Name: Sennheiser RS 220

Type: Pro-level Wired Headphones

Key Specs: 40mm drivers / 8-44,000Hz frequency response / Open-back design

Price: Circa £600

A mid-range audiophile offering may sound like a clumsy stepping stone for Sennheiser between their HD 650s and HD 800 headphones, but the HD 700s are anything but. We dive into sonic sublimity with the Sennheiser HD 700 headphones in our full review.


Sennheiser set the standard for dynamic headphone driver design with the open-backed HD-800 headphones roughly three years ago. Offering a wide, incredibly detailed soundstage, the sci-fi stylings of the HD 800s were just as beautiful to look at as they were to listen to. But beauty comes at a high price, with the cans even now commanding a price tag around the £1,000 mark.

Enter then the HD 700s. A few hundred quid cheaper than the HD 800s, but sharing plenty of the same technology, they're a frightfully tempting proposition.

Aesthetically, the HD 700s are an evolution of the now familiar HD 800 look. Again, they have a science fiction style tinge to the build, with an open-backed design shaped to look a little like slightly-squashed UFOs. A mix of chromes, greys and blacks, it's a striking design, and while the HD 700s are quite bulky, they stay relatively light at around 270 grams. It's about half the weight you'd expect of open-backed headphones of this size, and yet still sit comfortably on the head thanks to a firm headband and tight-yet-spacious earcups. Detachable cables pop into the underside of each can, joining up at a fabric-coated cable which helps massively in preventing the lead from becoming tangled.

As you've probably already guessed, we're big fans of the HD 700s, and much of this is down to the clever design of the SYS 40 transducer. The Sennheiser audio whizzes have done lots to keep their new cans from distorting, with added damping to prevent the diaphragm from warping too much, as well as adding extra air vents to encourage air flow, keeping your ears cool and compression to a minimum. There's also a tweaked magnet cage design inside, leading to more balanced frequency response levels and reining back distortion at high volume levels.

This all leads to a fabulous listening experience. Offering a wide and clear soundstage, the HD 700s are nigh-on perfectly balanced. Bass bellows deep with a strong kick, without ever becoming muddy or overpowered. Mid ranges are detailed with supreme clarity, while the treble presence is high but never shrill. The ultra-defiend resolution of the HD 800s is missing of course (there had to be a reason somewhere why these headphones are so much cheaper) but that's not to put down what the HD 700s offer. They sound excellent, with their extra warmth and action making them best suited to thumping rock tracks.

However, while the open-back design allows for a wide, clear soundstage, you're also going to get considerable audio leakage too. In other words, if you're in a quiet environment like a library, you're going to annoy the hell out of everyone around you, while if you're walking down the street you'll also have your tunes interrupted by all the ambient sounds surrounding you. You'll want to settle down for a nice private listening session with the HD 700s to really appreciate them.

Though cheaper than the HD 800s by a considerable margin, that counts for little if you need a super-expensive audiophile-grade amp to drive them. While the HD 700s will indeed perform at their best when hooked up to a more expensive main rig, even portable amps like the Fiio E7 can produce wonderful results. Our humble iPod managed to drive the HD 700s reasonably easily too, showing the HD 700s to be a much more versatile pair than their more expensive stable mates.

While the HD 800s give a more consistently defined sound across the spectrum, they're tons harder to drive, and apart from the extreme ends, sound quality is practically like-for-like. As a result, the HD 700s could prove the more popular pair thanks to the lower price point and improved portability.

Verdict

It's another direct hit from Sennheiser who, after the equally impressive RS 220 wireless headphones, are well on course for a stellar line up this year. Comfortable, detailed, easy to drive and a fair sight cheaper than the HD 800s, the HD 700 headphones deliver the sonic goods without breaking the bank.

Name: Sennheiser RS 220

Type: Wireless Headphones

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price as reviewed: £349.99

Wireless headphones can be a hit-or-miss affair, but Sennheiser's RS 220 cans are among the best we've ever seen. From a neat design to superb sound quality, you'll want these things living over your ears permanently. Read on to find out just what makes them so good.


