“The new color in sound.” That is what Urbanears was pleased to announced. Urbanears as a name doesn’t exactly sound like it hails from Scandanevia, but that is where the designs come from. In case one doesn’t know “color” in “sound” is not exactly the greatest of concepts, as “sound coloring” is one of the measures of how clean the sound is. Today we got to review the Plattan from Urbanears. While we would like to be able to tell you the cool meaning of “Plattan” – our Finnish is lacking, so we shall just tell you about the headphones.
Kättelyssä
That is apparently “out of the box” in Finnish, in case you were wondering. The headphones come out of their compact boxes fairly easily. All Urbanears products come with three plugs: the standard plug, compatible with most devices include iPhones, iPods and notebooks, the Nokia plug and a neutral stereo plug for older devices. That’s about it.
The Design
We are going to stop with the Finnish titles and get to the headphones. The headphones are on-the-ear headphones that fit a 40mm driver. Urbanears implements the common style of running a single cord through the left cup to deliver signal to the headphone. The cord features an interesting fabric cord with iPhone controls six inches below the cup. The headpiece is a signle fabric type and literally could pass for a girls headband. Matte plastic is used for the cups and hinges. On the right cup is a “zound plug” that allows another user to plug in another 1/8″ device to use.
Comfort
Even after five hours of use it can still take a couple of minutes to get the earphones to fit us comfortably. This is largely due to the on-ear design that almost ensures a perfect fit is unattainable. For most headphones, we seem to be use about half of the avaiable room for adjustment, on the Plattans we are over four fifths. For us this was not a problem, but given that we seem to be near the average on most models, this could prevent a problem for fitting a lot of users. For on-ear headphones, the Plattans do a fairly nice job in terms of fitting to our rear. That is largely due to their lightweight design as well as the hinges built on to the cups. However, trying to get these to stay on for long periods of time seems out of the question. Even subtly moving our head would usually move the headphones off-blanace leading to them eventually falling off. With our essential lab testing of these headphones, putting them under conditions of moving arond in any intense manner (i.e. jogging) seems far out of the question.
The Sound
To get to the point real quick: these are real bass-heavy and when we mean real bass-heavy, we don’t necessiarly mean that the bass is the greatest we have ever heard. A large part of the reason why the sound isn’t phenomenal has to do with the fit, or more the lack of it. The on ear design means that the chance of isolation/creating a decent seal is non existent. That added with the lack luster performance of the drivers creates a sound that is not superb.
The Low-End
Problem number one is the bass. It’s a nice novelty for hip-hop songs, but the fact that even when we are listening to acoustic songs the bass sounds like a Lil Wayne song is a problem. While it’s quite impressive what the 40mm drivers are able to push given the weight and power, it’s not for the better 95% of the time. Then problem number two kicks in and the lack of isolation once again creates problems. When we pressed down on the cups to create a better seal, a more accurate bass filled our ears and we were suddenly reminded just how many things we would change about the Plattan.
The Rest of the Spectrums of Sound
So while the bass is the largest problem, the highs and mids are not something to rave about. Urbanears reinvented the word “muddy” and “muddled’ as far as we are concerned with their Plattans. When Mr Hudson’s voice suddenly sounded like Dylan – we knew that we were in for a real treat. The overwhelming bass line and the awful mids and highs create a scenario in which it becomes hard to listen to any musical genre with the Plattans. No matter what song we played, the Plattans spit it out in a disgusting manner that was just unbearable.
In Conclusion
There is a reason why when you try to find the Urbanears Plattan on Amazon, they show up as both an electronic and clothing item. These are a fashion statement, not a commitment to accurate listening. If you chose to use these, you are making that pledge and it’s up to you. Outside of the on-ear nature, we liked the design of the Plattans: the cord, the iPhone compatibility, the lightweight nature. But we judge products on sound, not looks and by our standards the Plattans fall… well they don’t meet the standards. In all honesty, never before have we heard a headphone (above $50) that butchers sound clarity as well as the Urbanears. What is shocking is that when talking to people via the Plattans, the noise just sounds like your normal cellphone and that leads us to our conclusion about the Plattans: attach a subwoofer to your cellphone and imagine using that to play music. You can purchase Urbanears Plattans from Amazon or Turntable Lab for $60.
Don’t know where you got the idea that there Finnish? Urbanears products “Plattan”, “Tanto” and “Medis” are all places in Stockholm (Sweden). Shame about the audio quality as they look pretty nice!
Thanks so much for doing a review on these. I’ve liked them for awhile, and all I could find were reviews on the design, not the actual sound quality. The review is a little disappointing, I don’t need pretty earphones that will fall off of my ears and have bad sound quality that badly!
Thanks for the comments Amanda, Unless you need the iPhone compatibility, check out the Panasonic RP-HTX7s – half the price, we like the looks better and the sound is on another level. Links is below…
http://themacfeed.com/2010/01/review-panasonic-rp-htx7/
Thorre, thanks for the geography – we struggle with the English language quite a bit and will stick to that from now on.
I checked these out at a “gift” store near my home and I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, they are bass heavy, but that’s what I expect when I try headphones aptly named “Urbanears”. I live in an urban area and when I hear music in the distance, I first thing I hear is bass. I would enjoy a little more balance (like my in ear Shure’s) but if you’re young and are not really concerned about music balance (most aren’t), then these will be perfect for you, because of the color choices and overall style.
The fit was fine, but I have a huge head of hair, so all headphones stay on my head. It wasn’t tight around the ears or headband, like my noise canceling Sennheisers. Overall, I would buy these, but didn’t because they didn’t fold up (collapse) and/or didn’t have a carrying bag.
