The headphones that I got sent were the Beech Wood Bowery Earbuds which retail for $50 on their website. The main thing that sets LSTN apart from other headphones is that their headphones are made out of reclaimed wood. Most headphones I've used and seen on the market are made out of plastic. There really isn't anything wrong with that, plastic makes headphones durable can easily be molded into any shape. I do believe that LSTN headphones will definitely appeal to those who like a vintage or organic esthetic because the headphones just standout in a world of plastic headphones. Another thing that sets these earbuds apart from most on the market are the nylon wrapped cord. This was the first time that I've ever owned headphones with the nylon wrapped cord, and although the packaging claims that it won't tangle I found that they still would tangle. They wouldn't tangle as bad as other headphones though, you won't get those really tight knots happening with the nylon cord but you will still have to untangle them when you take them out of your bag.
The earbud headphones are compatible with Apple and Android phones which means that you can use them to make and receive calls. They have a little microphone piece on the left side which sits right on my collarbone. I did use it to make a call and the audio was very clear and wasn't too loud according to my boyfriend. I also found that I could hear him perfectly. It was probably the clearest phone call I've ever made to be completely honest.
As for the real test, I had to play a lot of music. You saw how impressed I was about the sound in my first impression video, but after listening to a couple of music genres I found that the headphones didn't perform the same with every genre. I feel like these headphones thrive when listening to pop, rock, or any other form of music genre with live instrumentation. The sound was very rich and it managed to transmit the low frequencies very well, but when I tried to listen to electro I felt like it made the music sound a little flat for my taste. The amount of layers in electronic music just didn't really come through with these headphones, so if you're mainly a techno or electronic music fan then these headphones might not be for you. If you prefer more accessible music or just things that feature live instrumentation, then these headphones are awesome. I even listened to some tracks which featured a lot of different instruments and I was able to capture the sound of each instrument in the track which is something that I look for in a good pair of headphones.
I also tested the headphones in a variety of environments and conditions. I found that these headphones are ideal for those who plan to use them for quotidian activities such as lounging around at home, commuting on public transportation, or studying at a library or coffee shop. As far as I know these headphones aren't meant to be noise canceling but I found that they really were able to cancel all noise very nicely. I wore them around the house on Sunday night when both of my parents like to watch TV really loudly from downstairs. While normally I can still hear their TV show through my Skull earbud headphones, I found that wasn't the case with the Bowery headphones. I couldn't hear a thing which made me very happy blogger.
I also wore them when I went out with my parents on the weekend and I found that I couldn't hear things such as honking or construction with them. I was really pleased about that because I know that a lot of people who have to take public transportation like wearing headphones in order to ignore all the loud noises and be in their own zone.
One area that I found that these headphones performed poorly was when using them to exercise. I wore them out when I took my dog on a walk and any kind of light jogging make the headphones skip parts of the track. Now these aren't meant for working out but I felt like it was necessary to test them out in this manner because I know a lot of people wouldn't necessarily buy headphones for every kind of activity. If you're planning to have one pair of headphones for everything then you might want to consider getting a pair of headphones specifically for working out, especially if you do more heavy impact workouts such as running.
These headphones definitely tend to be more for everyday and leisurely type of usage. While they're not the best headphones out there (and trust me I haven't found the perfect pair yet) they are really good headphones. I believe they are worth $50 because you're getting something that performs very nicely, looks unique, and gives back to people in need. For every pair of headphones purchased LSTN helps restore hearing to a person in need through the Starkey Hearing Foundation. You all know how much I love companies that give back to those in need and the ability to give someone the chance to hear for the first time really touched my heart. Can you imagine how it might feel for someone to hear their mother for the first time? Or to hear music for the first time? Just trying to imagine how that might feel like makes me emotional.
Overall I would definitely recommend these headphones. I was very happy with the them and wish I would have had them when I was commuting on the metro back when I was studying in Paris. I believe they are worth the price and if you take great care of them then they will last you years. They are very comfortable on the ear and light, so you don't have to worry about the wood adding any type of unnecessary weight. If you need a pair of headphones for your everyday life, then these are a fantastic option.
What kind of headphones do you prefer? Do you like earbuds or over the ear headphones? Let me know in the comments below.
Disclaimer: I was sent these headphones by LSTN for review purposes. I am not being compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.
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