ELECOM : Introducing two series of stereo headphones designed by manga artist Shirow Masamune; one Hi-Res high-quality-sound type and two models perfect for anime songs.

ELECOM CO., LTD. (Head office: Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan; President: Junji Hada) is launching, in late October, one line in Hi-Res stereo headphones and a series of two stereo headphones tuned for anime songs, all of which are designed by manga artist Shirow Masamune.

Shirow Masamune is the auther of the world famous manga 'APPLESEED' and 'GHOST IN THE SHELL'. Seventeen years have passed since he collaborated in October 2002 with ELECOM in creating an optical mouse which breathed new life into the audio industry. Once again he has joined in creating two series of in-ear stereo headphones; a Hi-Res model and anime song exclusive models.

The EHP-SH1000SV is stereo headphones which support a Hi-Res audio source. Being equipped with dual dynamic drivers, dia. 11.6mm and 12.5 mm, they can reproduce high resolution Hi-Res sound in wide ranges anywhere between the low to mid-frequencies and high to ultra high frequencies.

In addition, by employing the 'Coaxial In-Phase Drive System' where two drivers are driven in the same phase, reproduction of powerful and clear sound is realized. Also, the magnetic resistance between the two drivers intensifies the magnetic flux density, enabling an excellent high-response driving.

The dia. 11.6 mm driver that supports the high to ultra high frequency range employs a multilayer film diaphragm and an external magnet dynamic driver, 'ELECOM Torus External Magnet Driver' ('ETEM driver'), thus delivering clear high frequencies.

The tone hole going through the center of the ball piece of the ETEM driver delivers the sound from the lower ranges straight to the sound tube, thus enabling reproduction of powerful bass. The housings are made of ultra hard aluminum, shutting out excess vibration from the driver yokes and faithfully reproducing sound signals from the diaphragm, while achieving robustness and lightness.

The ground wire inside each cable is split into four independent wires, successfully reducing static noise as well as electromagnetic noise between the right and the left while increasing the acoustic effect and delivering tight bass.

The detachable cable with MMCX terminal is made of oxygen-free copper (OFC) wires which smoothly reproduce high-pitch sound while suffering little from signal degradation. The product comes with two types of cables, allowing you to plug into audio devices using the 3-conductor mini-plug cable or plug into smartphones*1 using the 4-conductor mini-plug cable. The cable with a microphone is also equipped with a remote control*2 for pick-up call/end call/play music/pause music.

The EHP-SL100 series, one for audio devices and the other for smartphones*1 *3 *4 *5, supports non-Hi-Res sound sources. Both are stereo headphones which are given an optimal tuning for anime songs. The world of anime songs is fully and precisely recreated via their powerful bass and clear extending vocal.

The dia. 10 mm dynamic driver employs a highly rigid titanium-coated diaphragm designed for reproduction of rich bass and transparent treble. The surface of the diaphragm is mounted with forty ribs to prevent deformation of the vibrating membrane, division vibrations, and rolling or other abnormal vibrations, thus obtaining a linear output characteristic with low distortion.

All three models are equipped with highly soundproof two-stage adjustable 'deep-fitting ear caps' which provide greater air-tightness and assure the delivery of powerful bass. A differentiated firmness for the inside and outside of the ear caps provides better sound quality and a snug fit.

• *1 Some 4-conductor mini plug smartphones are not supported.
• *2 It may not work with some devices or functions.
• *3 The call pick-up/termination switch cannot be used on Internet calls such as Skype™.
• *4 You may be able to use the remote control function for playing music/movies with some smartphones. The operating procedure differs depending on the device.
• *5 The call pick-up/termination switch cannot be used on some applications.

For more details about the product, please visit the ELECOM website:
http://elecom.net/feature/shirowmasamune_sp/

Shirow Masamune's development diary is currently available at the ELECOM website:
http://elecom.net/shirowmasamune/

Brief personal history of Masamune Shirow

Masamune Shirow was born and lives in Kobe. He is best known for the comic books 'Appleseed' (1984-) and 'Ghost in the Shell' (1987-). Recently he has been drawing illustrations for novels, such as 'Classical Fantasy Within' by Soji Shimada, 'Bukyo Gakuen' by Fuki Sunaga, and 'The Third' by Ryo Hoshino, as well as for games and magazines. There have also been comic books and movies made based on Shirow's concepts, such as 'Pandora in the Crimson Shell' by Koshi Rikudo.