Drop Launches OAE1 Headphones as Non-Signature Edition

Drop, the vibrant community-driven e-commerce brand that is now owned by Corsair, announced a reset on its latest Grell headphone collaboration, with the announcement of the Drop + Grell OAE1 Non-Signature Edition. Following the extremely negative reviews that the original Drop + Grell OAE1 headphones received when they launched earlier in 2024 (fortunately, only 1,000 units had been made anyway), the new “non-signature”edition takes the original engineering concept and resets the design at a more accessible price.

Nearly three years after debuting the Drop + Grell TWS1X IEM earphones, Drop has teamed up again with renowned headphone designer Axel Grell for his newest project, the Drop + Grell OAE1 Signature Headphones. The new open, circumaural headphones are a perfectly symmetric design that somehow is described as inspired by “the natural structure of the human ear”, and intended to reproduce a “realistic sound field that closely resembles a speaker listening experience.”

Elgato, a Corsair brand, announced a new hardware line, called Neo, that merges high-end performance, plug-and-play simplicity at affordable prices. That includes a new version of its Stream Deck buttonmicrophone controller and the Wave Mic, a nicely designed desktop microphone with built-in USB-C audio interface and metal stand. Two outstanding consumer design examples. In total, Elgato introduced five new Neo products, including also a webcam, LED light, and capture card.

Haptic motors are finding applications in gaming, music, VR/AR, and therapeutic/wellness. The Transporter is a patented transducer that delivers faster more accurate bass and is designed to work with the main audio driver in headphones. It subtly vibrates against the user’s skin to produce an extra dimension that can be described as a high-fidelity extension. Silmon J. Biggs and John Steinberg, the two masterminds behind Taction Technology share the story of this development. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2023.