07. 22. 2008
Air Drives earphones - Listen smarter

Here's a new twist on your earbuds or cupped headphones - Air Drives, which clip over the ears but don't actually go in the ear canals. Using a new technique called InAir, they transmit surprisingly good sound without damaging the listener's hearing.
Frankly, I was a little skeptical because I'm very fussy about my audio experience and inseparable from my V-Modas, Shure's and Bose earbuds with noise-cancelling technology, but after trying these out, I'm a convert. (To read more about the science behind this technology, check out this page on the site.)
Athletes are already using the Air Drives since they allow in ambient nosie - essential for joggers - and of course the nautral audience for these are kids,who haven't yet damaged their hearing . (Too many concerts,standing side-stage, have pretty much blown it for me but I'd be glad not to get Tinnitus at this point.)
The inventor of the technology, Ken Wright, originally designed the AirDrives to protect his daughter's hearing, but discovered that the outer-ear design allowed for a more natural listening experience for himself as well.
Frequency Range: 20-20,000 Hz. Sensitivity: 95 dB at source, 80 dB SPL at inner ear. Works with iPods and other MP3 players and also the iPhone, with hands-free music pause/call answer functionality. (But not sure about driving with these because the police might think they're traditional earbuds, which last time I checked, were illegal when motoring.)
Available at Mad Catz for $79.99 for the adult version, $49.99 for kids. The iPhone model has a suggested price of $99.99 at Air Drives or Best Buy.
Posted by Evan
Category:
accessories
| portable media
Tags: earphones
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