We've been burnt many times before by the promise of wireless headphones. Expensive, eating through batteries like Pac-Man gobbling little yellow pellets and generally sounding considerably worse than their wired cousins, there's often been little reason to recommend them over a premium, reliable pair of wired headphones with an extra long lead.

Sennheiser's RS 220 wireless headphones however are among the most compelling sets we've ever seen. In terms of both design and sound quality, they're head and shoulders above much of the wireless competition, and above many wired offerings too.
The RS 220 kit is comprised of the headphones themselves and a lectern-shaped docking cradle. Finished in black they look great and complement each other well.

The dock has a black gloss-plastic front with a matte black finish on the rear, with two touch-sensitive buttons on the front for power and input selection. LED lights on the front indicate input selection (Analog, Optical and Coaxial) as well as power and battery status. Stereo phono, optical and coaxial connections each are given both input and output sockets, meaning the dock can be used as a pass-through when also hooked up to a separate speaker and amp. On the rear you will also find a dial to set the base's volume level, and a button for pairing the dock to the wireless headphones.

The versatility of the connectivity options (as well as the sharp looks) would be reason enough to praise the docking unit, but they really come into their own when paired with the headphones themselves. Tucked inside a recess at the top of each headphone cup is a spot for a rechargeable 800mAh AAA battery, as well as a small metal contact strip. When the headphones are placed on top of the dock this contact strip can be used not only to secure the headphones in place, but also to recharge the batteries sitting inside.There's a lengthy initial overnight charging session to get the most from the batteries, and they'll only be good for 7 or so hours per charge, but having them recharge when docked means only those who sit for marathon listening sessions will notice. It's a superb idea, and the use of standard AAA batteries not only means replacements are readily available, but that the whole headset stays light at around the 330g mark.

The headphones themselves look a treat too. A padded black leather headband leads on to the almost-crescent shaped cans, which feature a small outer grille and chrome trim. Offering a good deal of pivot and flex, an open-back design with velour pads make for a very comfortable set, keeping your ears cool.

Thin winding buttons for input and power sit on the left underside cup, and volume and balance on the right cup. Here perhaps, along with the open-back design, are where the Sennheiser headphones show their only minor flaws; the buttons are a little bit fiddly, while the open-back cans lead to plenty of sound leakage. You won't be able to pop these on for a late night heavy metal session without waking up your nearby other half.
These small issues aside, the RS 220s continue to shine through with superb wireless performance. Using the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi wavelength rather than the Bluetooth streaming standard that many other manufacturers opt for, we never once experienced a drop out in signal. Sennheiser claim the RS 220s will serve you well up to ranges of 100 metres, and while that may be a slight exaggeration (particularly if you take interior walls into account), we had a few happy afternoons sitting at the back of the garden a good distance away with the docking unit tucked in our office upstairs.

Sonically, the RS 220s again impress. They're not quite of the audiophile nature that Sennheiser's HD 800s may be, but definitely fare favourably against their mid-range HD 650 offerings.

Sound is wide and rich thanks to the open design and the use of uncompressed wireless transmission, giving an expansive soundstage that lends itself well to dynamic classical music and the challenging range of action movies too. Smooth and warm, they sit perhaps a little too comfortably in the mid-range, but offer a solid bass response and detailed top end too.

You'll get more crunch and attack from closed-back headphones, but it's only a minimal drop in punch. Nonetheless, the headphones, as previously stated, serve classical music best of all, and likewise do well when faced with the tight beats of electronic music. Rock music is perhaps a little less well served; the chiming guitars of The Smiths' Queen is Dead album danced across the cans with much more dynamism than At The Drive-In's Relationship of Command for instance. But let us stress; whatever you're listening to with the RS 220s, it'll sound fantastic.

