Bose Releases 2 New Products

Bose has revealed two new products: the Soundlink Mini Bluetooth Speaker and QuietComfort 20 in-ear headphones, both of which are quickly creating quite a buzz. 

The new Soundlink Mini Bluetooth Speaker is an obvious move to compete in the emerging ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker market, with products such as the Beats by Dre Pill or the Jawbone Jambox already available.  The Soundlink Mini, weighing about 1.5 pounds and sitting at about seven inches in length, provides exceptional sound, with loud audio that does not get distorted at higher volumes.  It utilizes a Bluetooth technology that can remember up to six devices when paired and, additionally, it offers wireless charging due to an included charging pad.  Early reports indicate that the battery can last up to seven hours on a single charge.  Bose also offers fun blue, orange, and green covers for the speaker, which disappointingly, will set you back an extra $25. 

With the QuietComfort 20 In-Ear headphones, Bose has put its famous noise-cancelling greatness on full display.  To start, these are the first in-ear noise cancelling headphones that Bose has manufactured.  They use a dual-microphone system which recognizes volume levels inside the headphone along with outside noises and adjusts in order to fully eliminate any outside sound.  Bose, however, has recognized that total outside silence is not always practical, so they have created a new listening mode, called “Aware Mode,” which allows the listener to press and button and listen to low level music and still have a conversation or listen to an announcement.  These headphones come with a lithium ion battery and are said to provide up to 16 hours of continuous use. 

Be on the look out for a full review of both products, once they are officially released later this summer. 

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker

Price: $199

Available: July 1 (Pre-Order Here)

Bose QuietComfort 20 Earbuds

Price: $299 

Available: August 1 (Pre-Order Here)

 

Neon Colored Beats by Dre Mixr's

Beats by Dre has introduced its Mixr Headphones in an assortment of brand new Neon colors. Now, there's really no excuse for purchasing the Solo's over the MixR's. For a full review of the David Guetta Mixr Headphones, Click Here.

Available: Target stores nationwide May 19, elsewhere June 2

Monster Debuts Sound Machine Headphones

Grammy Award-winner Emilio Estefan is the latest celebrity with their own headphone line. Monster Audio has teamed up with the Estefan's over their brand new Sound Machine Headphone line. The line is composed of 2 models: on-ear and over-ear models. The Sound Machine line is the first headphone line which is designed especially for Latin music. With the new inclusion of a latin specific headphone, there is now a celebrity-endorsed headphone dedicated to whichever genre of music you prefer including country music, rap and hip-hop, house or jazz. Target will sell the headphones exclusively for the first 60 days (debuts April 14), and national retailers will thus begin after. Stay tuned for a full review.

Price: On-Ear - $149, Over-Ear - $249
Available: April 14 in Target Stores, June 14 elsewhere

$25 Beets Headphones

Yes, these are Beets Headphones, but no, they are not by Dr. Dre. The Beets Headphones by OrigAudio were first launched as a April Fool's parody, but now are available for purchase. With each Beets Headphone sold, OrigAudio promises to donate a can of beets to the Second Harvest Food Back of Orange County. Since the headphones only cost $25, go ahead and buy 6 of your closest friends a pair of Beets Headphones and it will still cost you less than just one pair of Beats Headphone. Given Beats by Dre's history with trademark lawsuits, its got to be only a matter of time till OrigAudio gets a not so friendly letter in their mailbox from the headphone giant.

Price: $25

Available Now

Beats by Dre Executive Headphones

With the introduction of the Executives, Beats by Dre is finally trying to compete with Bose's control of the business professional crowd. Up to this point, I have never been a huge Beats by Dre fan due to the lack of quality products, however, the new Executive's are a definite step in the right direction.

In general, Beats products are known for their lack of sturdiness and poor construction. That has changed with the Executives, as they are made with a different material with a harder finish. The Studio's and Solo's feel flimsy and cheap, but the Executive's feel hefty in the best possible way. The finger-print prone glossy finish has thankfully been replaced with a scratch-proof metal surface. The Executives have a double hinge, which allows you to fold them flat and up for maximum portability. Comfort-wise, the padding on the headband and earcups is excellent. I felt no ear fatigue after hours of use.

