Incipio Forté F38 Hi-Fi Stereo Headphones

Incipio is another electronic accessory company which has entered the headphone market. I have used some of their products in the past and have loved the quality so I was extremely excited to check out their first headphones, the F38's.

Overall, Incipio has given the F38's an old school look. In regard to the design, I'm a big fan of the vintage feel. The headband is covered in a meshed synthetic fabric and the earcups have a matte finish. The Incipio logo is displayed on both sides and with the Espresso model, the logo is red which compliments the tan and brown design well.

My favorite thing about these headphones is the comfort. The earcups are large enough to fit around your ear which makes them much more comfortable than say the Matix Domepiece Headphones. After using them for a few hours, I hardly noticed I was wearing them which can't be said for most headphones.  One problem I have with them is the amount of sound leaked. Even though this is common with most inexpensive headphones, it's still extremely annoying.

Sound quality is about what you would expect for $50 headphones. They will satisfy most, but they aren't great by any means. However, they can get really loud, which I liked. The F38's include a black carrying case and are available in 5 colors: Matte Black, Neon Pink, Bright Turquoise, Vintage White, and Espresso.

Price: $50
Available Now

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Color Options
• Thick Tangle Free Cable

Cons

• No In-Line Mic
• Leak Sound
• Mediocre Sound Quality

Overall Rating: 7/10

Able Planet Extreme Noise Canceling Headphones

Able Planet is a relatively well known company for their premium audio and communication devices. In the past, most of their headphones have sounded great but haven't featured that uniqueness in style and design that we look for here at CelebHeadphones.com. All of this changed with the release of their Extreme Noise Canceling Headphones.

The Extreme headphones feature a plaid exterior which I personally enjoy but may not be for everyone. The overall styling might be better suited for a woman. The headphones are made of plastic but don't feel cheap like many plastic ones. Being over-ear headphones, these are not made to be used at the gym or anything similar. The headphones are much larger than I expected after seeing pictures online. For being such large headphones, Able Planet has done a great job in making sure they can be compact. They can easily be stored in a compact form and placed in the included cloth carrying case for travel. The Extreme's are extremely comfortable. While worn, they have a snug fit, but nothing that causes any discomfort. The earcups encompass your whole ears and create a tight seal which helps with sound quality.

When fist testing them out, they reminded me of the Bose Quiet Comfort 15's because of the noise canceling feature. Obviously, the Extreme's don't cancel out nearly as much ambient noise as the Quiet Comfort 15's, but they are also a third of the price. Even still, it's hard to hear much at all when using the Extremes. The noise canceling feature does require the use of a battery, but unlike with the Beats Studio's, they can be used without batteries. The power switch will also increase the volume a significant amount. When listening to songs with the power off, I had to keep the volume at the highest setting on my iPod, and even that wasn't very loud. As soon as you turn the battery power on, the volume increased ten fold. Music can be played with a medium volume as these headphones can be extremely loud.

I have heard nothing but praise over the sound quality of Able Planet products, so I was extremely excited to finally test them out for myself. I'm happy to report that my high expectations have been met. Every song that I tested sounded excellent. The noise canceling feature helps gives you the illusion that the music is surrounding you. The headphones provide a perfect amount of bass for my liking. After testing the Extreme's out for a few hours, I found myself having a tough time finding any problem whatsoever with them. It wasn't till I finally took them off that I could find their flaw. The headphones sound great when worn, but they also don't sound half bad to the person sitting to the left or right of you. Unfortunately, the Extremes leak a great deal of sound. While listening to one of my favorite songs, I saw a friend sitting 20 feet away from me mouthing the words to the song.

Besides this flaw, there wasn't much I disliked about these headphones. At only $100 (and you can find even cheaper online), the Able Planet Extreme Headphones are a great option for anyone looking for a stylish great sounding headphone. They are available in 5 colors: Green, Red, White, Pink & Black

Price: $100
Available Now

Pros

• Sound Quality
• Affordable
• Noise Canceling Feature

Cons

• Leak a lot of Sound
• Style might not be for Everyone
• No In-Line Mic

Overall Rating: 8/10

Sol Republic Amps Headphones

Today I will be looking at the Sol Republic in-ear headphones, the Amps. Having been extremely satisfied with the on-ear Sol Republic model, the Tracks, I couldn't wait to test these new ones out. Since Sol Republic tries to replicate the Beats by Dre models (since the owner of Sol Republic is the son of the owner of Monster Audio), it comes as no surprise that these headphones are large, stylish and flashy.

