Watchdog sounds warning about substandard headphones

Four batches of earphones and headphones failed quality tests for poor acoustic quality and defects which could cause hearing damage, the city's market watchdog said on Monday.

A batch of Recci-branded headphones sold by RT-Mart were deemed substandard for differences in frequency response and harmonic distortion, which can seriously affect hearing, the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation said.

Another batch, branded WK Design, failed due to excessive acoustic pressure levels which can damage hearing, the administration announced.

Two other batches, branded under the names Remax and hoco, failed for issues related to poor audio quality and potential hearing damage for users, according to the administration.

In total, 30 batches of earphones and headphones were checked, and further investigation into substandard products is underway, the administration said.