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First listen: Sennheiser MX W1 wireless in-ear headphones

We just got in a pair of Sennheiser’s MX W1s, which are wireless in-ear headphones. Our super-fast initial impressions? The audio quality seems fine for a pair of in-ears, especially wireless ones (in-ears and wireless headphones, separately, often have poor audio quality compared to wired, full-sized headphones). The sound was a bit muffled/blanketed and suffered from some high-pitched noise. We didn’t really notice the whine unless we listened to classical or quiet music. 

The headphones have two pieces that go into your ear: the first sits in the ear, like Apple’s packaged-in headphones, and the second helps wedge the ear piece between your concha and tragus to keep it from falling out. We were very surprised to see they didn’t come with any sleeves for the main in-ear piece; the result is some discomfort and very poor isolation. UPDATE: haha, we’re dumb and didn’t fully empty one of the boxes. They do come with one pair of sleeves for the main part and two sets for the smaller nub.

Keep an eye out for our review, which we hope to get up soon(ish). 

JVC expands Gumy line with the Airs

JVC has recently announced a new line of Gumy headphones: the Gumy Airs. So, what’s changed? Well, other than appending the word, "Air," the new Airs look a bit more ergonomic (as you can see from the image to the right).

Other than that? Well, the press release states these headphone feature a "large" 11mm neodymium driver, but the old ones had a 13.5mm driver. The release also says "friction noise has been greatly reduced through the use of a 1.0 meter friction noise reduction cord." The Airs’ cord is also 0.24 inches longer than the old Gumys’. They still come in a wide variety of colors, which match the third-generation iPod Nano/Shuffle color schemes. These headphones are also priced the same as the old Gumys did at launch: $14.95 (the original Gumy headphones have since dropped to $9.95).

So, to wrap up the changes: different shape, smaller driver, fancier cord, and they cost an extra $6.

Klipsch announces Image X5 headphones

Klipsch, has decided to release a sequel to their very small Image headphones: the X5. Since this marks the expansion of the Image line, the original headphones have been renamed the Image X10, so obscure headphone trivia enthusiasts take note. The X5 headphones are slightly bigger and less expensive than their tiny, costly predecessors: at $250, the X5s’ extra girth shaves $100 off the X10s’ price tag.

The X5 headphones come with five different sleeves (which Klipsch refers to as "ear gels," which sounds gross), a cleaning tool, an airplane adapter, and a nifty leather carrying case. They have a thin plug as well, so fret not iPhone users.

The X5s should be available later this month, according to Klipsch’s press release, at the aforementioned  price of $250.

If you want to see more pictures, click here.

Apple iPod In-ear Headphones review retrospective

We’ve just finished our review of the Apple M9394G/C headphones, otherwise known as the Apple iPod In-ear Headphones. Our final thoughts? Well, in terms of usability and portability, they only have one flaw. Unfortunately, it’s a fairly annoying one: the headphones tend to slide around or pop out of place if you’re moving. They’re so keen to shift around because they fit inside your ear, but outside of your ear canal. The movement is especially annoying, since in-ear headphones are meant to be mobile. Of course, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re more interested in how they tested in audio quality.

For the sake of space and suspense, we’ve hidden our conclusions after the jump.

JVC announces HS-SX500

JVC has recently announced a pair of collapsible band, in-ear headphones. These headphones, dubbed HA-SX500, keep their driver in a steel base, which is enclosed by a "high-specific-gravity brass ring." Through it’s JVC-branded black magic, this setup — which includes no less than two (2) different metals — will apparently help eliminate vibration and energy loss, while also reducing friction noise. The effectiveness of this nonwithstanding, the headphones do look neat. They’ll be available later on this month for $79.95.

There are a couple other, larger pictures after the jump.

Jabra's dog tag headset

Jabra’s BT3030 is an interesting take on a familiar theme. The pendant on this Bluetooth headset is made to look like a dog tag — albiet one with headphones attached. The pendant portion has six different buttons for managing both calls and playback. They certainly look interesting, but seriously, the pendant should’ve simply connected wirelessly to the headset itself in order to complete the look. This minor gripe aside, your $90 will more than pay for the ability to show off your extensive repertoire of Full Metal Jacket references.

[Via Engadget]