My initial snobbery was because I hadn’t realized that the cans were actually made by Zound, the Swedish company behind Urbanears and Marshall’s consumer audio gear. The sound on these particular cans was wonderfully clear, and it’s obvious that Zound hasn’t simply thrown in lots of bass to disguise bad engineering. Instead, the mids and highs have had just much attention. And those earcups — in the vein of Adidas’ Primeknit style — are comfortable enough to have squeezing both sides of your head.
They’re also surprisingly sturdy, and can be bent and twisted in all number of ways, making them a decent option for throwing in a bag without fuss. I was also impressed by the stubby little four-way joystick that sits behind the right ear cup, which controls playback and volume. It’s more reliable, and satisfying, than some of the swipe controllers I’ve struggled with recently.
The Adidas RPT-01 is rated for 40 hours of wireless playback and has removable, washable knitted earcup covers (ideal if you’re wearing them to the gym). It’s IPX4 rated for sweat-proofing and, with the app, can use custom shortcuts. It, alongside its in-ear partner, will hit store shelves for $169 / £140.
Catch up on all the latest news from IFA 2019 here!
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Comments
60
Shares
