Here is a roundup of some of the best audio products demonstrated by several companies, some old standbys and a few fresh faces:

Bang & Olufsen

The venerable Danish firm B&O used Macworld | iWorld to demo the first B&O Play device, the Beolit 12. B&O Play represents a new iDevice-centric sub-brand for the upmarket firm, with their signature focus on simplicity and stunning design all at a more affordable price.  The Beolit 12 is a portable, rechargeable speaker capable of playing tunes via AirPlay, audio in, or USB connection. 

Gavio

A surprise newcomer, and a selection in Appletell’s Favorite Products of Macworld | iWorld 2012, Gavio turned many show attendees’ heads with their impressive audio and even more incredible designs. The Wrenz speakers, which look like small metallic or jewel-encrusted birds, and Sgul earphones, which resemble the Terminator sans skin carried loads of style and an impressive sound to match. 

Polk Audio

The display at the Polk Audio booth certainly matched its description in the press materials: High-Flying and High-Fidelity. The stars of the acrobatic trampoline act were pro acrobats demonstrating the staying power of the Polk’s new Ultrafit sport & fitness headphones, while the stars of the booth were the Ultrafit headphones themselves. The 500, 1,000, and 3,000 series in-ear headphones looked good and sounded better, while the 2000 series on-ears were comfortable and provided convenient controls right on the headset.

SRS Labs 

Rounding out the bunch is SRS Labs and their MyTunes iPhone app. This app provides audio enhancement, equalizer, and volume leveling technology developed by SRS labs for custom hardware—Apple even used the SRS Surround Sound processing tech in its old MultipleScan AV line of displays. With customized audio enhancement profiles for various output devices like car audio, in-ear or on-ear headphones, or speakers, MyTunes makes your music sound its best regardless of where you’re listening. The free version provides a time-limited trial, while the full version is $4.99 on the App Store.

Be sure to check out the rest of our Macworld | iWorld 2012 coverage.

There’s no shortage of new headphones being announced CES this week, and Moshi is one of the latest to serve up their take on sound with the Clarus earphones addition to the Moshio Audio line. The unique two way DynaDuo™ driver of the Clarus model provides a warm analog listening experience versus the clinical sonic signature of the more common balanced armature drivers.

Clarus incorporates two dynamic drivers to cover both ends of the frequency spectrum, and is therefore able to retain a full sound while imparting the same accuracy and resolution that is the forte of balanced armature drivers. This allows the earphones to impart every nuance of jazz, rock, classical, or acoustic music.

Clarus is equipped with DynaDuo™, which consists of two dynamic drivers that enable a wide frequency response with pristine sound reproduction. Typical IEMs require complete seal-off of ear canals to achieve meaningful bass response. Clarus manages to circumvent this problem by utilizing a dedicated woofer with sound guide to deliver robust low frequency sound into your ears. What really sets Clarus apart however, is its dedicated high frequency driver, which has been acoustically engineered to render airy transparency. The passive crossover has also been optimized for exceptional uniformity. The end result is an immersive listening experience with enhanced transparency and accurate sound imaging.

The Clarus earpieces are designed to rest on the cusp of the ear canals, not inside of them, thereby eliminating ear fatigue. Soft ear loops hook over the ears to keep the earphones securely in place when exercising or just really getting into your music.

Other features include:

• Steel alloy construction ensures absolute purity without distortion.
• Braided ultra-light weight OFC cable with 3-button controls with mic.
• Custom carrying case with cable management.

The Clarus premium dual-driver earphones are available now for $200. For additional information, including tech specs, visit www.moshimonde.com.

AKG K 495 NC

The AKG noise-cancelling headphones block constant noise generated by traffic, trains and airplanes. Each model ships with an adapter for in-flight entertainment, and the K 495 NC include an extra-long audio cable to plug into a stationary component.

AKG K 495 NC – $349.95

These premium active noise-cancellation headphones deliver high-quality audio defined by a clarity of sound across all ranges, from crisp highs to deep lows. The headphones are charged via USB—not batteries—and continue to block noise in passive mode, unlike other noise-cancelling headphones. The stylish on-ear headphones feature brushed-metal parts, leather ear cups and an adjustable leather headband to ensure a snug, comfortable fit. The K 495 NC headphones ship with a small carrying case, two audio cables, a USB charging adapter and flight adapter.

