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Louis Vuitton wireless earbuds will cost you almost $1,000
Louis Vuitton is bringing its luxury brand to the world of audio. The French fashion house is teaming up with New York City-based audio company Master & Dynamic to create Louis Vuitton's first branded earbuds. The Louis Vuitton Horizon Earphones will come in four different colorway designs and are expected to retail for $995, according to High Snobiety.
Audio-Technica unveils its best noise-canceling headphones yet
Audio-Technica has unveiled a huge range of new products at this year's CES, chief among them some new addition to its QuietPoint wireless noise-canceling headphones range. The line up features over-ear and in-ear models, and is, according to the company, its most effective yet in blocking out ambient noise.
TCL announces its first sets of headphones
TCL is expanding beyond TVs, soundbars and phones by moving into the headphone market. The company announced four lines of cans at CES, ranging from in-ear to over-ear styles. They're targeted towards different groups of consumers: social butterflies (SOCL), urban users (MTRO), sports enthusiasts (ACTV) and fans of luxury products (ELIT).
B&O made a wireless charging case for its all-wireless earphones
More audio companies are trying to make their true wireless earphone charging cases fashionable as well as functional. Klipsch has revealed a Zippo-style case for its first true wireless set, while Bang & Olufsen has updated the stylish leather case for its Beoplay E8 2.0 earphones. What's more, unlike most other cases, you can charge this one wirelessly.
Skullcandy unveils its first true wireless earbuds
Skullcandy is hopping aboard the bandwagon for all-wireless earbuds. It's releasing Push, a Bluetooth earbud set that aims to liberate you from cords without paying as much as you would for the usual alternatives. They offer six hours of listening by themselves, and another six through the included charging case. They should also stay reasonably secure in your ears thanks to their gels, and you can control basic functions (including invoking your preferred voice assistant) without reaching for your phone.
Apple may release AirPods with wireless charging in early 2019
When Apple effectively scrubbed all mention of its AirPower wireless charging mat when it didn't show up a year after its unveiling, that raised a question: would the wireless charging case for AirPods meet a similar fate? Not necessarily. Historically accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that AirPods with wireless charging support should arrive in the first quarter of 2019. He also suggested that there would be more changes than you might expect. They'd update to a newer Bluetooth spec (presumably Bluetooth 5.0), possibly a new W-series chip, and would include design changes like a more heat-resistant hinge.
Samsung launches three wireless AKG headphones in the US
Samsung-owned Harman has released two new wireless headphones under its AKG brand in the the US, with one more model -- a premium one with more advanced features -- arriving later this year. Starting today, you can buy the AKG Y100 earbuds and the Y500 on-ear headphones from AKG.com, Amazon, Samsung.com, Sprint and US Cellular. The Y100 has magnetic earbuds and fabric cables similar to ones used for the AKG-tuned in-ear headphones that come with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9. On the other hand, the Y500 is a pair of on-ear headphones that can connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. It can also automatically pause and start what's playing when you take it off and put it back on.
Plantronics' updated headphone lineup includes true wireless earbuds
Plantronics has lately made a point of delivering solid wireless audio for relatively little cost, and that's particularly evident this year. It's releasing a refreshed headphone lineup that sees it both push into uncharted territory and lower prices. The centerpiece for the fitness crowd is the BackBeat Fit 3100 you see above. It promises true wireless listening with ear hooks that should keep the earbuds in place during a workout, with audio awareness that could keep you safe during an outdoor run. It's available now for $150.
The world's first planar magnetic wireless earphones don't come cheap
Planar magnetic headphones are the HiFi tech du jour via impressive (but pricey) recent models like the Blue Ella and Audeze Sine. Now, RHA has brought the tech down to a tiny new size with the CL2 Planar earphones. Not only are the buds very compact, thanks to a 10mm transducer and 16 micrometer diaphragm, but they're the first ever planar magnetic wireless headphones, says RHA.
Apple's future AirPods may offer noise cancellation and greater range
Apple might have larger plans in store for future AirPods beyond water resistance. Bloomberg sources claim that a higher-end version of the totally wireless earbuds could arrive "as early as" 2019 with noise cancellation and longer wireless range in addition to protection against rain and sweat. There's no mention of whether or not there would be an audio quality boost at the same time, but you at least wouldn't have to endure unwanted noises from the outside world. It's safe to presume they'd cost more than the existing $159.
