Headphone company Fanny Wang launched its second wave of...

Headphone company Fanny Wang launched its second wave of over-ear headphones targeting the premium fashion-based segment of the headphone category made popular by Monster’s Beats line. Fanny Wang introduced its first product late last year after identifying an opportunity in the fast-growing headphone market, CEO Tim Hickman told us on a press tour in Manhattan. “We noticed that overall revenue in the space doubled from 2009-2010, and the top three market-share leaders all lost share,” he said, naming Sony, Bose and Sennheiser. Fanny Wang’s latest headphones, active noise-cancellation over-ear models ($299) are based on a chipset from Maxim. The headphones use four RF-shielded microphones, two inside and two outside, which Hickman said sets the phones apart from other active noise-cancellation models. Among the Fanny Wangs’ call-out features are 50mm titanium drivers, an auto shut-off feature that powers off the phones after 15 minutes if a signal isn’t sensed, pass-through circuitry that enables the phones to work in non-noise-canceling mode if the batteries lose juice and a dual jack that allows users to share music with a friend, Hickman said. A switch on the headset allows users to select a bass boost mode that adds 6 decibels at the low end, he said. The headphones are packed in a pod with a carabineer that can hook onto carry-on luggage or a backpack, he said. Fanny Wang made headlines last December when it was sued by Monster for patent and trade dress infringement and unfair competition. According to the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Northern Calif., Fanny Wang headphones were “knock-offs” of Monster’s Beats Studio and Solo headphones, and Monster sought court action to prevent Fanny Wang from exhibiting at CES 2011. A judge ruled against the injunction. The trial is set for March 2012, Hickman said. Fanny Wang phones sell at Amazon, Sears.com and Buy.com, and direct from the company website.