AKG K 490 NC, $249.95

A high-performance active noise-cancelling headphone, the K 490 NCs feature exceptional audio balance at an attractive price. The headphones are charged via USB – not batteries –and continue to block noise in passive mode, unlike other noise-cancelling headphones. These lightweight, on-ear headphones are adjustable and designed specifically for lengthy listening periods. The K 490 NC headphones ship with a small carrying case, flight adapter and USB charging cable.

For additional information on the AKG noise-canceling headphones or to purchase, visit harmanaudio.com or visit them at CES at LVCC Central Hall, booth #12438.

The NE-600X ($24) earphones’ unique, high-efficiency design delivers excellent bass, a harmonically correct tonality, a deeply layered soundstage and superb acoustic isolation. They’re available in black, red and lime.

Product Specs:

• Driver Size:11mm
• Impedance: 16 Ohm
• Frequency Response: 20 to 20kHz
• Rated Power: 1mW
• Max. Input Power: 3mW
• Sensitivity: 100dB+/-3dB
• Connector: 3.5mm 3-pin stereo plug
• Weight (without packing): 12.5 grams
• Length: 110mm (43.3 inches)

The NE-770X ($49) are aimed at mobile devices, as they feature non-metallic drivers that require less power to drive them properly. They produce a natural sonic signature without sacrificing dynamic punch or wide-band frequency response. The polycarbonate body is acoustically inert and lightweight.

They’re available in carbon, ice and sky colors.

Product Specs:

• Driver Size: 8mm
• Impedance: 16 Ohms
• Frequency Response: 20 to 20kHz
• Rated Power: 3mW
• Max. Input Power: 5mW
• Sensitivity: 102dB +/- 3db
• Plug: 3.5mm
• Weight (without packing): 12 grams
• Length: 54 inches

Both headsets will be available on January 9, 2012 from NuForce.com and NuForce resellers.

Cutting the cord; it’s what we runners would love to do. Running with headphones can be a huge pain thanks to that thin wire that just refuses to stay out of the way. The obvious solution to this problem is having tunes pumped straight into your brain, but Bluetooth headphones are the most acceptable compromise to date. JayBirds has a few different styles of bluetooth headphones for your wireless pleasure. I took at look at their Freedom headphones to see if they are the solution to my workout woes.

The JayBird Freedom Bluetooth headphones are among the best looking wireless headphones made for working out. They look similar to two Bluetooth headsets connected with, well, a wire. Thankfully, the earpieces are smaller than a standard Bluetooth headset, so you won’t get any funny looks. There are three sizes of ear tips and three sizes of ear cushions to keep them in place in your ears. Also included with the headphones are a case to store them in and a cable for charging.

Fitting is easy enough, given that you have three choices of ear tips. Some companies provide more, but I had no issues with proper fitting. In addition to the tips are the ear cushions which help a great deal to keep these headphones in your ear without the need for the included ear loops. These ear cushions really do their job well. I never once had an issue with the earbuds falling out with the cushions attached, which is pretty impressive when you consider how much your head might move while working out. Without the cushions, they would tend to wiggle out after a while. These are very comfortable headphones, at least as far as in-ear headphones go.

I also never had an issue with battery life. Despite their small size, the Freedom headphones have about 6 hours of battery life, which is likely enough to keep your workouts entertaining for at least a week unless it’s your job or you plan to use them for more than just working out.

Controlling the Freedom headphones isn’t exactly the same as your Apple earbuds. All the same controls are there, but they don’t do the same things. There’s volume up/down and a play/pause button. That’s it. You could probably guess that holding down the play/pause button turns these guys on and off. One for one. You might also guess that double tapping this button skips a track forward. Nope, sorry, not that easy. Instead, you’ll have to hold down the volume down button to skip forward a track. Not only do I dislike this gesture, I dislike how hard it is to perform while running. You’re always better off designing a playlist for running that doesn’t require track skipping, but the difficulty of performing this gesture while in motion will further encourage you to refine your playlists. Thankfully, while I might not love this one gesture, you can do everything you’d really need to be able to do from these headphones, so there aren’t any real limitations.

