Headphones and earbuds aren’t the same pure black or white things we wore a decade ago, and Philips aims to prove it, with a new range of headphones developed and inspired by the hustle and bustle of the big smoke.
Three new headphones and one in-ear pair of earphones have been unveiled by the company this week, with designs inspired by some of the world’s largest cities, including New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, London, Berlin, and Paris.
Called the “CitiScape” collection, the range incorporates distinctive colourings, 1.2 metre anti-tangle cables, microphone built into the cable, with two of the models featuring Philips’ MusicSeal technology, a concept that aims to reduce background noise by creating a seal between the cushion and housing of the headphone itself.
Two of the headphones are inspired by the vibrancy of New York, and both of these sit above the $100 mark and feature memory foam cushions with the previously mentioned MusicSeal technology.
At $179.95, Uptown takes advantage of an aluminium design, 40mm drivers, an air-quilted headband, and circumaural cushions that fit over or around the ear. Meanwhile, the Downtown takes the same 40mm drivers and replaces aluminium for spring-steel, and switches to a fabric headband and on-ear supra-aural cushions.
Both are available in a few colours.
Meanwhile, if you don’t plan on spending over a hundred bucks, the CitiScape Shibuya drops to a lightweight plastic, auto-fitting supra-aural on-ear cushions, a soft headband, up to five colours, and 40mm drivers for $79.95.
Even lower again is the in-earphone, with the St Germain range, offering noise-isolating ear cubs, several choices of ear tips, 10mm drivers, two colours, and a price tag of $59.95 RRP.
Philips sends word that the range is heading to stores now, with Harvey Norman the place that’s getting these first.
