A couple days ago Skull Candy announced their newest line of Jay-Z approved headphones. These are likely in response to the huge success Monster Cable has had with their Beats by Dr. Dre and should be interesting once they are released sometime in June.

The features are pretty standard; 40 mm drivers, braided cable, in-line mic. But what you’re paying for is the style. The black and white ones look fresh, but what I’m really into is the brown copper-colored pair. It’s translucent amber casing gives it a sort of steampunk industrial vibe that I’m really fond of.

Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on the status of these new headphones.

jay-z headphones, roc nation aviator, skull candy aviator

In the past I have spoken highly of WESC headphones in my hipster headphones post, and I still recommend them tremendously. However, they are becoming perhaps a bit too popular. Not quite at Skullcandy or Beats by Dr. Dre level, but they are definitely getting close. When I first saw them being sold in Zumiez I think cried a little on the inside. Not really though, I’m a man and men don’t cry!

Luckily, more companies are entering the fashion headphones market and everyday they are bringing more and more stylish and feature filled headphones to market. One such company that is currently hot is Urbanears. Urbanears headphones come in a wide variety of colors and eschew fancy multi-colored designs for simple solid color sets of headphones that really make a statement with their simplicity. They are essentially Andy Warhol reincarnated as a set of headphones.

Urbanears Plattan Headphones

The Plattan line of Urbanears use quality drivers and other materials and will provide music lovers with great sounding audio. Plus, unlike most WESC headphones, are portable in addition to being stylish. The earcups are foldable, and though they won’t fit in your pocket like earbuds, they will definitely fit securely in a backpack or purse. Another cool feature you’ll find is the “zound port.” This is just a 3 mm audio out jack on one of the ear pieces which allows a friend to plug their headphones into yours and share in the enjoyment of your music. So if you’re looking for a fresh alternative set of headphones, consider a pair of Urbanears.

fashion headphones, Urbanears

Though this definitely diverts from my usual posts about DJ headphones, I’ve always been fascinated with the loud, vintage headphones of the past that hipsters tend to wear. So I’ve done the research and have tracked down the best indie headphones that are commercially available (I’ve seen some really cool custom headphones that folks have made on their own, but since you can’t buy them anywhere I’m not going to bother).

Panasonic RP-HTX7 Monitor Headphones Review

The Panasonic RP-HTX7 line is popular for its classic design and wide variety of color choices. They have a closed back design which encloses your entire ear and powerful 40 mm drivers for great sound reproduction. In red, green, and white they really look sharp.

WeSC Oboe Headphones Review

WeSC Oboes are some of the most hipster headphones available. They’re actually like the Urban Outfitters of headphones manufacturers. They have good Sennheiser components, but you pay extra for the awesome retro-modern design. The Oboes only have 30 mm drivers, but that’s good enough for most music listeners. They also come in a HUGE variety of colors and designs. The uglier colors typically have the more reasonable prices.

WeSC Sitar DJ Pocket Headphones Review

The WeSC Sitars are frequently seen in hip urban clubs due to their fantastic style and sleek design. They sound basically the same as the Oboes, with the same 30 mm driver. These come in even more colors however, with even some multi-toned pairs available. One other feature worth noting is the rotating earcups.

WeSC Bongo Headphones Review

This is the last WeSC product I’m going to review in this post, I promise. The Bongo headphones have much higher audio quality than the Oboe and Sitar – due to the Bongo’s larger 40 mm drivers. Stylistically, they are pretty similar to the Oboes, but have more limited edition colors and designs available.

WeSC headphones have become pretty popular lately, so if you want a certain color or design it’s best to order it soon before they’re sold out or discontinued.

Koss Pro-4AA Studio Quality Headphones Review

I’m not gonna lie, these Koss Pro-4AA headphones are meant for studio use and not exactly for travel, but they’re heavy but they look great in a retro sort of way. These have the highest sound quality of all the headphones I’ve talked about so far.

Are Skull Candy Headphones Indie?

No. They’re mainstream, overpriced, and terrible. That’s all my opinion, of course.

Hipster Headphones, indie headphones, Koss Pro-4AA, Panasonic RP-HTX7 Headphones, WeSC Bongo, WeSC Oboe, WeSC Sitar