While the Freedom headphones are pretty awesome, they are not without flaws. My first issue is one of safety. These are in-ear headphones (a style I’m admittedly not a fan of), so they might not be the right choice for you if your workouts require you to hear what’s going on around you. I run outside, therefore I need to hear cars and other objects that could easily kill me. If you’re lifting weights, using a treadmill or anything else inside, it may be a plus for you that you can’t hear what’s around you.

One thing you’re sure to hear if your workout involves movement is the cord bouncing around, and it’s likely to drive you nuts. The seal of these (and any, really) in-ear headphones transfers any vibrations of the cord directly into your skull, so the use of a flexible wire to connect the ear pieces may not have been the best design choice. I would have much preferred a rigid piece of plastic wrapping around the back of my head.

But there’s one problem that maybe you couldn’t have seen coming. It’s the range of these Bluetooth headphones. Typically, I expect a Bluetooth headset or pair of headphones to function at a reasonable distance (let’s say 2-3 meters) from your phone, otherwise, what’s the point of being wireless? The Freedom headphones have difficulty maintaining a solid connection if you put your phone on the wrong arm. Seriously, if you don’t use an armband on your right arm, you’re going to have your music cut out pretty often. Yes, your left arm will cause this problem to arise.

All in all, the Freedom headphones are pretty great for anyone wanting to cut the cord, but there are some issues to be aware of. As long as you like in-ear headphones, keep your phone on your right arm, can deal with a cord hitting the back of your neck with every step you take and not hearing what’s happening around you, then you’re going to be happy with the Freedom headphones.

I do want to add that if the Freedom headphones weren’t marketed towards working out, they’d be great all around in-ear Bluetooth headphones. Working out just presents a few challenges you don’t have to worry about while just sitting. As such, I highlighted a number of issues that you’d want to be aware of before buying, since they’ll affect your workouts.

All that said, the Freedoms are light, fit properly, stay in your ears, have great battery life and—most importantly—are wireless. If you’re still on the fence, you’ll be happy to hear that JayBird has a “30 day smile-on-your-face guarantee” behind all of their stuff.

Appletell Rating:

Buy JayBird Freedom Bluetooth Headphones

Specifically, you can get s free $15 Target GiftCard with purchase of an 8GB iPod nano or a free $40 Target GiftCard with the purchase of a 8GB iPod touch. GiftCards are also available for various iDevice related gadgets and accessories, such as the beats by dr. dre Studio headphones, the Canon ELPH 300 and Sony W560 digital camera or Sony Bloggie MP4 video camera .

They’re also offering some good sales on iDevice accessories:

• Soundfreaq Sund Step compact speaker: $109.99 (save $20) plus a $10 Target GiftCard
• RCA 300-watt music system: $152 (save $40) plus a $10 Target GiftCard

To take advantage of these deals, head out to your local Target this weekend.

We’ve seen a few leaks this week on Apple’s annual one-day-only Black Friday sales event. The savings on Apple products were accurately slight, but as in years past, Apple is offering significant savings on compatible third-party products. Save over $100 on Bowers & Wilkins speaker docks and various laptop bags, and you can get fun accessories like the Parrot AR.Drone for under $250.00.

The biggest savings from Apple come from their biggest products: Saving $101 on the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac. The iPad 2 starts at $458 on Black Friday only, with the lower end iPod touch coming in at $178 and iPad nano at $118. In addition, the Magic Trackpad, Apple Magic Mouse, AirPort Express Base Station with 802.11n and Apple Wireless Keyboard are all $11.00 off the regular price.

The savings get better on third-party products, which Apple has split the sale into various categories. Some of the highlights follow:

Surround them in sound:

• Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones – $128.00 (save $51.95)
• M-Audio KeyStudio 49 USB MIDI Controller – $68.00 (save $31.95)
• Palo Alto Audio Design Cubik Digital Hi-Fi Multimedia Speakers – $148.00 (save $51.95)
• Philips DC390 Dual Dock Clock Radio with Remote – $98.00 (save $51.95)

Keep their stuff safe, secure, and stylish:

• kate spade new york Janine Notebook Carrying Case – $398.00 (save $101.95)
• Cole Haan 15″ Leather Messenger Bag for MacBook Pro – $298.00 (save $101.95)
• Michael Kors Wallet Clutch for iPhone 4S – $58.00 (save $21.95)
• Incase Terra Campus Backpack for MacBook Pro – $78.00 (save $21.95)

Show them new ways to play:

• Scosche myTREK Wireless Pulse Monitor – $98.00 (save $31.95)
• Silverlit Interactive Bluetooth Remote Control Enzo Ferrari Car – $58.00 (save $21.95)

Help them work wonders:

• G-Technology 750GB G-DRIVE mobile Portable Hard Drive – $98.00 (save $71.95)
• Mobee Magic Charger for Apple Magic Mouse – $38.00 (save $11.95)

Read [One-Day Apple Shopping Event 2011]

The week started with, “Here, try these and write a review,” and ended with, “hey, these are pretty good.”

