There are a lot of obnoxious headphone designs currently on the market (*waves to SkullCandy), but a growing number of consumers are after a sleeker, more refined headphone design. And while a sweet, minimalist design is important to these music fans, they also obviously want their headphones to sound good, too. Thankfully for the more sophisticated listener, SUBJEKT has you covered.
SUBJEKT is a relatively new company (founded in 2009) that offers both over-ear and in-ear headphones for consumers who like to be style trendsetters while rocking out to their music. The folks over at SUBJEKT were kind enough to give me a pair of their TNT line of headphones to try out.
I received my all-white over-ear headphones a few weeks ago, and I have been testing them out since then. The first thing you’ll notice is the sleek, minimalist design of the headphones, which I think is amplified by the all-white color (check out the featured image above to see for yourself). You might be thinking that the TNT line looks awfully similar to the UrbanEars Plattin line, and I definitely agree with that statement. However, the good news for SUBJEKT is that I found the build quality of the TNT’s to be better than the Plattin’s. I’ve packed the TNT’s tight in my backpack during the past three weeks and they still are like new. The ear pads are made out of a cushioned pleather-type material, and it is soft and smooth to the touch.
The driver ear pad cases move up and down about 40 degrees, which allows for the headphones to fit all head sizes and shapes. The driver cases don’t move side-to-side though, but I’ll trade that extra mobility for a better build quality, which the TNT’s deliver on. Like all over-ear headphones, I do notice my ears starting to hurt after about two hours of continuous wear, but that’s in line with other over-ear headphones I’ve tried out.
Most important is the sound quality, and the TNT’s are good for their price range. At a price range of $50-$60, the TNT’s are in the same category of the aforementioned UrbanEars Plattin line, but the TNT’s sound much better (at least compared to older versions of the UrbanEars Plattin line). I tested out the TNT’s using a few different songs across different genres of music, and I was generally pleased with the sound quality. Perhaps not unexpected for headphones branded for the stylish and price conscious consumer, the TNT’s are indeed a bit bass heavy, but it’s not overpowering, and at least we can hear low frequencies unlike the UrbanEars Plattin line. When multiple sound ranges are rapidly blended together – as in the second movement of Beethoven’s “9th Symphony” – the sound can be a little bit muddy and less clear compared to some higher price headphones I have, but at least you’re hearing the full range of sounds. For trance/electronic music (like Tiesto and Avicii), the TNT’s sounded really good.
Overall, if you’re interested in stylish, good sounding pair of over-ear headphones in the $50-$60 dollar range, I would skip the UrbanEars Plattin line and go with the SUBJEKT TNTs. They have a few other solid color options available, so browse away!
SUBJEKT TNT – $49.99