Sony makes it easier to use Google Assistant on existing headphones
Today, the Sony WH-1000XM2 and WI-1000X headphones received software update 2.0.0, which integrates them with Google Assistant. A number of headphones already allow this with a press and hold of the call button, but full integration has additional benefits. Adding new functionality to an existing product (without having to pay for an upgrade) is something we're never going to complain about, so it's great to see Sony and Google making this move. Android Police first spotted the update, but we've confirmed with our own set of headphones.
B&O Play redesigns its Earset headphones for the wireless generation
Today, B&O Play announced a refresh of its Earset earphones. These new premium in-ear headphones keep the adjustable design of their predecessors, but they've been updated with the latest technology. You can preorder the Earset wireless bluetooth earphones on B&O Play's website for $299 (£269 in the UK), though only the Graphite Brown model is available. They also come in white, which will ship starting June 1st.
Jabra brings noise cancellation to its behind-the-neck earbuds
Do you like the concept of Apple's BeatsX earbuds, but want something that's better at shutting out external noise and taking phone calls? Jabra might have your fix. It's expanding its Elite earbud line with the 65e, which brings active noise cancellation and higher-quality voice calls (through a three-mic array). It's even promising that this won't hurt your battery life. You should get 8 hours of listening with noise cancellation on, and 13 hours relying just on the passive cancellation of the in-ear design.
Bragi's AI earbuds will recognize the sounds around you
Bragi is determined to stand out in the increasingly crowded smart earbud space, and it might just have an ace up its sleeve. The startup and its partner Audio Analytic are promising to show off the first "context-aware earphones" at CES in January -- that is, a Dash Pro whose AI can recognize nearby sounds and act accordingly. While the exact capabilities are under wraps, Audio Analytic hints at recognizing both conversations and ambient sounds. The earphones might pipe down when you start talking to a friend, or let in more outside sound if an ambulance is approaching with sirens blaring.
Google Assistant is definitely part of Bose's new QC35 headphones
Last week, we reported that Bose's QuietComfort 35 II Bluetooth headphones might include Google Assistant. Now, it's confirmed. Bose has revealed that this pair of QC headphones is the first to have a Google Assistant integration. They retail for $350, the same price as the regular QC35 model.
Plantronics offers affordable wireless audio for your workouts
Plantronics' latest BackBeat wireless headphones have tended to focus on value for your hard-earned cash, and that's definitely the focus today. It's launching a range of BackBeat Fit headphones that promise sweat-resistant designs without a huge outlay. The BackBeat Fit 300 in-ears are billed as some of the lightest Bluetooth headphones on the planet, with stable earpieces and low-friction cloth cables, but the cost is relatively easy to swallow at $80/£90 -- the only big catch is the so-so 6-hour battery life. And if you tend to work out more at the gym, the Fit 500 on-ears (shown up top) give you 18 hours of comfier playback for $100/£90.
Beats' latest earbuds have a Lightning option for newer iPhones
Apple may have basically had a glorified two-hour commercial yesterday (that we all willingly, even eagerly, tuned in for), but that doesn't mean they are finished with product launches for the week. Today, without much fanfare, Apple introduced urBeats3 Earphones with a lightning connector.
Truly wireless earbuds are coming for your headphones
One of the dominant trends of IFA 2017 was the sheer volume of companies, both known and not-so-known, that launched Bluetooth earbuds. The "truly wireless" revolution that was kickstarted by Bragi and embraced by Samsung and Apple is now a bandwagon that everyone is jumping on.
Samsung's refined Gear IconX earbuds now talk to Bixby
The Gear Fit 2 Pro and Gear Sport aren't the only products Samsung is unveiling at IFA 2017. Today, the company also introduced a revamped version of its Gear IconX wireless earbuds, which feature better battery life (up to five hours of streaming) and support for its virtual assistant, Bixby. That means you can now use your voice to control your music or paired phone, all by simply tapping and holding the side of the IconX earbud. And because runners may be into these, Samsung added a Running Coach mode that gives you real-time, in-ear status updates as you're working out.
Every Galaxy S8 comes with a pair of $99 AKG earbuds
Samsung's newly announced Galaxy S8 and S8+ will come with a pair of $99 AKG earbuds, the company revealed at its Unpacked event in New York City today. Although Samsung didn't say much beyond that, AKG is known for making products with great audio quality, so this should be an improvement over the earphones that have traditionally been included in the box with Galaxy phones. Indeed, audio was clearly a big focus for Samsung with its new flagship device: One of the best features of the S8 is that it can stream music to two headphones at a time, as long as you're using Bluetooth as the pairing method. It may not be something you use regularly, but at least you have the option to do so if you ever need to.
