There are product designs that have stayed the same since time immemorial and there are products whose design changes from day to day.
The in ear headphone is a product whose design has been pretty much nailed on and despite slight differences in varying manufacturers designs, the all look much alike.
Step forward however the latest offering from Urbanears, the Kransen in-ear headphones.
Supplied neatly in a minimalist box with 3 different sizes of buds, the Urbanears Kransen are different in design as they attempt to solve one of the perennial problems for anyone that uses earphones on a regular basis….cord tangling.
The system which is patent pending involves a unique “Cable Loop” which “allows you to wrap your cord and secure it into place, never having to spend another minute untangling headphones after they’ve been in your bag ever again.” In truth, the system works very well and actually does prevent the cord from tangling.
Another unique feature of the Kransen is the Snap Construction whereby the earphones can be connected together, a system which was inspired by the building blocks that we played with as kids. This enables the earphones to be locked together around the neck when not in use meaning that they are not hanging down and swinging around. This is another piece of design which works remarkably well.
The rest of the construction is fairly standard stuff, the cable is protected by a combination of rubber and fabric and includes Urbanears standard microphone and remote which works with all smartphones and not just iPhones as many do.
As ever, the key thing with any earphone is the sonic performance and here is where the target market for the Kransen becomes clear.
Take a bass heavy tune with standard mid range vocals (Jakwob’s ft Maiday – Fade is a good example) and the Kransen’s excel. Not a hint of distortion at high volumes and the vocals are delivered with clarity. The youngsters will love them, with the great seal that the earplugs give and the thumping bass pounding away teenagers will be able to ignore their parents with all the more gusto!
The one slight downfall of the Kransen however is when listening to music that is less bass oriented. Here they can sound a little harsh bordering on shrilly, designed for Beethoven playback they were not.
The Urbanears Kransen come supplied in 10 different colours and cost £35 direct or £39 from Amazon which in todays world is a reasonable sum for a decent pair of earphones. The market is fast becoming crowded with mid-priced in ear headphones and companies need to do something to stand out.
The cable management system and the sonic performance of the Kransen’s certainly enable them to do this and they will certainly appeal to the younger generation however those that don’t like their beats loud and proud may have some issues.
My thanks go to Urbanears for the loan of the Kransen earphones.
