Headphones

Logitech's 2008 acquisition of IEM leader Ultimate Ears was an interesting move given the ultra-high end and music professional orientation of the brand, and even more interesting is the fact that while the new Logitech UE lineup does include an IEM offering, the majority of the rebranded line lives outside the ear — and well outside it, in some cases.

Yamaha's hi-fi headphones of years past have many devotees (my own first pair of good cans was the much-loved HP-1), and while the company's mainly been concentrating on lower-end models for some years now, they've gone upscale again with today's announcement of three new Pro models, the 300, 400, and 500, which hearken ba

“So when are you guys gonna do headphones?” I jokingly asked the staff of RBH Sound when I visited them at January’s CES show. A boutique speaker company, RBH focuses on the sort of relatively high-end products that independent dealers like to sell.

This is an article I never thought I’d write. I sold hi-fi (well, Circuit City’s version of “hi-fi”) within sight of The Mountain. I developed early an audiophile’s distain for the four-letter marketing juggernaut. When I began reviewing audio, I couldn’t imagine a situation where I’d review a Bose product. Certainly not something like the market-leading QuietComfort 15 noise-canceling headphone,  Not without heavy doses of irony, snark, and derision.

And yet, it is my fiduciary duty to give credit where credit is due.

So behold — not only my first review of a Bose product, but a positive one at that.

In the unlikely event I ever again decide to pick a fight, it’ll be with someone who looks weaker than me. Obviously, Audio-Technica has a lot more guts than I do.