CES plans music for your ears
Headphones and music player among debut audio products
A number of audio products will make a splash at the International Consumer Electronics Show, which officially opens Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Fanny Wang headphones
Fanny Wang’s cans are workhorses with a powered amp, 50-millimeter dual-plated drivers and sound that doesn’t distort at higher volumes. The headphones have switches for four-way active noise cancellation and bass boost, bumping the beats up 6 decibels.
Despite the snug fit, these headphones are very comfortable, with their ultraplush cup lining. Fanny Wangs are notable for their detachable cord, which features a patent-pending sharing port, creating a social music experience. Unlike similar ports featured on other headphones, sharing doesn’t deteriorate sound quality or volume.
The company will paint the headphones to your liking, with more than 1 million custom color combinations. While these sound amazing, they’re bulky and expensive: $300 for a pair from the 3000 Series, its top line.
Jaybird Freedom headphones
The Jaybird Freedom headphones were designed for the gym rat. As an audio partner of the USA Triathlon organization, Jaybird knows what qualities make for good training headphones.
Not only are the Freedom earbuds shock- and sweat-proof, but the lack of long wires means a safe, fuss-free music experience when working out. Using Bluetooth connectivity, the headphones connect to music players and other mobile devices.
The sound is pretty good, producing music that’s full and bass-y, but not overwhelmingly so. When fully charged, the headphones can play for six hours. One pet peeve: Headphones use a proprietary charging cable. Available for $99.
Thekube2 music player
Heralded as the world’s smallest touch-screen music player, Thekube2 sports an aluminum body and touch sensor and will make its global debut at CES.
The package includes the player, a pair of plastic headphones, a 4-gigabyte microsd card and USB reader, a proprietary audio-to-usb charging cable and sticker decal to add flair. Gestures control Thekube2’s power, track play, screen lock, volume and shuffle.
On a full charge, which takes about an hour, Thekube2 can play for six hours. It will retail for about $35 in the USA.