iCans are new iPod headphones built to protect hearing
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Oct 21, 2005 at 3:00am
Ultrasone, a company that makes headphones, has announced a new iPod compatible set of earphones dubbed the iCans that are designed to prevent ear damage and potential hearing loss. They cost US$129 and will ship next month.
Researchers fear the growing popularity of portable music players and other items that attach directly to the ears—including cell phones—is contributing to hearing loss in younger people.
“It’s a different level of use than we’ve seen in the past,” says Robert Novak, director of clinical education in audiology at Purdue University in Indiana in a rediff.com article. “It’s becoming more of a full-day listening experience, as opposed to just when you’re jogging.”
He adds that he’s seeing too many young people with “older ears on younger bodies” —a trend that’s been building since the portable Walkman made its debut a few decades back. What Ultrasone decided to do was create a pair of headphones that gave listeners a much cleaner signal with low levels of distortion that help to protect peoples ears.
The Ultrasone earphones use S-Logic, a surround sound design that allows you to listen to a level about 40 percent lower than normal, which protects your hearing. Due to the S-LogicT Natural Surround Sound System—which “sends music around your head not just into it”—you perceive the same volume at significantly lower sound pressure (3-4dB). As a result hearing strain decreases, ensuring hours of fatigue-free listening and can significantly reduce the risk of hearing damage, according to the folks at Ultrasone.
The iCans are foldable, semi-open, supra aural headphones that have been specially designed for iPods, MP3 players and other portable sound devices. They have a frequency range of 20-20.000Hz, an impedance of 35 Ohm, sound pressure level of 101 dB and weight 82 grams. The iCans also implement ULE technology. ULE stands for Ultra Low End emission and, according to the folks at Ultrasone, cuts electro-magnetic emissions produced by most headphonese. On the basis of the ULE technology, the iCans uses a MU metal bufferboard that shields the aforementioned radiation.
Due to the folding mechanism, you can fold the iCans headphones to store them in the accompanying box. Look for an upcoming Macsimum review.
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
