Skip to main content

Sony gets stylish with new h.ear on Bluetooth ANC headphones

Sony didn’t have a ton of new products to show off at its annual press conference for CES 2016, but the company did show that its ready to rumble with the likes of Beats, SMS, and other stylized headphone brands with its new h.ear Bluetooth headphones.

These cans come in a wide variety of colors, and they’re nimble frame is one of the lightest we’ve ever encountered from the brand, which is impressive considering that these headphones harbor a Bluetooth battery, Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), and of course, on-board amplification.

Recommended Videos

That’s a nice selection of features to pile into one set of headphones, but perhaps the most intriguing is Sony’s claim that the h.ear on are hi-res, which, given the high compression used for Bluetooth transfer, is essentially an oxymoron. However, Sony has bet big on its new LDAC coding technology, which claims to offer four times the audio resolution streaming as traditional Bluetooth signals. We’re a little wary of that claim — physics is physics, after all — but the headphones do sound very balanced, and from what we could tell in the crowded venue, pretty accurate and present as well.

Sony-h.ear-on-wireless_5462
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The h.ear on is one of three new products in the h.ear series, followed by a new Bluetooth speaker in the h.ear go, and the new h.ear in, which we didn’t check out as we were told that what was being shown on the show floor was simply a production model.

Sony has really run the gamut this year in the audio space, expanding both its hi-res line, and adding a pile of new boom-tastic speakers for its Extra Bass lineup, essentially trying to get a piece of both margins of the headphone market. We don’t yet know how that gamble will pay off, but we’ll find out when the new cans hit the market sometime next year, with price points yet to be disclosed.

Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
First listen: EarFun’s first over-ear headphones are impressive for $80
EarFun Wave Pro at CES 2024.

EarFun, a company that has been surprising us for several years with ultra-affordable wireless earbuds that sound terrific, has taken its first step into the over-ear wireless headphone space and we got a chance to give them a listen at CES 2024. The EarFun Wave Pro are priced at $80 and will be available toward the end of March.
EarFun Wave Pro

The Wave Pro look impressive on paper. They've got hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC), hi-res audio capability thanks to support for Sony's LDAC Bluetooth codec, Bluetooth Multipoint, 40mm drivers, five built-in mics for calls, and a huge 80-hour claimed battery life.

Read more
JBL upgrades its 2024 wireless headphones with massive battery life
JBL Live 770NC in white.

JBL Live 770NC in white. JBL

JBL always brings tons of new products to CES, and CES 2024 is no exception. In addition to new wireless earbuds and Bluetooth speakers, the Harman-owned brand has debuted six new Live and Tune wireless headphones models in both on-ear and over-ear designs.

Read more
JBL’s first open-ear earbuds have a detachable neckband
Woman wearing JBL SoundGear Sense.

Along with updated party speakers, Bluetooth speakers, and tons of wireless earbuds and headphones, JBL has something new to show CES 2024 attendees: its first set of open-ear earbuds. They're called the SoundGear Sense, and JBL expects they'll be available by March 2024 for $150, in both black and white colors.

As with all open-ear earbuds, the SoundGear Sense let you hear your music, calls, and podcasts while allowing you to maintain perfect awareness of your surroundings. Instead of sitting inside your ear and/or sealing your ear canals with silicone tips, the SoundGear Sense sit just outside your outer ear and use air conduction (as opposed to bone conduction) to let you hear audio.

Read more