Everyone from 50 Cent to Quincy Jones wants
to lend their name to a pair of cans. We round up five of the best
Headphones have got seriously cool in the last
year, and if your cans aren't celebrity-endorsed then you've badly undermined
your cool credentials. There are scores of headphones from big-name brands such
as AKG or Scull Candy backed by some of the biggest rappers, singers and music
producers in the world, but with varying degrees of success. We got our groove
on with the biggest names in music.
Skullcandy Mix Master Mike
These headphones sport the name of Beastie Boys
DJ Mix Master Mike and feature DJ-style rotating earcups. They're comfy and
have a mute button on the right earcup, as well as an input on each side so you
can hook up to either one or attach a second pair of headphones. The sound
quality is good, but suffers as you crank up the volume.
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Details
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Price: $390
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Website: www.johnlewis.com
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SMS Audio Street by 50 cent
The only wired cans in 50 Cent's Street
range, the SMS Audios feature earcups that, while squidgy and comfy, are huge
and fairly heavy.
The large and bendy headband makes them
feel rather loose and sound is leaked before it even reaches your ears. What
does get through sounds good, but the low-end isn't as beefed up as the Beats.
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Details
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Price: $300
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Website: www.play.com
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House of Marley Destiny TTR
These distinctive headphones are the
flagship model from House of Marley, which prides itself on using sustainable
materials. The TTRs are built from recyclable aluminium and stainless steel,
but it makes them heavy. The audio performance is strong and the on-board
noise-cancelling tech proves its worth. The cable is covered in woven fabric,
so it stays tangle-free.
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Details
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Price: $263
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Website: www.hmv.com
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AKG Quincy Jones Signature Line Q460
Bearing the name of legendary producer
Quincy Jones, these on-ear headphones are much smaller and lighter than any of
the others here. They look plasticky, but padding on the earcups and the
underside of the thin headband makes them comfy to wear. Audio performance is
excellent thanks to the closed-back design, which means little sound is lost.
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Details
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Price: $195
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Website: www.johnlewis.com
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Beats by Dre Studio
The king of celeb headphones has to be the
Beats range from Dr Dre. The Studio cans feature noise isolation and are
powered by a pair of AAA batteries. Available in a kaleidoscope of colours, the
Beats will certainly get you noticed, although the shiny finish is a
fingerprint magnet and the cable is annoyingly prone to tangles. The bass
performance is second to none - fantastic for dance tracks or booming movie
soundtracks.
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Details
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Price: $420
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Website: www.hmv.com
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