The outer portion of the earbuds is extremely glossy and features the SOL logo. This same glossy finish is used on the inline remote. While at first, I really loved the glossy finish. After a few minutes of testing, you could definitely see fingerprint smudges, which I could see become annoying. The earbuds have a curved design with a flat back which help them fit deep into your ears. The Amps were designed to conform to your ear so the earbuds are made for either your left or right ear and are not interchangeable.

The Amps come with four silicone ear tips which gives each person the ability to achieve that perfect fit. Even though the buds are larger than most, they are much lighter than they look. I found the weight to be perfect: not too light so they don't fall out, and not too heavy that they weigh your ears down. Even though most earbuds fit differently for each person, most people who tried them out found them comfortable and had no discomfort whatsoever. The inline mic is by far the best one I have seen. The mic looks flat to the eye, but the buttons are easily clicked. When you want to pause a song, you can actually feel the button click, which can't be said for many headphones.  Like with all headphones, there were a few minor complaints with the Sol Republic Amps. There is no included carrying case and the cord is prone to tangling.

Before I talk about the sound quality of these headphones, I have to tell you that these headphones are loud, really really loud. When I had my iPod on medium volume, I had to lower the volume.  Don't even think about using Sol Republic Amps and listening to songs with high volume as you will probably go deaf for at least a good 5 minutes. So I would definitely say that the sound quality is excellent. High and low volume sounded crisp with every type of music I tested.

Overall, the Sol Republic Amps In-Ear Headphones are one of the best earbuds I have come across due to their affordable price, great sound quality, and stylish design. They are available in 2 Colors: Black & Red.

Price: $60
Available Now

Pros

• Sound Quality
• Extremely Loud
• In-Line Mic

Cons

• Prone to Fingerprints
• No Carrying Case Included

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Sennheiser Adidas HD220 Headphones

Sennheiser and Adidas have collaborated to create a line of headphones which target the young and active consumer. The line is composed of 3 models: in-ear, on-ear and over-ear. Today I will be reviewing the most affordable option, the on-ear HD220's.

When first heard about these headphones, I found myself extremely excited because I had very high expectations. In theory, the combination of Adidas Originals' sporty and classic look with the well established audio company, Sennheiser, would be a perfect fit. After testing out the product for a few days now, my high expectations haven't been met.

Design-wise, they are very stylish. The blue and white color combination is one of the nicest I've seen. The Adidas Originals logo is placed on the outer portion of each earcup. The big problem I have with the design is the overall cheap feel. When you are holding these headphones, you feel like you could be holding a $2 airline set. The plastic construction gives the HD220's a flimsy feel. The positive of this flimsy construction is that they are light. In fact, these have to be one of the lightest on-ear headphones I've ever reviewed. Another positive feature is their comfort. The ear cushions act like a pillow which make them perfect for long use. At no point will you ever get ear fatigue or start to get the dreaded ear sweats. The  included carrying bag should also not be overlooked as it is the nicest accessory I've seen since the House of Marley Positive Vibration's.

With Sennheiser's history of great sounding headphones, I was disappointed with the sound quality of these headphones. I realize they are inexpensive, but there are other headphones for a similar price with much better sound quality. The poor sound quality might have to do with the foam ear cushions, as opposed to the standard design of on-ear headphones.

I can see these headphones as a great option for those who don't like in-ear headphones and want to be able to listen to music while at the gym or doing any physical activity. Overall, the Sennheiser Adidas HD220's would be a perfect fit for those looking for a relatively in-expensive stylish on-ear headphone that aren't so concerned with sound quality. While the sound quality and cheap feel are serious drawbacks, the style and accessories somewhat make up for it.

Price: $65
Available Now

Pros

• Sporty Design
• Comfortable
• Light Weight

Cons

• Poor Sound Quality
• Flimsy
• Plastic Construction

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Consumer Reports & ABC Video

With headphones expected to be one of the most popular gifts this holiday season, ABC, along with Consumer Reports, has created this video which examines the growing trend of celebrity-endorsed headphones.