Monster® Butterfly™ by Vivienne Tam with ControlTalk™ - "fashion, music and tech"!

[shigzeo]

Great quote at the end by Tam, "fashion, music, and technology are triple happiness."

Sure, Monster's new Monster Turbine Gold earphones, and their analogue, the Copper Edition, sound great. But, when it comes to earphones, and if dice and rubber ducky designs are any measuring gauge, fashion is creeping into on-the-go listening. Good thing too since a lot of great-sounding earphones are ugly as hell.

Anyway, Vivienne Tam has worked with Monster to design the Butterfly™, a phone compatible earphone/headset for on the go fun, talkie, and music. I like the design, but my wife and the 4 other ladies I've showed it to, like it. In fact, this may be an interesting way for headphone companies to go: sound ain't all about males. Sure, the butterfly design won't appeal to all females - it may even appeal to males - but it is an effort to bring sound and style out of the cheap plastic realm where they are stuck now.

Press Information
"Fashion and music together gives you a different journey, different world and experience of life. Music gives my designs movement and rhythm. I dance with my designs. ."
–Double happiness, Vivienne Tam

High Fashion Meets High Technology
Butterfly is a unique collaboration between Monster, a leader in consumer electronics, and renown Fashion Designer, Vivienne Tam. In stunning champagne gold and solid metal housing, Tam’s butterfly adorns the headphones reflecting her aesthetic for exotic imagery. Monster’s exclusive technologies deliver crisp, clean, refined sound so you hear all the intricate nuances of your favorite music. Butterfly, a headphone that sounds as extraordinary and beautiful as they look.

Comfortable Multiple Sized Eartips for Customized Fit
Monster knows everyone’s ears aren’t the same size and shape. Comfortable multiple-sized eartips are included for a fit and feel that’s right for you.

ControlTalk: The Ultimate in iPod/iPhone Playback Control and iPhone/music phone Hands-Free Calling
*
With the built-in ControlTalk remote on the Butterfly headphone cable, you get on-cable control of your music, as well as easy, high quality hands-free calling. You'll enjoy quick-access to music playback control, like volume, play/pause and tracking, without having to dig for your iPod. Plus, the high-grade mic and sound-isolating headphones combine to let you hear and be heard much more clearly—and conveniently—than you ever could with the phone to your ear.

No More Wire Fussing with Monster’s Cable Management System
Wires have a tendency to jumble-up. Monster’s innovative cable clip keeps-it out of your way, reducingaccidental pulling of the headphones and keeps the cable weight off the headphones so they stay snug and in your ear. The additional cable slider reduces tangles and eliminates sway and bounce while in use.

*Remote and mic supported by iPod® Nano (4th/5th gen), Classic (120GB), Touch (2nd gen), iPhone™ 3GS and newer, but not all Blackberry.™ Remote supported by iPod Shuffle (3rd gen). Requires software v. 1.0.3 for iPod Nano (4th gen), 2.0.1 for Classic (120GB), and 2.2 or later for Touch (2nd gen). Support for Blackberry varies by model. Subject to change. Find complete music phone compatibility: ControlTalk Compatibility for MP3 Players/iPhones

Check out more at Monster

[shigzeo]

To tell you the truth, I am actually digging this idea by Monster and Tam: to incorporate fashion and headphones, something really lacking. Just imagine the number of cute fairer sexes with butterflies in their ears - cuteness and fashion and music... great idea.

No idea what the drivers are based on or how the earphone is made, but I assume Monster won't be stepping backward with the rather feeble construction of the original Turbine, but who knows.

[NineSwords]

I guess apple did pave the way for this fashion trend with their nanos. I know people who have nanos in different colors to match the clothes. I wouldn't wonder if we see something like that from a headphone company. Maybe Monster brings an entire set designed by different fashion designern. I'd take the Kenzo set.