Walking through the many aisles and booths at International CES 2012 left me with one major feeling; headphone fashion and celebrity attachments to certain brands have become as important as sound quality, maybe even more important.

Now, since CES is probably one of the worst places to properly evaluate how a pair of headphones sound, style and branding becomes even more important for certain vendors when it comes to attracting attention from the passers-by.

As one of many, many passers-by at the show, I too was looking out for style and branding. I also wanted to check out the unique designs, cool colour schemes, and which celebs slapped their seal of approval on a product they claim to have influenced, and in some cases, actually have influenced. Here is what I saw.

50 Cent in Da Headphone Club

Perhaps the most-hyped headphone vendor this year was SMS Audio. Award-winning rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is the company's Owner, CEO and face. In its booth within the CES South Hall, SMS Audio generated a strong amount of buzz and foot traffic, especially during the daily appearances by Jackson.

"50 is not an endorser. This is a passion project for him," says Jason A. Hardi, Technology and Product Development, SMS Audio. "50 is the CEO and owner of this business. He really cares (because) music is his passion."

The wireless Sync by 50 over-the-ear headphones use Kleer wireless technology to send music from a wireless transmitter that connects to the 3.5mm headphone output on an audio source. It has specified range of 50', and can sync up to four users from one source. Additionally, Sync has memory-foam-cushioned headphones, 40mm drivers, on-board bass boost, volume control and mute. It uses passive isolation to block out noise. This model comes in black and white, and has a battery life of up to 17 hours. MSRP is US$399.95.

There is also the wired Street by 50 line, which has many of the same features as the Sync, aside from, of course, the wireless capabilities. The standard Street line comes in black and blue, and is made out of ultra-flexible polymer material. At CES, the company also unveiled the Street Metallic line, which features the same headphones in an array of different, flashier colours. MSRP is US$299.95.

Lastly, SMS Audio is pushing the DJ Street earbuds, which are ergonomically designed, have 11mm drivers, an Apple control mic with volume control, reinforced cables, as well as gold-plated connectors. This model comes in black and white and has an MSRP of US$129.95.

"Obviously, the headphones are 50's style," says Hardi. "50 was fully involved in the design of the products, and the acoustics. He was completely hands-on. It was important to him to have a product be exactly the way he wanted it."

Monster Makes its Move

Another company that made a big splash in the headphone pool at CES was Monster. At its heavily attended press conference on media day, the company unveiled a whole host of listening options.

Monster introduced lots of new audio accessories at CES including the Diamond Tears - Edge headphones. Available this April for $279.

The company recently joined forces with Nick Cannon's NCredible Entertainment to develop the NCredible line of lifestyle-based products, which include the NTune on-ear headphones ($159), and the Nergy In-Ear headphones ($69), both of which will ship to Canada in the third week of April.

The NTune model headphones are said to be "precision tuned" to reproduce the subtle nuances of all types of music, and feature a sleek red, grey and black design, along with cushiony, but not overly sized phones for around the ears. This model also has tangle-free cables, and a low-profile right-angle connector for added comfort and flexibility.

Meanwhile, the Nergy in-ear headphones possess newly developed drivers that can amplify large sound through the tiny buds. Additionally, these same buds can attach to each other magnetically, so that users can snap them together and wear them like a necklace, instead of cramming the buds into a pocket.
Nick Cannon, who recently was in hospital with kidney issues, did not appear at the Monster press conference, but checked in via Skype to share his enthusiasm about the NCredible line.

Earth, Wind & Fire's Verdine White made an appearance at the press event to discuss the arrival of the Gratitude in-ear headphones that the company, and band, have spent the better part of a year developing.

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