Are the new Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 the company's best Bluetooth over-ears to date? Maybe! Audio-Technica has done just about everything right with the M50xBT2. They sit comfortable and stable and offer a very long-lasting battery. Also they come with high-resolution audio, multi-pairing and extensive personalisation options via the app.
With the closed NC-Q1, Korg is initially targeting musicians and DJs and aims to offer them a pleasant listening environment and protection from levels that are too high with a specific combination of passive external insulation and active noise cancelling. At the same time, these headphones can be used as a mobile accessory via Bluetooth. With a recommended retail price of 349 euros, Korg confidently enters the market with a robust design and lush features.
Music today is increasingly consumed through headphones, but usually produced on and for loudspeakers. While playback on headphones can seem impressive and wide-ranging, it has little to do with the stereo image of well-positioned stereo speakers. The reasons for this lie in our perception of time differences, filtering and reverberation by our hearing and the corresponding evaluation by our brain. For a more natural reproduction of stereo and surround sound on headphones, a different solution is needed. Binaural stereophony has proven to be a suitable answer and is used by Waves NX, tested here in combination with the optional Headtracker.
Professional in-ear headphones for use on stage have to cope with a tough daily routine. Nevertheless, comparatively delicate devices such as in-ear headphones are necessary because their discreet appearance does not distract from the performance and allows for increased freedom of movement on stage. In addition, such solutions need to sound as convincing as possible and be capable of playing at a high output volume. Does the Audix A10X accomplish these tasks?
Headphones are subjected to a demanding and rigorous daily routine when used on stage. In order to do their job, they should be of a suitably robust design. The use of comparatively delicate in-ear monitors seems at first glance to be incongruous, yet they are designed to be inconspicuous during the performance. However, if the equipment in question is to meet the demand for neutral sound reproduction and high output volume, the limit is quickly reached. But when an old hand in the audio industry takes on the task, we can only be curious about the result.
It was exactly seven years ago that the SMB-02 debuted from the then newly founded headphone company "Phonon". The founding trio of the company consisted of Isao Kumano, Yusuke Uchiyama and Alex Prat, all of whom are active musicians, producers, engineers and DJs – the best prerequisites for developing decent headphones. And indeed, the SMB-02 was able to win over an enthusiastic following (the author of this review is one of them) within a very short time due to its extremely detailed and linear sound. The new SMB-01L now wants to join this tradition. The "L" in the name stands for "large" because its declared aim is "big studio sounds in your ears". With a statement like that, we are, of course, immediately on the alert, and we subjected the headphones to an extensive test.
Chinese manufacturer FiiO uses dynamic drivers with a Diamond-Like Carbon diaphragm and a beryllium coating for a clear, balanced sound image in the FD5. Tuning options such as swapping ear tips and tubes are also said to allow for customisation, offering a choice of a more bass-driven and fun listening experience.
With the Austrian Audio Hi-X65, the successor to AKG in Vienna present their first open headphones. These are aimed not only at demanding professional users from the recording studio sector but also at fans of audiophile listening pleasure.
With the G733, Logitech add a wireless gaming headset to its range that claims to have been specially designed with wearing comfort in mind. It also offers surround sound, voice filters from subsidiary Blue Microphones and RGB lighting that can be configured via software.
The Clear Mg Professional from Focal is the successor to the Clear Professional. Those come from the French manufacturer's Professional series and are expressly aimed at professional and demanding sound engineers, while Focal offers the Clear Mg to the audiophile music lovers segment of the market.