Creative-built TAG Heuer USB headset outed by FCC

We have no idea why luxury watch and occasional cellphone maker TAG Heuer would be getting into the PC peripherals game, yet according to an FCC filing we got our hands on, the 150-year-old Swiss watchmaker has a Creative Labs-built USB headset in the pipeline. And although this wireless unit is branded TAG and developed by Creative, the actual cans themselves will likely be sold by Listen To Believe (LTB) Audio, another accessories company with very similar products. Either way, what you're getting here is reportedly "the world [sic] first digital wireless headset that delivers high-quality 2.0-channel stereo audio with extra sound clarity and soft, deep bass effects," according to the manual. That's certainly a lot of caveats, so we'll have to wait for an actual product launch to really see what's what.

[fred @ Dec 28th 2007 9:39AM]

Yet another fine example of a brand that has the perception of quality being slapped on some chintzy crap. Will these work with my Ferrari laptop?

[strider_mt2k @ Dec 28th 2007 9:50AM]

Tag

You're not it.

[Safety Dancer @ Dec 28th 2007 10:02AM]

Hey I'll buy anything that is a wireless headset that stays in stereo when you use the mic, I have been looking for one of those for years.

[WAE @ Dec 28th 2007 10:54AM]

Product companies typically code-name their projects for internal usage. It is not uncommon to use certain brand names in a market segment for varying models on a shared platform. Can be different brands/models of cars to name computers models, watches, dead-rock-stars, Transformers characters, etc. It could be that is all "Tag Heuer" is referencing. A company I used to work for named all our PCs different various automobiles, cobra, lexus, viper, etc.

As for this headset, seems pretty sweet to me.

[Evan Blass @ Dec 28th 2007 11:16AM]

This info is from a manual destined to be seen by consumers, so it's unlikely to be an internal codename

[maarek @ Dec 28th 2007 11:27AM]

Former Creative Employee here.... they do not use names like that for internal projects. Most codenames were nonsensical or based on their target market (like the Zen Micro having a codename of minikiller... which was what it should have been....damn shoddy headphone design by an engineer who should have lost his job when he made the same mistake on the Zen Xtra/NX killed it).

[WAE @ Dec 28th 2007 12:04PM]

Beg to differ. It could be a codename of the Chinese manufacturer who does final integration... But, it really doesn't matter what we think, we'll see.

[OneLove @ Dec 28th 2007 11:06AM]

I can tell that most people at engadget have escaped for the new year already.

[silverblackvoid @ Dec 28th 2007 11:24AM]

wow!

"the worlds first digital wireless headset that delivers high-quality 2.0-channel stereo audio with extra sound clarity and soft, deep bass effects"

thats really groundbreaking.

[Todd @ Dec 28th 2007 11:41AM]

This looks like a re-badged version of the Skype 'Freetalk" headset that came out about a month ago. I had one - and returned it. Here's Why.

Listening to music, or a Skype call from another user was fantastic - great quality and range. The headset supports Skype's wideband audio, meaning it should offer the full high voice quality that skype is famous for in Skype-Skype calls on a computer. Problem was, the microphone quality was WAY below the listening quality. Compared to the microphone on my Plantronics DSP-400, this was garbage. Supposedly, there is an update to this headset coming out in March/April. If they fix the mic, I will be the first in line to repurchase.

[WAE @ Dec 28th 2007 12:03PM]

Todd, It is more than a simple rebranding of the FREETALK. The plastics are completely different, as are the ear pads. This is a big part of headset fit, so I am willing to say these will feel very different. Also, the mic boom is new. I know the manufacturer of the electronics for both these products, and the planned mic fix for FREETALK will be incorporated into the Creative headset from day one... should at least.

[Dan @ Dec 28th 2007 12:14PM]

You have NO idea why Tag Heuer might be getting into PC peripherals?? If so, then Mommy needs to take you home.

[ethana2 @ Dec 28th 2007 2:31PM]

It said they made watches. Who uses those?

[Jim @ Dec 28th 2007 2:08PM]

Are we sure in assuming this will be for the consumer market? First thing that came to my mind is Tag's tight and long-standing relationship with the McLaren F1 team. Perhaps they'll be on the heads of Ron Dennis and the rest of the McLaren paddock first before released to the masses.

http://www.larioja.com/RC/200709/08/Media/rondennis--253x190.jpg

[Carl D @ Dec 28th 2007 2:25PM]

Oh look, creative is continuing to perpetuate their wanna-be status. Creative Labs Execs, please note well:
Perhaps instead of riding on Tag's coat-tails developing an OEM for them but letting everyone know that it's you, you could ...er... maybe make your own branded products (LIKE YOUR P.O.C. Zen players)
a. last 2 days longer than the warranty.
b. loud enough to here when the environment is slightly more than noiseless
c. hire customer service reps that can do something more than recite what is on their computer display.
LONG LIVE THE IPOD! Sure it costs more but it exceedes consumer expectations.

