Urbanears Plattan Review

It's become pretty apparent over the last couple of years that headphones aren't just about sound anymore. Today they're also about style and portability.

One of the newest companies leading the charge in fashionable headphones is Urbanears, a company from Scandinavia that shows a lot of promise. Urbanears Plattan have quickly become their most popular (and best) model to date

But are they any good?

This Urbanears Plattan review will cover several important details including style, sound, portability, and features.

The Style

There's no question that the Plattan is a stylish headphone. It has a somewhat classic look with padded on-ear earcups, a fabric cord that minimizes tangles, and a matte finish. There are 14 different colors spanning nearly the entire color spectrum.

The only color that's really missing is orange. I'm not sure why. Personally I went with brown and they look great.

The Plattan is definitely larger than your typical 1980's style on ear headphone, but it's by no means overly flashy or bulky. It looks good and fits well.

The Sound

The sound on Urbanears' Plattan is very good. Especially considering the price range. While the earcups are considered on-ear, they cover my ears almost entirely, for an experience of total immersion. As far as I know, they're not advertised as noise canceling or reducing, but they definitely act that way. I can hardly (if at all) hear someone speaking when these headphones are on, even if that person is right in front of me.

Portability / Durability

Urbanears Plattan are definitely everyday, on-the-go headphones that travel well. The band is nice and flexible, and the earcups fold in into a compact little package. There's no carrying case, but personally I don't need or want one.

I haven't had the Plattan's long enough to really judge durability, but they definitely appear like they'll last a while. The design is simple, so there aren't a lot of connections that can break, and the materials look like they can definitely handle their share of wear and tear without a problem.

The Features

For a moderately priced pair of headphones, the Urbanears have a lot of cool features. The compact folding design is definite plus, as it makes the headphones both portable and capable of fitting any size head.

The cord is fabric which keeps it remarkably tangle free, a very welcome improvement over other headphones and earbuds I've had in the past. It also has a remote/microphone that's compatible with most devices including iPhone, Droid, Nokia, Blackberry, HTC, and others.

Perhaps the coolest and most original feature is what they refer to as the 'Zound Plug' which is an extra jack on one of the earcups that lets you (or rather someone else) plug another pair of headphones into yours so you can listen to the same music simultaneously. Such a simple idea, but one that definitely sets the Urbanears Plattan apart from other headphones.

Overall, I'm a big fan of Urbanears Plattan. They make for a great pair of everyday, on-the-go headphones that look good, sound good, and travel well. With the bonus features like the Zound Plug and remote, I'm definitely going to enjoy and get great use out of them.

And that... is my Urbanears Plattan review!