“Designed for iPhone and iPod users, the Image S4i is a breakthrough product that simplifies on-the-go lifestyles—you can take calls while commuting or exercising, as well as control your music library,” said Don Inmon, Klipsch director of marketing and product development for personal audio.
The Image S4i works seamlessly with the iPhone 3GS, third generation iPod shuffle, second generation iPod touch, fourth generation iPod nano and the iPod classic 120GB. The headset features Apple’s advanced three-button microphone and remote system that easily handles the voice and/or music control of these Apple products.
Furthermore, the S4i remote is among the first to be fully compatible with the Apple VoiceOver feature on the third generation iPod shuffle, which allows you to hear the name of the playlist, song or artist with just the press of a button.
According to Paul Jacobs, president and COO of Klipsch Group, Inc., when you combine Apple’s incredible products with our 63 years of experience in high-performance audio, you can expect one of the coolest, most advanced headset designs out there. “It’s definitely a platform that will dynamically change the music experience for our customers.”
Unlike most headsets, the S4i positions its in-line microphone and remote at the yoke—where the two cables meet at chest level—to create a more natural feel when answering calls and controlling music. Because the microphone is a highly intelligible 360-degree design, you don’t have to talk down into it; you can speak as if you’re having a face-to-face conversation. Additionally, the microphone features echo cancellation, which keeps it from picking up the external noise around you.
Because durability is a major concern when it comes to headphone and headset cables, Klipsch has gone to great lengths to ensure the S4i cables are a well-balanced combination of being robust as well as discreet. The company has added appropriate strain relief at every cable connection point to help prevent wire damage, while also putting them through extensive “real world” testing.
The Image S4i utilizes the company’s exclusive oval ear tips that provide comfortable long-term wear. Unlike circular-shaped designs that put stress on the pressure points inside the ear, Klipsch’s oval ear tips naturally fit the contours of the ear canals. These ear tips also offer superior passive noise-cancellation, blocking out almost all ambient noise and providing excellent bass.
“Once you have the right fit and seal, these headsets are virtually impossible to feel,” said Mark Blanchard, senior acoustic design engineer for Klipsch and inventor of the company’s oval ear tips. “When we began studying three-dimensional ear impressions, it was discovered that nearly everyone has an oval-shaped ear canal. We couldn’t believe that no one else had yet considered the anatomical shape of the ear canal when designing in-ear headphones.”
Blanchard also mentioned that when you wear Klipsch headphones or headsets, you don’t need to turn up the volume as loud because a good seal dramatically reduces background noise—a feature that could definitely help preserve your hearing.
The key to the S4i’s dynamic music performance is a moving coil micro-speaker with controlled damping, a feature that allows it to deliver smooth, full-bodied sound similar to a more expensive design. A dual neodymium magnet motor structure, in each of the 8.5 mm drivers, establishes the S4i’s damping characteristics. It’s a quality that allows kick drums to “attack” and Intermodulation distortion, or IMD, to be significantly reduced.
Available in a piano black finish with chrome accents, the Image S4i comes with a two-year warranty and includes a premium carrying pouch; small, medium and large ear tips; small/medium dual flange ear tips; an ear tip cleaning tool; and a clothing clip. Priced at $99.99 (U.S. MSRP), the S4i will be available for purchase at klipsch.com, Apple, InMotion and Amazon in August.
Contour, known best for its iPhone and iPod cases, has taken a dive into the Bluetooth headset market. It calls its super cool looking hands-free accessory Metal. One look at it and it’s easy to guess why.
We took the slim gum-sized headset for a test to let you know if Contour put the pedal to the Metal. It sure stuffs the box with lots of accessories and when you see how you charge this unit, you’ll smile. We did.
Read the review and see if this Metal is your style.
Dude, looking for a sweet deal on some groovy headphones? You know, bad economy but you gots to have your head covered with something for them ears? Cash low but tunes need to be high? Ya, we gottcha back, homie.
We just put the review for the iFrogz Custom Fallouts up. Good, round, sounding headphones for your iPhone, iPod, or computer. Heck, plug ‘em into your Denon and enjoy.
Okay, no more playing, go read the review and see if you want to nuke your old pair of headphones and enjoy some Fallouts today.
Serious Bluetooth Strength––Unmatched Range
Talk on your mobile phone without wires using the Dragon® Bluetooth® headset. With a 328+ ft (100m) range, you can roam around your office or home without having to carry your phone. Dragon can also connect with your PC for Skype® calls simultaneously, allowing you to switch between your PC and mobile phone with a press of a button. With advanced dual-mic noise suppression™, the callers on the other end will enjoy crystal clear voice even if you are at an airport, noisy restaurant or car. The Dragon V2 with all Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, computers and PDAs.
Superior Audio Quality
Callpod’s proprietary Dual-Mic Noise Suppression technology allows users to clearly communicate in noisy environments by isolating the user’s voice while removing background noise.
