The Japanese brand KM5 announces the release of its first headphones, the HP1. While the technologies used to design these headphones are certainly modern, their design clearly appeals to those nostalgic for the 80s and the heyday of Sony's Walkman.
The younger among us didn't experience the strange era of Walkman and Discman, those portable devices used to play cassettes and audio CDs. It was the 80s, with Goldorak, ghetto blasters, orange drum stools, Iron Maiden T-shirts, Amstrad computers, 5.5-inch floppy disks... Although Walkman and Discman are both trademarks of Sony, they have entered everyday language. And we called all competing products that...
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These Walkmans and Discmans came with fairly rudimentary headphones compared to what we have today. The headbands were simple metal rods. The earpads were thin and tore quickly. Noise isolation was nonexistent. Comfort wasn't great. And let's not even talk about the audio quality.
These headphones look vintage but aren't
But since fashion is always cyclical, even in tech products, it was almost a given that a brand would relaunch these "vintage" over-ear headphones. This is now a done deal thanks to KM5, which is responsible for the Bluetooth-compatible Discman. The Japanese brand has announced the start of marketing an over-ear headset called the HP1 that has a strong 80s feel.
Be careful though, the HP1 may adopt the vintage design of old headphones, but it integrates many modern functions and technologies. First of all, these headphones are TWS: they are wireless and each side is controlled in the same way as Apple AirPods. It is Bluetooth 5.4 compatible. Each earbud incorporates a 120 mAh battery offering up to 24 hours of battery life. Charging takes 3 hours thanks to a very special USB-C port with dual output. No HD audio codecs here: only the AAC and SBC standards.
An alternative to large headphones and small earphones
On the audio side, each earbud integrates a 40 mm transducer with a frequency range of 20 Hz to 25 kHz. You'll also find two microphones in each earpiece for audio conversations, if you connect the headset to a smartphone. They're paired with software that isolates the user's voice and reduces ambient noise during calls. The headband is made of stainless steel. The ear cushions are not foam, but fabric. And two pairs of different colors are included in the box.
These neo-retro headphones aim to combine yesterday's style with today's technology. With its featherweight (103 grams) and gargantuan battery life, the HP1 aims to be an alternative not only to over-ear headphones like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but also to TWS earphones, whether in-ear models like Sony's XM5 or open models like Huawei's FreeClip. The price: 190 euros.
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