Skip to main content

Forget about Dre? Monster rolls out plenty of celebrity tie-ins at CES

Monster is already well-known in consumer electronics circles for throwing some of the most over-the-top CES press conferences to be seen at the show, but the star-studded event it put on today was a mighty spectacle, even by Monster standards, and seemed to serve as proof that the company isn’t mourning its breakup with Beats audio and Dr. Dre. 

After glossing over some new HDMI cable products (yes, Monster still makes a cable or two), Monster CEO, Noel Lee, went on to announce a swarm of new headphone products, each punctuated by one celebrity endorser after another. Although there are a few new models to mention, the real news from Monster today has to do with fashion, customization and market penetration. Here’s what we can expect to see from Monster’s booth on the CES show floor this week:

Headphones for the fashionista

Imagine a color – any color will do – and slap it on a headphone. That’s one of the fashion-based tactics Monster has adopted for this year. The company’s female-oriented Diamond Tears headphones – which Lee noted was its number one seller last year – are now available in three new colors, and have musician, Sheila E. backing them up, to boot. The company is also pushing its partnership with fashion label, Diesel forward, bringing three new colors of its Vektr headphones to market. 

Nick Cannon was on hand to promote his NCredible line, which now includes new versions of the NTune on-ear, NErgy in-ear and NPulse over-ear headphones, while supermodel Tyson Beckford was on hand to lend his name and chiseled features to Monster’s Inspiration headphone series.

If flashy colors aren’t haute couture enough for you, consider that Monster showed off some of the most outlandish custom headbands we’ve ever seen. It would seem Monster thinks headphones will soon replace hats as the hot new fashion accessory this year. We’ll see. 

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Muscling into the market 

To increase its market penetration, Monster has partnered up with retail-giant Walmart and media-titan Viacomm. Thanks to Viacomm, Monster’s DNA headphone line is going to creep its way in to all manner of award shows, reality shows, and just about every other MTV-bubble-gum program you can think of. And to make sure those impressionable youths can get their hands on its colorful headgear, Monster has signed a big distribution deal with Walmart, which will put its wares in heavy rotation on store shelves all across the US. 

EA Sports climbs aboard the Monster train

As big as EA Sports is in the gaming industry, it is a small wonder that the company hasn’t already produced a gaming headphone. Perhaps it was just looking for the right partnernship, or maybe it just needed some convincing. Whatever the case, Monster closed the deal, and now it will produce its first gaming headphone for EA, dubbed the MVP Carbon. On hand to promote the new partnership was hip-hop star, Xzibit, and boxing legend, Sugar Ray Leonard. 

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
This JBL waterproof Bluetooth speaker is 43% off right now
JBL Xtreme 2 on a beach.

Bring the party with you wherever you go with a portable Bluetooth speaker like the JBL Xtreme 2, which is currently on sale from Best Buy at 43% off. From its original price of $350, it's down to a more affordable $200 for savings of $150. We're not sure how much time is remaining for you to take advantage of this offer though, so if you're interested, you're going to have to proceed with the transaction as soon as possible. The bargain may be gone by tomorrow, so complete the purchase today if you can.

Why you should buy the JBL Xtreme 2 Bluetooth speaker
JBL is one of the best speaker brands with portable audio as its calling card, so it's not a surprise that there are multiple JBL devices in our roundup of the best Bluetooth speakers. The JBL Xtreme 2 isn't the latest version in its line -- the JBL Xtreme 4 has already been released -- but it's still a fantastic Bluetooth speaker by today's standards with powerful audio using your mobile device as the source. If you prefer a wired connection over Bluetooth, the JBL Xtreme 2 also offers auxiliary audio input.

Read more
Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds are back at their cheapest-ever price
Apple AirPods Pro 2 inside their charging case, near iPhone 14.

The second-generation Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C are back down to their cheapest-ever price of $189 on Amazon, for savings of $60 on their sticker price of $249. If you don't own the wireless earbuds yet, or if you're thinking about upgrading from an older model, here's another chance at this discount. However, like with most AirPods deals, we don't think it will last long, so if you want to take advantage of the bargain, you're going to have to proceed with the purchase right away.

Why you should buy the Apple AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C are featured in our list of the best wireless earbuds as the top choice for Apple fans, partly because of how easy it is to pair them with an iPhone or iPad. Just open their charging case, hold it close to your device, and you're done after a few taps. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 also offer solid audio quality with the capability for wireless lossless audio and Apple's immersive Spatial Audio, so you'll enjoy your favorite music even more.

Read more
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are back at their Black Friday price
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in silver.

Here's a highly recommended offer from Crutchfield if you're on the lookout for headphone deals -- the Sony WH-1000XM5 for $328, which is what they were going for during last year's Black Friday. If you weren't able to buy them for this cheap for any reason, here's another chance at the $70 discount on their original price of $398. We're not sure how long stocks will last though, so if you want to buy these wireless headphones for a more affordable price, you're going to have to add them to your cart and check out as soon as possible.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones
There are multiple reasons why the Sony WH-1000XM5 reign supreme in our roundup of the best headphones, but it all begins with its impressive active noise cancellation that allows them to stand out among other wireless headphones. They're very comfortable to wear, so you'll be able to maximize their long battery life of up to 30 hours on a single charge with ANC activated and up to 40 hours without it, and they'll allow you to call up Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant through voice commands.

Read more