The Gift of Sound

Raise your hand if you were Googling “phelps Olympics headphones” when you saw Michael Phelps walk out to the pool before his first race of the London Olympics.

I was certainly intrigued by those funky looking headphones with the interchangeable headbands Phelps was using to get himself pumped up. It only took seconds to learn they were made by Sol Republic.

And it didn’t take much longer for Phelps to get an endorsement deal with the company.

Now, Sol has issued a Phelps-inspired special edition of their popular Tracks headset. Dubbed “Anthem” and decked out with patriotic red, white, and blue colors, these new headphones deliver the same deep bass and high clarity of all the Sol Republic products.

The last time I owned a really good pair of over-the-ear headphones, I was 14, listening to the new ELO album on 8-track tape. So, I was excited to try these out.

In a word, the Tracks HD Anthem headphones are mind-blowing. Maybe that’s two words. Now, keep in mind, for the past 20 years or so, my music has come out of car speakers, cheap computer speakers, or Apple earbuds. Yes, of course, these Tracks headphones are mind-blowing for me. However, I had a few other people try them out, and they assure me that the sound is on par with similar products from the likes of Monster, Bose, and Skullcandy. A little research reveals that the Tracks headphones are a much better price, at $130 to $150, than its counterparts.

The interchangeable headband is a cool idea. The thing is seemingly indestructible, and if you’re not in a patriotic mood you can switch out the red, white, and blue for another of Sol’s long line of styles. It’s also quite comfortable, with solid padding for the top of the head as well as the ears.

But the sound! It certainly opens up a whole new world for my auditory cortex. I will never look at my cheap Apple earbuds the same way again. The Tracks HD Anthem headphones have just become my new best buddy for walking, working out, and watching iPad movies.

And now for the fun part of my review.

The giveaway!

The good folks at Sol Republic have sent me a pair of Tracks HD Anthem headphones to give to a lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what one song you would listen to first on these awesome new headphones.

Soon you could be dancing around the house, pumping yourself up to fold the laundry or run the vacuum like Michael Phelps getting ready to swim the 100m Butterfly.

I’ll pick a winner at the end of next week!