BalancedArmature
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Ultrasone IQ unveiled as company's first in-ear headphones, hybrid drivers in tow
Heads up, audiophiles! Here's a little gem we spotted at the Hong Kong High-End Audio Visual Show over the weekend. Dubbed the Ultrasone IQ, these turn out to be the German company's first ever in-ear headphones, and luckily they're more than just ordinary buds. You see, packed within each aluminum alloy capsule is a combo of a traditional dynamic driver and a balanced armature driver, with the former taking care of the bass plus lower-mids, and the latter covering the rest -- specific frequency response to be confirmed at a later date. The technology isn't new, of course, but it's all about the fine-tuning to match the price tag -- we've been told to expect around HK$6,000, which is about US$770. This author was fortunate enough to try the pictured prototype at the event and was left impressed by its definition, but the final product will apparently perform even better when it hits the market in late September. Just to seal the deal for hardcore users, these buds feature MMCX connectors, meaning you can swap the original cables with the bundled headset kit (for iPhone and major Android devices) or other third-party wires. Launched alongside the IQ were the Signature DJ and two new additions to the Edition 8 line: Romeo and Juliet, which seem like a nice idea for audiophilic couples. Alas, details are light here in terms of prices and availability, but at least Romeo and Juliet will perform identically as the original Edition 8. The new DJ cups, on the other hand, await official specifications. For now, hit the gallery to take a look at all of Ultrasone's new offerings. %Gallery-162379%
Sony's XBA balanced armature in-ear headphone lineup headed to the US, we go ears-on
We just met with Sony at its New York City store on Madison Ave. in Midtown, and boy did it have some excellent news for in-ear headphone lovers. While sitting down in the PlayStation Lounge, we briefly demoed nearly every piece of its lineup of XBA balanced armature intra-aurals, which if you'll recall, were announced for parts of Asia back in September. While the 11-model lineup, ranging from standard buds to Bluetooth and noise-cancelling sets, is just beginning to hit those regions now, we've been told that folks in the US can expect them to arrive on American shores next year, with official availability details due at CES. The units we checked out are voiced and finished as those set to hit production, but according to Sony, some of the cabling now in place will change before the stateside release. Interested audiophiles and music lovers can click on past the break for the full details, as well as our initial -- and brief -- impressions. %Gallery-141949%
Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over
This dizzying array might seem like overkill, but Sony's premium "Experience Balanced Armature" (XBA) 'phones are carefully targeted at different price points and types of listener. You've got the entry-level XBA-1 containing a single full-range driver. Add a woofer for bigger bass and you get the XBA-2. The XBA-3 also squeezes in a tweeter for high-freq perkiness, while the XBA-4 rounds it all off with a super woofer. Each pair also has a smartphone twin with inline controls, denoted by the iP suffix. Finally, there's a trio of single-driver specialists: the noise-cancelling XBA-NC85D, the sporty XBA-S65 with basic waterproofing for sweat and rain, plus the Bluetooth XBA-BT75. It's unclear when these will hit our hemisphere, but we're looking at a November release in Hong Kong and Taiwan with prices ranging from 3,000 to 14,000TWD ($100 to $475) depending on the model. Need more detail? We have product pics and info slides below courtesy of our bros at Engadget Chinese. %Gallery-134197% %Gallery-134196%
