Audio Video News

Onkyo has teamed up with metal gods Iron Maiden to create headphones tuned by the band’s founding member/bassist Steve Harris to appeal to fans of rock and heavy metal music.

The ED-PH0N3S (too bad they couldn’t come up with a more inspired name) are available at maidenaudio.com for $299. The free Maiden Audio smartphone app, featuring custom EQ settings, is also available for IOS & Android devices at the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

"I knew that I would need some really good headphones to use for playback of the mixes of The Book Of Souls, our new Maiden studio album,” said Harris, who started Iron Maiden in 1975. The band has performed more than 2,000 shows and sold more than 90 million albums worldwide. “I'd actually started looking into this about 18 months prior to when we started recording because I'd been struggling to find a design which came even remotely close to what I felt was an acceptable sonic standard for rock/metal.

“My main objective was for a balance that wasn't just top and bottom heavy with hardly any mid-range like a lot of headphones these days that are basically designed for dance music,” Harris continued. “I wanted a good balance across the widest bandwidth incorporating a lot more mid-range frequencies, something I strongly feel is vital to appreciate the complexities of our music and rock/metal in general. A friend at Onkyo suggested I get in touch with the company to create a design that could meet my specifications. We started collaborating and have been working on them ever since, endlessly evaluating frequencies and modifying drive units, materials, cables, and connectors until we achieved my ideal balance.”

The headphone, which has a non-detachable 5-foot cable, is fitted with custom 40mm titanium-coated drivers and ported bass sub-chambers to enhance bass. A phone-plug adaptor is included for minijack cable.

For more information visit, maidenaudio.com or onkyousa.com.