Headsets, headphones and microphones maker Sennheiser has reportedly teamed up with sporting goods maker Adidas to release a new line of sports headphones.

Dubbed the “Sports” line, the new headphones are water and sweat-resistant and are designed to be secure yet comfortable during sports activity. They reportedly feature high-output audio drivers for excellent sound quality in noisy environments -- plus they have Dupont Kevlar-reinforced cables to withstand extreme wear and tear.

According to Sennheiser the fiber reinforced cables can withstand temperatures as low as -10 degrees F. Although the main cable is short, to avoid tangling, Sennheiser offers a cable extender with in-line volume control that makes it easy for a user to adjust the volume while jogging or participating in other sports activities.

In addition the headphones are practically water proof: They can be brought out in the pouring rain safely – plus the user can simply rinse them off under the tap in the event they get sweaty or dirty.

The four new models include the CX 680 Sports ear-canal headphones; the MX 680 Sports earbud-style headphones, the OMX 680 Sports clip-on over-ear style headphones; and the PMX 680 Sports neckband-type headphones. All are designed to fit snuggly, so they can’t fall off during activity, but at the same time they are comfortable and can be worn of long periods.

This is a great combination as Adidas is one of the best known sports apparel manufacturers and Sennheiser is one of the best known makers of high quality headsets for people “on-the-go.” The new line of headsets is available through authorized Sennheiser dealers and Adidas Sport Performance stores.

“When you're listening to music while jogging or working out, you want your headphones to provide an energetic sound,” said Sven Wilhelmsen, product manager at Sennheiser, in a release. “At the same time you expect them to meet the extreme demands of sports applications without compromises. Precisely these expectations are fulfilled by the new range of Sennheiser/Adidas sports headphones.'

'The models of the new sport line enable sports enthusiasts to concentrate entirely on their training,” added Franz Brunnberg, head of licensee management and marketing cooperations at Adidas. “The ear pieces fit securely and comfortably in the ears and offer fantastic sound.”

The new headset models were introduced during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES (News - Alert)) held this past week in Las Vegas. In fact one of the models, the CX 680, won the prestigious CES Innovations Award.

'We are delighted to have been presented with this award by the Consumer Electronics Association (News - Alert) and are extremely proud that the CX 680 has been able to celebrate such a successful debut in Las Vegas,' said Susanne Seidel, president of global marketing at Sennheiser, in a release. “The Innovations Design and Engineering Awards are presented once a year to recognize the most innovative consumer electronics products. A jury made up of engineers and trade journalists chose the sports headphones on the basis of their development, design, function and user-friendliness. The award for the CX 680 is one of six presented by the jury to Sennheiser products this year.”

Sennheiser, which sponsors the Contact Center Headsets channel and Headsets community on TMCnet, made news last month when it announced that it is reorganizing its sales and marketing organization across its three primary business segments -- retail, professional audio and systems integration. As per the reorganization, the company’s new Retail Group will focus on consumer electronics, music retail, audiology and telecommunication; its Professional Audio Group will focus on professional live sound, broadcast, theatre and studio business; and its Systems Integration Group will focus on serving integrators and fixed sound applications in education, government, houses of worship and corporate environments.

 

The reorganization, which went into effect Jan. 1, also brought about some management changes.