Best headphones at CES 2017: What to expect

Just as TVs are important to the home cinema market, headphones are important to personal audio. Each year at CES, hundreds of new pairs are revealed, from the major brands and the less well-known ones.

Headphone technology moves on leaps and bounds as each year passes, with sound quality improving across over-ears, in-ears, sports and wireless models.

So what can we look forward to seeing at CES 2017 in January? Allow us to bear all.

Audio Technica

Headphone experts Audio Technica will be in attendance once again with several new products, but the ones we’re focusing on are the ATH-DSR9BT and ATH-DSR7BT Bluetooth wireless headphones with Audio Technica’s proprietary Pure Digital Drive technology.

Pure Digital Drive aims to keep the audio signal entirely digital from source to headphones to deliver the best possible sound. The company says it will be particularly effective in Bluetooth headphones because a wireless connection can often have its fair share of interference.

The DSR9BTs have been built from the ground up and feature 45mm drivers and a new voice coil which offer “superlative fidelity”.

The DSR7BTs meanwhile are built upon the foundations of the MSR7s and come with the same drivers and housings, the main difference is the addition of Pure Digital Drive.

The ATH-DSR9BTs and ATH-DSR7BTs will be available from Spring for $549 and $299 respectively.

B&O Play

B&O Play hasn’t announced any details surrounding headphones for CES 2017, but has released a teaser video for what will likely be multi-room speakers. However, having recently unveiled the H9 noise-cancelling headphones, we can expect to see them on the B&O Play stand to get our first chance to hear them.

Focal

Focal

French audio brand Focal will be bringing something very special to CES 2017, a one-of-a-kind pair of Utopia headphones – already £3400 on their own – that have been designed in collaboration with French jewellers Tournaire. An 18-karat gold plate has been put on the headband with three diamonds totalling 6.5 karats. There’s lashings of gold over the rest of the headphones to make them truly unique.

What may, or may not, shock you is the price. €100,000. Or €110,00 with a dedicated stand. We’ll let that sink in. We’ll be sure to visit Focal’s stand in Las Vegas to get some close up shots of Utopia by Tournaire.

RHA

Audio company RHA has sent out media invites for its press conference in Vegas, but hasn’t disclosed any information about what will be unveiled. We suspect there will be new headphone models and possibly new DACs.

Sony

Sony hasn’t given away what we can expect in the way of headphones in January, but rest assured the Japanese company will be there in full force. We’ll be sure to bring you all the latest Sony headphone news as and when we hear it.

Soul Electronics

Soul Electronics has confirmed it will be at CES 2017, but has yet to reveal specific details about what to expect. However, the company has said it will be bringing a new range of wireless products including earphones, headphones and speakers.