sol_republic_master_tracks_headphones_rusko_burnI have been living in the dark ages. In my lifetime, I’ve had those original Sony types of foam covered phones; the small, uncomfortable athletic headphones; ear buds of all sorts; and even a pair of noise reducing headphones that always made one of my ears ring. Then I received this pair of Sol Republic Master Tracks over-the-ear headphones and I realized what I’ve been missing.

As per the Sol Republic informational material: ”Master Tracks are interchangeable over-ear headphones designed to deliver incredible sound, design, and performance. Whether you listen to EDM, country or hip-hop, Master Tracks are engineered to deliver true sound you can feel. Our newly developed X3 Sound Engines deliver an immersive music experience balanced with powerful bass, clear highs and vocal accuracy.”

Immediately when I started using the Master Tracks headphones, I was impressed by the clarity. The separation of treble and bass, in all musical genres, was remarkable. More importantly, I could clearly hear what the vocalists were singing. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was actually listening to the music, appreciating all of the intricacies, rather than focusing on one element like the drums, guitars or vocals.

I was amazed when I began hearing very subtle things in songs, like drums fills I never knew existed, trembling in the voice of the singer, an extra note here and there by guitar players. And I’m not just talking about new music; I talking about songs I’ve been listening to for 20, 30 years! I haven’t just had crappy headphones my entire life, but crappy speakers and record needles. The Master Tracks gave me a brand new listening experience to music and made me excited to play my iPod every chance I got. All music lovers yearn for a return to that time when we were teenagers and we had to rush home to slap on that 45, LP or CD we just bought the night before. Master Tracks gave me that feeling again.

As for comfort, the headphones have a nice cushion that isn’t too obtrusive over your ear. The object is to engulf your ear, andSOL-REPUBLIC-Master-Tracks-ExplodedView-Medium-620x350 these headphones do the job. The individual speakers slide on to the plastic head band, making it easy to adjust the position of the speakers and to personalize it to your liking. Each speaker has an individual plug, so these speakers disassemble easily and make for easy travel (the headphones also come with a convenient travel bag),  I especially liked the volume control on the wires, which make it much easier to turn up and turn down the music, especially if you have some kind of cover over your phone or iPod.

These headphones also have a built in microphone, so anyone listening to music or podcasts on their phones need not remove the headphones to speak to callers.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Sol Republic Master Tracks headphones. At 199, their price is comparable to any of the other high end headphones.

For more information, click on the Sol Republic Master Tracks web page.

About the Author

Scott Malchus

Scott Malchus is a writer, filmmaker and die hard Cleveland Indians fan. His memoir, “Basement Songs,” is available in paperback and Kindle. He wrote and directed the film “King's Highway." His family is heavily involved in fund raising to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Scott Malchus is an employee of Cartoon Network and Turner Broadcasting. The opinions expressed on Popdose are his own and do not reflect those of his employer. Email: Malchus@popdose.com. Follow him @MrMalchus

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