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Sennheiser's latest wireless earbuds offer an alternative to Beats X
High-quality audio company Sennheiser used CES to add some new wraparound Bluetooth earbuds to its lineup that will compete with Apple's AirPods and Beats X. The company's CX 6.00BT model features an integrated microphone, a three-button remote and six hours of battery life, and will be available this month for $100.
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The best noise-cancelling headphones
By Geoff Morrison This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After testing 42 headphones, including 22 for this update, the Bose QuietComfort 25 are still the best option for most people who want over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. They have the best overall noise reduction of any wired noise-cancelling headphone available, plus they're comfortable, lightweight, and able to fold down into a compact carrying case. They aren't perfect—the sound quality is decent enough, just not spectacular—but if your goal is to turn down the volume on the outside world, these are hard to beat.
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.
Samsung is helping Sennheiser bring 3D audio to Android
When Sennheiser unveiled the first earbuds to use its Ambeo 3D audio technology, it limited them to iOS users. Are they ever going to come to Android? Yes, apparently -- with some help. Sennheiser has revealed that it's partnering with Samsung to bring Smart Surround's binaural, recording-based sound to Android devices. The company's Andreas Sennheiser says the collaboration is necessary for "credibility." South Korea is "one of the most technology-savvy countries," he says, and makes an ideal testing ground for new hardware. We'd add that Samsung is also the dominant Android phone maker, so any support from its side virtually guarantees a solid foothold in the market.
Teaching the uninterested about headphones
By Aaron Souppouris and Mat Smith There's a constant divide at Engadget between those who care about audio and those who don't. I (that's Aaron) fall mostly in the first category: I appreciate high-end headphones, but my budget typically leaves me with pairs costing $200 to $300. My current daily 'phones are AKG K702s for home and Master & Dynamic MH30s for out and about. My colleague Mat Smith couldn't be more different. He uses a mix of unremarkable Sony earbuds and Bluetooth headphones and responds to "audiophile" conversation with a bespoke mixture of groans and eye rolls. This CES, I decided to spend a morning getting him excited about headphones. It went ... OK? The rules were simple and our methodology entirely unscientific. We would travel from booth to booth, listening to a single track over and over. Because we're mean, the Engadget CES team deemed Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" the perfect fit, despite the holidays being long gone. After adding a 1,411Kbps (16/44.1kHz) FLAC file to my iPhone, we headed onto the show floor, stopping at Sennheiser, Audio Technica, HiFiMan, Audeze and Klipsch. In general, I was looking for portable headphones that work well when connected to a phone. For each listen, I had Mat tell me his thoughts before we moved on to the next booth.
Sennheiser's wireless headphones give Bose some competition
When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones, Bose is widely regarded as best in class, with its QuietComfort 35s doing a stellar job at blocking out unwanted distractions. Here at CES, Sennheiser has its own wireless model with active noise cancellation: the HD 4.50BTNC. Naturally we wanted to see how the headphones held up in the chaos of a trade show booth. Spoiler alert: Bose may have some competition on its hands.
Sennheiser's new wireless headphones build on its popular HD 4 series
Sennheiser typically rolls out its latest headphone models on the show floor at CES every year and 2017 is no different. In addition to its first consumer Ambeo headphones that record your surroundings for better audio quality, the company has three more models it's showing off for the first time. First, the HD 4.50BTNC and HD 4.40BT are wireless headphones that build on the company's popular HD 4 series.
Sennheiser Ambeo headphones record your surroundings for better audio
Binaural audio replicates the natural listening experience for a user. It captures the soundscape as it's heard by human ears. When played back, it creates an immersive audio experience that has been acknowledged as a significant component of virtual- and mixed-reality experiences. But the technique hasn't made a mark on everyday listening experiences yet. Movies, games and music are still widely experienced in stereo sound.
Sennheiser's HD 6XX headphones offer audiophile audio for $200 (updated)
Sennheiser's HD 650 have been popular over-ear headphones among audiophiles since their debut over 10 years ago. At $500, the audio gear is priced just out of reach for people who were curious about high-end headphones, but didn't have a ton of extra cash to commit to the cause. However, they were widely regarded as some of the best headphones under $1,000. Thanks to a collaboration with online retailer Massdrop, Sennheiser has revived the HD 650 with the new $200 HD 6XX.
Engadget giveaway: Win audiophile-quality headphones courtesy of Sennheiser!
