Polk enters the headphone game with sporty, generic ear-speakers
It seems the Polk folk have had their fill of iPod docks, shower speakers, and soundbars, and are hungry for a new market: headphones. The outfit aims to "change the sonic landscape" (their words) for athletes and "ardent headphone users" with their UltraFit and UltraFocus monikered ear-gear. Between the two brands, Polk is promising four brightly-colored UltraFit sports 'phones, including in-ear, on-ear, and earbud models, as well as two UltraFocus in-ear and over-ear noise canceling headphones. No word on price or release date, but Polk suggests you should be able to get your hands on its sporty headgear sometime this fall. Need more? You can find a buzzword-laden press release after the break.
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Performance Line-up Includes Both UltraFit Sports and UltraFocus Noise Cancelation Models
BALTIMORE, June 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Polk Audio, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of high performance audio products, is bringing its sonic expertise to the world of sports and fitness with the introduction of the audio industry's first line of performance headphone products designed specifically for athletes and active individuals.
Polk's new Performance Line-Up, which appears in retail stores this fall, includes sports headphones and active noise cancelation (ANC) headphones designed for serious athletes engaged in exercise and fitness as well as suited for players and business professionals who travel frequently and often listen to music in noisy environments.
"We are about to change the sonic landscape for an entire generation of athletes and ardent headphone users," said Jim Minarik, chief executive officer of DEI Holdings, Inc., Polk Audio's parent company. "Our engineers have used the same standards and breakthrough technology we apply to speaker design to create a series of headphones that are comfortable, rugged in durability, aggressively muscular in style and all with Polk's world-class commitment to superior sound quality."
Polk Audio's Performance Line-Up will feature four UltraFit™ sports headphones in a variety of colors that include in-ear, on-ear and in-ear canal models. The headphones stand apart from other brands by Polk Audio's acclaimed audio quality and unique attention to detail, including: water resistant designs, contrast-colored cables for instant left/right recognition, iPhone®/iPod® controls, Kevlar-reinforced hinge points to eliminate the number one product-failure in many headphones, plugs conformed to fit through the opening of all iPhone/iPod/iPad covers, and comfortable, non-slip materials where the headphone engages the ear.
Polk Audio's engineers and designers also reinvented the active noise cancelation headphone to produce two UltraFocus™ models that address the needs of travelers and others who find themselves in noisy locations, whether it's in the locker room, on a plane or in the office. In addition to active noise cancelation, the Polk in-ear canal and over-the-ear versions offer the highest quality sound; ultra-flexible, tangle-free planar audio cables; contrast-color cable for instant left/right identification; on-ear Apple® control for iPhone®/iPad®; push-to-hear technology; superior durability; a more comfortable fit; and styling that is distinct from other headphones on the market.
"U.S. retail sales for active noise cancelation headphones have doubled in the last three years, but audio performance has always been compromised in the pursuit of ANC technology," said Minarik. "With nearly 40 years of acoustic research and engineering expertise, Polk is uniquely positioned to bring these new ANC headphones to market with an absolute commitment to high-end audio. We are excited bring both these high performance and differentiated series of headphones to our dealers and consumers this fall."
