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Jabra Supreme UC Bluetooth headset eyes-on
Coming next month from Jabra, you'll find the Supreme UC Bluetooth headset in its arsenal. In addition to featuring dual microphones for noise cancellation that'll benefit your friends, it also leverages a sizable 24mm speaker to incorporate noise cancellation on your end, too. As you'd hope, the Supreme UC is quite lightweight, and the microphone can even be folded to conserve space. We're told that its battery will give users up to six hours of talk time and between eight to fifteen hours of standby. The downside? It'll set you back $149. Then again, for those who care about the audio quality of their calls, it could be money well spent. Sean Cooper contributed to this report. Check out our event hub to keep up with all the action at CTIA Wireless 2012!
Jabra colors Clipper, lets you rock it with $15 worth of MP3s
Need a turquoise stereo Bluetooth headset to go with that new tie, Winston? With four new colors for Jabra's Clipper you can be stylin' while never missing a call, plus there's a $15 offer of free Amazon music to keep you amused between conversations. The new hues still have the original $60 price, noise-cancelling earbuds, eight days of standby and six hour talk time, so go on, be matchy-matchy.
Plantronics BackBeat Go headset sports tangle-free cord, 'rich' stereo sound
Plantronics has made a name for itself in the wireless headset space, but there's plenty of room to grow when it comes to premium stereo offerings. BackBeat Go is the company's smallest and lightest wireless earbud set to date, tipping the scale at 13 grams, or "about the weight of three nickels." The cordless rig includes a pair of earbuds linked with a flat tangle-free cord, with inline controls to adjust volume and an integrated mic for calls. The Bluetooth-enabled Go can sync up with one device at a time, so you'll need to repeat the pairing process if switching between phones or to a tablet -- and you should be able to snag 4.5 hours of listening and talk time or 10 hours of standby with a single charge. Digital noise reduction and echo canceling play into the call experience, while the "deep, rich, stereo sound" means the earbuds are equally suited for leisure. Sound good to you? You can snag your own set for a cool $100 by clicking through to the source link below.
Turtle Beach XP400 wireless gaming headset hands-on
Turtle Beach announced a duo of new XBOX 360 and PS3 gaming headsets on day one of CES, and we were able to spend a bit of time with one of them, the XP400, on the show floor. It's Turtle Beach's flagship gaming headset, featuring adjustable Dolby 5.1 virtual surround sound, a non-A2DP dual-pairing Bluetooth radio for picking up phone calls during gaming sessions, a 15 hour rechargeable battery and dual-band 2.4/5GHZ built-in WiFi. The actual over-the-ear pieces have a much better layout from previous models, though there are almost as many buttons as there are on the controller you'd be wielding -- with volume up / down, chat volume up / down, mute, Bluetooth pairing, limiter button and tone buttons. The included dual-band WiFi adapter that connects to your gaming console of choice is small and pretty minimalistic in design. The adjustable surround angles feature seems useful but we can't help but to feel it's a bit gimmicky -- we have a hard time figuring out which setting is better. One feature that we really like is the new Limiter function, which allows you to keep the volume relatively high to listen for those footsteps (lower in volume) but won't blow your ear drums out when a RPG rocket (explosion-like volume levels) hits you in the face. The sound was also crisp and loud as we completed our spec-op mission at the Turtle Beach gaming booth, where the headset's noise-blocking abilities proved to be particularly handy. Hit up the gallery below for a close look at the $220 gaming headset set to be available this quarter. Joe Pollicino contributed to this report.
Samsung launches new wired and wireless headsets for mobile warriors
Samsung isn't letting CES go by without introducing a few new accessories for its mobile devices. A pair of Bluetooth headsets are on tap, the HM1800 and HM6000 (the latter of which boasts a pair of mics for noise cancellation ) but, oddly enough, it the company's "your sound" wired models that are getting the bulk of the attention. The EHS-60, 63, 70 and 71 all offer a twist on the wired stereo headset model. The high-end 70 and 71 are crafted of aluminum and include welcome features like anti-tangle cords. The most interesting, though, are certainly the asymmetrical EHS-63s which feature an in-ear bud for higher frequencies and an open-air speaker for low-end. Check out the PR after the break.
