[Originally posted during the 2012 Olympics] Earlier in the week I wrote about the cool headphones worn by Michael Phelps in between swims at the 2012 Olympics. They were the SOL REPBULIC Tracks, and each time they showed him on TV, he had a different pair or had switched out the changeable bands.
But on the night of his last swim, he came out with a hoodie over his headphones. And when the camera showed him in close-up, it was clear that there was a piece of white tape covering the SOL REPUBLIC logo. What’s up with that?
I’m assuming there is some sort of rule about sponsorship or anything that might make it appear that an athlete is promoting a product during the Olympics. I certainly understand that. But it seemed a bit late to put that genie back in the bottle considering the SOL REPUBLICS loud and proud at his 6 previous events this week. And I think it actually called more attention to them to have a piece of tape plastered over the logo. Heck, on an HD screen you could actually see the logo through the tape. Oops. Oh well. I guess they tried.
If you’re interested in getting your own SOL REPUBLIC headphones, click here. Doh!
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Loudspeakers Versus In-Ear-Monitors
In-ear-monitors sometimes have a negative reputation, and that is not without reason. Loudspeakers are arguably the most natural way to reproduce sound, and shoving electronics into your ear is sure to create some challenges for sound reproduction. Technology has come a long way, though. If you wrote off in-ear-monitors long ago, they’re worth taking another look at!
You can read about some of the new technologies here: http://audioundone.com/in-ear-monitors-why-do-they-sound-like-that-jay-kadis-and-stephen-ambrose
50 Cent Headphones – STREET by 50
QVC featured 50 Cent recently, promoting his STREET by 50 line of headphones. It was the in-ear version of the STREETs (pictured on the left) that we saw on the segment they did on 50 Cent on CBS Sunday Morning. Though it is probably safe to assume he marketed both types – the full headphones and the earbuds – on QVC.
So what are the STREET by 50 headphones? They are mostly the same thing as other headphones in this category – stylish, great-sounding headphones that are part of a rapper’s personal line, and also have the ability to control (talk, listen, adjust volume, etc.) your mobile phone via the detachable wire.
The main difference here though, is that the STREETs only offer passive noise-reduction. This just means that the headphones can block out certain noises, mainly middle-to-high frequency stuff, just by means of the ear cup covering your ears. Active noise-cancellation, however (which is what the Beats Studio by Dr. Dre headphones offer). With active, the electronics in the headphones actually sample the ambient noise and then produce an exact negative of that audio and feed it back into the headphones, essentially eliminating the noise altogether.
The in-ear versions don’t offer much in the way of any type of noise cancellation, mainly because they can’t cover your ears. Though you can certainly block out a lot of stuff just by cranking the music really loud:).
To get your own pair of either type of STREET by 50, click below.
Amy Poehler Headphones in Best Buy Commercial
Amy Poehler appeared in a Best Buy commercial where she walks out wearing a pair of headphones. The ad ran during the Super Bowl. Well if you were wondering what headphones these were, wonder no more. They were the Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones.
In the middle of the ad, she asks “are these noise-cancelling headphones?” The answer is: Why, yes. Yes they are. They also have in-line phone control you can use to remotely control volume, track selections and voice applications for iPhones. Or you can just remove the cable altogether and enjoy the quiet.
Bose says they have put their most advanced noise reduction and cancelling tech into these headphones for the quietest experience possible.
And last, but certainly not least, is the quality of the sound. With a name like Bose, you almost don’t need to even ask. They’ve done some amazing next-gen things with speaker technology over the past few decades. So it’s no surprise how great these headphones sound. they use tiny vent sin the ear cups to allow for a balanced and incredible sound.
To find out more about all the cool things these headphones can do, and/or to pick up a pair of your own, CLICK HERE.
Headphones San Francisco 49ers Were Wearing At The Super Bowl
The San Francisco 49ers all seemed to be wearing matching gold and scarlet headphones when shown warming up on the pre-game show for Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb 3rd. Unlike the type worn by Colin Kaepernick when he arrived at the stadium though (see Headphones Colin Kaepernic Wearing At The Super Bowl – Beats Studio for more on that), the rest of the 49ers were wearing Beats Pro headphones (Beats By Dr. Dre). See the picture on the left. Kaepernick was wearing Beats Studio, as were the members of the Ravens (see Headphones Ray Lewis Was Wearing At Super Bowl – Beats Studios By Dr. Dre for more on that).
The Beats Pro (pictured on the left) are different from the Studios in a number of ways. First, they are designed not to compliment the audio, but to hear it accurately. This is desirable when in the recording studio and mixing audio – which is what the Pros are actually designed for. In that case, you don’t want the music to sound better than it is (which is what a lot of consumer headphones do); you want to hear it “warts-and-all” so you can correct any deficiencies. The Pros also have flip-up ear-cups so you can turn one of them away from your ear in the studio, which can help when singing overdubs, or for other critical listening chores. And finally, though they provide some noise isolation due to the around-the-ear and closed-back design, they do not have active noise-isolation, which manipulates the audio to reduce certain sounds, especially common noise in planes and trains.
It’s a lot more difficult to provide flat and accurate audio than to make it sound “good” by adding amplification and EQ, etc. That is the reason the Beats Pro are more expensive than the Beats Studio (ironically, NOT made for recording studio use despite the name).
To find out more about the Beats Pro, or to buy a pair of your own, CLICK HERE.