Late last year, you dear readers chimed in with your opinions for best earbuds in the land. Now, however, Ask Engadget is comin' atcha from a slightly different angle. Take it away, Jose:

"I'm looking for some good headphones for around $150. I hate earbuds (so uncomfortable and the audio quality seems to depend on the angle that they're stuck in there,) so now I'm looking for full-on cans. I've been told both positive and negative things about Bose cans, but I'm looking for a few more opinions here. Help me and my ears!"

Just as a note, we got the impression that Jose would be willing to stretch that budget a bit if a real winner was available just north of two bills, so feel free to pass out suggestions even if they're a touch pricier than what was mentioned. If you're looking to have your question heard loud and clear, shoot it over to ask at engadget dawt com and wish upon your lucky star(s), alright?

We're been fans of Kleer wireless audio technology since we first gave it a listen back at CES in January 2007. Unfortunately, lackluster products have held back its potential over Bluetooth audio. While DigiFi's Opera headset isn't likely to tip the balance, these headphones are interesting nonetheless. The buds ship with a mini-jack dongle and offer 10 hours of playtime and CD-quality sound. Not bad, but they also allow you to tune in up to 3 additional Opera wearing friends. Silent raves will never be the same. Available today in Korea, worldwide eventually for $98.

[Via AVING]

Just when you think Pong can't be played any other way, yet another creative soul emerges to prove the notion wrong. Mike McCracken has managed to remove all visual aspects of the game yet still maintain the core goal by enabling one's head to make the motions typically assigned to the hands. Essentially, a sound is emitted from the headphones on one side or the other, and the gamer has to tilt his / her head just so until the noise is centered. This back-and-forth sequence speeds up to intensify the challenge, and if you can't manage to keep the ringing front and center, an unpalatable buzzer sounds and a light turns on to alert you of your defeat. Really, it's way more clear how all this works in the video below, so have at it.

[Via MAKE]

It was a long time coming, but we finally have a full review of Sony's PFR-V1 "personal field speakers." C|net's intrepid review team took the headphones for a spin and unsurprisingly found them to be "expensive and impractical" and almost entirely lacking in bass. Goofy looks aside, they did move the music from inside your skull to in front of your face as promised. Of course, that little novelty comes with excessive sound leak to the annoyance of those around you. As such, the headphones are limited to at-home or closed-door office use unless you relish the scorn of others. C|net still rewards the $500 oddity with a generous 7 out of 10 (very good) rating despite a long list of qualifications.

Update: Be sure to check C|net's video review.

[Thanks, TI]

If Metal Gear Solid 4 truly is the last game in the series (please please no), it's going to have gotten quite a send-off: a limited-edition gunmetal PS3 in Japan, a new $499 PS3 bundle in the rest of the world, the North American launch of the DualShock 3, and, uh, some wireless headphones. Well, not just any wireless headphones: a limited-edition run of Sony's hot 7.1-channel MDR-DS7000s, with different artwork on each can. Sadly, it doesn't look like these are going to be all that easy to get -- only 30 will be randomly handed out to those buying MGS4 bundles from the Japanese Konami store from now until June 1. Better get clicking, Sparky.

[Via Gemaga; thanks J]

Oh sure, we've seen gadgets used as motivational tools before, but Sega Toys is apparently banking on you not being a hothead. Otherwise, you just might fling its Body Trainer headset from your dome as soon as you hear "please exercise a little bit harder" over your incessant panting. Nevertheless, those with oodles of self-control may actually benefit from having a personal trainer (of sorts) in their ear while working out, and by monitoring the wearer's heartbeat via a sensor, it can blurt out messages at the appropriate time to help users through their session(s). Reportedly, this nifty exercise buddy is set to launch in Japan this April for ¥5,775 ($54), and while we've no idea if this thing is destined for US soil, we can definitely see it being used more so for its musical abilities and less for its steadfast encouragement.

[Via CNET]

We're not sure what has Sony in such a headphoney mood right now, but in addition to those higher-end noise canceling headphones and the flagship EX earbuds, Sony has budget-friendly cans in just about every flavor imaginable. Here's the breakdown:

For kids

• MDR-222KD open-air headphones - Designed for kids eight and up, with a smaller size and limited volume, in black or cotton-candy pink. Available in April for $15.

For athletes

• MDR-AS20J earbuds - Wrap around outer ear
• MDR-AS40EX earbuds - "Convertible ear hanger" for swapping to traditional earbuds
• MDR-AS100W headphones - Headband style

Plenty more after the break.