The noise-canceling feature works well, but not at the same quality as a Bose Noise Cancelling Headphone. When the noise-cancelling feature is on, it produces a very slight hiss, which isn't noticeable when listening to music. So, if you are the type of person who likes to use noise-cancelling headphones for silence on airplanes or trains, these are not for you.

Overall sound quality is also much better than other Beats models. Since these are intended for a more upscale clientele, the headphones have a much more balance sound level, with less emphasis on bass. Anyone who enjoys rap, house, pop, rock music will surely be satisfied with the sound quality of the Executives.

Going in, I didn't think I was going to like the Executives, but I was wrong. The difference between these and the Studio's is night and day. Beats by Dre has done a great job updating their product with much better quality all around.

Price: $299
Available Now

Pros

• New Design
• Carrying Case
• Hefty and Sturdy

Cons

• Slight Hiss with Noise-Cancelling
• Expensive

Overall Rating: 8/10

 

Swizz Beatz Purchases Stake in Monster Audio Headphones

Monster Audio has announced that artist/DJ Swizz Beatz has purchased an undisclosed stake in the headphone company. The deal means Mr.Beatz (no pun intended) will join the executive board, and will have a say in corporate strategy. We probably won't know how much share he actually bought, but I assume it's not much. Swizz's wife, Alicia Keys, recently became the global creative director of BlackBerry, so it looks like hooking up with tech companies runs in the family.

 

Skullcandy Crusher Headphones

In the past few years, audio companies have been making headphones with more of an emphasis on bass. Skullcandy has taken this trend to the next level with their brand new Crusher Headphones. They tried to recreate the feeling you get when your at a concert and can feel the music beat. Skullcandy claims they "will literally rattle your brain with bass." I'm not a huge fan of big bass, but I still can't wait to give them a try. Stay tuned for a full review as soon as they become available.

Price: $100
Available: April 1

tokidoki / TKDK Sol Republic Headphones

With the interchangeability of Sol Republic Headphones, the company is constantly releasing special designs for its signature Tracks Headphones (Full Review Here). In the past few months, they have released 2 limited edition celebrity headbands: one for world-renowned DJ DeadMau5 and another for Olympic Gold medalist Michael Phelps. This time, Sol Republic has worked with acclaimed artist Simone Legno of the global lifestyle brand tokidoki to create 2 new designs. Since tokidoki's debut in 2005, the brand has exploded in popularity. For more information about the brand, Click Here.

Price: $150
Available Now

Simone Legno's Soundtrack of Life

Rory McIlroy Signs Endorsement Deal With Bose

The #1 pro golfer in the world, Rory McIlroy, has linked up with audio giant, Bose Corp. With the deal, McIlroy will serve as a global brand ambassador for the company. Until now, Bose has shied away from the idea of signing celebrities or athletes to endorsement deals, but I guess they too have given in to the celebrity endorsement trend. The deal seems to me like a perfect marriage, as Rory is a perfect choice for the upscale audio company. Now that Bose has entered the celebrity endorsement market, don't be surprised if we hear about another signing soon.

Video of Rory McIlroy trick shot at Bose Announcement.

James Harden Camo Skullcandy Mix Master Mike Headphones

With the 2013 NBA All-Star game being held in Houston, Skullcandy asked Houston Rocket James Harden, “If you could customize your own Mix Master, what would it look like?”  His one word response, “Camo.”  So that's exactly what they did. The Camo design has a silhouette of Harden's signature beard.  Only 50 of these special edition headphones were made, so be sure to get it while you can. For a full review of the Skullcandy Mix Master Mike Headphones, Click Here.

Price: $350

Available Now

Beats by Dre sues Yamaha

Beats Electronics has filed a lawsuit against Yamaha, alleging that three headphones in their Pro series infringe on the company's signature designs. With the lawsuit, Beats wants a permanent injunction banning the sale of the headphones and damages. The three Pro series headphones were launched last August and range in price from $199 to $399. This isn't the first time that Beats Electronics has served one of its headphone rivals. Back in October 2011, Beats settled a design-patent case against Fanny Wang.

Who's side are you on?