Maximum Comfort and User-Friendly Two-Button Design
The newly designed Dragon V2 is available in 3 stylish finishes, Titanium Silver, Carbon Fiber and Black Chrome. A new adjustable earwrap was designed to easily adjust on the fly for maximum comfort and all day use. The Dragon V2 can be comfortably worn for long and short-term use. Operating the Dragon V2 is easily performed with the two-button design for enhanced call control functionality. The buttons are large enough and easily identified unlike headsets that are designed to be so small that functionality becomes compromised.
“The newly designed Dragon V2 is the most dynamic and complete Bluetooth headset available,” said Darren Guccione, Callpod CEO and co-founder. “The DV2 performs above and beyond in every category including range, talk time, design, comfort, sound quality, ease of use and noise cancellation, we feel we have delivered the best headset available to date.”
In addition, the Dragon V2 can be used with other Dragon V2 headsets for two-way or push to talk communication over a 250,000+ sq ft space. The new headset takes about 3 hours to fully charge via USB port or outlet and can provide up to 8 hours talk time and nearly 300 hours standby. The Dragon V2 is the only class-1 headset available on the market.
The Dragon V2 works with all the latest phones, including the iPhone, all worldwide networks including AT&T,T-mobile, Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, US Cellular and is compatible with Windows and Mac OS computers with Bluetooth.
Features
• New Adjustable Ear Wrap ensures a perfect comfortable fit for all-day use.
• Unparalleled Range: Up to 100 meters (328ft, close to the length of a football field) with any class-1 Bluetooth® device.
• Superior Sound Quality: Supreme sound quality and Callpod’s own Dual-Mic Noise Suppression technology allows users to communicate in noisy environments.
• Charging Flexibility: Multiple adapters with USB connectivity allow users to charge the Dragon V2 via laptop/computer, car or outlet.
• Unsurpassed Power: The strongest lithium-ion battery in its class provides up to 8 hours of real talk time and up to 300 hours of standby.
• 2-Way Radio Communication: Proprietary 2-way radio communication (similar to Nextel phones or push to talk technology) software allows two Dragon V2 headset users to talk over a 250,000 square foot area.
• Upgradable: The Dragon V2 is the only headset that allows users to upgrade the firmware. This allows for maximum functionality. This firmware is upgradable via USB cable connected to a PC, so users always have the latest features and functionality.
• The Dragon V2 can connect to multiple headsets together for group communications or conferencing with the Phoenix, another innovative product from Callpod.
The Dragon V2 is currently available for $99 and is compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled handsets.
Callpod, Inc., an emerging leader in the mobile electronics industry, creators of the Chargepod and on the heels of its successful launch of the Dragon V2 headset for Bluetooth mobile phones, PDAs VoIP products and computers, today announced the Phoenix ® Mobile Communication System (MCS).
The versatile Phoenix Mobile Communication System was designed to provide a much needed solution to a variety of different industries that are in need of seamless and simultaneous hands-free communication. The Phoenix Mobile Communication System allows five users wearing headsets to communicate with each other in full duplex over a more than a 300,000 sq ft area.
“The Phoenix MCS can be used in many different situations from a FEMA disaster recovery situation, everyday retail and restaurant worker to worker communications and even surgeons communicating in an operating room who are completely covered by protective gear,” said Darren Guccione, Callpod’s CEO and Co-founder. “The Phoenix is designed to be highly versatile in that it does not rely on landlines, wall outlets, wires or speakerphones.”
In addition, the system is an ideal solution in an office, warehouse, outdoor area or tactical operations. The MCS is completely mobile and is powered with an internal lithium ion battery providing up to 8 hours of talk time and 120 hours standby. The Phoenix can join five headsets and a cell phone or Skype®, provides push-to-talk communications among headset participants, eliminates background noise on each channel, delivers a full duplex audio path and is compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled headsets, phones and computers.
When users optionally pair the Phoenix base unit to a mobile phone or PC (i.e. VoIP) and make a call, all five participants will be speaking with the party on the other end, creating true mobile conferencing. Noise gates and noise suppression algorithms greatly reduce chatter in noisy environments.
The Phoenix MCS comes pre-paired and certified with the included Dragon V2 headsets and Drone, a Bluetooth PC/Mac USB adapter with 100m range. Simply turn on the unit and users will automatically establish an audio link with the other five headsets allowing instant communication without requiring any further setup.
The Phoenix MCS comes equipped with Callpod’s revolutionary and patented Bluetooth ® mobile conferencing 6-channel base unit, five Callpod Dragon V2 headsets, a Callpod Drone USB adapter; a Chargepod with six mini-USB adapters to charge all five Dragons at once, an AC/DC adapter with interchangeable prongs for international use, a car charger and high impact carrying case and molded insert foam.
