Lauren Dragan

Brand new to the US market, the Audio Technica ATH-MSR7 are closed-backed, over ear monitors that are designed to be high-resolution headphones for listening on the go. With 45mm True Motion drivers and a claimed frequency response of 5-40,000 Hz, the MSR7 want to pack all the detail and depth of professional headphones into wearable cans that even offer a removable cable with a single-button remote and mic. They sounded pretty good (from what I could tell, anyway) on the CES show floor, but how did they hold up under scrutiny in a decidedly better listening environment?

When I left for college, my parents gave me a little personal safety alarm: a small black box about the size of a deck of cards with a pull cord that unleashed a squelching 140 dB siren. I tested it out at home. The din was horrifying. But to be honest, walking around by myself at night, I can’t say that knowing a potential attack could be made noisier really made me feel any safer. Plus, it was kinda bulky to have in my hands at the ready at all times. It’s no wonder then, that tech companies have since flooded the market with all sorts of personal, alarms, alerts, and trackers that are tinier and more wearable than ever.

New headphone company Phaz has announced a line of Bluetooth headphones that charge your phone while you listen to music.

Audeze, the oft-lauded makers of planar magnetic cans, announced the release of the EL-8, their first more-portable planar magnetic headphones.