Headphones

Bowers & Wilkins just announced their first ever headphone, the P5. Featuring a noise isolating design, closed-back construction and ear pads made from the softest available sheep's leather from New Zealand, these headphones were made for extended listening with comfort.

Bowers & Wilkins didn't forget about the sound quality either. The P5 features specially developed ultra-linear neodymium magnets and Mylar diaphragms to give you the best possible sound.

No need to worry about outside noise. The design and construction isolates as much noise as possible thanks to the closed-back design with a metal faceplate and sealed-leather ear pads.

The P5 comes with a Made For iPod cable, with speech and device control. It also includes a standard audio cable with gold-plated plugs. The P5 will be available in January 2010. Pricing has not been announced.

Monster this week announced the new "Miles Davis Tribute" in-ear headphones. Named after the legendary trumpeter Miles Davis, they will be available in a numbered limited edition. Also, those purchasing the headphones will get a free official 50th Anniversary boxed set of the artist's album Kind of Blue, featuring two music CDs, a DVD and a 24-page booklet.

Monster is also offering a unique guarantee on these headphones. In addition to the standard warranty, Monster is offering a one-time Limited Lifetime Replacement Guarantee with Miles Davis Tribute headphones – even if they are accidentally broken by the owner, Monster will replace them once for no charge!Read more

H2O Audio just unveiled three new waterproof/sweatproof headphones, the Surge Pro, Surge Sportwrap and the Interval Waterproof Headphone System. The entire line of H2O Audio's headsets are 100% waterproof and sweatproof…because really, do you like putting on sweaty headphones day after day? Simply rinse them after heavy perspiration, and you're set! The headphones can also be submerged under water up to 12 ft. In fact, Michael Phelps is an H2O Audio Athlete Ambassador, and now trains with his iPod in the water!

"H2O Audio offers a great line of waterproof products and I am excited to see their progress in design and technology," commented Michael Phelps. "I hope more people get in the pool for exercise now that they can bring their music with them."

The new Surge Pro (pictured above) is the company's smallest and most high performance headphones. They are designed with a Balanced Armature driver for premium sound. Seven sets of earplugs are included with new foam fabrication for a perfect fit. They are available now for $99.99. Read more

Heartbeats by Lady Gaga is the latest addition to the popular Beats by Dr. Dre headphone line from Monster.

Heartbeats by Lady Gaga are high-performance headphones and will be available in three styles; a metallicized body with a rose red jewel-shaped earpiece, metallicized body with an all chrome jewel-shaped earpiece and a black-on-black body and jewel-shaped earpiece design. The headphones come in a red carrying case and with a variety of eartips for a comfortable fit. They also feature Monster's tangle-resistant flat cable design.

The headphones are also available with ControlTalk, an on-cable feature for use with 3GS iPhone, iPod shuffle and other portable music devices. The Monster ControlTalk headphone cable features a microphone and answer button and allows users to access music and answer phone calls by pushing a button on the cable rather than from the device.

Heartbeats by Lady Gaga are available for pre-order exclusively at BestBuy.com and will be available in all Best Buy stores on October 18. Read more

Monster's new Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers sound so clear and give you so much power and bass, you'd think you had high-end speakers on your ears! That's one reason Monster calls them speakers, not headphones. Monster Turbines can reproduce even the lowest bass notes without any distortion. For Noise Isolation, the Turbine Pro offers 5 different eartip designs, so you'll be sure to find the perfect fit for your ear. Outside noise will be a thing of the past.

The new Monster Turbine Pro headphones will be available in November 2009 in two designs, gold with black chrome, and copper with bright chrome. Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers will be available for $299.95 per pair or $329.95 with Monster's ControlTalk headphone cable, which can be used with iPhone, iPod and most other smartphones for music playback control as well as to take hands-free calls. Read more

Griffin Technology created a product that should have been made a long time ago. The new MyPhones volume limiting headphones for kids are over-the-ear headphones that are safe, comfortable and customizable for children aged 3 to 12. But most importantly, these headphones have an 85-decibel volume-limiting circuit to help prevent damage to the ears.

Why 85 dB? This is the level that pediatric audiology and safety agencies say is ideal for kids. Combined with a break in listening every hour or two, kids' ears are well protected.

MyPhones headphones sit over the ear and have soft rubber ear cushions and an adjustable band. They also have a durable heavy-duty cable, and the 1/8" headphone plug connects to the headphone jacks on iPods, iPhone, DVD players, gaming consoles, and computers.Read more

Sennheiser just announced several new full-sized HD headphones for portable players. But not just for your MP3 player, the HD 428, HD 438 and HD 448 also are good enough to use on your home hi-fi system.

All models have soft padding for comfort and a closed-back, around-the-ear design. And, for moving around without getting tangled up, the headphones feature a single-sided cable. Each headphone also comes with a gold-plated quarter-inch stereo adapter, so you can get great sound on a home stereo system.

The top-of-the-line HD 448 model offers a lifelike sound experience and includes a 5.2 foot extension cable. It sells for $129.95. The mid-range HD 438 also offers natural sound and comes with a 4.6-foot and 10-foot detachable cables. It is available for $119.95. For those wanting powerful bass, look no further than the HD 428. It is more focused on lower frequencies. The MSRP for the HD 428 is $99.95.

The HD 428, HD 438 and HD 448 are available online from J&R and will hit Best Buy stores in late October.

Listening to music with headphones is usually a private affair, but what if you want to share your tunes with your friends? iHome has the solution with their new iHMP5 2-in-1 Stereo Speaker/Headphone System. These new over-the-ear headphones feature an inline pre-amp that when activated, turn the headphones into a stereo speaker for everyone to hear.

The iHMP5 has a lightweight, adjustable headband and 360-degree padding on the ear-cups for noise isolation. However, for those times when you want to share your music, simply turn on the battery powered amplifier and the stereo sound is there for everyone.

The iHome iHMP5 comes in three colors and is currently available at The Apple Online Store and on ihomeaudio.com for $69.99.

JVC recently announced the addition of two new models to its line of in-ear headphones, both available in a range of colors. For the active user, JVC offers a new sports clip headphone, the HA-EBX85, which comes with ear hooks for a secure fit and is offered in three colors. Also, the HA-FX20 All Star headphones come in five different popular color combinations. They both come with a slim, gold-plated iPhone-compatible plug.

Both models feature powerful neodymium driver units and friction noise reduction cords of 3.28 feet (one meter) and 3.94 feet (1.2 meters) respectively for the HA-FX20 and HA-EBX85. The earpieces come with soft rubber ear cushions in three sizes to ensure a customized fit and hours of comfort for any wearer. Read more