The Tracks Air headphones bring the technology of Motorola together with the style and sound of Sol Republic for a great pair of wireless headphones. Paired via Bluetooth with your phone, the Tracks Air deliver clear sound with distinct highs and reasonable bass. The built in microphones allow you to take phone calls on the Air Tracks. They even support NFC for easy pairing with your phone.
I’m normally a fan of over-the-ear headphones, so I was a little skeptical about the comfort of the Tracks Air. Fortunately the headband is easily adjusted to sit firmly on the top of your head and can be bent to increase or decrease the pressure on your ears. I don’t think I could wear them all day, but they are more than comfortable enough for a few hours in the evening when I’m writing or tinkering with a project.
Battery life is great. I fully charged this pair about a week ago. Since then I have used them for one to three hours per evening for a total of about 12 hours so far. According to the voice that announces the playtime left when powered on I have about 3 hours before I need to plug in. This fits well with the advertised 15 hours of battery life. If the battery does die all is not lost, though, as they include a cable for use as wired non-powered headphones. There is even a mic in the cable for taking calls. I used the wired setup with my Xbox One and was able to game and chat with great clarity.
Sound quality is much better than I expected. Obviously physics dictates how well the bass can sound in a headphone, but given the dimensions of the driver these eke out as much bass as they can. Highs are great as expected and the mids don’t suffer at all. In comparing the Tracks Air to my favorite headphones, the V-Moda Crossfade M-100, they hold up surprisingly well. The V-Moda have a much better bass response, as expected from a larger driver, and a much flatter response curve, but the Tracks Air are close enough for casual listening.
Pros: Better than average sound, long battery life, and wireless or wired operation.
Cons: On-ear design may be uncomfortable for some.
The Tracks Air by Sol Republic are available at Amazon for about $200 or less.
Sol Republic did provide this pair of headphones for review purposes.