Verdict

Everything about the Sennheiser RS 220 wireless headphones oozes quality. From the smart design to the comfortable weight and fit, they're a product very much worthy of their premium pricing. Sounding just as great as they look, with clever features like the charging station built into the base, they're a joy to use. It's not a particularly cluttered market when it comes to wireless headphones, but the RS 220s would shine even if it were. If you're after both convenience and superb sound quality, Sennheiser's latest effort should be at the top of your wish list.

Sony have revealed today their new MA Series headphones, with the MDR-MA900 pair being the range's flagship cans.

Featuring newly developed extra-large 70mm driver units (the first of its size for Sony in an open-backed headphone), they promise to offer detailed, spacious sound with "exceptionally wide dynamic range and an extended frequency response."

They'll also be very comfortable, thanks to a light 195g weight aluminium and magnesium design and flexible headband cushion.

According to the press release, "it's the closest you'll get to the sensation of headphone-less listening."

If what we presume are the more pricier MDR-MA900's don't match the size of your wallet, Sony will also be offering some more affordable models in the MA range to.

The MDR-MA500 and MDR-MA300 feature flexible ear fit mechanisms for comfortable wear over long periods of time, and house powerful 300 kJ/m3 neodymium magnets to "assure clear rich bass and clear mid-range reproduction".

At entry-level you have the MDR-MA100 which includes soft fabric earpads for hours of comfortable listening, and the MDR-MA102TV which has all the same features as the MA100, but adds a longer 5m cord with in-line volume control. We're guessing these ones are aimed at late night TV watchers sitting on the couch with the telly on the other side of the room; few people have enough room for 5m of cabling in their pockets alongside their iPods.

All new MA Series headphones from Sony are due in stores from May, with pricing yet to be revealed.

Wireless headphones can be a hit-or-miss affair, thanks to patchy wireless signals and not enough care taken with the actual sonic quality coming out of the cans. Sennheiser believe they've got wireless headphones well and truly sussed out though, and invited us to test their new RS 220 wireless set.

And where better to test them than at Abbey Road Studios, home of hallowed recordings by The Beatles, Pink Floyd and even John William's Star Wars score? Read on for our ears-on first thoughts, straight from musical Valhalla.

Despite their size, the RS 220 headphones are surprisingly light and comfortable. Made of a mix of plastics, a metal headband with leatherette padding, they sit snuggly on your head and offer reasonably good isolation from external noise. They don't look too bad either, with the metallic trim, black plastics and blue-connectivity LED (placed towards the underside of the left can) having a tastefully understated look.

Powered by a rechargeable AAA battery tucked away discretely in each ear-cup, the RS 220s also ship with the TR 220 transmitter, a lectern-shaped black stand that delivers the audio signal to the headphone and also charges the batteries and allows for switching between the analog, coaxial and optical digital inputs on the back. Together, the two pieces look great; you'll be happy to have these sitting on a shelf in a living room or office.
Seeing as we were at Abbey Road Studios, it seemed only fitting to try out a handful of tracks from the studio's most revered luminaries, The Beatles. The results we're universally impressive.

Nicely balanced and not leaning too harshly towards high frequencies or muddied lows, the RS 220's managed a clear and detailed sound during our short test. Bass levels were rich, and the fairly challenging low bass slide of "Come Together" was handled superbly. Likewise, when things get a bit mad and synthy at the end of "Here Comes The Sun", the RS 220s held their own, managing a balanced sound that didn't become overly sharp when faced with either the acoustic guitar riffs or keyboard whirls.
Though mid-ranges took perhaps too much of a back seat, the reasonably neutral tones offer plenty of room for equaliser tweaking if you're that way inclined.

Sadly, we didn't get to test the headphone's performance with any lossless audio rips, nor varying genres, but on the back of the quality of The Beatles songs, we'd imagine audiophiles will be pleasantly surprised with how great Sennheiser's wireless headphones sound. The same goes for wireless range, which we also couldn't adequately test, but we're going to try to grab a pair for a full review and will give a more complete verdict when we've played with the headphones a little longer.

