The Star Wars First Edition Headphones by SMS Audio are the geeks answer to brands such as Beats by Dre and others in the mid range headphone market. SMS Audio is the brain child of 50 Cent, Timbaland, and Carmelo Anthony (well at least the investment part) and a slew of people a lot smarter than me when it comes to audio sound and style. I got a chance to run a pair of their Star Wars headphones with professionally tuned 40mm drivers through it’s paces and see if they are worth the $179.95 price tag.
The first edition sets are available in Rebel Alliance, Galactic Empire, Storm Trooper and Boba Fett. Technically each of these sets is the same the only differences are cosmetic. For review purposes we used the Storm Trooper set for music, phone calls and audio editing. Since this review originally posted SMS has released a Second Edition of Star Wars themed headsets that include R2-D2, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and Tie Fighter. The listed specs and pricing seem to be identical to the First Edition so the following review should be relevant to all of the Star Wars themed sets by SMS Audio.
The unboxing is an experience all on its own, the box is thick and of high quality. Each layer you unfold brings another small nostalgic easter egg leading to the product that lies within. Each headset includes a branded cleaning cloth, poster, stickers, a zippered carrying case with Star Wars molded into the cover and to top it all off a certificate of authenticity.
The marketing team pulled out all the stops when it came to packaging this headset, playing upon the needs of the nostalgic as well as collectors. It’s plainly obvious that they made full use of the Star Wars licensing they had purchased, I was already impressed and hadn’t even gotten to the real product yet.
Once I got to the headset my first impression was a little less than enthusiastic, the frame seemed light and delicate. I hesitate to use the term flimsy because I am discussing my first impression of the product and will explain in more detail below. The plastic portions were glossy white and black, and the overall aesthetic is stated enough so that you know it’s a Star Wars licensed product but mild enough so it won’t seem garish in public.
I am a total geek, covered in comic character tattoos and just about every shirt I own (besides business clothing) has some form of comic or gaming character on it. In my old age I have strayed away from products that scream my love for all things geek and instead speak of it quietly with a confident voice. This headset is one of those items, I can show my love for Star Wars without it being a beacon in the room that turns heads for all the wrong reasons.
Now to why I was so adamant on defining the above as only first impressions is because actually using this product me away. I placed it over my ears and the snug fit (I have a big head) wasn’t uncomfortable. The band that at first seemed “delicate” I found out the better descriptor is that it’s not rigid which would lead to fatigue if wearing it for long periods of time. It didn’t squeeze my head at the tighter points, instead the head band along with the Oval Fit leather memory foam cushions did an amazing job of closing off the outside world so my entire focus would be on the music, phone calls, or other media I might be using it for.
So how did those 40mm drivers stack up? Amazingly well, I am not a true audiophile but I do my fair share of listening to audio and editing for our podcast network. I spent a couple of weeks putting these headphones through everything from listening to my favorite tunes to making business calls. On a daily basis I have a set of ear buds in, listening to podcasts, taking business and personal calls and moving about my work day. I am very hard on headsets/headphones and tend to go through them pretty quickly (I almost always have an extra set on hand if they break in the middle of a work day).
During the testing of this headset I was working on an IT project which involved opening a new office for a customer. I had many lonely hours during all times of night and day moving computers, configuring servers, pulling cable etc. This headset was with me through all of it, switching in and out of my playlist to answering phone calls with crystal clear quality and an inline mic with clear voice quality. Each and every one of these things is extremely important to me, it’s how I make money, it’s how I support my family so it’s vital I have a headset that’s versatile, durable and reliable. The Star Wars headphones by SMS Audio met each of these expectations and so much more, yes I agree with you for the uses I just listed this type of headphones may seem like overkill and you would be right. In testing them this way I was able to verify one very important thing, durability.
These headphones are not the $10 set you pull of the shelf in a pinch, for some they will be a solid investment for their musical enjoyment but I have to assume a good reason the mic is included is the assumption that most people will be using them for similar purposes as mine. We live our lives through out phones now and a solid headset that is as versatile as our handsets is essential to the target demographic of these headsets. I can switch from my play list, to a call then back to Netflix all while experiencing studio quality audio. SMS Audio doesn’t list it as such but I will do it for them, the fit, the ear pads, etc all serve to make a passive noise reduction environment so good that any active noise canceling set should be jealous. I easily lost track of what was going on around me and got caught up in the sounds that were filling my ears. You can find the entire line of SMS Audio products here