Great audio gear for summer fun

— -- Everybody has a summer anthem, whether it's hits from the Beach Boys or Rebecca Black. To help you enjoy the sounds of summer (you can guess where I fall on this spectrum), here are our picks for fun new audio products released in 2012 so far.

Chambers by RZA: New rapper headphones in town

The rapper headphone market is getting a bit more crowded. This time, it's a pair of headphones from WeSC, fronted by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan.

On the surface, Chambers by RZA seem like any old pair of high-end cans, but smart design and hidden features provide a welcome surprise. On the RZA Premium model, the right ear cup rotates to turn on active noise cancellation and muting, the latter of which is triggered by pressing down on the cup. These headphones fit snug enough that there's effective passive noise cancellation, but I can't complain about the active noise cancellation either. Typically, this is a feature I leave alone because the waves create a slightly uncomfortable pressure in my ears, but with the Chambers, that's not an issue. Also on the right cup, the headphones have a built-in sharing port, allowing friends to jam to your tunes without any noticeable volume degradation. This is still a relatively new feature in headphones, and one that I wholeheartedly dig given how music is inherently a social experience.

On the left cup, Chambers has six tiny LEDs stacked vertically that act as an indicator of current audio levels. It's not a particularly useful feature and one the wearer can't see, but it's certainly unique, and strangely enough, one I appreciate, even if it drains a bit of power from the batteries (there's also an option to turn this off). What annoys me the most is that these headphones won't work without two AAA batteries, even if you don't want active noise cancellation or LED audio levels. This likely means heavy listeners will make their way through loads of batteries.

Tech writers love to hate rapper headphones. Having tried both the overpriced Beats by Dre and shoddily constructed SYNC by 50, I can understand why. But I was won over by these cans with their clever design, features and warm sound even before I realized any celebrity affiliation. And at $170 to $275, Chambers by RZA are high end but nowhere near the arm and leg Fiddy and Dre charge.

The Jambox gets a Big brother

Jawbone's Jambox is much beloved by folks who appreciate big sound in a small package. The portable Bluetooth speaker is easy enough to throw in a bag and performs well for casual listening while picnicking at the park or while working at home. Still, as popular as Jambox was with hipsters, being who they are, they also loved to complain that there were audio limitations given its diminutive stature.