Simon Cowell, Sony Unveil X Headphones

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LONDON - Simon Cowelli s pushing into the business of high-end headphones, in which Dr. Dre has been so successful.

The X Factor creator and judge has unveiled a line of X Headphones that Syco Entertainment, his joint venture with Sony Corp.'s Sony Music Entertainment, will distribute with Sony.

The $299 product, which looks to combine audio performance and style, will be showcased at the U.S. season premiere event for X Factor in LA on Tuesday and be featured in episodes of the music competition throughout the season as official headphone partner. It will also be featured in an in-show integration, the partners said.

The X Headphones will compete with Beats Electronics' Beats by Dre headphones. Over the past six years, that product has reached a 30 percent market share of the premium headphone market, according to Bloomberg News, which cited data from research firm NPD Group.

"I simply wanted something better than what is in the market today," Cowell said about the new headphones in a statement. "I've tried all of them, literally every single one. Sony and I set out to create the best headphone in the world. We are absolutely blown away by these. With the X headphones, it's like being in the recording studio when the records are made. The sound is that clear."

The partners said that the headphones combine "Simon Cowell's expertise seeking perfection in music with Sony's legendary audio engineering." They added: "The new X Headphones offer music lovers the truest sound reproduction along with the utmost in style and quality."

Andrew Sivori, vp of the personal audio division at Sony Electronics, also emphasized the importance of sound performance and design. "The new X Headphones deliver an amazing listening experience wrapped up in a cutting-edge design for the ultimate in self-expression," he said.

Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com
Twitter: @georgszalai