Samsung’s latest wireless headphones tout beyond-CD quality

Wireless headphones and flawless audio quality don’t usually mix (you’re usually compressing the sound signal to send it over the air), but Samsung thinks it can give this blend a shot.

Its newly introduced Level On Wireless Pro headphones include “Ultra High Quality Audio” that supposedly delivers higher-than-CD fidelity whether or not you’re plugged in.

 

That seems promising on the surface, but you may have a hard time hearing the difference unless you’re a music producer or otherwise meet some specific conditions.

You’ll need a device that supports UHQA (such as the Galaxy Note 5 orGalaxy S6 Edge+), and you’ll need to shop at a service like Pono’s to get the right source material.

These might sound no better than other headphones in typical conditions, even if you listen to lossless music from the likes of Tidal — that’s merely matching CD quality, not exceeding it.

Otherwise, you’re looking at much of the same experience that you’d get with the garden variety Level On Wireless. That means active noise cancelling, touch-sensitive controls and a “prestigious” design with extra-comfortable cushions — the only sacrifice is a dip in battery life from 11 hours to 10 when you’re using both Bluetooth and noise reduction.

Samsung hasn’t said when the Pro model ships or how much it’ll cost, but it’s likely to carry a premium over the $250 of the regular cord-free version.

(engadget.com)