In other words, Beats Solo provides users looking to tap into Dr. Dre’s formidable experience in quality sound a third option that fits neatly between the Studio Beats and the in-ear Tour Beats product. It also features ControlTalk functionality for on-cable control of your music and phone calls. It’s still not cheap by any means, but it seems to me that Beats Solo might be the porridge that’s just right as far as high quality headphones are concerned. [BusinessWire via DVICE]

Being Monsters, you know they’re gonna cost a ton. Four feet of “high speed” SuperThin cable has a suggested price of $US90, going up to $US100 for 8 feet, and $US120 for 16 feet. Standard speed cables start at $US80 for 1 meter, $US90 for 2 meters, $US100 for 4 meters and $US120 for 5 meters. I’ll leave the judgments to you guys in the comments.

Monster Introduces Breakthrough “SuperThin Cable™ for HDMI™”
— Developed in Collaboration with RedMere, New Powered SuperThin Cables for HDMI Are
Ideal for Elegant Flat-Panel TV Installations and Use with Mobile HD Devices —

New York, NY, June 10, 2009 – Monster, the world’s leading manufacturer of cables,
AV accessories, and power conditioning products, today announced the introduction of
a new line of “Powered” SuperThin Cables™ for HDMI™ Cables specifically designed
for use with a wide variety of electronics devices, ranging from today’s super-slim flat-
panel TVs to digital video cameras, home theatre systems, gaming systems or portable
computers. The new Monster SuperThin Cables for HDMI are the first fruits of a
recently announced collaboration with RedMere, a leader in advanced silicon chip
development. Monster Super Thin Cable for HDMI products will be available in 4-, 8-,
and 16-foot versions in the DigitalLife line of products (DL HDMI HSMI-4, DL HDMI
HSMI-8, DL HDMI HSMI-16).Monster’s Core line of cables for HDMI will also offer a
SuperThin cable design in 1, 2, 4 and 5 meter lengths.

HD Signals Are Boosted in the Cable Itself
With the introduction of SuperThin Cable for HDMI, Monster is continuing to follow
through on its commitment to provide consumers with a comprehensive range of high-
quality, reliable connectivity solutions for every need and budget. The key innovation
that made the creation of Monster SuperThin Cables for HDMI possible is the
RedMere™ MagnifEye™ Active technology. Requiring no external power supply the
technology enables industry-leading data speeds and ultimate-quality performance by
boosting the HD signals directly in the SuperThin cable itself. This eliminates the need
for heavy-gauge copper, making the cables extremely light, thin and portable.
SuperThin cables measure just 3.5 mm in diameter, approximately 65% thinner than
normal HDMI cables.

Noted Noel Lee, the Head Monster: “Monster built our reputation on thick, heavy
gauge high-quality cables with unequalled performance capabilities. Now, thanks to
our alliance with RedMere and the leading-edge MagnifEye Active technology, we’re
able to provide our customers with the same level of Monster quality and reliability in
a brand new type of ‘magically thin’ cable. The difference is immediately apparent –
SuperThin cables are much smaller and lighter, matching the sleek appearance of
the consumer electronics products they connect. Whether you want a totally clean-
looking virtually invisible installation option for your HDTV or you just want a much
better and more convenient way to access HD content while on-the-go, there’s never
been anything like our new super-thin cables.”

Digital Life™ SuperThin High Speed Powered Cable for HDMI (SRP) 4ft. $US89.95, 8ft.
$US99.95 and 16ft $US119.95

Digital Life SuperThin High Speed Powered Cable for camcorder; Mini HDMI to HDMI
8ft (SRP) $US99.95

Monster’s Core Line of SuperThin Powered Cables for HDMI 1m $US79.95, 2m $US89.95 4m
$US99.95, 5m $US119.95.