The Vibrato in-ear headphones by V-MODA are a bit “boutique” with their packaging and style, but it doesn’t stop them from functioning well. The ear buds come with four sizes of adapters to let you customize the fit. The flexible adapter does a good job of blocking most external noise—it’s almost like wearing ear plugs. The sound reproduction is very good for ear buds, including a fairly full bass sound. I turned the volume up and let my iPod rip with 2112 and was pleased with how clean the sound was. The highs were crisp and clear, the mid range balanced, and the bass full with no clipping even with the volume turned up as high as possible.

[WARNING: I endured full volume only for a few seconds for the sake of evaluation. Do not turn your iPod up to 11 with these things in your ears—you can do damage to your hearing.]

I then tried my favorite rendition of the 1812 Overture and was pleased to be able to hear more of the detail than I expected.

More nifty functionality comes in the form of a small control pod on the right ear lead (yes, there is an “L” and “R” on the buds to tell which side is which). About 5″ down from the ear piece there is a 1-1/2″ x 1/4″ x 1/4″ lightweight control cluster with three buttons and a microphone. The top button turns the volume up, the bottom button turns the volume down and the middle is a toggle for the microphone buried in the control pod. When you use the middle button, the music your iPhone or iPod is playing will be paused. Once you use the toggle button to turn on the microphone, you can use the headset with your iPhone or iPod to take calls or use the Face Time app.

The sound quality is good, and the person on the other end should have no problem hearing you since the mic is well placed. The only oddity of taking/making a call with the Vibrato remote unit in your ears is that you don’t hear yourself the same. Unless you are used to talking with your ears in your fingers, your own voice will sound muted and a bit off, but there is an easy solution—take out the left speaker and it’s like using any other phone.

By the way, the middle button sits a bit lower than the volume buttons. Since the middle button sits lower, it requires rather an intentional application of your finger to switch to mic mode, so don’t worry about fumbling a call or turning off your music accidentally.

The headphones also come with a pair of over the ear hooks to help keep the leads out of the way while you engage in your activities. Additionally, there is a small clip provided so you can clip the lead to your clothes to keep it from dangling where you don’t want dangly bits. The clip has spring jaws for the side that secures the lead to your clothing and a friction fitting for the side that attaches the clip to the lead. The friction fitting allows you place the clip anywhere you like on the lower section of the lead or the right side lead; the right side lead is a bit larger than the left to accommodate the wiring for the mic and volume control. The only negative I found during my testing is that the clip can come loose from the lead if you bump it in just the right (maybe wrong?) direction. The friction fitting could be a teensy bit tighter, but it works just fine.

Another not necessarily functional element is that the lead is covered in a nice cloth wrap as opposed to the standard rubberized insulation/coating. This gives the Vibrato unit a slightly different appearance and feel. A real benefit to the cloth wrap is that the lead slides more easily over fabric and allows less contact noise to be transmitted to your ear.

One last detail I want to touch upon is the input jack. The lead wiring attaches to the 1/8″ jack at a jaunty 90° angle instead of straight in from the bottom of the jack. What this means functionally is that there is a metal post at the “bottom” of the jack that sticks out of the rubber strain relief, providing you with a firm surface to push against to seat the jack in the port. This reduces the chances of pushing on the wire and bending it sharply enough to cause a short. It will also force you to grab the rubber strain relief to remove the lead from your iDevice instead of pulling on the lead, which can also result in damage to the wire.

These are not high-end headphones with big drivers and fluffy cushions; the Vibrato are earbuds, but they offer a greatly improved performance and fit over the garden variety earbud. For the size and fit they provide good sound reproduction, a handy phone function and a low profile look. If you like using ear buds, these are a very good option.

