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?

 

QAK Thump Wireless Headphones

As made evident by the number of new products unveiled at this year's CES convention, the growing trend is bluetooth headphones and speakers. Another development has been the growing number of headphones made for athletes and runners.  With this in mind, today, I will be reviewing the QAK Thump Bluetooth Headphones, the Colorado-based company’s only product. 

I'm always a little apprehensive to use Bluetooth headphones for a number of reasons. First, wireless headphones mean that they need to be charged.  While this may not seem like the biggest deal, at the very least it's annoying to have to remember to charge your headphones, and, in addition, it will require purchasing and bringing along a second charger to travel.  That being said, I have to admit the Thump's charger is pretty small and the headphone battery life is pretty darn good. Their are a number of in-line controls next to the earbuds which I found worked well.

My favorite part of the Thumps is its durability and construction.  I've tested other around-the-head headphones before, and the Thumps have a much thicker plastic construction than the norm, making them more able to stand up to daily wear and tear.  Also, while the Thumps are not really adjustable, every person I had tried them on found that they sit comfortably and sturdily. My biggest issue rests with the ear tips.  After only about 15 minutes of wearing them, they started to cause discomfort and I had to take them out. As such, I wouldn't recommend these for runners, but they could still be a great fit for biking enthusiasts.  I hope QAK can alter the ear tips with the next generation Thumps.

As for sound quality, the Thumps are about what you would expect from affordable wireless headphones - not bad, not great. Personally, I prefer the tight seal you get from a good pair of traditional earbuds, but that's just me. However, if you're looking for a pair of around-the-head wireless headphones for biking or working out, the Thumps are a pretty good option.

Price: $79
Available Now

Pros

• Durability
• Affordable
• Battery Life

Cons

• Ear-tips
• Not Available in Stores
• Average Sound Quality