Tim Tebow Signature Soul by Ludacris Headphones

Back in August, the NFL's most famous backup quarterback, Tim Tebow, joined Ludacris' "Soul of Greatness" Ambassador crew. Over the past few months, we've already seen fellow Soul brand ambassadors, Usain Bolt and Cesc Fabregas release their own SL300's, so now, it's Tebow's turn.

Soul says the blue and white color scheme was chosen directly by Tebow, which could be a sign that Tebow is ditching the New York Jets' green and white for a fresh new start. My only question is why Soul wouldn't incorporate anything Tebow-related into the design.

For a full review of the SL300 Headphones, Click Here.

Price: $225
Available Now

Suggestions for Holiday Season "Extras"

The holiday season is almost here, and headphones are expected to be a top seller. With more options than ever, headphone companies are going to have to start offering various deals to make their products stand out. Since most headphones can be found at discounted prices on secondary sites like Amazon or Buy.com, headphone companies need to start offering some sort of "extra bonus" for purchasing their products on their official websites. Instead of offering a discount on prices which would limit profit, companies could offer an "extra" gift which is more beneficial and could be the difference between a great 4th quarter and an average one. Below are a few suggestions for some of the newer CelebHeadphone companies.

Sol Republic: While I appreciate the interchangeability of Sol Republic Tracks Headphones, let’s face it, hardly anyone actually uses this feature.  To jumpstart interest in this feature, Sol Republic should provide a free extra headband with new purchases.  Not many people are willing to spend $30 on a headband, but, once they have two, interest in customization could grow.  

House of Marley: Before any of their products were released to the public, the company said that each headphone would come with a "1love" bracelet. Well two years later there's still no included bracelet, but, luckily for them, it’s the perfect time of year to include one with every purchase for the holidays.

SMS Audio:  Everyone knows that 50 Cent has proven himself as the king of gorilla marketing, but his audio company, SMS Audio, hasn't excelled in this category.  One way to boost brand recognition is with extra merchandise. Although they currently offer some SMS Audio branded products on their site, all of it is extremely overpriced. Anyone who buys one of their t-shirts for $35, or a 50 Cent iPhone case for $40 is Ludacris (pun intended). If I were SMS Audio, I would offer free SMS t-shirt or hat with each headphone purchased. Not only would it be a cheap form of advertising, consumers would feel more inclined to spend the $300+ on one of their headphones if they knew they were getting a gift as well.

Soul by Ludacris: The California-based headphone company, V-Moda, has recently announced they would be offering a free pair of their Faders VIP earbuds with any purchase. While Soul doesn't have to go to this extent, they could offer a serious discount on their earbuds with each purchase of their over-ear headphones. Depending on the amount spent, each customer could receive a percentage off one of their earbuds.

What do you think of these suggestions?

SOUL by Ludacris SL300 Headphones

Today, we will be taking a look at the flagship model of the SOUL by Ludacris line, the SL300’s. Die to their styling and price tag, the SL300's are direct competitors with the Beats by Dre Studio Headphones and SMS Audio's STREET by 50 Headphones.

To start, the SL300’s stylish packaging makes you feel better about dropping hundreds of dollars on a pair of headphones. As for their design, there are several aspects that I love, one in particular being SOUL's signature argyle stitching on the nner portion of the headband. The second pertains to the new color options. There are now three colors to choose from, as opposed to the outrageous gold color promoted during the company's launch. Also, if you don't dig any of the colors, you now have the option of getting a Usain Bolt or Cesc Fabregas limited edition SL300 Headphone! I personallly love the design of both, but if pressed, would probably go with the silver Fabregas ones.

With regards to comfort, the SL300's are superior to the Studio's and comparable to the STREET's, and, while they are rather large in size, the left and right ear-cup arms fold into the headband, making them extremely portable. As noise-cancelling headphones, they do require 2 AA batteries, but there are included and are hidden behind the SOUL logo on the left ear-cup. The SL300's can also be used without batteries, something the Studio's cant. Although the noise-cancelling feature isn't perfect, the strong bass and overall loud volume will help you eliminate any ambient noise.

 

As with most CelebHeadphones, sound quality is primarily focused on music genres like hip-hop, R&B, pop, and electronic music. Chances are, if you're thinking of buying a Ludacris headphone, you're not so much into jazz or classical music. Like with Beats by Dre Studio’s, the bass is predominant, however after testing each side by side, I enjoyed the bass more in the SL300’s. Despite its many positive features, Ludacris' flagship headphone is not perfect. My biggest problem is that the SL300's leak a good amount of sound, and isn’t the whole point of using headphones to be the only one listening to your music? It’s not terrible by any means. It’s just something I had to point out.

All in all, the SOUL by Ludacris SL300’s outperform its competitors, making them the undisputed champ of the celebrity hip-hop premium headphone market.

