AIAIAI and Richie Hawtin say that they’ve created “the first wireless headphones for music creation”
“In 2021 it feels archaic to be wired to a piece of hardware just to guarantee pristine audio quality,” says Hawtin
Making music while monitoring through wireless headphones has traditionally been viewed as a bit of a no-no, with the latency introduced by the usual Bluetooth connection being too high to make it feasible. Quality can suffer when you ditch the cable, too, and there’s also the issue of reliability.
However, working in collaboration with forward-thinking electronic music producer Richie Hawtin, AIAIAI now claims to have solved these problems with the TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ headphones.
Thanks to the new W+ Link technology, which has been specifically developed for music creation, the TMA-2 promises ultra-low latency lossless audio, robustness and stability, so you won’t need to worry about dropouts. The studio headphones can also connect via Bluetooth 5.0 when required to - or via the included coiled hi-fi cable - and are said to deliver 80 hours of playback time.
The key to the W+ Link technology is the dedicated dual-antenna receiver. We’re told that internal analysis ensures that the best signal is applied and used for the audio stream.
The headphones themselves use AIAIAI’s bio-cellulose diaphragm driver, which is said to reduce distortion and retain clarity even at high volumes.
Comfort is also a consideration, of course, and memory foam cushioning is designed to make sure the TMA-2s deliver it.
“In 2021 it feels archaic to be wired to a piece of hardware just to guarantee pristine audio quality,” says Richie Hawtin. “The TMA-2 Wireless+ headphones give you the freedom to step further away from your devices, allowing you to capture creative and expressive ideas while immersed in perfect sound. Disconnect and dive deeper into your moment of creativity.”
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The TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ headphones are available for pre-order now and will be in stores in January 2022. They cost $350/£300/€350.
Find you more on the AIAIAI website.
I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.
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