As the year comes to a close and CES looms ahead, it seems that even after all the products LG has announced it will show at CES — from TVs to home audio, laptops to webOS — it isn’t finished yet. The company has announced that along with everything else at the show, it will be showing off an updated version of its Tone Infinim Bluetooth headset.
The Tone Infinim HBS-910 is a follow-up to the company’s popular HBS-900 headset. Unlike many Bluetooth in-ear headphones, which need to be super-light since they’re only supported by your ears, the Tone line uses an around-the-neck design that sees the controls packed into the base unit, with the actual ear buds attached to a retractable cable.
This design isn’t for everyone, but it offers one major advantage: significantly improved battery life. The Tone Infinim HBS-900 offered up to 14 hours of playback, while many more traditional in-ear Bluetooth headphones offer six to eight hours at best.
“The original Tone Infinim set a new standard for wireless headset design,” LG’s Chung Sue-hyun said in the press release announcing the updated headset. “We delivered an audio solution that offered days of battery life, a comfortable fit that didn’t fall off the neck when unused, and most importantly, fantastic sound. It’s no wonder the LG Tone Infinim series is the most copied design in this product category.”
The key features of the older HBS-900, like the retractable cables and Harmon/Kardon-powered audio, are still here, but LG has added new features including dual noise-cancelling microphones for better call quality. The Quad-Layer Speaker Technology used in the headset has also been upgraded, with LG saying the HBS-910 features richer bass and crisper highs.
The headset will go on sale in the U.S. in February, with availability in Asia and Europe to follow later on. The HBS-910 will be on display at LG’s booth at CES from January 6 to 9.