Price: $300

Available Now

Pros

• Travel-friendly
• Comfortable
• Bass

Cons

• Pricey
• Glossy Finish Attracts Fingerprints
• Leaks Sound

Overall Rating: 8/10

"Soul of Greatness" Ambassadors Vs. SkullCandy NBA Crew & Supermodel

In the past few years headphones have become big business, and with this, we've seen a great number of new brands and competitors. Whether its SMS Audio, Beats by Dre, SkullCandy, Soul Electronics, or Sol Republic, all of these companies have one thing in common, their emphasis on celebrity endorsement deals. Like it or not, assembling a celebrity "crew" is now a part of the business of headphones. Most likely if you are a superstar athletes or major celebrity, you can easily get signed to a headphone company. Today let's take a look at the celebrities and athletes who SkullCandy and Soul Electronics have deals with.

Who has the better celebrity crew: Soul Electronics or SkullCandy?

"SOUL of Greatness" Ambassadors

Cesc Fabregas: Star Soccer Player for FC Barcelona & the Spanish National Team

Usain Bolt: World's Fastest Man, 5 Time Gold Medalist

Tim Tebow: 2 Time BCS National Championship Winner, Heisman Trophy Winner & NY Jets QB

Ludacris: Rapper/Producer with over 20 Million Records Sold Worldwide & 6 Grammy Awards

                                                                  VS.

SkullCandy NBA Crew & Supermodel
Kevin Durant: 2 Time NBA All-Star & Already One of the Best Players in the NBA
Derrick Rose: #1 Overall NBA Draft Pick & 2011 NBA MVP
Kyrie Irving: 2012 Rookie of the Year,  Averaged over 17 PPG in Rookie Year
Kate Upton: 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Cover model, Appeared in Countless Magazines

Usain Bolt Partners with SOUL Electronics

Track and field star, Usain Bolt, has partnered with SOUL Electronics. Although at this point not much is known what this collaboration will mean to the superstar Olympian's fans, we do know that SOUL is planning on manufacturing a line of Bolt Headphones that will be available in the next few months. The Bolt line of Headphones will include a Bluetooth ear bud model with removable safety hooks, as well as a version of Soul's SL300 Headphones (see picture below). The line will most likely be available by the start of the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

Interestingly, many of Beats by Dre's competitors have recently been signing athletes and celebrities to further emphasize the celebrity brand and bring in a new demographic. Earlier this year, SMS Audio signed Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D, SkullCandy partnered with supermodel Kate Upton in addition to their growing list of NBA player endorsers, and now SOUL has Olympic Superstar, Usain Bolt. Each company has decided to go in different directions, and it will be interesting to see which is the most successful.

Ludacris Gives Obama Custom SOUL Headphones

Since it seems like everyone is getting custom CelebHeadphones these days, why not the most important man in the world? Ludacris didn't show up empty handed when he appeared as a special guest at President Barack Obama's recent fundraiser in Atlanta, Georgia. Maybe to help swag out the incumbent for the 2012 election campaign or as a "Thank you, Mr.President" - what better gift to bring than a custom pair of CelebHeadphones? Ludacris showed up to the event with a pair of his SOUL Headphones complete presidential seal and the mandatory red, white and blue color scheme. Be on the lookout for a new accessory in the next presidential address. Check out the pics below..

Soul by Ludacris SL150 Headphones

There has been alot of buzz over the Soul by Ludacris line so I was extremely excited to check them out. The SL150's are a direct competitor of the Solo Beats by Dre so as I was doing my review, I couldn't help but compare the two. These headphones have a very sharp and clean look to them. My favorite part of the design is the leather stitching on the inner portion of the headband. The diamond pattern in the leather gives it that premium car interior look which I love. Just like with the Beats by Dre headphones, the top of the headband has the Soul by Ludacris logo. Although the comfort of on-ear headphones is always a concern, the SL150's are very comfortable because they are a little larger than most. In my opinion, the SL150's are much more comfortable than the Solo's.

Sound quality is about what I expected. Just like with the Solo's, there is a good amount of bass and a significant difference in sound quality depending on the genre. Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B and House music sounds pretty good while classical, jazz and rock music sound average at best. The Ludacris SL150's were made to compete with the Solo Beats by Dre's and after reviewing both headphones, the Soul's are a much better option.

Price: $200
Available Now


Pros

• Leather Stitching
• Travel Case
• Better Sound Quality than Solo's

Cons

• Durability
• Causes Ear Sweats
• Other Options With Better Sound Quality

Overall Rating: 8/10

Ludacris SOUL Ultra Dynamic Headphones

In addition to the release of Sleek by 50, CES was also the debut of a new lineup of headphones developed by Ludacris and Signeo. The "Soul by Ludacris" line is competing with Beats by Dr. Dre and the Sleek Audio to try and win the young audience demographic. While Beats by Dr.Dre has celebrity power and Sleek by 50 has wireless technology, Soul by Ludacris uses high definition sound to separate it from the rest. The new released Soul lineup will have 5 different headphones to choose from. The headphones range from the small in-ear SL49's to the extremely large noise canceling SL300. The prices in the Soul lineup will range from $70 to $300. As more information is released, I will have a review for each edition. The final release date in unknown at this point but will be sometime in Spring 2011.