[ethana2 @ Dec 28th 2007 2:32PM]

d. Release Linux drivers for your sound cards, or give us specs like ATi.

[kickenchicken @ Dec 31st 2007 11:02PM]

wow, i havent seen more of fanboy till today. I have a Working Zen Vision:M over a year old, dropped it so many times, and still working, unlike the fragile iPod's that would end up breaking on the first drop or come apart. please.It has a fabulous screen,features and very loud. i don't see where your coming from.
Long Live the iPod? From what i've read,seen,heard from friend, the iPod's average life is under a year :)

a. last 2 days longer than the warranty. (once again, mines been working for over a year, very few errors)
b. loud enough to here when the environment is slightly more than noiseless.(dude, are you deaf? these things ARE LOUD, quit being a biggot )
c. hire customer service reps that can do something more than recite what is on their computer display. (i've had very good customer support from when i had my old Zen Sleek)

Long Live Creative Zen!

[Carl D @ Jan 2nd 2008 10:07AM]

So you have a Zen for more than a year. That makes you unique among Zen owners. I purchased a Zen Vision for my son in Iraq, one for my wife, and one for my daughter in June 2006, as well as a docking station for my wife. I stuck with my Cheap ass Samsung Player. Within 11 months all three were dead, but my Samsung still is plugging away. Creative's response was you shouldn't carry them everywhere you go without expecting them to fail. So what are we supposed to carry, boomboxes. For the record, to deflect any instance of affinity with Apple, I don't own an IPOD, and neither does anyone in my family. Another engineer in my group has one that he purchased in 2002, and he takes it everywhere and it still works. With respect to the Zen being loud, How's your head? We actually tested SPL from the same set of Sony headphones on both players, and the Zen topped out at 48dBSPL, where the same IPOD referenced above topped out at 107dBSPL. Both were playing back 1kHz recorded at 0dBU for 2 minutes. Objectivity was maintained by making the reading where the sound began to clip, not at it's loudest setting. In the end, if you have a Zen and you are happy with it, more power to you. I am not unhappy with the Zen product as a whole, because all of my archival endeavors have been in Windows Media, so the Zen is a naural. I am, as I stated in my first post, disappointed in Creative Labs Management. There is no reason to try to retaliate against a consumer when the product you manufacture fails. There is no reason to deny responsibility for having a defective design that was corrected in the next version of the Zen. My family has moved on to other players, built into mobile handsets (Motorola RKR and Q, in case you thought they were iphones), as have I, even though I still take my Samsung out every once in a while when I don't have my Q with me. I still integrate Creative Labs equipment into the Telecom solutions I create, I just don't own a ZEN anymore, and will never again, because I believe Creative's business philosophy is foul with respect to this line, Don't call me a fanboy, until you have delved deep enough into the problem to offer an intellegent, unemotional response. Having a ZEN over a year old, I would imagine that opportunity is coming soon.

[Todd @ Dec 28th 2007 3:33PM]

WAE - thanks for the update. I will jump on this if they increase the dynamic range, sampling rate, and gain of the mic.

[Roy @ Jan 11th 2008 7:52PM]

Eliminate Those Wires with Wireless Headphones

The biggest reason to use wireless headphones is that they eliminate all the wires between you and the audio source. The other thing people like is privacy. Wireless headphones allow you listen to almost any audio source - whether you're listening to your radio or TV, your computer, stereo or DVD player - without the nuisance of all those wires.

The sound quality you get from your wireless headphones is normally excellent and you can raise the volume to experience theater-like sound while people nearby will not be bothered.

The two main systems used in wireless headphones are Infrared wireless (IR) and Radio Frequency (RF) wireless. Both of these use a transmitter and a receiver. You connect the transmitter to your audio source and the receiver is built into the wireless headphones.

Website url
http://www.rywirelessheadphones.com
RSS feed url
http://www.rywirelessheadphones.com/index.rss

[Limbrough @ Jan 19th 2008 10:01PM]

Wireless without LTB's Adaptive technology is a true waste of time

http://www.shopltb.com