For a full look at the specification sheet of the Sennheiser RS 220 headphones click here. Expect to pay around £349.

Monster and Beats have ended their long-standing headphone partnership.

After a five-year operation that has seen the profiles of both companies raised dramatically (in no small part thanks to the great popularity of the Beats by Dre range, pictured)cable and hi-fi manufacturers Monster will no longer be lending their expertise to the beats products.

Monster will continue in headphone manufacturing with 8 new lines, including this morning's Diesel-branded Vektr sets.

Beats are now expected to increasingly pursue moves into mobile platforms. HTC now owns a $300 million stake in Beats, while Hp also uses Beats Audio in its laptops.

There is also rumours of the Beats brand expanding into home-audio, TV technology and fitness gear too.

Monster a teaming up with clothing brand Diesel to release the Vektr headphones and earhpones range, offering "premium-quality listening solution that expertly blends the worlds of fashion and great sound."

While specs are thin on the ground, the duo are definitely delivering a "premium-quality" look to the over-ear Vektr headphones, using an angular, diamond-like plastic with a matte grey and black coating on the cans. "A trendsetting personal listening solution that dramatically breaks conventional headphone style," they wouldn't look out of place on Darth Vader's head.

Despite first-hand experience of Monster's great earphones, it's a shame they're not going into any detail on the tech inside the Vektr sets, though they do offer noise isolation to keep your tunes private from those around you.

There will also be an in-ear pair of Vektrs on the way, described as having a "jet black appearance with a single bold yellow accent and a prominent Diesel logo".

The over-ear Vektr headphones will cost around $250, with he earphones in stores for around $150.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Fitness freaks get another gadget to add to the growing pile of workout-monitoring tech at CES 2012 thanks to the new Iqua Beat headphones.

Pairing with an iPhone over a Bluetooth connection, and syncing with its own iPhone app, the Iqua Beat headphones can monitor heart-rate, calories burned, miles ran, steps taken and your speed.

A touch-sensitive controller unit also allows you to answer phone calls, and select new music tracks by swiping across the controller's surface.

Shipping with an iPhone arm-clip, the splash-proof headphones look a good new tool in the fight against the flab.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Parrot have used CES 2012 to launch their new Starck-designed Zik headphones, jammed full of cutting edge NFC features and audio processing technology.

Touch activated, the headphones have a touch panel that lets you swipe to control volume levels and skip tracks. Connecting wirelessly to you music player over Bluetooth, they feature noise-cancellation and DSP (Digital Signal Processing) tech that gives what the Parrot team are calling the "Parrot Concert Hall" effect, making your music seem as if it is being played in front of you. There's also noise-cancelling features in there too.

Hooking up to an NFC enabled phone is simple too thanks to the built-in tech. Merely let the headphone and NFC device touch each other and both gadgets will be paired, doing away with tiresome Bluetooth syncing if you have the means.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

They've unwrapped their iPods, they've activated their iTunes giftcards, they've downloaded the brand new Super Bang Bang Rude Boy Club album and they're ready to get groovy to that new TWeenwAVE sound!

Don't let this be the scene at your house this Christmas morning! Check out Tech Digest's guide to the best earphones and headphones on the market!

When you're done here, be sure to check out the rest of Tech Digest's 2011 Christmas wishlists too.

Klipsch have today revealed the Mode M40 headphones. A stylish pair of over-the-ear cans, it's the first time Klipsch have had noise-cancelling tech in their headphones.

The Mode M40's employ active noise cancelling tech, using a battery powered system to block out external noise. They'll run for 45 hours per battery, but can also be used without a battery, without the noise cancelling tech.

Being a premium set, the ear pieces are made of a durable material often used in fancy eye wear, with the cups themselves decked out in leather. The cabling is cloth covered, which should go some way towards preventing annoying cable tangles, with the headphones weighing 356 grams.

