iLounge

BlueAnt Embrace Stereo Headphones

By Jeremy Horwitz

Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Category: Headphones & Earphones, Headphones and Earphones - iPhone Wired

Though BlueAnt is best known for its wireless audio products, the company has just released Embrace ($200), a leather and metal pair of headphones with two cables in the package -- one a traditional 3.5mm headphone plug with a 2.5mm adapter, and the other a custom version with a three-button remote control and microphone for Apple devices. Oddly, the three-button cable is bright blue, standing out a lot from the headphones and almost any Apple device you might use with it. Embrace features 40mm drivers inside of on-ear cups, sealed ear pads to help with passive noise isolation, and a carrying case. Updated August 12, 2011: We've been somewhat mystified by what would possibly justify a $200 price point for these headphones, and after several days of testing still can't quite figure it out. In addition to being somewhat uncomfortable for extended listening thanks to the pressure the ear cups placed on our ears, the Embrace unit we received for testing had a noticeably quieter right earpiece than the left one, and we weren't impressed by the overall sound from either one.