I am not, generally speaking, a vanity electronics kind of guy. I have thus been able to avoid the siren’s call of the now ubiquitous Beats by Dre headphones. However, when SMS Audio contacted me about a special version of their STREET by 50 line – rapper 50 Cent’s own take on high-performance, fashion-forward headphones – released with Star Wars fans in mind, I had to take a listen.
To celebrate May the Fourth, SMS has just made available a selection of First-Edition Star Wars STREET by 50 On-Ear Wired headphones. The series’ four models are specially branded with classic Lucasfilm iconography that any fan will instantly recognize. The Stormtrooper model comes in brilliant high-gloss white with plush, black leather ear cushions and a Trooper helmet as its earpiece emblem; The Rebel Alliance looks smart with a grey headband and orange ear caps touching off the white leather cushions and the Rebel’s Starbird emblem; The Boba Fett model goes full-on Mandalorian, proudly boasting the bounty hunter’s symbol paired with a deep green band and rust-red ear caps against its ivory leather ear cushions; And my personal favorite, the Galactic Empire, goes with a minimalist all-black design paired with sharp red Imperial cogs.
Each set comes with great looking accents like contrast stitching and a matching case, in which these foldable headphones fit perfectly, not to mention bonus swag like a cleaning cloth, certificate of authenticity, stickers and a sweet poster. All these extras make for an enticing package, but the real selling point is the superb audio quality.
The 40mm drivers that SMS touts as delivering “enhanced bass” definitely give these headphones some strong low-end, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it far from overpowering. Instead my Galactic Empire STREETs deliver robust, balanced sound that doesn’t sacrifice clarity – even at higher volumes. Moreover, the amply padded leather ear cups not only make for comfortable listening, even over extended sessions, they also conform to your ears to add a bit of passive noise-cancellation. The adjustable headband, too, is well-padded, and perfectly designed so as not to bow when the headphones are folded for storage. In fact, my only gripe is that the detachable cord, which boasts a play button and a perfectly clear mic for taking phone calls, lacks the inline volume controls to which I’ve become accustomed.
Both aesthetically pleasing and beautifully responsive, the First-Edition Star Wars STREET by 50 On-Ear Wired headphones are a dream come true for Star Wars fans and music geeks. The only catch? The sizable MSRP of $199.95. But if you’re planning to invest in set of high-end cans, there’s no reason not to get a little extra nerd styling for your money!
Review materials provided by: SMS Audio
I bought the Rebel Alliance headphones, after randomly finding them on amazon.com. The sound is fantastic, but I’m unimpressed with the design. I was amped to be getting these headphones, then I pulled them out of the box and it’s all plastic. The rebel alliance symbol is raised plastic (I was expecting some kind of an inlay). They look like toy headphones. I know you don’t want to make them too heavy, because it’ll reduce the comfort of the headphones, but I think they need to redesign these and make them not look like a child’s headphones