Tritton's latest Bluetooth headset lands at the FCC, hopes to find refuge with PS3 owners
No, that isn't some robotic fingernail -- it's MadCatz / Tritton's latest Bluetooth headset, which has just made its way through the FCC's underground bunker. Geared for audio chat on the PS3, the "Wireless Headset featuring Bluetooth technology," as it's not-so-creatively dubbed, is the apparent successor to the company's late AX Micro. A quick perusal of its manual confirms that aside from the science fiction-eqsue looks, the unit is essentially an average Bluetooth earpiece. Over the past few months, Tritton's been heavily catering to the Xbox 360 crowd with a smattering of officially licensed gaming headsets, so it's a pleasant surprise to see that Blu-ray spinning gamers are still getting a some love. Is this a taste of what's to come from MadCatz at this year's CES? You can be sure we'll find out once we hit the show floor in the coming days, but for now, check out the gallery below for a better look.
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%
Motorola intros Elite Sliver and Elite Flip Bluetooth headsets with NFC pairing (video)
Bluetooth headsets are normally the province of businesspeople so important they can't spare the energy to hold a phone to their ears or, perhaps, folks who just want to play CIA agent. If you find yourself in either category, Motorola's newest offerings will put what passes for a smile on your serious businessperson face. The outfit just took the wraps off two Elite series headsets, both equipped with NFC pairing, so one tap 'twixt phone and earpiece will have you ready to simultaneously drive and talk. You'll also get integration with My Motospeak, now capable of dictating text messages as well as hearing them read to you, HD-Audio, CrystalTalk noise cancellation and a roaming distance of 300 feet. While the Flip looks the part of your typical earpiece, the Sliver (above left) has decidedly more futuristic digs. Both will be available on October 24th with the Flip costing $100 and the Sliver fetching an extra $30 for its avant-garde design.We've got PR after the break along with a demo video -- because who doesn't love watching cartoon characters explain how NFC works?
Nokia outs colorful 603 handset, coupled with NFC-equipped Luna Bluetooth headset
The leaves in your yard may be transitioning to the more subdued hues of autumn, but Nokia's new 603 smartphone certainly isn't. Available in six different back cover colors, this new Symbian Belle handset is powered by a 1GHz processor and boasts a 3.5-inch, capacitive touchscreen with 640 x 360 resolution. It also comes with 2GB of internal memory, a 32GB microSD slot and five megapixel camera, along with full NFC and Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities. Speaking of which, the folks in Espoo have also taken this opportunity to unveil their new Luna Bluetooth headset -- an NFC-enabled, in-ear accessory that delivers up to eight hours of extended talk time, as well as a rainbow of colors (see an image after the break). As far as pricing goes, the 603 will set you back €200 (about $275), with the Luna headset sitting at €70 (around $96). Neither will hit the market until Q4 of this year, but you can find more information in the full PR, looming after the break.
Plantronics Voyager Pro HD headset knows when it's kissing your cheek
If you drive around all day bumping your gums with remote friends and colleagues, then you can't really get along with those more diminutive headsets on the market. That's where the fat and proud Voyager range from Plantronics comes in, with features like all-day battery life, a long boom, A2DP and an InstantMeeting app to connect you to conf calls on your iOS, Android or BlackBerry. The latest Voyager Pro HD model is the first to contain sensors that detect proximity to your jowls and allow the device to re-route calls appropriately. The Pro HD is available now at $100, which includes a year's subscription to the company's Vocalyst voice recognition service -- although we suspect a certain newcomer might have that area covered. The full PR is a click away. Update: We've just been reminded that the earlier Pro UC headset also had the sensors, so please ignore what it says above (and in the Plantronics press release) about the Pro HD being the first. Thanks, b-e-q.
