Balanced Armature In-Ear Headphones Launched by Sony

Sony is again showing its skills on the PC accessory market releasing not just one or two, but eleven headphones, all of the in-ear variety and set to start shipping about two months from now.

The audio market definitely isn't getting neglected, the recent announcement on Sony's part makes this more than clear.

Sony actually made a bigger than usual push in this field, even as it restricted itself to a fairly compact segment of the full audio market.

Instead of releasing new speakers and headphones of all sorts, the company focused on the in-ear form factor.

The result was a set of 11 earphones, all part of the same Sony Balanced Armature series.

The main quality of these products is the Balanced Armature drivers themselves, which are located within a sealed housing (reduce ambient noise and sound leakage in and out of the ear alike).

The smallest and lightest of the lot is the XBA-NC85D, one that has digital noise canceling.

The 'common' ones are the XBA-1, XBA-2, XBA-3 and XBA-4, while the XBA-1iP, XBA-2 iP, XBA-3 iP and XBA-4 iP bring remote control to the equation (and hands-free talk).

The XBA-S65 is waterproof, meaning that it doesn't get damaged by sweat or getting washed, while the XBA-BT75 completes the 11-member set, featuring Bluetooth wireless connectivity as its own bonus.

"With audiophiles and music lovers in general continually in pursuit of greater sound quality, the Sony Balanced Armature headphones offers a new holistic auditory experience," said Mr. Yosuke Aoki, general manager, Personal Imaging & Sound Asia Pacific, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific.

"These new models will forever change the way one appreciates music by catering to their individual specific needs."

The company didn't exactly provide prices, but sales will commence in November of this year (2011), so this is not too surprising.