Kenwood Develops Bluetooth Headphone System

Kenwood Corp. developed a Bluetooth-enabled headphone system and exhibited it as a prototype at the “Bluetooth & PAN” exhibition that ended on March 1.

At this exhibition the company demonstrated the product by transferring music data from notebook PCs, PDAs, and music servers to the headphone system via the Bluetooth module. The company is aiming to put it on the market at the end of this year.

Kenwood plans to include such additional usage items as linkage with a portable MD and a CD, and a connection via a PC to the Internet, for listening to music.

The price has not yet been decided. “We want to set almost the same price for the new product as that for the current wireless infrared headphone system,” a company official said.

The new headphone system was developed to verify AV Profile Ver.095 that is currently under development.

Kenwood has employed Bluetooth as a wireless communication technology for AV-related products because it aims to create a “small, light and low-power product.”

In addition, Kenwood took mobile phones into consideration.

The company official said: “It is only the Bluetooth module that can be a core of a wireless network and be incorporated into the mobile phone. Therefore, in order to build a wireless network for music, we have high hopes for Bluetooth.” Kenwood Corp. developed a Bluetooth-enabled headphone system and exhibited it as a prototype at the “Bluetooth & PAN” exhibition that ended on March 1.

At this exhibition the company demonstrated the product by transferring music data from notebook PCs, PDAs, and music servers to the headphone system via the Bluetooth module. The company is aiming to put it on the market at the end of this year.

Kenwood plans to include such additional usage items as linkage with a portable MD and a CD, and a connection via a PC to the Internet, for listening to music. The price has not yet been decided. “We want to set almost the same price for the new product as that for the current wireless infrared headphone system,” a company official said.

The new headphone system was developed to verify AV Profile Ver.095 that is currently under development.

Kenwood has employed Bluetooth as a wireless communication technology for AV-related products because it aims to create a “small, light and low-power product.”

In addition, Kenwood took mobile phones into consideration.

The company official said: “It is only the Bluetooth module that can be a core of a wireless network and be incorporated into the mobile phone. Therefore, in order to build a wireless network for music, we have high hopes for Bluetooth.”

Kenwood has already introduced its Bluetooth-type car audio product called KDC-MX700bti.