Sennheiser upgrades your iPhone buds - work with MacBook too

Our traditional advice on opening an MP3 player is to file the bundled buds in the bin and grab a set of decent 'phones from the likes of Sennheiser or Shure. Now Sennheiser's sprinkled its audiophile magic on the humble iPhone headset - simultaneously creating the first 3rd party Mac headset that doesn't rely on a USB adaptor for its track skipping / call controlling / voice recording needs.

It's the same MM 50 iP black set that's already available. Now dipped in Tipp-Ex it's emerged in an iPhone friendly white guise with added support for MacBooks (the 13in unibody MacBook and newer 15 and 17in Pros), 4G iPod nanos, 120GB iPod classics and the 2G iPod touch. 

On the iPhone the single button in-line controller will take charge of your tunes and ending and answering calls. On the MacBook, it'll skip through iTunes and act as a mic for voice recording or podcasting. Similarly it'll work on iPods as a voice recorder and track controller.

Sennheiser boasts that the sets will, as usual, outperform the bundled Apple buds. Their "very high efficiency" also promises to boost battery lives, while the isolated ear plug design reduces audio leakage, satisfying fellow commuters and allowing you to listen at lower volumes.

They should set you back around £600 (whoops, slip of the zero there - make that £60) or less. Have a peek at the press release below for more.

Press release:

- Comms & Music headset for Apple MacBooks
- Quality Music & Talk for iPhone
- Quality Music & Audio Notes for iPod

Sennheiser Communications MM 50 iP - £60 or less

Stereo Music & Talk Headset for iPhone, iPod and MacBooks

- White model available now at Apple Stores
- Black available everywhere
- NEW available in white version
  for users who want to stay true to Apple white
- Currently a best-seller as MM 50 iP BLACK
- NEW Comms & Music for Apple MacBooks
- NO USB adapter required

The MM 50 iPhone now works brilliantly as a music, podcasting VoIP, Skype & iChat headset on the latest 2008/9 MacBooks

The function control will control track selection / pause etc in iTunes (Aluminium 13, Pro 15 & 17 Late 2008 / 2009)

- NEW Music & Record for iPod

Audio Note recording and music control on iPod nano (4th generation) iPod classic (120 GB) iPod touch (2nd generation) - latest software only

The affordable quality music headset for the iPhone

Upgrade music quality, take and make calls
- Tailor-made for the iPhone
- Major quality upgrade to the supplied Apple headset
- Tiny & ultra-light
- Very high efficiency to prolong battery life
- Superb for music
- Excellent microphone quality for cellular telephony
- Design keeps the music in and the noise out

New for MacBook & iPod
- Ideal for Skype, iChat, VoIP etc & Music on MacBook
- Great for Audio-Notes and Music on iPods
- Use for Truphone, Fring and other VoIP service on iPod Touch
- in-ear capsules from Sennheiser £40 CX 300 earphones
- quality microphone from the professional mic maker
- one button for calls and music track control
- simple clean styling and high-quality materials
- sensible pricing

The MM 50 iP is a Stereo Music Headset for the Apple iPhone that adds communication capability to top of the class sound and is a major quality upgrade to the supplied Apple headset.

Very high efficiency helps prolong battery  life, especially important on the iPhone

The MM 50 iP employs an advanced, miniaturised driver, tailored by Sennheiser for smooth, acoustically correct in-ear operation; this provides the MM 50 with an extended response (18 Hz- 22 kHz) for satisfying musical detail and impressive yet well-defined bass.
- Supplied with three different sizes of ear adapters for a perfect fit
- High isolation against environmental and ambient noise
- Good bass response, excellent clarity, smooth treble
- Natural sound reproduction and strong dynamics
- Integrated in-line microphone with convenient answer/end button
- Button also controls iPhone music pause/skip etc
- Asymmetrical cable for optimum wearing comfort
- 3.5 mm mini jack, 4-pole
- 3 ear sleeves (small, medium, large)
- Extremely small and lightweight
- 2-year warranty

Keep the music in and the noise out

Unlike Apple's headset which leaks noise, the MM 50s are built like earplugs, to reduce background noise, allowing the user to listen at lower volumes. Due to the earplug effect, very little sound leaks out, so other people are not irritated.

--

Headphones
Frequency response 18 – 22,000 Hz
Impedance 16 Ω
Sound pressure level 106 dB
Microphone
Frequency response 80 – 15,000 Hz
Pick-up pattern Omni-directional
Colour Black with chrome highlight
Ear coupling In-the-ear
Cable length (asymmetric) 1.0-1.3 m / 3.3-4.3 ft
Connector plugs 3.5mm 4 pole jack plug

Originally published on www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk, now incorporated into Broadband Genie
© Dennis Publishing

 

 

 

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