Sennheiser has been a well-known brand in the "audiophile" headphone world for years and now its new closed back HD 630VB lets you take high-end quality on the road. The company built these closed ear cans with on-the-fly controls for controlling volume, skipping through tracks and dialing in low-end frequencies with its variable bass control. High resolution audio files should also get plenty of wiggle room with a 10 to 42,000 Hz frequency range. The exterior is crafted from light-weight aluminum, folds down to a compact size for portability and includes replaceable ear pads. This week, Sennheiser gave us a set of its HD 630VB for one lucky reader's ears to cozy up with. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. Winner: Congratulations to Nish B. of Bartlett, IL!
The best wireless home theater headphones
By Lauren Dragan This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After spending dozens of hours researching every radio frequency (RF) headphone system we could find, considering 32 of them, and testing 14 pairs over two years, we found that the Power Acoustik Farenheit HP-902 RFT headphones are the best to use while listening to television and music in your home. They sound decent, offer useful features such as a mute switch and the ability to switch between sources, and give you the best value for your money of anything that's currently available.
Sennheiser's 3D audio for VR feels totally natural
Sennheiser announced its 3D audio platform AMBEO at CES this year, and today at SXSW I got a chance to try a VR demo and see how it sounds. Using a standard pair of headphones and a stock Gear VR, I was transported into a church where a lone piano player sat a few feet in front of me. As she began to play, I looked all around the virtual room -- and the audio mix adjusted on the fly, no matter how I moved, to keep the piano's audio rooted exactly where it should be in the virtual space.
Which gaming headsets are worth buying?
We may call them "video games," but audio plays a big part in the experience too. Good music and sound effects can set the mood, immerse us in the story and alert us to impending danger. But all of this could easily be hampered by crappy speakers or a surfeit of background noise, making a quality headset key to an ideal gaming experience. Do you need surround sound, or can stereo do the job just fine? And how much is good audio quality worth? We've scoured the market to find the best headsets available now to fit the needs of both hard-core and casual gamers.
The best open-back headphones under $500
By Brent Butterworth This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. If a serious music lover who wanted to spend less than $500 were to ask us what open-back audiophile headphones to buy, we'd recommend the HiFiMan HE400S. This pair isn't cheap, yet it emerged as the favorite after our panel of audio professionals spent 60 hours evaluating 29 open-back and semi-open-back headphones—nearly every model available for less than $500. Among those, the HE400S headphones were the only ones that we all agreed deserved a high ranking.
For VR to be truly immersive, it needs convincing sound to match
I'm staring at a large iron door in a dimly lit room. "Hey," a voice says, somewhere on my right. "Hey buddy, you there?" It's a heavily masked humanoid. He proceeds to tell me that my sensory equipment is down and will need to be fixed. Seconds later, the heavy door groans. A second humanoid leads the way into the spaceship where my suit will be repaired.
Sennheiser's 3D audio will finally make VR complete
Virtual reality is incomplete without immersive audio. Even though you might be able to strap on a headset and be visually transported, the absence of 3D audio can quickly break your illusion. With stores getting ready to stock VR headsets this year, the need for an audio experience that can match, and even enhance, the visuals is more pressing than ever. Today at CES, Sennheiser announced AMBEO, a 3D audio technology that promises to change the way audio is captured and reproduced.
The best gaming headset (for most people)
By Dennis BurgerThis post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.After more than 100 hours spent researching and testing 37 gaming headsets in all, plus more hours of long-term comfort testing than could reasonably be counted, we think the Kingston HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset is the best gaming headset for most people. It's beautifully built, comfortable on a wide variety of heads, and excellent in sound performance, especially for the price. In fact, you won't get find much improvement unless you spend more than double what the HyperX Cloud costs. This model is also incredibly comfortable—you can easily wear it for hours on end without any appreciable cranial distress. It's a clear winner.
I didn't listen to a pair of $55,000 headphones
I was supposed to try out Sennheiser's new Orpheus headphones yesterday. Priced at $55,000 and a decade in the making, they're a reimagining of the company's 1990 model of the same name. But just as I put their opulent band over my head, before even a single note had played, the prototype headphones stopped working. I was crestfallen. But the more I think about it, the more it doesn't matter.
Sennheiser's new Orpheus headphones cost $55,000
When it comes to the very particular world of audiophile headphones, few names raise as many pulses as Sennheiser's Orpheus HE90. Designed 25 years ago, and limited to 300 pairs, the legendary headset came with its own valve amp, and a hefty $16,000 price tag. Today, Sennheiser lifted the cloth on a new Orpheus, and it's just as crazy. Apparently 10 years in the making, the new Orpheus builds on its predecessor's famous electrostatic design, bringing it up to date with a new signal processor, new marble-clad design, and wonderfully decadent motorized housing that reveals the knobs and valves when you turn it on.