Getting down to the spec sheet numbers, you're looking at a pair of 40mm woofers with active crossover, and two 15 mm tweeters for high frequency across the two ear pieces.

Frequency response weighs in at 20Hz - 20kHz. Input impedance (@ 1kHz) is 32ohms, while sensitivity (@ 1mW, 15mm) is 97.5dB.

Designed for use with Apple products, the headphones have a 3-button in-line mic, working with iPad, iPod Touch (second gen onwards), iPod Nano (4th gen onwards, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 devices. Though not officially listed as compatible with iPhone 4S handsets, the Mode M40s are said to work fully with the new Apple smartphones, answering calls rather than annoyingly switching on Siri features, which some similar headsets are known to do.

Available now from www.klipsch.com, you can pick them up for £299.99.

Klipsch, one of the best known headphone and speaker manufacturers, have released a headset exclusively for Android, giving you complete control of your phone from your headphones.

The headset comes complete with controls for music and call control, both from a one button remote. The button controls everything, pausing and skipping music tracks, answer and end calls and even carry out a voice search on your phone.

All the features work for any Android phone on the 2.2 operating system or above, which in this day and age of android is a large percentage. The earphones themselves have patented oval ear tips to fit the natural shape of your ear. With the inclusion of noise cancelling technology, which is almost essential in any set of headphones, blocking out all those annoying noises, like other people, leaving you immersed in the world of your music.

To use many of the features all you have to do is download the free Klipsch Control App to your device and you are set with your all in one control for android devices. Retailing at £89.99, they are not for your average music goer, if you want to be in control these are essential. They are available now in the UK from Klipsch.co.uk

Do you remember being a kid and walking past a toy-shop, pressing your nose against the glass and staring longingly at the most expensive LEGO set in the window?

That's the memory and feeling that AKG's K3003 earphones inspire in grown adults. Totally out of reach of Mr or Mrs Average thanks to a whopping £1,000 price tag, you can't help but fantasize over what delights some extra cash would bring to your eardrums.

The justification for the steep asking price? A luxurious hand-crafted finish for starters, and some ridiculously precise audio engineering. They're the first in-ear earphones to feature a three-way driver system, utilising a combination of one dynamic and two balanced armature drivers. In other words, there is a dedicated driver for low-to-mid ranges, a driver specifically for the wider mid ranges, and one for higher, sharper frequencies too. Each pair is numbered, adding to that smug feeling of exclusivity, with a stainless steel housing on the buds themselves, a tangle-free cable, in-line iOS remote and a smart leather case rounding off the package.

Well, almost rounding it off. The AKG K3003's also allow for a little sound customisation in the shape of three interchangeable pairs of mechanical filters which screw into the headphones. The first is a standard reference pair, and the most natural sounding, the second a bass boosting set, and the last a pair that push treble frequencies.

We tried the AKG K3003's last night at an exclusive launch event, trying out both the reference filters and the bass filters, but sadly not the treble filter. The results were impressive to say the least.

Though our testing session was brief, we managed to put the earphones through their paces with a number of musical styles and artists. From the soul of Amy Winehouse to the recent headline-hogging indie legends The Stone Roses, to the brass/bass funk of Curtis Mayfield to the icy-electro sounds of Crystal Castles and 80s sheen of The Human League, the K3003's didn't disappoint.

Using the reference filters, the balance of tones was remarkable. Winehouse's "Love is a Losing Game" saw her voice smoulder at the mid levels, while the sting of the staccato guitars cut cleanly through the warm, sustained bass. Jumping to something completely different like the Human League's "Open Your Heart" and the results were arguably even more impressive. After the first few bars of arpeggiated bass synths, the song positively exploded as the shimmering keys flew around the earphones with the vocal sitting at the fore. Listening to The Stone Roses brooding "I Wanna Be Adored", and we were certain we were hearing guitar lines we never even knew were there before.