Bose Bluetooth Headset Series 2 enters the marketplace, still makes you look like a crazy
Know how sometimes you'll be walking down the street when you encounter a seemingly crazy person talking to themselves? And you think, "But you're too well-dressed to be insane." That's when you see it -- the Bluetooth headset tucked neatly around their ear. Well, Bose is adding a newer, high-end option for this well-heeled crowd of faux lunatics with its Bluetooth Headset Series 2. The luxe, over-ear attachment doesn't discriminate as to your best side, coming in both right and left versions. There's a whole load of hyperbolically-named proprietary tech bundled into it to reduce background noise and adjust listening levels accordingly -- exactly the performance you'd expect at this $150 price point. Bose is offering this BT 2.1 headset now, so you can snag it if you're nearby one of its boutiques. Or, make like the rest of us and order it online. Official PR with all its audio jargon after the break.
Barely visible Bluetooth earphones from Novero spotted at the FCC
Walk along that sparse borderline between Bluetooth headset and pearl necklace and you'll eventually come across a company called Novero. It specializes in vaguely ridiculous bejeweled wireless things, but it has some serious products too -- including these surreptitious little Rockaway earphones that have just been approved by the FCC. They'll cope with hands-free calling, 5.5 hours of stereo music and 250 hours in standby -- plus they weigh just 10 grams. Perfect for any NYC cabbie wanting to flout the rules at 50MPH.
Plantronics intros Marque M155, its lightest Bluetooth headset for smartphone users
Along with providing hands-free convenience for mobile users on-the-go, Bluetooth headsets serve a fine purpose for crazies, giving them something to point to when they're rambling incoherently to themselves. Now, the latest offering from Plantronics brings greater comfort and style to both types of users. The Marque M155 heralds the company's smallest and lightest headset to date, which weighs in at just 7 grams -- approximately the weight of a ballpoint pen. Designed specifically for Android and iOS phones (though widely compatible with more), the M155 offers voice-guided pairing assistance, customized apps and the ability to answer or ignore calls with verbal commands. What's more, all purchasers will receive a one-year subscription to the company's Vocalyst service, which offers the ability to send email, update Twitter, check the weather, listen to news feeds and more -- all hands free. Available in jet black or arctic white, the Marque M155 will retail for approximately $60 and is available for pre-order beginning today.
Skype update for iOS adds anti-shake, Bluetooth connectivity and ads for freeloaders
Skype's latest app upgrade brings a few substantial features, some good, one not so. Alongside a new anti-shake video call function (limited to the iPhone's back-facing camera), you can now pair Bluetooth headsets with the VoIP calling service, something apparently "long requested" from Skype fans. However, users have to fork out for credit to avoid seeing advertising that's also baked into the new version. The update's now up for grabs on both the iPhone and iPad, though there are reports of a few teething troubles, including missing credit and account details. We've also been experiencing issues, with the app unwilling to play nice with our Bluetooth headsets, though oddly, we can still hear the Skype call ring through. Hopefully we'll see another update that sorts this out soon -- till then, tap the link below for more details, or ogle a bit of smoothed out anti-shake action after the break.
Bose BT2 Bluetooth headset cruises through the FCC, unsurprisingly mum on specifications
We're surmising that Bose has at least one other thing on the docket for its September 15th press event, but for those who still think Bluetooth headsets are must-have accessories... well, this guy ought to be hitting store shelves soon. The BT2 just passed through the FCC's database, showcasing a left ear placement and letting us know that it'll be "powered by a rechargeable, non-replaceable lithium-ion polymer battery." We're guessing it'll be priced accordingly (read: incomprehensibly out of reach for most), and will have precisely zero specifications printed on the box. But hey -- would you really expect anything else? Stay tuned.