The Dragon V2 Class-1 Bluetooth Headset – 100 Meter Range
Leave the phone 100 meters or 328 ft (100m) range behind and freely roam around with the Dragon V2. The Dragon V2 can connect with a PC for Skype® calls simultaneously, allowing users to switch between a PC and mobile phone with a press of a button. With advanced dual-mic noise suppression™, the callers on the other end will enjoy crystal clear voice quality in almost any noisy environment. The Dragon V2 works with all Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, computers and PDAs. http://callpod.com/products/dragon
The Chargepod is a versatile 6-in-1 Charger that simultaneously charges popular portable devices including iPhones, iPods, Blackberrys, Palm Treos, in addition to hundreds of other cell phones, PDA, GPS devices, cameras and portable gaming devices. Devices can be charged at home, in the car or while traveling. The Chargepod is a convenient yet simple and smart technology that saves space and frees up electrical outlets. www.callpod.com/products/chargepod
For more information about the Phoenix Mobile Communication System please visit www.callpod.com.
‘SouthWing,’ you ask yourself? Yup, SouthWing. Not well known here in the States but very much so in Europe where it has ranked as the best Bluetooth headset in the UK for years now. Mobile operators such as T-Mobile, Orange, and Telfonica sell SouthWing offerings throughout its stores. Now SouthWing has touched down in the US and came to the most known of all names in the telecommunications market, AT&T.
Releasing the SH241 exclusively to AT&T, the Barcelona-based, Ericsson-roots company touts some interesting features not found on other Bluetooth Headsets (BTh). One such feature, Whisper Mode, announces the phone number audibly in your ear so you know who’s calling without the need to look at your cellular phone. Perfect for meetings where distractions can be unfavorable. PUSH4 gives you the ability to program a favorite number or allows direct integration with AT&T’s *8 VoiceInfo for the latest in sports, stocks, weather and other news worthy items. Additionally, the SH241 allows you to pimp your BTh with 3 interchangeable covers, 12 ring tones, and 4 different ear buds. (I don’t know if the latter really is a pimp feature.) All this with 7 hours of talk time and automatic power save after 12 hours of idle use.
The SouthWing SH241 retails for $39.99 at AT&T company-owned stores or can be had at www.wireless.att.com (though we couldn’t find it on the web site.)
We’ve requested a unit for review and will let you know what we think of it when we get it.
Feeling a bit like grandpa with this statement, I can remember the days when Bluetooth headsets (BTh) where just a few and even those where difficult to find. Today with many states going with hands-free laws (California to join the fray four days prior to our Nations birthday,) headsets are a dime a dozen now. Many offer a wide range of differing features but none seem to offer what LG’s Decoy does. You see, the Decoy docks its Bluetooth headset in the phone!
According to the Verizon press release SvenOnTech received, the headset attaches to a “discreet docking port” on the back of the slider phone. With the 2.2” mirror-like LCD screen and five-way joystick, you’ll be able to navigate through the multimedia friendly phone that supports mp3, .wma, .aac and unprotected .aac+ files as well as doing the V-CAST thang. You’ll also be able to do email (access MSN® Hotmail®, America Online® and Yahoo!®) along with web surfing. Speakerphone, 2.0 MP camera, and Bluetooth 2.1 pretty much round out this phone. Full set of features after the jump.
The LG Decoy will be available beginning on June 16 for $179.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement through Verizon Wireless’ online store at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City.
![iPhone FMJ [SC-FMJI] : Skullcandy](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2091/2334074798_c9d8487881_m.jpg)
Yes, the Skullcandy is back in our head and we have spoiled ourselves again.
In just one week, SvenOnTech has brought you two reviews of iPhone earbuds. Now you can decide which is the right fit for you. But we’ll warn you, it’ll be tough because the Skullcandy FMJs are mighty fine earbuds. You’ll find yourself playing with the EQ a lot more, too, but hey, that’s what Apple put it in the Settings panel for anyway, right? (BTW, Apple, lets get some quick access to that from within the iPod program.)
Anyway, we think you’ll enjoy the FMJs as much as we did but a word of caution, they are pricey at $80 a pop. Read the review and then decide for yourself.
If you’re in the market for a Bluetooth headset, we think you should read our latest review on the Plantronics Discovery 665. Coming from a long history of technology leaps by working with NASA, Plantronics improves on an already very good model line with the 665. Two months with the Discovery and we discovered that, yes, our Jawbone does hurt and we do NOT have to use it any more!
If you’re looking to replace the less than desirable earbuds that came with your iPhone, then you’ll want to read our review on Maximo’s iP-HS1. With its easy to grasp switch at the base of the V in the cord, Maximo has gone a different direction than Apple and all the copycats with it’s earbuds for the iPhone. With true Maximo dynamic sound and fitted at a reasonable price, we think you’ll like these offerings from Maximo. Take a read and see if the iP-HS1 will fit your ears just right.