We then popped in the bass filters. We had been expecting an overwhelming, soggy jump in the low frequencies, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the filter instead softened and warmed the tone of the classical piece we were listening to (excuse our inability to name the score) and a few tracks from Daft Punk's "Homework" album. The range of tones retained a comfortable balance, tastefully and subtly shifting the lower frequencies ever-so-slightly to the front.

So, are they worth £1,000? That's not really the right question; are any headphones worth £1,000? Almost certainly not; come the inevitable nuclear zombie apocalypse it's a good fallout shelter and 20 years worth of tinned food that will seem like a good investment, not reference-grade, audiophile ear-pieces.

But that's not meant to undermine the luxurious allure of the AKG K3003 buds. They're for people who buy £1,000 items like they're buying a packet of crisps. And, to stretch the metaphor beyond its dubious limits, they're the best sounding packet of crisps that money can buy.

If you demand the very, very best from your earphones, and have a catalogue of lossless music files to fawn over, the AKG K3003s make the perfect companion. Just make sure you really think it over before you re-mortgage your house to get them.

If you've got the cash, you can pick up the AKG K3003 earphones from Harrods and select John Lewis stores.

Scroll down for some more images.

RELATED | VIDEO: £1,000 AKG K3003 in-ear headphones

How much would you pay for a pair of in-ear headphones? £50? £150?

How about £1,000?

That's the asking price for the latest luxury pair from AKG, the K3003 in-ear headphones. They were on show at IFA 2011, and while they were hidden away behind glass meaning we couldn't get a chance to hear them in action, we did get a chance to catch them on camera and grab those all-important specs.

What constitues the £1,000 price tag then? For a start, AKG are claiming that these are the first truly 3-way buds, with separate high, mid and low units, giving a full-bodied sound that AKG claim will match the detail of a high-end Hi-Fi system.

You're also able to customise the out-of-the-box sound by attaching one of three packaged noise filters, letting you boost bass, high frequencies, or opt for the reference levels AKG tailor. Likewise, numerous interchangeable silicone earbuds are included to ensure maximum in-ear comfort.

Hit the video above for more info.

Quality audio hardware manufacturers Klipsch have revealed their Klipsch Mode headphones, an over-ear pair of cans that offer 45 hours of noise cancellation from a single charge.

Padded out with "high-grade leather", the Klipsch Modes switch to a regular pair of stereo headphones once the battery has died, meaning you'll never miss a track just because of a lack of juice.

With a detachable cable, you'll be able to easily replace the audio lead should it become damaged, meaning the cans themselves will still be worth something even if the cabling gives up the ghost. Foldable, the headphones will also prove nice and portable, collapsing down for transportation.

In terms of audio tech, 40mm woofers should lead to strong bass and midranges, supported with active crossover, while 15mm tweeters give clear and detailed highs.

No word on pricing yet (expect it to be relatively high, we'd say), but the Klipsch Mode headphones are due in stores by the Autumn.

High end audio specialists Bowers & Wilkins today reveal their first pair of in-ear earphones, the C5 noise isolating buds. And as you'd expect from the premium brand, they come with a premium price tag too.

Designed specifically for Apple devices, the C5's weigh in at £149.95 a pair.

So what's the best part of 150 smackers get you? As well as noise-isolation, the C5's are built from top-notch aluminium in a "cushion-looped" design.

A micro-porous filter is employed to limit noise bleed and acts as a diffuser, adding to the rich sonic quality and delivers "pristine, natural audio, while also providing a more spacious performance than previously possible from in-ear headphones", according to B&W.

An in-line remote with microphone finishes the package.

Click here for more info.

Name: in40i wEAR earphones (Jamo)

Type: In-ear earphones

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £90

Jamo may be best known for creating top-end home audio speakers and home cinema sets, but this summer sees them branching out into earphone manufacturing too. Made up of three sets including the In20m and In30, we took a look at their wEAR range's premium pair, the wEAR In40i earphones. Can they match the quality that Jamo owners Klipsch's earphones regularly present? Read on to find out.