Jabra Sport bluetooth headset lets you work the Thigh Master during concalls
If you're secretly wearing Spandex bicycle shorts underneath your suit for on-the-fly workouts between conference calls, then perhaps Jabra's new Sport bluetooth headset is for you. Of course it allows you to answer calls, but what's cooler is the built-in FM radio and A2DP technology for wirelessly connecting to your MP3 player -- claiming to be the first headset to handle both. The company also threw in a free download of the Endomondo Sports Tracker for iPhone, Android or BlackBerry -- which is kind of like the Nike+ app, tracking runs and giving speed and distance updates. This $99 device will be sold by Sprint, Apple and T-Mobile, and available sometime in September along with a corded version, aptly named the Jabra Sport-Corded, for $69. Get ready to tear away those wool trousers and check out the full PR after the break.
NuForce BT-860 Bluetooth headset: Wireless bliss
Apple fans who are looking for the perfect intersection of stylish design, great sound and wireless connectivity have a new Bluetooth headset to consider -- the NuForce BT-860 (US$79). I recently had the pleasure to try out this value-priced Bluetooth headset and found a lot to like. Design While Bluetooth connectivity has been embraced by a number of manufacturers for phone headsets, there still aren't a lot of wireless headsets designed for the purpose of listening to music. There are four primary Bluetooth profiles supported by the BT-860 -- A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), HFP (Hands-Free Profile), HSP (Handset Profile), and AVCRP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile) -- that make the device so versatile. A2DP supports stereo streaming of music from your Mac or iOS device to the BT-860 headset. This makes it perfect for listening to tunes streaming from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. AVCRP gives the headset the ability to control any of those devices by pressing buttons on the side. HFP and HSP allow the BT-860 to control a mobile phone, supporting dialing, hanging up, and other common telephony actions. The BT-860 is quite attractive. Made from a soft-touch matte black plastic material, the headset has a very sleek look. The active controls are built into one of the earpieces, with flat + and - buttons for controlling volume and another pair for jumping between tracks in a playlist. In the center of those four buttons is an MFB (multi-function button) that is used for a number of functions: turning the headset on and off; answering, ending, transferring, muting or rejecting a call; and playing or pausing music playback. The headset is quite light -- 2.9 ounces -- and the lack of a connecting cable makes the BT-860 a joy to wear. I have a big head (7-7/8 hat size!) and wear glasses, both of which often make headsets a literal pain to use. The replaceable pads on the earpieces are soft on the ears, and the lightweight construction of the BT-860 is very comfortable. Functionality As with most Bluetooth devices, the BT-860 headset is easy to pair with either a Mac or iOS device. Holding down the MFB for about ten seconds puts the headset into a discoverable mode, after which time it appears in the list of nearby Bluetooth devices and can be paired. With a Mac, the headset can be set up as either monaural or stereo headphones and also as a sound input device. I tried using the headset with Skype with mixed success; it did work, but had a lot of static. It also destroyed the ability to listen to music from iTunes until I re-paired the headset to the Mac. The headset does a very good job with music. I played music with a wide dynamic and frequency range through the Bluetooth connection, and I was able to roam around the house out to about the 33-foot limit with music blasting into my ears. With my iPhone, I enjoyed being able to use Voice Control through the headset to make and receive phone calls. If music was playing when a call came in, or if I pressed the MFB to make an outgoing call, the music faded out. However, the monaural sound quality of the calls wasn't outstanding, and call recipients noted that my voice sounded somewhat echoey, tinny, and that higher frequencies seemed cut off. The microphone on the headset is built into one of the earpieces, which seems to make it less sensitive than other headsets that are designed specifically for talking on the phone. Let's just say that the headset is usable for phone calls, but many people will be displeased with the sound quality. The BT-860 comes with a standard USB to micro-USB cable and an AC adapter. The headset can be charged either by plugging the cable into the AC adapter or a powered USB port. Battery life of the BT-860 is very good. The company specifies an eight-hour lifetime between charges while listening to music -- I was able to stretch that to about nine-and-a-half hours before the headset gave up the ghost. In standby mode, the battery can last for a full ten days. Conclusion If you are looking for a pair of good Bluetooth headphones for use while watching movies or listening to music from your Mac or iOS device, the BT-860 might just do the trick. People who like the ambient noise isolation provided by in-ear headphones might prefer something like the $129.95 MSRP Plantronics BackBeat 906 headphone, which also features dual microphones for better sound quality on phone calls. The Jabra HALO headset ($129.99 MSRP), which I have not tested, is also in the same price range as the BT-860 and even resembles the NuForce device. The BT-860 is a new product, and considering the low suggested retail price at this point, I'd expect that the eventual price will be even lower. While the sound quality is lacking a bit for telephony, the product is solid for listening to music. For a relatively inexpensive set of comfortable Bluetooth headphones, I'd recommend the NuForce BT-860 without reservations.
