You know the brand Monster, right? Well, aside from using the cables for better VHS copies back in the day, I really didn’t know much about the company. That is until my recent visit the Monster HQ in Brisbane, CA.
Inside Monster & Beyond the Monster Cables
Fortunately, the first subject that Greg Pedersen focused on was just that. He shared the original vision and humble beginning of Monster founder, Noel Lee. It was a crack-up to see photos of the makeshift stand (reminiscent of a lemonade stand) that once graced CES and Lee in his 70s band, Asian Wood. As an engineer and audiophile, Lee created Monster Cables in his garage and, to this day, he is known as the Head Monster. After securing distribution outlets, Lee positioned his company to venture into making other quality products.
The tour was brief as we quickly passed by the office cubicles and monster-named conference rooms. Of course, I had to take an obligatory photo with the cables that started it all.
Then it was off to check out some of the latest products.
Monster Headphones, Speakers, and More
There were a ton on display and for testing but these were ones I was most impressed with:
- Monster PowerCard – I never leave the house without some battery backup for my smartphone. The PowerCard is super thin and about the size of a credit card. That means you can keep it in your wallet but get enough power to keep you going for several more hours. Need a bit more juice? Get the PowerCard Turbo which can give your smartphone a full charge. I got one in Rose Gold 🙂
- Inspiration – This over-ear headphone is comfortable and looks sleek, especially when you pop on one of the many interchangeable headbands. I love that it folds up nicely, adjusts for larger-sized heads, and offers noise cancellation without that irritating buzz. There’s also the Inspiration Lite that is on-ear and is more lightweight since it doesn’t have the noice cancellation feature.
- N-Tune – Perfect for tweens and teens. These on-ear headphones have a flexible band and are built to survive your active little people. Comes in a variety of bright, fun colors.
- DNA – Bold style, comfortable fit, and folds for travel. The standard DNA headphones are on-ear but I preferred the over-ear DNA PRO 2.0. These headphones are perfectly shaped for all day wear and have super soft cushions. There’s also very little sound leakage and they block out surrounding noise pretty well.
- iSport – This new line is water resistant, sweatproof, and features anti-microbial materials. Now you can get your favorite music without worrying about ruining them while working out or playing your favorite sports. iSport Freedom are over-ear headphones while iSport Victory are earbuds that will even fit while using helmets, goggles, and glasses.
- SoundStage – Big sounds in a small package. This bluetooth speaker with built-in subwoofer will fill your living room or other space with music from your phone or that of your friends with a shared playlist.
We also got the chance to test out the new app from Monster. Based on the genre, sound is optimized for the best listening experience. I was kind of bummed that the in-house production was no longer here. That would have been pretty cool to see, especially since getting a peek at the behind-the-scene testing was already interesting.
Which item(s) are most appealing to you?
I was invited to tour the Monster facilities and learn about their new items. All opinions are my own.
3 comments
I need the iSport since it is my goal to make exercising a part of my daily life. 🙂
Those iSports do sound like a good buy. I need something better than what I have now.
What a cool experience! All of those different headphone designs and color schemes make me swoon!
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