Onkyo, a latecomer to the U.S headphone market, in...

Onkyo, a latecomer to the U.S headphone market, in fielding its first four models at CES, the company said Monday. Onkyo follows audio rivals Denon, which overhauled its headphone line mid-year, Panasonic, Polk Audio, Klipsch, PSB, Monster and Sony, among others, and faces competition from newer, edgy brands Skullcandy, SOL Republic and Beats by Dr. Dre. Despite the late arrival to the headphone category, “it’s still a viable and growing market,” Paul Wasek, Onkyo’s national marketing and product planning manager, told us. “We're taking what we do with receivers and moving it over to more personal and portable products,” Wasek said, saying there will likely be additional categories “with growth potential” on the company roadmap. First to hit stores will be two closed-back on-ear headphones: the ES-HF300 ($179), with an audiophile-grade cable and gold-plated connectors, and the folding ES-FC300 ($149), packaged with a tangle-free cable, the company said. In-ear models include the IE-HF300 ($129) and IE-FC300 ($99). Headphones will ship during Q1, the company said. On how Onkyo will differentiate headphones in such a crowded market, Wasek said, “So many things are already being done that it’s hard to pick something someone else is not doing,” saying the company is “looking at a lot of different categories to expand our reach in the audio and CE markets.” The push-to-talk market is one possible area, he said. In addition, a headphone equalizer app for smartphones and tablets is in the works that will allow users to adjust frequency response for personal preference. Onkyo is looking at its existing retail base as well as “non-traditional” retailers for distribution, Wasek said.