Jawbone announces Icon HD headset with improved audio, 'Nerd' adapter for making PC-based VoIP calls
It's been the better part of a year since we've seen a new Jawbone headset, and in that time the outfit's clearly been focusing less on brainstorming cutesy names for its Bluetooth earpieces and more on tweaking the sound quality. The company just announced the Icon HD, whose wideband speaker is 25 percent larger than the original Icon's, and which lets you pause and play songs and podcasts by pressing a button on the headset. The real story, though, isn't the Icon HD, but The Nerd, a questionably named add-on that plugs into your computer's USB port, allowing the headset to field VoIP calls from PCs and Macs, in addition to ones coming through to your cellphone. The hook here -- aside from the added functionality -- is that it's a plug-n-play device that doesn't require any software installation. It's almost as if -- wait for it -- a nerd took the reins and set up wireless VoIP calling for you. The pair's on sale as a bundle for $139, and will hit brick-and-mortar stores soon. In other news, Jawbone's Companion for Android app, which displays headsets' battery life among other vitals, is now out of the testing phase and ready for general consumption. Full PR after the break.
New Xbox 360 Bluetooth headset unlocks business casual achievement (video)
The new Xbox 360 wireless headset has a form factor that ought prove familiar to anyone who has ever watched a businessman chew out his secretary while ordering at latte at Starbucks. The peripheral connects wirelessly to the console via its standard radio frequencies -- its similarities to a non-gaming Bluetooth headset are more than just skin deep, however, with the earpiece doubling as just that, making it compatible with Bluetooth-ready phones and PCs. This one says "Xbox 360" on it, however, to help you avoid accidentally being mistaken for a stock trader. The headset will go on sale in November for $60. Also newly announced is the Xbox 360 Media Remote, which controls streaming content, CD / DVD playback, and live TV viewed through the console. The remote will be available for $20 around the same time as the headset. [Thanks, Jason]
Turtle Beach unveils limited edition Modern Warfare 3 headsets, Simon Riley would've approved
Listen up, soldier. Engadget HQ was dismayed when lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley -- along with his skull balaclava and mondo communications headset -- saw an arguably unjust demise in Modern Warfare 2. That being said, if he could play the upcoming installment we'd bet it'd be with one of the four limited edition offerings from Turtle Beach and Activision. The headsets all sport the same night vision-esque design, but offer varying specialties. On the front line is the $300 Ear Force Delta; based on the XP500 programmable virtual 7.1 headset, it adds a custom travel-case and MW3 specific sound presets. Next up is the $150 Ear Force Bravo, a variant of the PX3, which offers the same presets as the former in wireless stereo. Following close in formation is the $130 Ear Force Charlie, a take on the PC oriented Z6A; it delivers discrete 5.1 with a grand total of eight drivers. Rounding out the reserves is the $100 Ear Force Foxtrot; a PX21 universal stereo headset that's also just received a fresh coat of battle paint. All of the gear will be available in October along with "bonus content," which gives you time to set aside extra funds for the game's November 8th release. You'll find photo-based intel below and more details in the PR past the break. At ease, soldier. %Gallery-128526%
