Beyerdynamic Bows Gaming Headphones
By Staff -- TWICE, 1/8/2009
LAS VEGAS — German headset manufacturer Beyerdynamic is rolling out several headphones this month at International CES, held here Jan. 8-11. It is the first time the company is introducing products at CES in more than 20 years, it told TWICE.
The MMX 2 is billed by the company as a robust and light gaming tool that operates via USB port. It includes volume controls for the headphones on the mini inline serial USB converter box and a mute button for the built-in microphone.
What is most important about the headphones, though, the company said, is the combination of an analog headset and a separate USB converter. "The small converter contains the entire digital signal processing. It precisely converts the sound from the microphone to an audio file which the computer can then further process. At the same time, it produces an analog sound signal from the digital sound output via USB which the headphones play back with perfect quality. The advantage of the external solution: The electronics move the PC housing to the outside where they are exposed to fewer sound damaging noise interferences," Beyerdynamic said in a release.
Suggested retail is $129.
The company is also introducing three other new models: the Headzone Home, Headzone Home HT (with Head Tracking) and Headzone Game.
The Headzone Home system features the company's Headtracking function, which is said to react to the listener's head movements and automatically adapt the space impression on a real-time basis. "That's why the voices of actors the viewer sees on the screen are also in front when the viewer turns his head to the side," the company said.
The Headzone HT system is designed with three components: the processor, headphone and the Headtracking receiver. The processor is linked by digital cable with a commercially available DVD player or A/V receiver and its high-performance signal processors (DSPs) give the same distinct pulse and frequency patterns to the audio signal that the human ear recognizes the direction of sound events with in actual space, according to Beyerdynamic. This technique known as HTRF (head related transfer function) has already proved it worth in the studio: sound engineers all over the world use professional Headzone systems to control and mix surround productions, the company said.
The Headzone Game system includes the new MMX 300 multimedia headset, which is billed by the company as a high-quality multimedia headset for both serious gamers and audiophiles. The MMX 300 features technology that the company said is based on an Aviation pilot headset that it had developed for General Aviation.
The closed headphone design absorbs external sounds by approximately 18dB, and it features a spring steel headband with soft, interchangeable head and ear cushions.
A USB converter is included. Suggested retail is $399.
