WoW Wireless marks first Avnera headset available on Apple.com

Following in the footsteps of the Avnera AudioMagic-based products that's have come before from FREETALK, Creative, Logitech, ASUS, and Plantronics – the Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset sports some seriously tweaked features as highlighted on Apple.com's product page:

• Uncompressed 2.4GHz wireless technology (ahem, the one we know and love)
• THX TruStudio PC sound technologies create unprecedented levels of audio realism with stunning surround effects, producing virtual speakers around, above, and below you (THX!)
• Customize your headset with the interchangeable headset lenses (WoW!)
• Oversized ear cups and padding for comfortable gaming even during extended sessions (hardcore gamer requirement)
• Morph your voice into different World of Warcraft characters and creatures with VoiceFX technology (huh? ok)
• Detachable noise-canceling microphone for clear, precise speech deliver
• World of Warcraft Audio Control Panel lets you personalize your headset and enhance your audio experience (tweak!)

The Sound Blaster offering is without a doubt the most differentiated and targeted product to be based on Avnera's single chip solutions: one for the plug-and-play wireless USB-Audio adaptor and the other for the wireless stereo headset.  Each IC integrates all the core wireless, audio, and power management circuitry needed to make these products, but they also provided just enough interfaces, including a general purpose data sideband for wireless control and meta data, to allow vendors to build application enhancements like the backlit ear cups, and game controls of the WoW piece.

As the headline implies, it's somewhat notable for followers of proprietary wireless audio technologies that this product made it's way onto Apple.com, featured on Mac accessory pages of the Apple Online Store.  It's gratifying to see a wireless headphone/headset product that isn't Bluetooth penetrate the traditionally Bluetooth friendly Apple channel (and please correct me if there has been a counterexample I missed along the way).  Just goes to show you can't keep a great technology and a killer user experience off the heads of consumers.  It just took a little feature innovation from the folks at Sound Blaster to get it over the hump.

Very nice! Let's hope it sells through at $159.99.

Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 goes Wireless

Behold the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Wireless.

One of the best THX certified 2.1 speaker systems adds wireless convenience.  The original version of these ProMedias is one of my all time favorite 2.1 speaker systems.  The punch these babies offer is pure Klipsch goodness and now they get even better with the recognition that so many people want the flexibility to sit where they want with their laptops, not always within cord's length of their speakers.

At $199, this is some pretty great value from a proven acoustic design.

and yes... Avnera is inside!

Welcome to the party, Bose. SoundLink joins a cool crowd.

From Bose press release announcing the Bose SoundLink Wireless Music System.

“Many people use a computer as their primary source for music,” said John Roselli, category business manager for Bose Corporation. “But that convenience and experience is diminished by having to be at the computer to hear it. The Bose SoundLink system unlocks that music, streaming it almost anywhere in the home –- even outside –- quickly and easily.”

Yes.  This has been the premise around numerous entry-level applications that Avnera has enabled with its AudioMagic product line.  As opined on Engadget today, Bose's offering at $549.99 is pretty expensive, more so than the applications Avnera has already enabled in this application space – the idea being making such a cool function accessible to more users.  So I'm happy to see this announcement because, with Bose's marketing machine putting the "reason-to-buy" into consumers' minds, it will shed a renewed light on the more affordable solutions already out there to enable unleashed PC music listening.

Here are a few affordable SoundLink alternatives:

• AudioEngine W1, $149 – USB to wireless line-out receiver.  Bring your own speakers.  Any speakers.  Amazon bundles AudioEngine's own A5 with a "price for both" of $474.  Will absolutely destroy the Bose in performance.  Or use the W1 with the aux input on the iHome iP1 and make your own bundle for $448 (like a high-end Mint... what a segue).


• Mint 220 Digital Music Station, $119.99 – Exactly the same concept as Bose's offering, but with the added utility of an iPod dock on the speaker itself making it more versatile.


• Rocketfish RF-WS01, $104.99 – Line-in transmitter with two wireless speakers for separate left and right arrangement, or dual zone mono operation.  Expandable with the RF-WS02 as well.

I love a market!

Second generation FREETALK Wireless Stereo Headset available at Skype.com

Completely updated design, the Freetalk Wireless Stereo Headset is on sale at Skype.com now.

If you were feeling lucky, perhaps you took a shot at one during Engadget's recession antidote yesterday:

Today we've got a FREETALK Wireless Stereo Headset along with a Skype voucher that'll net you free calls for three whole months. The World Plan voucher will link you up anywhere in the world that Skype supports, and coming off of a trip to Central America, we can certainly say it comes in handy (and works well, to boot).

Unless you were the winner, you're gonna want to head to Skype.com to pick yours up.

Another in a long line of Avnera-enabled headsets, I think this one's travel-friendly folding design gives it a clear differentiator to my personal favorite, the Plantronics .Audio 995.

The leader of the pack (imo).

The Plantronics take on Avnera's first gen AudioMagic chips seems to capture the yellow jersey.  Logitech, Creative, and Freetalk may very well still be selling at a strong clip, but the feature set and execution of the .Audio 995 seems to resonate with consumers more than the others – who admittedly are getting long in the tooth.

Just ran across these user reviews over at Amazon, and they made my day, and so I think they are worth reading...

From Chris Zee Shutterbug:

Let me start with something that amazed me. I plugged the USB dongle into the computer, started Itunes, hit play and music started coming from the headphones!!! I did not have to configure a single thing. [...] That level of ease of operation has to be commended.

From Jennifer:

I love these headphones. I got them for my teenage son, but when he told me to listen to the great sound they became mine! The sound quality is incredible. [...] My son used them for World of Warcraft and he said the sound was awesome. He wants them back...but I've found a great hiding place and I am keeping them!

From CR Swanson:

I've reviewed three different headphones for Amazon Vine, including the three-hundered dollar Monster Beats, and this is, by far, the best of the bunch. They're comfy, they have great sound quality and the wireless mode just can't be beat!

From P Colin McGraw (with a gripe for balance):

I usually use wired headsets, and it feels freeing to be able to walk around the room listening to music, not having to navigate to iTunes with my mouse to fast forward as I get tangled in a headphone's cord. In fact, I'd actually use this headset even if I didn't need a microphone for just the awesome wireless headphone capabilities!

If I had to dig deep for a negative, I guess it would be the comfort. [...] the pads on your ears are designed to go ON TOP of your ears instead of AROUND them. It basically smooshes your ears to the side of your head, which you don't mind at first with the soft pads, but it gets uncomfortable after awhile.

Overall, it's hard to find a flaw with these and I'd wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for a headset with or without a mic! It would be hard to design this headset any better and it's a great value!

There is another review, that gave 2 out of 5 stars (when 4/5 is the average over 8 reviews) – feel free to check it out – but from what I know of our technology, he is experiencing a busted antenna, probably a maunfacturing defect...  No other reason why he'd be getting garbagey sound while he moves.  Also, the output power of the headset compared to a 2.4GHz cordless telephone is not even close!  So if he is looking for a source for his wireless-G woes.. he should direct his attention elsewhere.  That's the spectrum monster.  Also he should switch to Skype and junk the 20th century technology.