droolicious : headphones

Big Deal: 20% Off iFrogz Tadpole Set With Headphones

Heather Kuldell — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:32:00 GMT

Au courant Apple addicts have long since moved onto the iPhone, but anyone with kids and an iPod Classic (or the old-school video iPod) should check out the iFrogz Tadpole set. The set includes child-size headphones and a silicone case with sturdy handles, and screen and wheel-protecters that help keep the iPod drop-resistant and fingerprint-free. A few years ago, the set would have cost you $34.99. Now, the set starts at $14.99, but for a limited time you can get an additional 20 percent off.

Tiger Headphones For Little Ears

Lisa Estall — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:28:00 GMT

If you have school age kids you might like these Tiger Headphones for times you just want peace and quiet. These can be used for storytime, at the library, on the computer...

or listening to ipods. It’s specifically designed for young students with safety as the first concern.

I guess these would be good for audiobooks too.

On sale for $14.75 at Kidsdesk.com

CES 2009: Metal Pedal Kick Drum Pedal For Rock Band And Guitar Hero

Chris Ford — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Did you get Rock Band for XBOX 360, Playstation 3 or Wii right when it came out? If you did, there's a good chance you've broken your drum pedal by now. That's why Nyko had made the Metal Pedal. And all puns are intended.

The Metal Pedal is made with a durable metal plate and has a splitter so you can attach two drum pedals for that hardcore double kick drum action. It works for Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band on all platforms and will be available later this month for $19.99.

CES 2009: Turtle Beach XLC Video Game Headphones For XBOX 360

Chris Ford — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Got a kid who loves his (or her) XBOX 360 but you'd rather not hear all the noise coming out of his (or her) room? The new XLC headphones from Turtle Beach might just be the solution you are looking for, and at a price you can afford.

The XLC headphones hook up to both the audio output of the television (headphone jack or RCA pass-through) and the XBOX 360 controller. That way the person playing the game can hear the communication with his friends online, as well as the audio from the game itself. I personally use a pair of the Turtle Beach wireless X4 headphones and I love them (and my wife loves not having to hear my video games even more).

These are wired headphones, but at a price point of $29.99 they are super affordable for a good pair of headphones (and some quiet around the house).

Turtle Beach XLC, $29.99 - available mid to late February 2009.

CES 2009: iHearSafe Headphones Limit The Volume For Kids

Chris Ford — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

If I was ranking the cool stuff for kids and parents I saw at CES (which I'm defintely not), then this would undoubtedly land in the top of the list. These headphones from iHearSafe are made for kids, and they won't let any audio pass that's higher than 85 decibels.

Each pair of headphones limit sound output through the hardware in the headphones themselves, so there's no softare or anything you have to do to the imput sources. So no matter how high your kid blasts his iPod, Nintedo DS, PSP or whatever, it will never get above 85 decibels. They come in standard headphones, earbuds and "gaming headphones" - which are really just ear clip type headphones. I got a pair for my daughter and we're going to check them out, and I'll write up a review here in Droolicious.

iHearSafe headphones cost $19.99 for the buds and the regular and gaming headphones are $24.99 from iHearSafe.com.

Kidz Gear Headphones Have Grown-Up Sound and Feel

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

No, they won't turn your kid into a Terminator-style split-faced robot, but Kidz Gear headphones will be a quality alternative to the generally cheap, tinny earphones and earbuds that come bundled with so many kids' audio players.

Unlike a lot of headphones aimed at little ones, Kidz Gear's set shrinks to accommodate the extra-small noggins of kids as young as 2. If your kids blow the curve on head size, the headband also expands to fit larger craniums comfortably -- although if your definition of "blow the curve" is "Junior's head dwarfs mine," you'll probably want to graduate to a standard set of adult-sized headphones.

The sound quality also surpasses the tinny, bass-negligible sound of so many kids' headphones, and the cozy cushioned earpieces surround your kids with the rich, warm (or shrill, annoying) tones of whatever they're listening to or watching. Of course this means you'll also want to watch the volume on said program or music -- but that should go without saying.

$19.99 from Kidz Gear.

Baby's First MP3 Player

Chris Ford — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:01:00 GMT

There are a lot of crazy baby products out there, and this one is, well, borderline. If you don't want to subject your iPod to your toddler (but you still think it might be fun to get an MP3 player for your one year old) then you should probably check out the SweatPea3 MP3 player.

The SweetPea3 MP3 player is made of FDA food-grade rubber, has three buttons for kids to use to control it as well as a secret button so parents can set all the specifications (most importantly volume). It's got 1GB of memory, a headphone jack (for the kids when they get older) and room for three programmable playlists.

SweetPea3 MP3 Player, $59.99 from ThinkGeek.com

Ultimate Ears Loud Enough Volume-Limiting Earphones for Kids

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:04:00 GMT

Compact enough that they won't slip out of small noggins, Ultimate Ears Loud Enough earphones are designed to limit outside noise while also quieting that Naked Brothers Band CD by up to 40 percent without a noticeable loss in volume. In other words, the outside world will stay quiet enough that your kids won't feel the need to drown it out, and you can stave off tinnitus for a few years more -- at least until the kids start going to concerts in person.

$34.99 (regularly $39.99) from Amazon.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Ritmo Prenatal Audio Belt

Chris Ford — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:27:00 GMT

This one is way outside the "normal" baby products at ABC, but that's what makes it fun. The quickest way I can describe it is the Ritmo are headphones for your baby, while your baby is still in utero.

The RItmo is a belt with four small speakers (that pop out for easy belt cleaning) that you put around your pregnant belly. The speakers are placed in the four places your baby (in theory) should be. There's also a small amplifier that you plug your iPod or other personal music device into. Then the music you're listening to can be the same music your baby is listening to. I've seen other "womb sound" music devices before, but never one so elaborate.

The Ritmo should be available January of 2009 and will cost around $99. Check it out at nuvo-group.com.