Following suit with Dr. Dre, musicians are hopping on the next money train in the music industry…headphones. Clothing lines, vodka labels and blunt wraps have been the popular items promoted mostly by rap-stars and now that they have witnessed people shelling out upwards of $200 for a pair of Dr. Dre’s Beat headphones, it’s time for everyone else to cash in.
The sound quality of headphones doesn’t seem to be the main focus behind the musician promoted earpieces; the new focus is style. With the now portable world of music and people rarely leaving the house without a music storage device of some type, uncomfortable and unfashionable ear-buds aren’t cutting it. We now have an array of options to not only bump our beats but catch eyes, turn heads and listen for hours without annoying pain.
Jay-Z and Ludacris both have their names on fashionable full enclosure headphones by Skull Candy and Soul by Ludacris. Even artists’ Bob Marley and Miles Davis are promoting headphones from beyond the grave with high-comfort ear-buds. Rasta Colors and wood grain adorn the headphones endorsed by the Marley Family and horn-shaped brass plated buds are offered up by Monster Cable’s Miles Davis Trumpet design.
It may take a couple of weeks or a big-winning scratch off to afford the price tag on these celeb endorsed phones. For the $350 price of the Monster Miles Davis Trumpet ear-buds it almost seems like they should come stock with a brand new iPod attached to them. You can expect to spend at least two hard earned Benjamin’s to get your ears warmed by almost any of these fashion statement phones.
After testing these four sets of headphones in the studio and on the jogging path for a day, I wouldn’t recommend any of these unless your main focus is fashion, especially considering the price. My trusty $50 Studio Monitor’s from Sony exceed them all in comfort, sound and for the baller on a budget, price as well. Of course having a pair of gold-trimmed leather-bound headphones hanging around your neck is cool, but so is a swinging $350 customized CZ chain…right??? Hopefully three question marks properly convey my sarcasm.
I am all for combining music with fashion and anything that will keep people from walking around using their phone like an early 90’s boom box. The new headphones coming out are definitely cool, the prices not so much. But at the very least be sure to get yourself some comfortable ones with good sound. The choice to make a fashion statement with yours is up to you.
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