Headphone makers such as Sennheiser, Sony and Audio-Technica announced new products during CES. What are our first impressions?
| Sennheiser MX-W1 |
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 If nothing else, the MX-W1's look cool. The small leather case houses the untethered earbuds and the transmitter, whichs 5 to 10x times the power of Bluetooth, according to the developer of the technology, Kleer. While we had no source to test sound quality, we were impressed by the earbuds' design and how they remained secure in the ear. Release: June 2008.
Pros: More power than Bluetooth, slick design
Cons: Requires a battery
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| Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 |
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 One of the first earbuds we've seen to use active noise-canceling (most use noise isolation), the ATH-ANC3 uses Audio-Technica's QuietPoint technology to block out background noise. We were impressed with the level of noise-canceling on the busy show floor, and we like the idea of active noise suppression in an earbud. We hope more manufacturers take the lead and give the ATH-ANC3 something to compare to. Release: June 2008. Price: $170.
Pros: Active noise-cancelling in an earbud
Cons: Requires one AAA battery
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| Sony MDR-NC500D |
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 Sony claims the MDR-NC500D is the "world's first headphone with digital technology for precise noise canceling." These headphones use an artificial intelligence to do "smart" noise cancelling between three different environment modes. Available in February for $400, we hope they can live up to their self-billing. Release: January 2008.
Pros: Smart noise cancelling
Cons: A little pricey
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| Acoustic Research ARE08 |
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 Acoustic research throws their hat into the noise-isolating earphones ring yet again with the ARE08, an update to the ARE05 model. The in-ear canalphones use what Acoustic Research calls "Triple-Band" technology, which is supposed to balance highs, lows and mids to achieve more clarity. In our short test we weren't blown away by the sound, but the buds did provide a degree of noise isolation when inserted properly. The earphones seem to at the middle of the road for a sub-$100 pair of earphones, which is what we expect these to be despite a lack of pricing information from Acoustic Research. Release: July 2008.
Pros: Reasonable price, noise isolation
Cons: Limited accessories
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Philip Berne, Matthew Ruiz, Edward Distel and Sindre Lia contribute to the CES 2008 coverage.
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