If you ever wondered what Lou Reed was hearing in his ears when was recording Lulu, wonder no more. Following in the footsteps of Dr. Dre and Daft Punk, Reed has partnered with Klipsch for his own variation on their X10i line of earbuds (via Exclaim!).

Available next month for the price of $399.99, Lou’s earbuds come with a three-button remote and 360 degree microphone. In addition, every package includes a Lou Reed autograph, and the first 50 buyers will receive an unidentified album, also signed by Reed. Presumably it will be one of Lou Reed’s albums, but here’s wishing it’s absolutely not one of Lou Reed’s albums.

Says Reed in an issued statement: “I have been a fan of Klipsch for eons. I enjoy the beauty of the unhyped bass — the clarity and depth of detail and extraordinary comfort of the headphones. These are my Klipsch. Serious headphones for the serious listener.”

First-week sales awful for Metallica-Lou Reed Album
First-week sales of Metallica’s collaboration album with Lou Reed are set to be just three percent of what their previous record, Death Magnetic, achieved.

Lulu is estimated to have shifted between 12,000 and 15,000 copies since it went on sale in the US on November 1.

But in 2008 Death Magnetic sold 490,000 in its first week, even though the time period was just three days because it was put out on a Friday.

Even the band’s 2003 fan-bating release St Anger generated 418,000 purchases in its four-day first week.

Lulu, which Reed admitted has got him death threats from Metallica fans, made its highest chart placing in Sweden, where it reached number nine. It made 11 in Norway, 17 in the Netherlands, 20 in Finland, 30 in Belgium, 33 in Australia and 36 in the UK.

Lou Reed says he's received a number of death threats from Metallica fans over Lulu, his collaboration album with the thrash giants.

Supporters were shocked when the controversial coupling was revealed earlier this year, and many have remained unimpressed with what they've heard. Most reviews have been lukewarm too. But Reed says he doesn't care – because he only did it for fun.

The veteran art rocker tells USA Today: "They are threatening to shoot me, and that's only because I showed up. They haven't even heard the record yet and they're recommending various forms of torture and death."