I thought Bell’Oggetti’s launch of a line of in-ear monitors (IEMs) was the harbinger of a headphone apocalypse. Seemed to me that when a company that specializes in home theater furniture gets into the headphone biz, it’s time to get out. But the strategy, as Bell’O’s Steve Sculler described it, sounded better thought-out than I expected. His pitch? Good sound and style at affordable prices. The prices sure are low: $9.99 to $40. The sound of the $30 BDH650 seemed pretty decent (although the $25 BDH440 sounded dull to me), and it comes with an unusually slim case that, unlike most IEM cases, easily slips into your pocket. The style? You can judge that for yourself.