 

Nikura USA's Unveils New "Swag by Lil Twists" Line

This year's CES was full of celebrity-branded products, but nobody expected an 18-year-old rapper by the name Lil Twist to have his own headphone line. Never heard of him? It's ok, I'm sure you're definitely not the only one. The line, called "Swag by Little Twists", includes both headphones and earbuds. Retail price will be $35 for the earbuds and $100 for the headphones. The company developing Lil Twists' "Swag" line is Nikura, which has been selling electronic accessories since 1984. This new headphone line epitomizes just how far and wide audio companies are now willing to go to slap a celebrity name on their products.

Available: Spring 2013
Price: $35-$100

 

Tim Tebow Signature Soul by Ludacris Headphones

Back in August, the NFL's most famous backup quarterback, Tim Tebow, joined Ludacris' "Soul of Greatness" Ambassador crew. Over the past few months, we've already seen fellow Soul brand ambassadors, Usain Bolt and Cesc Fabregas release their own SL300's, so now, it's Tebow's turn.

Soul says the blue and white color scheme was chosen directly by Tebow, which could be a sign that Tebow is ditching the New York Jets' green and white for a fresh new start. My only question is why Soul wouldn't incorporate anything Tebow-related into the design.

For a full review of the SL300 Headphones, Click Here.

Price: $225
Available Now

Munitio Unveils 2 New Products

Munitio is an audio company that while not many people know about, have been creating great products for a while now. At this year's CES, Munitio has finally made a splash with the announcement of two new products. First up is the SV Mobile Performance Earphones which is a slight design update to its Nines earbud line which I reviewed last year. I like all the design updates, especially the new flat cord.

Munitio SV Earbuds

Price: $130

Available: February

 

While this new update to the earbuds is nice, the announcement I'm extremely excited about is the unveiling of the Pro40's. These new headphones mean that Munitio is finally entering the over-ear market. Evolving into more than just an earbud audio company is a necessary next step for Munitio. Like with all Munitio products, the company has put an emphasis on style, and frankly, I really like the design of the Pro40's. Hopefully, the sound quality and comfort will deliver as well. The Pro40's have just been chosen as the winner of TechRadar's Best Audio Accessory at this year's CES. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 2013 will be a big year for Munitio. As soon as the Pro40's and SV's are released, I'll have a full review so stay tuned!

Munitio Pro40 Headphones
Price: $300
Available: April

 

Beats by Dre Ski Helmet

Just in time for the peak of the winter season, Beats by Dre has teamed up with ski and snowboard helmet manufacturer POC to come up with a helmet that integrates their headphones into the neck roll. Already have a POC helmet? No worries. Just purchase the padded Communication Neckroll separately, which attaches to the helmet using four press studs.

No word on sound quality, but I hope they aren't noise canceling since that could definitely be a safety concern on the slopes.

Receptor BUG Communication
Price: $336
Available: Late January 2013

Communication Neckroll
Price: $183
Available Now

Sol Republic Master Tracks

With the help of it's celebrity endorsements, Sol Republic has grown in popularity to become one of the most popular headphone brands with today's young demographic. Up to this point, they have only been selling two models, the Amps Earbuds and Tracks on-ear's. Sol Republic has announced their very first over-ear headphones, the Master Tracks. The new product features the interchangeable headband and ear-cups that slide on and off, both iconic design features of Sol Republic.

The Master Tracks' headband and ear-cups are more heavily cushioned than the original Tracks. They also feature Sol Republic's proprietary FlexTech design which allows them to be bent, twisted and dropped without any worry of them breaking.  No word yet on sound quality but once they become available, we will have a full review so stay tuned.

Price: $200
Available: Late February

 

Panasonic Bone-Conduction Headphones

Panasonic has created a lot of buzz at this year's CES with their new bone conduction headphones. These headphones sit on your cheekbones and deliver audio straight to your head using vibrations. The purpose of this delivery method is that it allows you to receive ambient sounds, which is important when running or biking in crowded cities. However, these aren't the first headphones to use this type of technology. I'm curious to see how they compare to the original bone-conduction headphones, the AfterShokz. For a full review of the AfterShokz Sport Headphones, Click Here.

Available: Fall 2013
Price: Undisclosed