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Urbanears' $199 portable speaker is meant to be shared
Urbanears is back with a connected home speaker, but this time it's both portable and shareable. The Swedish company's new Rålis speaker is small enough to transport and comes with a carrying strap, so you can listen at home or bring it poolside -- where Urbanears promises it's water resistant (IPX2).
Urbanears' $150 over-ear headphones last 30 hours
If you're in the market for over-ear, wireless headphones, you've probably noticed how pricey they can get. Good over-ear models can often set you back two or three hundred dollars, if not more. But budget-minded music lovers may be in luck: Urbanears just released a new line of Bluetooth, over-ear headphones for $149.99.
Urbanears made a smaller, $199 version of its connected speaker
Urbanears' first batch of Connected Speakers were clever, packing AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify Connect into colorful boxes you wouldn't mind putting on display. There was one main problem, though: at a minimum of $350, you were paying a lot for the privilege. Enter the company's just-unveiled Lotsen: the new speaker is considerably smaller and drops the price to $199, all the while offering the same multi-room audio (and Bluetooth) as the larger Baggen and Stammen. It promises "well-balanced" sound for small- to mid-sized rooms and is meant to sit on corner tables and other areas where its bigger siblings might be intrusive.
The best audio gear for students
There's a strong case to be made for investing in quality audio gear at any period in your adult life. For college students in particular, though, a good set of speakers can be icebreakers as much as gateways into audiophilia. As such, we've included three options in our back-to-school buyer's guide, along with a turntable and amplifier, should you be more creatively inclined. Content to just listen to music and podcasts on the way to class? We have a few headphones you should check out, too.
Urbanears built AirPlay and Chromecast into its WiFi speakers
The last time we covered Urbanears, the company was hawking headphones with quilted padding. Now, some six years later it's getting into the crowded wireless speaker game. Long story short, the Connected Speakers are colorful noise boxes that you can network together for multi-room sound; you can set them to play the same track in sync, or separate ones. Each unit has Airplay, Chromecast and Spotify Connect capabilities built in too, so blasting Papa Roach's "Last Resort" from every room while you're trying to argue for an unpopular rule-change at your house should be pretty easy. If you want to kick it old-school beyond your song selection, there's Bluetooth connectivity and an aux port too.
Urbanears has sweat-soaked headphones, if that's what you're into
What's the best way to promote a line of workout headphones? Well, if you're Urbanears, offering a "Limited Sweat Edition" that carries the perspiration of real human "movement makers" is how you go about it. The audio company teamed up with seven folks from fashion, music and sports on a group of sweat-soaked headphones that will be used to raise money for charity. Yes, it's pretty gross, but Urbanears is playing up the Hellas wireless headphones removable headband and earpads to remind you that said funk can be removed. And yes, you can buy a fresh pair if you prefer.
Marshall's Hanwell HiFi speaker is bred from guitar amps, at-home with your PMP (update)
It's been a year since the legendary guitar amp and speaker makers at Marshall Amplification made a splash in consumer audio with its Marshall Headphones spin-off (Zound / Urbanears). In commemorence of the amplification division's 50th anniversary, both have announced the Hanwell: Marshall's first speaker rig that's made for a counter-top instead of a festival stage. The Hanwell's design essentially stems from that of a combo guitar amp / speaker, but you won't be able to plug in your guitar, however, as it's specifically made for pumping out the sounds of your music collection. Most anyone who plays guitar, or has seen the likes of Slash and Nigel Tufnel shredding it up, will immediately recognize the iconic Marshall design ethic down to its iconic plastic nameplate on the front grill and gold accents. There's no major tech at play inside of the system, but with looks this cool it's not like it matters -- hopefully, the sound quality will match. Up top there's a familiar panel housing a 3.5mm input, power toggle and knobs for bass, treble and volume, while internally you'll find a duo of long-throw woofers and tweeters. The cab itself is made from wood and wrapped in black vinyl tolex like its bigger JCM siblings -- heck, it even comes with a coiled audio cable. There's no specific information beyond all of that such as pricing and availability -- especially whether "these go to 11" -- but you'll find a press release and close-up shots after the break. Update: We've been informed that the Hanwell will be limited to a run of just 10,000 units -- expect this to be spendy when it's finally available.
Urbanears Plattan headphones prove that quilted isn't just for toilet paper anymore
Talk about padding out a product line. Urbanears announced a new, quilted addition to its Plattan line of over-the-ear headphones. The Quilted Plattan Edition feature an extra padded headband and ear cushion. They'll run you around $80 and an extra layer of sweat at the gym.
Marshall updates Major headphone with in-line mic for more talkin' between rockin'
Marshall struck solid gold when it lent spare amp parts to Zound Industries (Urbanears) for the Major and Minor headphones, and is now releasing a remixed version of the original smash hit. The updated headset is by all means a Major headphone, but it now features an in-line remote with a mic that's sure to please on-the-move fans of the supra-aural fit. At $119, the new cans will set you back about 20 bones more than the original, although you can't put a price on the amount of rockstar-cred you'll gain. The Major is available now from Marshall Headphones' web store and at your local brick and mortar if you're GASing for some new JCM-esque headgear. %Gallery-126735%
Urban Ears Tanto multicolor headphones are a grab bag of ugly, but still cooler than you
Everyone knows that the only way to prove your non-conformity is to wear multi-colored headphones. At least that seems to be the theme Urban Ears is hinting at via its Tanto headphones, which are assembled from randomly colored parts at the factory -- if that somehow wasn't clear enough from the image above. Besides a terrible aftertaste of the 80s, these cans feature handmade 40mm drivers, an inline remote with a multi-function button for answering calls / controlling music, and even a microphone -- making them ironically friendly for modern-day smartphone owners. Urban Ears even includes a few additional cables to ensure the headsets work with stereo sources and Nokia phones. These vivacious fellows are on sale now for $47 in limited quantities -- if you like what you see, grab a pair before the remainder-part supply bins run dry.
