One of the worst things about over-the-ear and on-ear headsets is that they tend to feel hot and uncomfortable after a few hours, especially if you live in a muggy environment. HP has just announced a pair of headphones that can keep you cool even during whole-day gaming sessions — unlike other similar options, though, they don’t use fans or cooling gels. At the HP Gaming Festival in Beijing, the tech giant has launched a number of new devices under its Omen gaming line, including the Mindframe headset that uses a patented thermoelectric cooling technique.
The headphones have a thermoelectric device inside their earcups that conducts heat from the acoustic chamber and directs it outside. Engadget Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar got to hold a sample of the device, and he said it was like having an AC pressed against the palm of his hand. If the technology translates well in headphones form, then the Mindframe could truly be comfortable to wear even in the midst of oppressive heat.
In addition to its cooling capabilities, the headset has a self-adjusting lightweight suspension headband for weight distribution, noise-cancelling unidirectional microphone, 3D spatial awareness and 7.1 virtual surround sound. HP didn’t reveal the Mindframe’s retail price, but it will be available sometime in the second half of 2018.
