The battle for sound supremacy has begun. In the last 2 weeks I’ve been to both the AGENDA tradeshow and CES and its apparent the emerging product coming to the forefront of both the fashion and electronic world are headphones.

One company that has stood out with their product offerings is SOL REPUBLIC. Let’s start with their clean and minimalistic design, using a single Sound Track Band the two speakers slide easily up and down to adjust to anyone’s size head for a comfy fit. The headband is made of a virtually indestructible polymer adding to the durability of the product. The matte finish also is a nice touch and for my personal taste I prefer the slim look and feel of these headphones vs. the other larger name brands. The 3-piece design makes it easy to take apart and pack if needed, which comes in handy when you travel frequently and want to stay discrete rather than look like Lebron walking into the arena. Also if you’re looking to add a personal touch and customize your Tracks, they have partnered with Colorware. Check it out HERE.

Tracks is complete with a 3-button microphone and pairs perfectly with iPhone and iPods (and according to the website with most other phones.) Using the headphones on the drive home for a few calls I noticed a big improvement over the stock Apple earbuds w/ mic. The clarity was easily distinguishable. What I also immediately noticed was how lightweight the Tracks sat on my head, much lighter than others I have tried. Since they don’t have active noise cancelling built in there is no need to additional weight via batteries – which is my preference. The soft speaker pads also added to the comfort and I did notice that after prolonged use my ears didn’t get hot like with other units. The only downside was that because of the 3-piece design you must plug into both the left and right side speakers.

The sound quality is great for the price (around $100 – a little more than some ear buds and a lot less than high-end headphone competitors.) Not super bass heavy and also not flat. The mids and highs were of good quality. Granted there were some distortions with the volume on blast, but realistically for everyday use on the phone or on the computer it works perfectly fine.

I also appreciate the marketing efforts of the brand with their “Saviors of Sound” program showcasing the lifestyle of the DJ (mostly electronic), bands, promoters, action sports, artists and even photographers. Anyone that appreciates and works with photogs gets my respect. I believe that SOL REPUBLIC has found their niche and will be coming out with some additional great products in the future. I can see them collaborating with some great artists and brands soon – which is perfect with the interchangeable Sound Track Band. For more info visit their site: www.solrepublic.com