IFA 2011: TDK pledges to banish 'over-bassy' headphones with new Signature Sound models

It's a headphone-fest here at IFA. The latest company to launch a whole range of new designs is TDK, whose new headphones range from ultra-budget earbuds to a new premium on-ear model.

Let's start with that higher-end headphone: the TDK ST700 (left). It joins the previously released over-ear ST800, which pioneered TDK's use of its 'Signature Sound' in headphones.

TDK explains that this technology was "developed and mastered by our Audio Research Lab, to deliver pure, authentic sound with no artificial tuning. This provides the listener with the truest of sound clarity and does not “crank the bass,” resulting in a distorted experience."

Hmm, we can't think which rival headphones they're referencing there...

The new TDK ST700 headphones feature 40mm drivers, soft-touch earcups and a folding design. They come with both 3.5mm and 6.3mm adapters - plus a 0.79m extension cable - for portable and hi-fi use.

The TDK ST700 headphones will be avaialble in early October, priced £120.

Three more Signature Sound earphones

TDK has announced three further new Signature Sound models - all in-ear designs available next month: the BA200 (£170), BA100 (£130) and EB950 (£60).

The TDK BA200 earphones (pictured above) are a dual-armature design featuring variable cable lengths and a selection of ear-tip options - including Comply foam tips for a snugger fit.

The BA100 earphones are a simpler, balanced armature design, but also featuring the cable and Comply flexibility.

The EB950 earphones, meanwhile, are an Apple iPhone-friendly design - an upgrade to TDK's EB900 headphones. They include a special adapter to ensure they can be used with computers and other audio kit, as well as the iPhone itself.

Do you like to watch TV wearing headphones?

TDK's other new models are an ecletic mix aiming to appeal to a range of headphone users - including those that prefer a boosted bass to a neutral sound.

The ST550 (£33) and ST450 (£25) are around-ear headphones designed for a bass boost at home. The ST500 has both a standard 2m cable plus a 5m cable with in-line volume control for TV viewing. The ST450 has just the 5m cable with no in-line control.

Meanwhile things get more portable with the EB750 - a budget (£16.50) in-ear design that claims to offer 'mega bass boost', while the cheaper-still EB300 (£8 ) and EB100 (£6) in-ears are also bass-weighted.

Rounding out the new TDK headphone line-up is the NC150 noise-cancelling design (right), aimed at frequent flyers and others that suffer a lot of background racket.

Running on a single AAA battery, the NC150 headphones also feature swivel earcups and come with a range of accessories, including a dual-pronged airline adapter. They cost £40.

We hope to review several models from the new TDK headphone range when they become avaialble from next month.

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