You want RICH sound? It doesn’t come CHEAP
I’m tough on headphones. I’m not sure how many pairs I’ve been through in the last few years but I’ve lost, broken or simply given up on at least two dozen pairs. Wired or Bluetooth, I’m always looking for a pair that sound great, look good and are built to last.
Libratone is a Danish company who make a line of audio products. I’ve tested their excellent wireless speakers in the past so I was keen to try their new Bluetooth headphones, the Track+.
As soon as you open the Libratone box you’re reminded of Scandinavian design. The headphones are sleek, available in two colours and look like they were designed by a studious, but good-natured Dane who has a passion for shapes, texture and symmetry.
They feel fabulous. The leads feel rubberised and you get the impression that they’ll deal with the snags and jerks that can happen while running or walking. There are two small modules built in to headphones which is an unusual feature. Often, wireless headphones will have just one but the Track+ utilise two, perhaps for balance and ergonomics.
As a result, they feel balanced and sit neatly around your neck. The headphones arrive with the little eargels attached to get a snug fit. However, also in the box are six more, three pairs to ensure you get a great fit.
This great fit is down partly to a little ridge on the back of each earbud that let you wiggle them in for a firm fit. They connect via Bluetooth to your phone, and there’s no searching for devices as they showed up instantly.
Mine arrived partly charged, but there’s an included USB charger cable and it takes around an hour to get a full charge, and Libratone say you’ll get eight hours of listening time. However, they go in to sleep mode and wake up cleverly so you don’t waste precious power. I launched my Tidal app and had an initial listen. The Track+ sound is rich and warm. On jazz tracks there’s good separation of instruments and on pop and rock tracks, nice solid bass but not in an overpowering way. I listen to a lot of Audible and spoken word sounds great on the Track+. I made some phone calls, and they also were clear with good volume. The noise cancellation built in works well, on calls and particularly while running.
A really nice feature is how easy it is to adjust volume or pause music as you run. One of those little inlaid modules has the volume controls and the plus and minus, feel exactly as they should, easily distinguishable.
These headphones are not cheap though, for straightforward Bluetooth headphones. I paid the same amount of money for a wireless set with a built in heart monitor. Competitors may not have the looks, but they have attractive pricing.
That said, you get lovely audio from a pair of headphones that are sweat and splash-proof and are likely to go the distance even if you’re as hard on them as I am. Scandinavian design never comes cheap, but it’s lovely to hold, and hear.