SOL Republic Tracks review

SOL Republic is still a relatively new headphone company, but buyers of consumer-level headphones should pay attention. The company is aiming to sit between the cheap, horrible tolerable headphones and the expensive luxury brands with cans that look and sound good for a nice price. How do they fare in the real world? Join us for our SOL Republic Tracks review to find out.

STATS

• Featuring V8 Sound Engines for deep bass and high clarity
• Three-button remote lets you adjust the volume, skip music and answer/hang-up calls easily
• Virtually indestructible Sound Track headband
• Mix up the colors of the Sound Track headbands and cable to match your style
• Detachable drivers

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The design of the Tracks headphone is unique, in a good way. Like other SOL Republic offerings, you get swappable pieces--the headband, the Sound Engines (speakers), the wire--all separate pieces that can be swapped out for ones of different colors if you wish. Since the speakers slide up and down on the headphone headband, you can get a near-perfect fit regardless of the size or shape of your head.

USING THE SOL REPUBLIC TRACKS
If you're someone who enjoys listening to current music--stuff like rock and roll, top 40 hits, hip-hop and the like, and you use your smartphone or iPod to do it, maybe streaming from iTunes Radio, Spotify, or Rdio, you don't need a super expensive pairs of headphones. The fact is, you're listening to lossy music, and you want a pair of headphones that won't break the bank, and won't highlight the flaws in the lossy tracks. Instead, you want headphones that will highlight the clarity.

The Tracks headphones serve this purpose fantastically. You get nice details in the mids and highs of your music, and the bass can bump as well (without being tuned to a ridiculous level like the much more expensive Beats by Dr. Dre line.) Truth be told, bass is great when listening at what we'd call "normal" listening levels. Turn it up to where people nearby can annoyingly also listen along to your tunes, and you may find the bass getting a little muddled. That's on you though. Keep these within a reasonable volume level, and you won't get any distortion, and your music will sound great.

The Tracks headphones also offer SOL Republic's "virtually indestructable" headband. It's made of a strong, bendable polymer that can be twisted and bent in all sorts of directions, always returning back to its normal shape. It's awesome, and if it does break, you have a 1,000 day warranty on it. We can't imagine someone breaking these, even on purpose it would take some real effort.

CONCLUSION
When considering the price of the SOL Republic Tracks, you quickly realize that they're super inexpensive. When you listen to them, it's hard to imagine a better bargain in the world of headphones. If you are a hardcore audiophile, these aren't for you. However, if you just want something better than the horrible earbuds that come included with your smartphone or digital audio player and want a good upgrade that rests on your ears, look no further than the SOL Republic Tracks headphones. SOL Republic has found the intersection between sound and price with the Tracks headphones. While the SOL Republic Tracks retail for $99, we found them for $65 brand new on Amazon. At that price, these are a steal.

If over-ears are more your thing, check out our SOL Republic Master Tracks review.