LAS VEGAS -- Have you ever worn noise-canceling headphones and wished they were, you know, not so noise-canceling?
That's the idea behind OnVocal Mix360, a pair of behind-the-neck headphones that let you adjust exactly what you hear.
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The headphones themselves are sound-isolating, passively blocking out most ambient noise. But the magic happens when you pair your Mix360 with the accompanying app (iOS and Android), which lets you adjust the levels of the three sounds you're experiencing: the music you're listening to, the ambient noise and your own voice.
You control all three inputs with sliders on the app. When you make an adjustment, the Mix360's three microphones go to work, bringing in the sounds you want to hear -- similar to Bose's noise-canceling earbuds.
You might want to go completely music-only for the duration of a subway ride, for example, but then turn up the ambient noise when you get to where you're going -- to avoid any unfortunate collisions.
Trying out the Mix360 at CES 2105, I came away impressed with how well it did its job. It did take a second for the adjustments to kick in -- but when they did, a noise-filled ballroom went from muffled to crystal clear. There is a bit of artificiality to the sound at first, but that sensation quickly goes away.
When you turn up your own voice, you're in for a surprise. The headphones render it in the way that others hear it, not you. "Do I really sound like that?" will likely be your first question.
The Bluetooth device is rated at 9 hours of battery life for music listening. The Mix360 will be available in May, but you might not like the sound of the price tag: $299.
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