Jamo's knack for a good looking set of speakers continues here, albeit scaled down, with the Jamo In40i earphones. Available in black or white, we had a look at a white pair, finding the earphone's grey accents to be unassumingly pleasing. Comfort isn't something that really factors often into home speaker design, but Jamo have made a really snug pair here for their first earphone attempt, where comfort really matters. Nice and light, with 4 different sized oval tips to better match all ear shapes, they seal out external sound magnificently, hooking into the ear in a way that lets you almost forget that they are there.

Packaged with a small and functional nylon carry case, you've got about 132cm of white cabling to play around with, with a 3 button in-line mic/remote combo sitting a quarter of the way down from the ear buds. Designed specifically for Apple iPod players and iPhones, it'll let you skip tracks, answer calls, pause music and adjust volume without reaching into your pocket for your iDevice, and is positioned sensibly enough to be able to see the buttons should you forget which one controls what. It'll also work in a more limited way with other phone brands, letting you pause tracks and answer and end calls. The mic itself performed well, keeping voice intelligible and picking up only marginal ambient sound, making it a viable headset for handsfree callers.

In terms of sound, we were initially a little disappointed with the In40i earphones. They seemed flat and flabby, lacking the detail necessary to command a £90 price tag. However, given a few hours longer than usual to warm up the wEAR In40i earphones began to flourish.

Though hardly lacking in bass, the earphones sit a little further towards the brighter end of the sound scale, leading to a crisp and defined sound, particularly well suited to classical tracks and getting clear dialogue on top of film soundtracks. Cranking them up for the scuzzy sounds of garage rockers The Von Bondies' Pawn Shoppe Heart album, the earphones proved just as well balanced, with the wiry guitars blending well with the bass tracks and slap of the drums. Heading over to the 8-bit electro beats of the second Crystal Castles album and again the clear detailed tones shined through, handling the sharp, sparse production with distortion-free high frequencies, sounding just as great as the blues-y rock that proceeded it. The dual magnet driver design is certainly put to good use here, once given the chance to settle in a little.

Verdict:

A stellar first effort from the Klipsch subsidiary, the Jamo In40i earphones are very nearly a match for the superb Image X10i set from Klipsch themselves, despite costing less than half the price. Comfortable and light, with a warm, balanced sound if you're patient enough to wait out an initially rough couple of hours, they'll please all but the most anal of audiophiles.

Sony have today revealed their new MDR-DS6500 headphones, designed to give you wire-free psuedo-7.1 channel surround sound playback.

Supporting both analogue and optical digital inputs, the headphones use Sony's Virtualphones Technology (VPT) to recreate a 7-channel soundscape, giving the illusion of having a personal surround sound sytem.

The MDR-DS6500 can decode Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS and DTS ES formats, with preset equalisers optimised for cinema, gaming and voice (AKA stereo) listening situations.

As they're wireless to a range of 100 metres, they'll be great for giving an extra bit of oomph to Blu-ray playback or gaming without the fuss of another lead, with a single 3 hour charge from the supplied cradle giving 20 hours of playback.

As ever, Sony have yet to reveal pricing, but have said to expect the headset in stores by May.

Name: Q350 Quincy Jones Signature Line (AKG)

Type: In-ear earphones

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £59.99 direct from AKG

When it comes to pop music royalty, names don't come much bigger than that of Quincy Jones. From humble beginnings as a travelling jazz musician to the stratospheric success he garnered working with the late Michael Jackson, there are few more respected producers in modern music than Mr Jones. He's recently put his name to a new AKG audio line, and we've got our hands on a pair of Q350 in-ear earphones. Do they live up to their namesake's legendary reputation?

