Burton Headphone Beanie

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

December 13, 2004

Product Requirements:
Any audio device with a 3.5mm mini jack

Now that winter is officially here, digital music lovers might be looking for a way to keep warm while enjoying their tunes outside. With that goal in mind, let's take a look at the Burton Headphone Beanie, a convergent device that takes an item of winter clothing and integrates it with a set of speakers.

   
From left to right: full side view, front and back

This snuggly ear-flapped beanie is available in sea kelp (beige), true black and stealth gray. It is composed of 50% wool, 33% mohair and 17% nylon, and is stretchy enough that one size will fit all. A band of polar fleece rings the bottom and front, and completely covers the ear area for extra warmth.

 Even without the added electronics, I would think this was a cute winter topper, but the addition of speakers in the earflaps makes it something special.

Each polar fleece earflap compartment uses three small tabs of Velcro to contain the Burton branded speaker.

According to the beanie's packaging, these are 40mm Mylar speaker with a frequency response of 20-20K Hz. Their impedance is 32 ohm and their max power input is 120mW. A 26" long Y-shaped cable dangles from each ear of the beanie, ending with a 3.5mm mini-jack. Depending on what type of digital music player you have, and whether or not it has it's own remote, this plug can be directly inserted into the remote, effectively becoming the headset for the player.

 
From left to right: Plugged into my digital music player's remote,  plugged into the included volume slider

If your digital music player does not have a remote, then there is an additional 31" cable which has a volume control slider built-in. The slider goes from MIN to MAX, allowing you to adjust the players volume while it is kept in a pocket.

Sound through the Burton Headphone Beanie is surprisingly awesome! There is a definite difference between the sound you get from earbuds and in-ear headsets versus an around-ear headset or actual speakers sitting on top of your ears. Volume levels would be excellent in any type of noisy environment and the slim line of the speakers would keep the wearer from looking like they were walking around with an obvious head-set on. Of course, the speakers can also be removed if you ever need to dry clean the cap or you just want to wear it as a beanie - not a headset.

Sarah, my 15 year old daughter, has claimed this beanie for herself

An added benefit to this two-in-one device is that since this is a snug-fitting beanie, the chances of the headset being knocked off the wearer while engaged in vigorous outdoor activity is virtually nil.

If you are outside during the cold weather months - walking, jogging, skiing, snowboarding, or simply working - and you like to listen to music while you are doing your thing, then the Burton Headphone Beanie would be a great way to stay warm while enjoying your music of choice.

Request a catalog here.

Price: $39.95
Available in Sea Kelp, True Black and Stealth Gray

Pros:
Snuggly warm cap
Built in speakers
Included volume slider for digital music players without remotes
Excellent sound through the speakers
Headphones stay secure while user is active outdoors

Cons:
None