You know how many tech companies strive to make our experience of their products easier and more transparent so that — in the case of things like the iPad — the product disappears and lets us enjoy whatever it is that it does?
Koss didn’t get that memo, and has launched Striva, an “initiative” which takes something as simple as a headphone and makes it as complicated as an old-school router.
At [Striva’s][www.koss.com] core is a pair of headphones (or, more correctly, a pair of pairs of headphones) which can connect wirelessly direct to the internet. They contain battery-powered chips and Wi-Fi that will allow them to stream music from pretty much any internet radio station out there, and a switch on the side lets you use gestures to navigate between “thousands of channels,” which is sure to be a frustration-free experience.
You can configure your Striva headphones back at your computer, setting up various channels to narrow down the amount of crap you have to page through to get where you want to be, and the operating range of the headphones is huge, thanks to the use of Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth.
Oh, and they start at just $450. Seriously.
So, to recap. A (minimum) $450 pair of headphones that tunes in to music you can’t control, coming in over a lo-fidelity stream. What’s not to like?
There is one thing that saves the Striva range (and simultaneously makes it relevant to write about here on Cult of Mac), and that’s the [Striva CAP][www.koss.com 1] (content access point), a wireless transmitter that can be plugged into your iPhone, iPad or anything with a 3.5mm jack socket. This will then wirelessly beam music to the headphones.
If this sounds complicated, then it is. Even more complex than wires, even more annoying than Bluetooth, and more expensive than both. At least the CAP comes bundled with the headphones and doesn’t require spending extra.
Me? I’ll stick with wired headphones and spend the other $400+ on, well… Anything. Anything would be a better use of my money. Both the in-ear and over-the-head Striva ‘phones are available now.
[Via [Engadget][www.engadget.com]]
[www.engadget.com]: https://www.engadget.com/2012/04/25/koss-intros-striva-headphone-systems-lets-you-stream-music-over/ “Koss intros Striva headphone systems, lets you stream music over WiFi straight to your ears — Engadget”
[www.koss.com]: https://www.koss.com/en/Striva/What_is_Striva
[www.koss.com 1]: https://www.koss.com/en/products/accessories/STRIVACAP__STRIVA_CAP
