One of the biggest trends at this year CES 2017 has been the explosion in popularity of true wireless earbuds. Now Monster, no stranger to catching audio trends as they’re on the way up, has teased two true wireless earphones powered by its all-new AirLink technology, alongside other new audio products.
In his usual jovial fashion, “Head Monster” Noel Lee told the crowd at today’s press conference that AirLink allows for completely wireless operation without the hassles that have plagued so many fully wireless earbuds up to now. AirLink uses a y-shaped antenna that Monster says helps keep connections solid, which can be a problem for other true wireless earbuds. The company will implement its new tech in two new models: One model updates the company’s iSport line, while the other will enhance its Elements line. The company did not bring prototypes to today’s conference, but plans on showing them off on the CES showroom floor.
The Elements headphones will only offer 2.5 hours of playback at a time, but the integrated charging case is said to allow for a total of 21 hours of music before you’ll need to plug it in to charge. Speakerphone functionality will allow you to take and make calls while on the go, with music playback automatically pausing and resuming. The Elements will be available in April for a retail price of $300.
Less information is available on the AirLink iSport, but Monster says the headphones are coming soon. As with the other iSport headphones the company sells, we’re expecting fitness-focused features, but exactly what those will be remains to be seen.
In addition, Monster also hinted at a new member of its Blaster boom box family, the over-the-top Blaster Battleship. This mammoth speaker uses a six-speaker configuration that the company says makes for nearly omnidirectional sound. Combine this with a claimed battery life of up to 25 hours, and it sounds pretty impressive, though again, the company didn’t have the speaker on display today.
“Monster packed all of our audio expertise and design acumen into the launch of our new Battleship, and we added an element of playfulness and fun that will make it a huge hit at any pool party,” Monster head Noel Lee said in a statement. “With Battleship at the head of our new Monster Blaster Bluetooth speaker fleet, we are truly redefining the concept of portable outdoor music.”
The Monster Blaster Battleship will retail for a whopping $600, but for the time being, no information on when it will be released is available, other than that it is coming soon.
