Popular headphone maker Sol Republic has shared five new headphone models ahead of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, showcasing its first all-new products in over three years.
The most intriguing of this year’s new offerings is the Shadow Fusion banded wireless headphones. It’s odd that banded wireless headphones have us so excited — especially in a year when we expect to see the battery life of true wireless earbuds skyrocket — but what has us excited about the Shadow Fusion is their integration with lost-item company Tile.
The headphones are designed to be very tough to lose thanks to built-in Tile functionality, which will wake the device with flashing LEDs and play music loudly until they are found. You’ll never misplace your earbuds again.
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Tile for 2019. Integrating Tile technology into our products, starting with the Shadow Fusion, is another way we are taking the brand to the forefront of quality and performance,” said Josh Poulsen, Sol Republic’s director of product development, in a press release.
The company has also announced a number of other compelling products, including new true wireless earbuds, and on-ear and noise-canceling over-ear headphones. We’re particularly excited about the new true wireless Amps Air + model, which offer built-in active noise cancelation and a five-hour play time. The on-ear Soundtrack and over-ear Soundtrack Pro models promise to be exciting Bluetooth headphones too, with 30 and 24 hours of battery life, respectively, and active noise-canceling built into the larger model.
“SOL will continue pushing boundaries through 2019 with a full lineup of stylish, wireless audio products loaded with technologies and brand firsts such as ANC within both our over-ear and true wireless earbud models,” Poulson said.
The Shadow Fusion will retail for $130, and will come on sale in February, the Soundtrack on-ears will retail for $150 and will be on sale in July, the Soundtrack Pro will hit the market in October for $200, and the Amps Air + will cost $200 and will hit the market in October. The company also announced a pair of affordable banded wireless earbuds called the Freestyle Wireless that will hit the market in July for the low price of $80.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.