Pioneer's new Rayz headphones charge your iPhone while you listen

Pioneer has announced a new set of headphones that charge your iPhone while you listen.

Called the Rayz and Rayz Plus, both headphones connect to your iOS device using the Lightning connection. Only the Rayz Plus models charge your phone while in use.

This is thanks to their in-line charging node. There's no word on how much more battery life they'll give your phone, but hopefully it should mean an end to dead batteries.

Both models have smart noise cancellation, a patented feature that scans your ear and optimises the degree of noise cancellation depending on your ear shape and your environment. It's claimed this cancels out all kinds of noise like the daily commute, and busy work and home environments.

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But the HearThrua mode lets in just enough noise to hear what's going on without taking your headphones off. It sounds like a delicate balancing act, one we'll weigh up once we get hold of a pair to test.

Like Apple's AirPods, they know when they've been taken out of your ears and pause your music. Pop them back in and they'll restart it. If you don't put them back on, they enter a smart power mode so the battery doesn't run down because of your forgetfulness.

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You can take calls with them, too. And there's a companion app that lets you tweak the EQ and program which function you'd like the in-line remote's smart button to perform.

If you want to get your hands on them, the Rayz Plus costs £150 from Apple's storefront. Unfortunately, the $99.95 (£80) Rayz doesn't have a place in the UK yet - although there's always the option to import.

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Joe Svetlik

Joe has been writing about tech for 17 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.