If you remember, Samsung acquired AKG and several other audio brands (like JBL and Harman Kardon) with its acquisition of Harmon in early 2017. Maybe the most obvious fruits of the deal were Samsung’s inclusion of AKG earbuds with its latest smartphones, but Samsung is continuing to leverage AKG’s renowned sound quality with three new AKG-branded wireless headphones. There’s the Y500 ($150) and the Y100 ($100), which are on-ear and in-ear wireless headphones, respectively, but the N700NC are the most interesting of the bunch. That’s because they’re active noise-canceling and at $350, they’re in the same bracket as the new Sony WH-1000XM3 and the Bose QC35 Series II. Yes, Samsung is playing with the big boys.
The N700NC have a couple notable features, including a 20-hour battery and “adaptive” noise-cancellation, which means you can adjust the amount the ambient noise you hear; you can go full-on noise-canceling to block out everything, or you can allow some outside sounds to get it, which is safer for commuters. They’re supposedly good for taking calls, too, with “world-class audio technology eliminates intrusive echoes” according to the company’s press release.
I can’t speak too much more on the N700NC because I don’t know how they fit and sound, but they look pretty neat and I’m interested in testing them out. The N700NC will be available sometime later this year, while the Y500 and Y100 wireless headphones are available now on Samsung.com and Amazon.com.
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