Formerly the stuff of affluent audiophiles only, Able Planet has rebranded their preeminent Clear Harmony Headphones, once tagged at some $300, and essentially reinvented as "gaming headphones," complete with a believable endorsement from reigning Quake 4 champion Rafik "LoSt CaUzE" Bryant, who's also the "cover athlete" on the packaging.

The good news is they're still all that, a simply luxurious, extravagantly comfortable pair of active noise cancellation (ANC), cushioned-cup 'phones boasting gorgeous clarity, rich, full spectrum sound -- including a deep and delicious thrum at the bottom end -- and the bonus of award-winning and patented Linx Audio technology (originally designed for crystal clear hearing-aids) powered by a pair of AAA batteries (they work as a normal pair of headphones when turned off or if the batteries die), making them aurally exceptional at low or reasonable volumes and amazingly distortion-free when cranked too loud.

The better news is that, gaming application aside, the LoSt-CaUzE Gaming Headphones are raring to go, anywhere, thanks to a svelte, hard-shell carrying case that includes a wee zippered pouch with gold-plated adapters inside to accommodate most any audio source -- including those goofy two-pronged jobbies found on airplanes -- as well as a firm pocket inset for your iPod or Zune or what-have-you.

The bad news, if you can call it bad news, is that the game-branded price of nearly $200 (some dealers may sell for less) may still be out of reach for many. But you certainly get what you pay for... actually, quite a bit more in this case.