“Super-Slim TVs Need Monster SuperThin Cables”
Monster’s new SuperThin cables for HDMI are poised to usher in a new era of
convenience and elegance in high-performance cable management, both at home and
on-the-go. Featuring a built-in LED indicator that instantly lets users know they are
active, the virtually invisible cables are ideal for use in aesthetically designed home
theater installations utilizing flat-panel TVs. Consumers can literally hide the cables
away in plain sight, as well as fit them into any tight corners for a new level of
installation flexibility. Additionally, the compact and lightweight cables, which include
handy cable ties, are ideal for taking on the road with camcorders or other mobile digital
devices. Their easy portability provides users with a fast and convenient way to connect
camcorders or other digital devices to notebook computers or other display. For total
reliability and performance, the new cables feature corrosion-resistant 24k gold
contacts.

[Monster]

Incidentally, the rep claimed all of Shure’s buds would fit on the Turbines perfectly, in case you hate the pack Monster provides. But I don’t think you will—they fit pretty nicely, and I have picky, small earholes that I apparently need to clean, since the buds pretty slimy when I plucked them out.

I suspected they added another driver to round out the sound—and the $US250 pricetag, $US100 more than the regular Turbines would support that—but apparently it’s still a single dynamic driver, just made with a different designed and different materials. I’m interested to see how they stack up in a more comprehensive review scenario than my quick listen against similarly priced multi-driver buds. They’ll be out next month. [Monster]

Monster Cable, purveyors of grossly overpriced products, feel your pain during these tough financial times. That’s why they are reducing their ridiculous prices to slightly less ridiculous prices during the recession.

Now, founder and “Head Monster” Noel Lee is cutting prices on top-of-the-line cables for high-definition TVs, effective in June. An 8-foot HDMI cable that currently sells for $US129.95 at Best Buy will be priced at $US99.

On Monday, the company also lopped $US10 off the price of its most basic—but rarely stocked—HDMI TV cable, to $US29 for a 1-metre length. And it introduced two new lower-cost HDMI cables in 2-metre and 4-metre lengths for $US39.95 and $US59.95. Competitors’ cables of similar length can be found online for as low as $US5.

This just makes me laugh. As we pointed out in our “Truth About Monster Cable” series, buying high end cable is usually unnecessary. But hey, if people want to waste money on “the best” I can hardly blame Monster for selling it to them. As Noel Lee pointed out to USA Today: “It’s ironic, when people buy Monster, they don’t expect to pay (a) low price, so our lower-end cables don’t sell very well.” That’s probably true—the people who buy these things might view the price as an exclusive barrier to entry, and therefore part of the allure. It will be interesting to see if this price tactic actually improves sales. [USA Today]

Their recent suit of Monster Mini Golf caused loads of backlash onto the company, making the founder Noel Lee declare that they were going to change the way they do business. And by that, apparently he means NOT change the way they do business, because they’re suing a fucking TRANSMISSION COMPANY. [Audioholics via Engadget]

We love Colorware and their penchant for coating our favourite gadgets in a scratch-resistant quality finish, but to double the price? Colorware has never done that.

Gearlive finds that these limited edition cans will only be sold at the Herman Miller boutique store in LA, where these are pitched as not just a pair of headphones, but a fashion accessory. Only twenty pairs of these white Dr. Dre Beats will be made, which accounts for quite a large chunk of that price tag. Head over to Gearlive to see how they look. [Gearlive]

The headphones in question are the Dr. Dre Beats headphones, a nice pair of over-the-ear cans with noise cancellation and a mobile phone mic built in.

Now, Monster and some guy names Ron Herman are offering up white versions of the Beats in a limited edition run. The price for the new paintjob is $US699. That is the only difference between the two sets of headphones: the colour.

Seriously Monster, I know you like money, but good lord, at least try to disguise your unquenchable greed a little bit. [CrunchGear]

The most notable feature in its checklist of features is the tangle free cable design, which looks to us like a sort of flat-cable. Other cool details are the gold contacts, the heavier low-end (same as its larger brother) and a “sound-isolating eartip”. The spec page doesn’t list anything about an on-board Microphone, like the earlier version, so we’re not sure if you can take calls on this. We’d guess not. [Apple Store via Crunchgear]

The Monster Beats ‘phones from Doc Dre
Can be picked up in stores from today
For 600 bucks
They’ll quieten trucks
So pick up a pair, don’t delay

Terrible, I know. But trust me – the rap would have been MUCH worse.

[ehifi]