At a penny shy of £60, you can happily place the Q350s in the middle-range price bracket for in-ear buds. It's nice then to see a level detail in their design that would easily serve products twice the price. White with lime-green detailing and cabling, the Q350s look rather eye-catching. They're also very comfortable too, with the buds themselves weighing just 3 grams. As a result, once you've slipped on the correct set of three different sized tips to match your ears, you can happily wear the Q350s for many an hour without even noticing they're there.

At the extreme end of the 1 metre green cabling you'll find a standard 3.5mm jack. Around 10cm from the right ear bud you'll find a 3 button in-line remote control for volume and pause/play functions, compatible with the majority of Apple iPod, iPhone and iPad models. To be honest, it's pretty ridiculously placed; far too high to be able to see which button you're pressing, you'll have to feel around for the raised control symbols to figure out which button you want to press, or take the right bud out entirely and have a look. A little further down the cable and this problem could easily have been averted.

Though we've had no problems with the actual cable itself so far, we're a little concerned to see that the cabling remains in two stuck-together leads beyond the main split halfway up. We'd hate to see the join between the two wires come loose, so you'd best take good care of the earphones when in transit. Thankfully, AKG supply a little carry case in the box for free, meaning you've only got yourself to blame if you cant keep them in good nick.

Moving on to sound quality and the Q350s deliver a crisp, clear experience. Specs wise, you're looking at an Impedence of 16ohms, sensitivity of 121 dB spl and a max input power of 20mW. Though initially a little harsh, a few hours of warming up the buds saw them deliver a solid audio experience from the top and middle ranges, with good detail throughout.

We listened to a range of music with the Q350s and found that classical styles fared best, as the buds themselves were not really up to bass-intensive tracks. Popping on the dance-like "Swim" album from Caribou and girl-fronted gothic-indie from Warpaint's "The Fool" album, we struggled to hear any real definition from bass frequencies, which struggled to make themselves heard over the dominant high frequencies. A little bit of EQ twiddling improved this slightly, but its worth noting that you wont get much bass kick if you're using the Q350s with a device that doesn't let you tinker with equaliser settings.

Verdict:

Though comfortable and stylish, the Q350s feel like a missed opportunity. The placement of the in-line remote is frankly bizarre, making it a chore to use rather than useful. And while the sound quality is likely clear and detailed enough for most musical tastes, the distinct lack of bass left them feeling more than a little cold. Not quite as thrilling then as you'd expect from a product bearing the "Thriller" maestro's name.

Jamo, the Danish speaker specialists, are branching out this month by introducing their first range of headphones. Three models make up the collection (the wEAR In20m, wEAR In30 and wEAR In40i) with pricing options to fit most budgets.

First up are the entry level Jamo wEAR In20m. With an in-line microphone for handsfree calls when in use with a mobile, a moving coil micro-speaker design with controlled damping also allows for a warm, full-bodied sound.They've got a RRP of £69.99.

Next up are the £79.99 wEAR In30. They drop the microphone but up the audio quality. Employing a dual magnet moving coil micro-speaker design with controlled damping, a dual neodymium magnet motor structure in each of the 8.5 mm drivers ups the range's game over the single-driver equipped earphones.

Lastly is the £89.99 wEAR In40i. Sonically the same as the In30, the In40i offer a three-button control set up for iPhone, iPads and iPod Touch devices, making them compatible with VOIP services.

Expect to see the Jamo range in stores from March.

Sony have launched two new sets of headphones today in the shape of the MDR-RF865RK wireless over-ears and noise-cancelling MDR-NC13 in-ears.

Wireless up to a range of 100 metres, the MDR-RF865RK headphones work over a 3-channel FM stereo signal. 3.5 hours of charging will give you 25 hours of playtime, while the headphones switch themselves off when docked with the charging cradle.

The MDR-NC13 in-ears claim to cut out 85% of ambient noise, using active noise-cancellation. A single AAA battery will offer 100 hours worth of noise-pollution-free playback.

Both headsets are due out next month, with pricing yet to be announced.