11/19/2008, 5:30pm, EST
Wednesday, November 19th
Maxell intros dockable, noise-cancelling iPod earbuds
Maxell on Wednesday announced it will soon release noise-cancelling earbud headphones that are compatible with 4th or newer generation iPods and the first and second-gen iPod touch. (however, the iPhone 3G is not supported). The headphones plug in via the dock connector, as they draw power from the device to perform their function -- the company says the power draw is significant enough to reduce the battery life of the iPod by between about 33 percent and 50 percent.
The earphones include a built-in microphone that detects ambient noise and instructs the headphones to output up to 20dB of sound in the opposite phase for noise suppression. The Active Noise Suppression works between 50Hz and 700Hz.
The headphones are 9mm (0.35-inch) in diameter, and include small, medium or large eartips for a good fit. Their sound pressure sensitivity is rated at 103dB/mW, while frequency response ranges from 20Hz to 20kHz. The cable, which is 95cm (37.4 inches) long, does not include an inline volume control, but ones is available on dock connector itelf (making for a long reach).
Due for a December 12th release in Japan, the HP-NC20.IP will be priced at about $83. [via Impress]
Filed under: iPod, accessories, audio, Apple
Other story tags: Maxell
, 
, 2
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
Top
subscribe to comments
for this article
1/3 to 1/2 the battery??
Are they kidding? Nice capabilities, but c'mon…
Here's an idea: Allow for a AAA battery in the control pod area, and change the connection method to a standard headphone jack. Gain 100% compatibility with all other products, and have zero additional impact to the host device.
Seriously?
Noise canceling headphones are useless... it has been proven time and time again that noise ISOLATION is key.
Etymotic, Shure, and Ultimate Ears (to name a few) have professional headphones that passively isolate up to 35 dB of outside noise. More affordable options are available from JVC, Sony, and other companies that provide ample isolation for normal use. Why waste money on batteries or sacrifice the battery life of your player?