnimoog 1), a unique and incredibly beautiful instrument utilizing an Apple computer at its core, two iPads and 2 iPod touches, and a mini Moog with an extra octave as a controller. Well, Spectrasonics has finally announced how one lucky person can win this beast.

The contest is rather simple. Download the Bob Moog Tribute Library and create a song. Submit it to Spectrasonics by July 15, 2011. Enter as many times as you’d like, and the best track will be selected as the winner. Simple enough, right? The competition for this thing is going to be fierce, so if you’re interested, you better get started now! Hit the official Spectrasonics OMG-1 contest page for more details.

If if you’re not a musician, you have to admire the beauty of this instrument. Will you be attempting an entry?
Gear, Reviews

More Ultimate for Your Money: Ultimate Ears 500 and 100 Series (Review)

February 18, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

We’ve covered a few Ultimate Ears products on the site. We first looked at the then-priced $199.99 Ultimate Ears 700s, which, while impressive, may have been a tad too harsh on the entry-level enthusiast’s wallet. We then took a look at the more economically priced MetroFi 220 earphones, and took issue with some of their design choices.

Late last year, however, Ultimate Ears launched a number of models to flesh out the Ultimate Ears core series, including the Ultimate Ears 100 line, 200 line, and the Ultimate Ears 500 set.

Do the new sets manage to find that perfect balance between design and cost? Find out in our review after the jump. (more…)
Gear

NAMM 2011: Tron Headphones Are Approaching!

January 20, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on NAMM 2011: Tron Headphones Are Approaching! Share this

Remember those glowing Tron headphones we saw at Comic Con last year? Well, they were on hand at NAMM 2011, and while the movie has long since been released, the headphones have not yet been released. I spoke with the event staff from Monster about the delay, and mentioned that the DVD/Blu-Ray release may be a better time to release the set given that they missed the movie launch. They agreed, and said they’re due out very soon.

One new development, however, is the fact that they had both black and white models on display. They also had a glowing Tron audio docking station for your iPod and other digital music devices. I know I’m greatly looking forward to these, so we’ll keep you posted on coverage. Additionally at the show, Monster was showing off the “Beats by Dr. Dre” headphones, and noted that they had just released the Lil’ Jamz earphones which you can check out on their website.

We’ll have more coverage of the glowing Tron headphones in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! And find more photos of the headphones and audio dock after the jump. (more…)