Samsung launches Level headphones in the US, going head-to-head with Beats

Samsung announced the arrival of its new line of high-end headphones in the United States after they were unveiled back in April. 

The Korean manufacturer will go head-to-head with Beats Electronics with the flagship Level Over model which will cost $349.99 and features Bluetooth connectivity, NFC, active noise cancellation and - one hopes - a great sound. 

Less expensive options include the Level On headphones which will costs $179.99 and are similar to Level Over but wired and the Level In, which are wired earbuds but still cost $149.99 (ouch!). 

Finally Samsung announced a Bluetooth speaker called Level Box, which costs $169.99 and joins a vast stable of similar products although at least it does feature NFC for easy pairing with compatible devices.

Will the Beats Electronics team tremble with fear? Unlikely, as Beats built its brand via a powerful association with Dr Dre and the involvement of hundreds of artists and athletes who have been seen wearing the headphones in every corner of the globe. Samsung’s efforts to create similarly viral marketing campaigns have often been heavy-handed. In order to conquer the US headphones market the company needs to understand how to project their headphones as worthy of the price tag beyond just their technical features and sound quality.

While the announcement of the headphones had been made long before the first rumours of Apple’s acquisition of Beats started to circulate, it is interesting to see the two electronics giants go head-to-head in yet another segment of the market.

(Andrea Leonelli)