Skip to main content

Monster brandishes new headphones, announces ‘Headphones for Haiti’ relief effort

monster unveils new headphones ce week announces haiti relief effort octagon in ear isport  1

As CE Week 2014 stretches its legs in New York today, Monster has announced two new headphone models to pitch to the Beat-friendly crowd – now that Beats itself has moved on to Apple-green pastures. Both models sport Monster’s signature glitzy style and sound, albeit in markedly different variations. In addition, the company has announced new colors for its Inspiration Lite headphones, as well as a new Haiti relief effort called “Headphones for Haiti.”

In-Ear iSport Octagon headphones 

Extending its partnership with Ultimate Fighting Championship to travel inside the ear, monster revealed its sporty new Octagon ear buds. Designed to withstand the “wear and tear of traveling and training,” Monster has enlisted the help of UFC fighters to promote its new buds, including lightweight champ Anthony Pettis. Features include a Bose-like ear hook to keep the buds in place, an OmniTip “rotating ear pipe” for a secure fit, and Monster’s Pure Monster Sound which claims to offer extreme clarity and deep bass. Pre-ordering on Monster’s site is available now, but no pricing has been given.

Monster DNA Pro 2.0 headphones ($330)

The flagship of Monster’s latest lineup is the DNA Pro 2.0, a successor to the original DNA which upgrades the sound with a pair of custom-designed drivers aimed to handle your entire music catalog – not just “hip-hop and urban” music. The company promises an elevation of clarity and detail, as well as “impactful bass” for its new cans, along with plenty of noise isolation, and a special Monster Music Share feature, which allows users to connect up to five units at once to share the music. The DNA Pro 2.0 will be available in August.

Monster Inspiration Lite headphones ($270)

Monster’s Inspiration Lite headphones take a sharp left turn from its more bulky models, trimming down its regular Inspiration cans for a slimmer on-ear version. Part of Monster’s effort to appeal to female headphone users – according to the company – the Inspiration Lite will be available in two new colors to add to its Titanium and White versions, including Space Gray, and Rose Gold.

Headphones for Haiti

Finally, Monster today announced a relief effort called “Headphones for Haiti,” which is a fundraising event aimed at bolstering Haiti’s vibrant arts and culture community as it continues to rebuild from the quake that rocked the island in 2010. To kick it off, the company has donated 100 pairs of Inspiration headphones painted by a variety of renowned local artists, currently being auctioned off in New York. The proceeds will benefit EPAC Haiti, which is a new Performing Arts center currently under construction.

Monster’s new offerings add to its ample stable of stylized designs, which it hopes will stay in favor as its largest rival, Beats, moves under the authority of one of the most design-driven companies in the world.

Editors' Recommendations

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…
Focal’s new high-end headphones offer something for most budgets
focal utopia elear listen headphones 1

The brand name might not be as well known in the U.S. as in other countries, but Focal has built a solid reputation as a manufacturer of high-end audio gear. If you're looking for proof of that, look no further than the company's new trio of headphones, announced on Tuesday.

Utopia
The star of the show is clearly the company's Utopia reference-grade open-back headphones, which the company calls the "world's first full-range loudspeaker in a pair of headphones." With drivers crafted from beryllium, which offers an ideal rigidity to weight ratio, the headphones offer a claimed frequency range of 5 Hz to 50 kHz. Beryllium also happens to be more expensive than gold, so it's clear Focal is sparing no expense here.

Read more
Jabra makes calls a priority with its new Halo Smart wireless headphones
jabra halo smart wireless headphones announced red ls landscape female

While many headphones these days -- both wired and wireless -- feature a built-in mic for calls, this functionality is often an afterthought, even with the headphones packaged with many smartphones. With its latest product, Jabra looks to make calls just as high a priority as music playback.

On Tuesday, the company announced its latest pair of wireless in-ears, the Jabra Halo Smart. These headphones use the around-the-neck, collar-style design seen in more and more wireless headphones, allowing for a larger battery than other in-ear designs, meaning more time for talking and listening to music.

Read more
Sony gets stylish with new h.ear on Bluetooth ANC headphones
sony hear on bluetooth hires headphones h ear wireless

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.

Read more