Awesome Headphones

If your ears perk up for one-of-a-kind gear, iFrogz’ NervePipe headphones come in an amazing 7,260+ color combinations — and that doesn’t include the artwork for earpiece covers.

Killing two birds with one stone, GoStereo’s Tune In Tune Out headphones also double as speakers; sound quality is average but it does save you from carrying two devices.

Designed for those with active lifestyles, JayBird’s JB-200 wireless headphones include a tighter fitting earpiece and use Bluetooth to play music as well as handle phone calls.

Though virtually the same as Razer’s premium Megalodon in terms of headphone and mic specs, the Carcharias halves the price by leaving out the virtual 7.1 channel surround sound.

The Creative HS-1100 is their latest gamer-friendly USB headset; it uses Silencer tech to wipe out ambient noise while improving speech clarity, dual mics and 3D positional surround sound.

Panasonic’s RP-HJE900 in-ear headphones are the first to be made with Zirconia (ZrO2); the material boasts less resonance than plastic or aluminum for distortion-free sound reproduction.

While we question their quality, Sony’s Japan-only MDR-EX36SC earbuds use convergence on a small scale: the protective case actually doubles as a passive speaker.

Talk to people nearby you without removing your bluetooth headphones with Altec Lansing’s Backbeat 906; they use a separate “OpenMic” that pipes in sound from the outside world.

With gigantic transducers, uncovered earcups and Alcantara ear pads, Sennheiser’s HD800 headphones promise high fidelity natural listening–and make you pay out the nose for it.

Logitech’s G13 keyboard was just the vanguard for their G-series gaming products, which include a 7.1 surround sound headset, keyboard with LCD and 5000 DPI laser mouse.

Psyko’s 5.1 gaming headphones truly live up to their insane moniker; they produce 3D surround sound by squeezing in five speakers and a subwoofer. Also included: mic and 5.1 amp.

These s-Jays earphones come with a SIREN armature that bumps up output and dynamic range; they also include extra sleeves, a stereo splitter, airline adapter and extension cable.

All tubes with nary a semi-conductor, the WooAudio6 headphone amp is not only retro-fantastic, but delivers consistently clean and natural SET Class-A sound at an affordable price.

We’re not sure if the Ethiopian sheep leather ear pads are enough to justify the $1,799 price tag, but Ultrasone’s Edition 9 definitely appeal to audiophiles who also crave exclusivity.

Long known for their watches, Nixon’s first foray into headphones is satisfyingly trendy; choose from in-ear, open-air and closed versions, most of them sporting slick metal accents.

Revealed earlier this fall, Apple’s In-Ear headphones are finally available; better than the stock phones that come with your iPod, they include a remote, mic and three silicone ear-tips.

At $150, Monster Beats’ Dr. Dre Tour headphones are clearly premium priced; they feature no-tangle Duraflex cables, 24K gold contacts, no loss audio and in-ear noise isolation.

We like William Volcoff’s MP3 headphone concept; it’s a tasteful blend of minimalist and utilitarian design, with 10GB of flash storage and just the bare minimum of features.

We’re really digging these WeSC Bongo headphones, available in Sweden with Nokia 5220 and 5320 cellphones. You can also get the Bongos a la carte, albeit with different colorways.

Available in December, Atomic Floyd’s AirJax headphones have premium written all over them; they’re made with heat-treated acoustic steel and can be adjusted to fit any ear.

Wire haters should check out Sony’s DR-BT160 behind the ear headphones; made for athletes, A2DP stereo bluetooth lets you listen to music while a mic lets you take phone calls.

Recommended by DJ Spencer Thomas, JLab’s JBuds J2 Earbuds are the successor to their wildly popular JBuds; they use Japanese cobalt drivers and feature a 24k gold-plated jack.

With a blingtastic design and price to match; V-MODA’s Vibe II Earbuds are made from stainless steel; they also feature fabric cables, gold-plated plugs, built-in mic and noise isolation.