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.

But in the spring, the endeared tiny speaker got a big brother, aptly named Big Jambox, which provided slightly less portability but a lot more sound. The larger model, measuring 10 by 3.1 by 3.6 inches and weighing 2.7 pounds, is five and a half times heftier by volume and provides 15 hours of continuous play (five more hours than the Jambox) with great reproduction of sound, especially when it comes to bass. Even at higher volumes, which can stump the smaller Jambox with distortion, Big sounds fantastic. By no means is it a Sonos hi-fi speaker, but it performs wonderfully for its still-compact size. As expected, it likewise has a brawnier price point, retailing for $299.99, $100 more than its little sibling.

Braven speakers let gadgets borrow power

Just because Jawbone has set its sights on bigger doesn't mean others are following suit. When it comes to portable speakers, Jambox is still considered the standard.

That's why Braven— known as Spar in a previous life before it was rebranded — debuted its line of Jambox-like speakers in the spring. Each of the three products, slightly larger than their Jawbone competitor, has its appeal. The entry-level Braven 600 has price going for it, a full $50 cheaper than Jambox. The mid-range 625s is designed for rugged adventures, with a shock-absorbant rubber shell and additional outdoor accessories (a waterproof bag and USB flashlight). The top of the line is clad in aircraft-grade aluminum and features custom drivers that give room for notes to breathe a little, producing airy yet crisp audio.

All three models also include a nifty feature not found in the Jambox. If your gadgets are running low on juice, they can borrow some power from the Braven speakers, giving them additional utility as a external battery pack. Yet, even with lower price points ($149.99, $179.99 and $189.99, respectively), I have one major design gripe. The small buttons are harder to distinguish, making it slightly more cumbersome to change the volume. Jambox, on the other hand, streamlined its functionality to three large buttons prominently placed on top. Still this is a minor complaint, and the Braven speakers offer much value for comparable quality.

Zinken: DJ cans on a budget

Urbanears' Plattan headphones are among my favorites, not necessarily because they sound the best (they don't), but because they offer a fantastic combination of features, audio quality and value, making them a great buy for customers on a budget.

Knowing that Urbanears is introducing a new higher-end pair of headphones, I'm all ears. Designed for amateur DJs, Zinken looks to be a comfortable pair of cans for the folks who would wear them for hours. The caps swivel, so DJs can listen for the next song through one ear cup while keeping the beat of the ambient music. The TurnCable, which is partially coiled up, is made of a strong Kevlar core and gives jockeys additional reach without the cord getting in their way. And like the Plattan headphones, Zinken also includes an audio-sharing port, useful for when users want to listen to music with friends without blasting it through a club's hi-fi speakers.

Urbanears' Zinken headphones will be available July 16 for an estimated retail price for $140. I'm excited to listen for myself.

Eco-made: An eco-friendly paper speaker for your iPhone

You don't have to go the hi-fi route to enjoy music. Sometimes the most interesting gadgets are the ones that take a little bit of ingenuity and craftsmanship.

The eco-amp is likely the most environmentally friendly iPhone speaker. That's because it's made entirely from 100 percent post-consumer paper and is printed with a soy-based ink. With a bit of origami handiwork, the eco-amp folds up to a gramophone-shaped accessory that attaches to the bottom part of the iPhone.

The eco-amp, which measures 3.5 by 2.5 by 4 inches when assembled, doesn't use drivers or batteries, instead relying on physics to amplify the iPhone's puny on-board speakers as the audio waves travel through the device. The amplifier is sold in a package of two pre-cut templates for $7.99, making this also one of the cheapest audio accessories on the market. But if you're crafty enough, it won't be hard to reverse engineer and create an iPhone amplifier of your own.

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E-mail Alice Truong at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @alicetruong.