Sony's not courting the absolute in audiophiles here, but if you're willing step up from your current pair of drugstore crapphones, you might find something to like here. The new MDR-NC40 noise canceling headphones feature an open-air design, with the battery pack moved to the cord to keep the weight off your head. The headphones can fold into a neat little softball-sized package for packing, and will be out in March for $100. The EX series is a bit more complicated, but the top-of-the-line is quite obvious: the MDR-EX700LP has "lightweight magnesium housings" and an "exclusive multilayer diaphragm" -- which we hear is a good thing -- along with seven sizes of hybrid-silicone earbuds for most effective ear cramming. The pair will be out in March for $300. The MDR-EX-32LP, MDR-EX55 and MDR-EX75 earbuds go for $25, $40 and $50, respectively, with the main differences being comfort and color choices. So choose wisely, friend.

You'll be needing some appropriately shady headphones to plug into all that leaked Sony audio gear we just showed you, and we've got you covered with info on a whole host of new headphones that'll hit in April. The MDR-AS20J, MDR-AS40EX, and MDR-AS50G all loop buds around your ears, while the MDR-AS30G drapes you down with some big ol' cans. Also leaked are the MS-AS100W buds, which look like a cross between classic Walkman headphones and in-ear monitors, while the MDR-EX700 does it straight-up in-ear style with seven different silicone sleeves for proper fitting. No pricing yet, but it looks like a strong lineup -- but we'll wait to see how these all sound before giving up our Ultimate Ears. Check 'em all out in the gallery below.

It's not like we haven't seen MP3-playing headphones before -- heck, we've even seen 'em from SkullCandy itself -- but the latest pair from the aforementioned firm simplifies things quite a bit. Quietly showcased at CES, the Double Agent cans sport a built-in SD slot and the typical assortment of controls on one earcup in order to take the external DAP / PMP out of the equation entirely. 'Course, we wouldn't recommend this to those who aren't fond of just shuffling through their tracks, but if you're aiming to consolidate, you can get one step closer to doing just that when this ships in March / April for a currently undisclosed price.

[Via Gadgetell]

These cans are just the ticket for some tunes while hunting. The selection committee had an extremely difficult time arbitrating this one, so if you're affronted by what we've relegated to runners-up after the break be sure to cast your vote.

We didn't see these noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones hiding anywhere in HP's CES booth, so we can only assume the company is trying to sneak 'em by Uncle Sam while we're in Vegas. Of course, you know we're still on top of everything else that's going down even in the middle of CES, which is why we'll be rewarding HP for this deception with a full gallery of pictures. There's nothing going on here internally that's super-crazy, but the form factor is nicely classic, and noise-cancellation is always fun. Check it all out in the gallery -- and HP? We're watching, guys.

We gotta say we're loving the absolutely over-the-top headphone press releases that have been coming out of CES this year, but Audio-Technica appears to be immune -- and the new ATH-ANC3 QuietPoint noise-cancelling in-ears are similarly all business, employing a pair of external mics to block 85 percent of all external noise. Unlike other active noise-canceling sets, the ANC3s work without batteries, or you can switch it around and use the noise-canceling features without audio playback. A-T says these'll hit in spring for $169 -- guess you'll have to keep your earplugs in until then.

Here's a rather odd partnership: legendary rapper and producer Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, have teamed up with cable, line conditioner, and accessory powerhouse Monster to market a pair of high-end, high-priced headphones. The so-called "Beats by Dr. Dre" were supposedly tuned by the former N.W.A. member and Death Row founder himself (along with a little help from 'Head Monster' Noel Lee), and boast "rich, deep bass" which promises to keep your head ringin'. Scheduled to ship this spring, these over-the-head cans will sport a $400 price tag -- you know, just so you can be sure that this is in fact a Monster product

The age-old battle between the forces of digital and analog wages on, with Sony's new MDR-NC500D noise canceling headphones claiming to out noise cancel your totally old-fashioned analog pair. We don't really understand the audio alchemy explained in the press release ("the analog audio input signal is converted to a digital signal and sent through a digital equalizer to enhance the mid-range vocals and alleviate the excess bass"?) but if it means we can tune into whatever crappy movie they're playing on the plane while blocking out the roar of the jet engine and maybe even a crying infant or two, then consider our attention gotten when these things start canceling noise in February. For $400, we're expecting nothing less than a miracle.