Headphones

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…)
Gear

Comic Con 2010: Want Some Glowing Tron Headphones?

July 23, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Yeah, pretty crazy looking, but they should sound good. At the Tron booth here at Comic Con, there’s a display case containing a number of items sporting this fancy embedded blue lighting, from keyboards to controllers to, of course, these headphones. While different items are being produced by different companies, the headphones come courtesy of Monster, who you may know from their high-end product lines of cabling.

While we honestly don’t know much about the headphones, we do know that they’re meant to sound good when listening to music, making us think they’re more like headphones than a traditional gaming headset. We’ll certainly be hearing more about these in the near future, as they’re set to launch sometime before the end of 2010.

What do you think of the glowing goods? Think Monster has what it takes to make a great pair of headphones?

Hit the jump for another photo of display case containing all the Tron products. (more…)
Gear, Reviews

Ultimate Ears 700 Earphones: Get Ready To Hear Things Good! (Review)

March 7, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

We’ve talked a lot about headsets on the site, but I think it’s fair to say that these aren’t really a portable solution given their large size. If you’re anything like me, you probably can’t stand the stock earphones that come with iPods or a multitude of other products. I often find them too big, making it difficult to tolerate them on extended listens, and the sound quality they provide leaves a lot to be desired.

So I found myself on the market for a nice pair of earphones. There are a lot of options out there, but I consistently came across the name Ultimate Ears, which is actually a company that focuses on professional custom-fit earphones for on-stage performances. That doesn’t mean that they don’t cater to music enthusiast and audiophile as well, as they have a number of lines that have been created specifically with users on the go in mind. The Ultimate Ears 700s fall into their universal fit line for just this purpose, and while they will set you back $199.99, I was quite impressed with what I heard.

Yes, you read that price correctly! Hit the jump to find out if they’re worth the cost in our review. (more…)
Gear, Reviews

A Step Sideways: Tritton Technologies’ AX 720 Headset (Review)

October 31, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 6 Comments Share this

If you recall, it was earlier this year that we took a look at the massive (and impressive) Tritton AX Pro headset, which featured full 5.1 sound that I thoroughly enjoyed while performing mundane tasks like listening to music, playing my DS, and talking on Skype. Well, Tritton Technologies is back, but this time with the AX 720 headset: a scaled-down but more smartly designed headset.

If you’re in the market for a headset, you definitely need to consider checking into the AX 720, and I’m about to tell you why!

Hit the jump for our review of the Tritton AX 720 headset. (more…)
Gear

Comic Con 2009: Tritton Technologies Unveils AX180 Headset For Economically Challenged Gamers

July 25, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Comic Con 2009: Tritton Technologies Unveils AX180 Headset For Economically Challenged Gamers Share this

So, we’ve already given you an in-depth look at Tritton’s AX Pro Gaming Headset, and Tim had the pleasure of paying the company a visit at E3 this year to check out their latest AX720 and AX900 models that addressed some of my initial complaints about the AX Pro. Today on the floor, however, we were able to see the next entry into Tritton’s arsenal of audio goods.

The entry level AX180 is much smaller than the Pro, 720, and 900, but still packs quite a punch. It sports the same speakers as the more pricey 720 and 900 models, and can even be used universally on all consoles, including the Wii. It’s USB-powered too, which means no need to search around for a wall socket. I think of all their headsets, this one is the one that really speaks to me given its smaller design and simple connection options. It’s definitely going to work fine for mundane tasks like Skype and playing the DS. It’s due out at the end of summer at a price point of about $69, so watch for more information as it becomes available.

Are you at all interested in any of Tritton’s audio wares? Do you think stepping down from their high-end gaming headsets is a good way to go?
Gear

E3 2009: Tritton Technologies

June 10, 2009 | Tim Sheehy | 1 Comment Share this E3 2009: Tritton Technologies

Last week we stopped by the Tritton Technologies booth on the E3 floor to check out the exciting new products currently being developed. You may remember our review of their AX Pro 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Headset the other month, and while it impressed us, I still felt that they were petty expensive. To answer my concerns, and likely the concerns of others, Tritton recently announced several new headsets that will also deliver Dolby Surround technology at a fraction of the cost.

The booth also let us listen and compare their product to that of their competitors, and that was an interesting experience. Their products performed well in comparison, however I find myself wondering how everything would stack up in a more controlled environment. I wasn’t able to see how things were connected, or how the signal was being routed, and that could really make a difference in output. I liked the idea of comparing the products though, and it was nice of them to show off their upcoming products, despite being works in progress.

That said, what really perked my interest was their upcoming AX400 wireless headset. I had a chance to sit down with it at E3, and found myself impressed considering the product itself was still being worked on. Assuming they can work out the remaining kinks, we should expect to see the wireless sets hit the stores sometime later this year.