Appletell Rating:

Buy the V-MODA Vibrato in-ear headphones

Target is currently promoting an offer for a complimentary $20 gift card when you buy a 32GB iPod touch in black or white for $295. That gift card can then be used to cover about half the price of a 2GB iPod shuffle, currently going for $46.

The Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones are going for $299, and if you’d rather share your music with the room, the Sonos PLAY:5 all-in-one wireless music system will run you $399.99 and nab you a $40 Target gift card.

If you go with the iPod touch, you may also want to consider picking up the Helo TC device-controlled helicopter (on sale for $45), which you can actually fly around the house using the iPod touch (or any iDevice, really) as the remote. Of course, this is provided you don’t mind the kids crashing a helicopter into your tree all day. For a quieter Christmas, you may want to consider the Griffin/Crayola electronic stylus.

In addition to all of this, Target will give you 5% off your purchase if you use your Target debit or credit REDcard.

More deals are sure to come, and we’ll be watching for them. But when it comes to holiday shopping, there’s no better time to start than the present.

See [Target.com]

At Appletell, we’ve suggested numerous times that you upgrade beyond the horrible headphones that came with your iDevice. Trouble is, we’re often recommending headphones that cost $200 and up. That’s not always a viable option, so I was happy to discover you can get the audio improvement you need out of SOL Republic’s $100 Tracks headphones without sacrificing the functionality of iDevice control.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Tracks is that they look more like a hair band fashion accessory than a set headphones, especially considering they’re available in black, red and white.

Guys, don’t let these put you off…there’s nothing “girlie” about the sound, or even about the band itself. It’s exceptionally durable, making a good option if you’re always shoving them into a book bag or suitcase. That’s important, because if you’re replacing earbuds with them, you’re going to need to account for the extra storage space that over-the-ear headphones requires.

The Tracks are also notable for the fact that the cans can be removed from the band itself, so you can actually swap out the band to match your outfit, or whatever (oddly, I don’t see that you can purchase multiple band colors when buying, or even buy them separately). In addition, the cable that connects to the cans is removable. If something should go wrong the cable, you can just get a new one instead of buying a new set of headphones. Most users will never take advantage of this, but it’s good to know the option is there. The only drawback to it is that you’ll have wires hanging from both ears, which isn’t usually needed with over-the-ear headphones.

[Update: We've been informed that additional color headbands will be available in the near future. Also, The Sound Engines are interchangeable (hence, the detachable cord). Both the HD Sound Engines and the colored headbands will be available in retail outlets.]

Apple, Blackberry and Android users will get additional functionality out of the speaker cable controls, with iOS users able to control volume and track selection. The center button for taking calls and pausing music rises well above the volume/track buttons, allowing for easy control without seeking it out. A microphone is also included, but because of the positioning, I found I had to hold it close to my mouth to get good voice reproduction.

But all of this so far is just bonus material. What matters with headphones are comfort and sound quality, and SOL Republic delivers more in both aspects than you’d expect from $100 headphones. The cushions sit directly on your ears, and are fairly comfortable while muffling external noises. A pad at the top of the band rests comfortably on your head, as well. The cushions aren’t as soft you’d expect by looking at them, but the Tracks are still comfortable to wear for prolonged listening sessions.

The audio reproduction is solid, if not spectacular. The Tracks do a good job of picking up the detail you’re losing with Apple’s earbuds, and the mix is fairly well balanced. But at times, the music can sound a bit harsh; clinical, perhaps. They’re fine for rock music, games and movies, but I didn’t like them for classical music, where they gave the feel of a performance in a hall not tuned for symphonic sound. There was also some distortion when the volume is cranked up, but that was well past the level of hearing safety, anyway. You should have no need to turn these up that loudly.

The SOL Republic Tracks, at $100, are a great option for iDevice and Mac audio. You won’t be exercising in these, of course, but they work well for long commutes, flights, or working at your desk. If you want to spend $30 more, you can upgrade to the Tracks HD, which offer the V10 High-Definition Sound Engine vs. the Tracks’ V8 Sound Engine. But there’s something satisfying about keep the price down to two digits, and the sound is good enough here to keep you happy beyond your next iDevice upgrade.

Appletell Rating:

Buy the SOL Republic Tracks