Sony's stylish new h.ear headphones take aim at Beats

In case you haven't h.eard the news yet, Sony just announced a new lineup of headphones at IFA 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The h.ear headphones are colorful and stylish, designed to appeal to the same crowd that the ubiquitous Beats over- and in-ears have long catered to.

The "h.ear on" headphones—that's a silent period, by the way—are over-ears (which makes the name even weirder) with a bright, colorful design that practically shouts for attention. Featuring a collapsible headband, a detachable cable with an in-line remote, a carrying pouch, and a complete disregard for grammatical conventions, the h.ear on seem to have all the essentials for a midrange pair of headphones.

While we won't know for sure until we get them into our audio lab, Sony is claiming that you'll be able to h.ear the difference thanks to the cans' 40mm HD drivers and Beat Response Control. It sounds like we should be expecting to h.ear something that matches the consumer-friendly sound profile of other headphones that follow an equal-loudness contour, with boosted bass and treble frequencies.

In addition, Sony announced a new line of in-ear headphones called, yep, h.ear in. These will come in two varieties: a standard model and a noise-canceling version. Information is scarce on their specs, pricing, and availability, but it's clear that they'll come in the same bright hues.

If you've been looking for a solid Beats alternative, it looks like Sony may have a solution in the h.ear lineup. The h.ear on over-ears will be available this November for $199.99, and will come in viridian blue, cinnabar red, charcoal black, lime yellow, and bordeaux pink.