That’d be a nice distinction to have. But what makes an audiophile, really? An obsession with high fidelity audio, for one thing. But also the ownership of incredible-sounding, incredibly-expensive gear, like these $1700 Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones. But I’ll break it down for the laypeople: The Ultrasone Edition 8s, of which only 888 pairs are being made, cost a hell of a lot of money, yes, but they’ll also make you feel like you’re listening to music for the very first time, on the best drugs you’ve ever taken, naked, laying on a beach of pure white sand as soft as a cloud

• Principle: Dynamic / Closed
• Impedance: 30 Ohm
• Driver size: 40mm Titanium plated
• Magnet: NdFeB
• Frequency range: 6 – 42.000 Hz
• SPL: 96 dB
• Weight (excl. cord): 260g
• USC Cord length: 1,2m (OFC Cable)
• USC Extension cable 4m (OFC Cable)
• 3,5mm gold plated plugs
• Adapter 3,5/6,3mm gold plated
• ULE technology

The A30 is advertised as a headset that works for console gaming, but to use it with a PS3 or Xbox 360 you’ll need to buy a separate MixAmp with appropriate input jacks. The MixAmp also decodes 5.1 data into simulated two-channel surround and can custom-mix the levels of headset audio and in-game audio, but it also brings the cost of the headset package to US$229, which might be more than many are willing to spend. We tried out a pair of A30s for a good week and a half, and even without the MixAmp the audio quality was better than expected, and certainly good enough for use with an iPhone or other player. As opposed to the open-backed A40 which let in background noise, the A30 seals off a little more for privacy, although it’s not as effective as a good pair of in-ear buds. Astro claims the bass has been boosted a little in the A30s as compared to the “level accurate” A40s, and to our ears it sounded nice both with music or when playing rich, environmental games. With the MixAmp, the A30s become a much more complete set, and we appreciated the variety of MixAmp inputs for Toslink and other audio cables.

The cables on the A30 are a little thick, and the dual-jack cable connectors are pretty beefy, too, but the headset felt comfortable and sturdy when on. All the cable bulk, combined with a large included zipper case, makes these better travel headphones than quick commuters.

The Classic line: practical features with the very best sound
The CX 400 offers the listener an extremely balanced sound. Its short cord makes this ear canal headphone perfect for arm-worn MP3 players. The 3-foot extension cable is used if you want to keep the player in your trouser pocket. It comes with a practical pouch, a cord winder, ear adapters and a cable clip.

The CX 500 is the new top-of-the-range model in the Classic line and comes in high gloss black, high gloss white and titanium. It stands out for having a wider frequency response and special flange ear adapters which give the ear canal phones an even better seal. A convenient volume adjuster maintains total control over incoming audio levels on any playlist or shuffle. The CX 500 comes with a pouch, cable clip and cord winder for an unsurpassed value.

Hello Minimoto! After what seems like endless months of teasing, Motorola has finally released their almost-completely-in-the-ear mini Bluetooth headset. Many sites have long told tales of the elusive (read: never released) H5 mini headset. Now after months and months of waiting, the ‘new and improved’ H9 Miniblue Bluetooth Headset has come to life. The H9 comes with several eartips for custom-fitting to your ear canal (yes, it may take some people a bit of getting used to). It also features a charging pedestal that travels with the headset to keep the battery refreshed. The H9’s tiny size limits its talk time to a feeble 1.5 hours, but the charging pedestal allows you to constantly top off the battery in the headset, giving you up to 7.5 hours. Now we’re talking (no pun intended). Call quality is touted to be as good as Motorola’s other Bluetooth headsets, and my brief usage so far supports thiPrices vary greatly, so shop around. You should be able to find it from a reputable dealer online for right around $100. As an added bonus . . . the box is this crazy two-way slide thing (you have to see it) that couldn’t possibly be any cooler. Hopefully your dealer won’t have repackaged it!

Just recently Sony Ericsson has unveiled their new and quite interesting Motion Activated Headphones MH907. Unlike ordinary headphones, Motion Activated have deserved quite a brief word on the sound quality, which must be fairly good overall, but has amazed everyone at the opening even with their distinctive feature. MH907 works like normal set of ear buds until you want perform an action like stop the music, start it or answer a phone call.

At this point the “motion” part of Motion Activated Headphones MH907 comes in. The idea is that you don’t need to pull the phone out your pocket or wherever it happens to be, you just pull one bud out. That will automatically pause the music and put it on again when the bud is back in. Same with the phone call. Plug just one bud and the call starts, pull it off – call is put on hold. This is really handy, no need to search for the mobile phone in a bag and then pushing buttons. Works best in public transport I think. Sadly though Motion Activated Headphones MH907 are only Sony Ericsson Fast Port compatible. To cheer up watch a funny toon starring MH907.

This isn’t the first time that we have covered one of TRITTON’s gaming headsets, and if the company keeps making c of this quality, then it won’t be the last, either.

Although the AX 720 is designed to work with the XBox, PS3, and PC, it certainly would give the gamer the most mileage if used with the first two. The AX720 includes a 720 AMP, and it is designed as a Dolby Digital recorder to place the gamer into a whole new realm of sound.

No software CD was included with the setup, but you will need to set it up with the optical cable if you really want to experience the full effect of the sound with the included AMP.