They do fold up nicely by the way i just got mine today and i enjoy them a lot!! sure there is no caring case but who really needs one when you can just put them around your neck.
They didn’t fold up? Despite not liking the sound, we found they fold up better then just about any earphone on the market.
I stand corrected. I asked the salesperson if they folded up and she told me they didn’t. I didn’t try to actually fold them myself. With that news, I may actually pick up a pair to hang out in the park with. Thanks.
Sorry for my bad english!
I listen music daily with a Sennheiser HD21 and 2 weeks ago I tried to compare the Urbanears with another fashion headphones WESC Bongo which cost 75 Euros in Europe. The Plattan cost 60 euros. And all I can say is the Plattan is better than any fashion (wesc, skullcandy, zumreed) headphones on the market. Also I tried the Panasonic and for the price the sound is very bad even if it’s Panasonic. Honestly Plattan sound very good ans better than the RP-HTX7s. Like I said I listen daily muisc on Hifi so I know what Im talking about. For a fashion headphones it’s a good deal, they are full compatible with the iPhone, you play, pause, forward, preview. The small package is very design, but im very disappointed with the cord.
Hey, thanks for the review. I firstly needed Headphones. My second criteria was an inline mic and iPhone control and my third desire was comfort. I was hoping to get all these with an excellent sound reproduction in one package. If the urbanears do not fit the bill, would someone please let me know if anything does… Or is this an impossible dream…?
Thanks all.
It’s unfortunate because there are plenty of headphones that sound way better that don’t have the inline control. Check out the review of the eskuché Control, the most recent headphone review. That’s the first one that comes to mind.
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Can I use the microphone to the computer so I can talk to others with Skype? and other programs and stuff? like when I am gaming at my computer and I want to talk with microphone. Can I use this there?
beautiful design
I actually really love these headphones. I have fairly small ears and head, so I have no problems with fit or isolation of sound. I agree that they are a little bass heavy, but I don't have any problem with how the mids and highs sound on these- I tried the escuche controls that are mentioned in the comments, and found that they sounded really tinny- more of an acoustic sin to me than an amped up bass!
This is a Swedish brand, not a Finnish one.
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I completely dissagree, of course the are bass heavy so it is well suited for rock n roll and electro. Also i use them for skateboarding and they work like a treat!
It'd be much easier to take the review seriously if you'd done some basic background research! Urbanears is a Stockholm-based company (as in, Swedish, not Finnish). As Thorre wrote, Plattan, Tanto and Medis are placed in Stockholm, and an extremely quick visit to the Urbanears webpage will reveal why those particular names were chosen, as well. I personally prefer a heavy bass, and have been looking for a while for headphones with stronger bass, so I'm definitely going to check these out (and look for reviews by people that seem a bit more serious…).Oh, and it's spelled Scandinavia, not Scandanevia. Seriously…
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Yeah they're definitely Swedish, and I just wanted to point out that “Kättelyssä” is definitely not “Out of the box” in Finnish. It means “upon shaking hands” lmfao. Sorry!
I recently bought these headphones and so far I love em. I am not the most avid music listener so the sound quality of these headphones is more than good enough for me. They are lightweight and find I can wear them for long periods of time. The microphone is really handy, I use it all the time with my iPhone. Since the cord is covered in fabric it prevents it from freezing while snowboarding or out in the cold. Plus they look very sick.
You guys / gals clearly have zero idea what you're talking about, in more senses than one. Seems that reviews of these headphones seem to have fallen to uninformed hacks who think they're technically savvy but themselves fall into the “hipster-doofus” category in the editorial pool, thus prompting them to give a relatively well-informed sounding, negative review of some flippin' exceptional headphones, in order to sound cool and relatively well informed (while the other more “easily-defined” — and probably taken more seriously — writers leave them to their obscure hipster-doofus tasks…That's the unfortunate yet exceptional thing about the Urbanears Plattan, and possibly Urbanears' whole steelo, but I've only experienced Plattan (and, very briefly, Medis, their in-ear model). Medis was the second-to-last model on an epic, 90-minute search I took with poor Lou, manager of Record Mart Latin Music & Electronics store, located in the Times Square, NYC subway station. I'd bought my 2nd most expensive pair of headphones, the Etym?tic Labs mc3, which (I thought) would finally assuage my rabid desire for a quality-build headphone, with superior sound quality, that fits on my ridiculously Elephant Man-specific ears, and (the kicker) feature an online mic usable with my beloved iPhone.Being an iPhone user since 2007, this has been an interminable, often soul-crushing search. Headphones I thought would rise above fell flat, broke, crapped out, or just ended up falling short of the mark. I went back to Record Mart with my new Etym?tic phones because (I shit you not) a crackle appeared on the left side nary an hour after I bought them. Not to mention, I hadn't tried them out in the store, so was appalled to hear how crap-awful a pair of in-ears acoustically tested within inches of life, and designed like divers' earplugs, could have such nasty, flat, midrange-y, bassless sound. I was truly disgusted.Long story short, after convincing Lou that I wasn't just some misinformed girl, but actually a lifelong hardcore audio aficionado with recording, electronic and computer system experience, he finally decided to take me seriously, as I raked him over the coals of his entire supply. Screw the SkullCandy — pantywaists. AKG, Sennheiser, Grado, Beats by Dr Dre…all either fell short in terms of sound quality, fit, style, and price: my top-ranking criteria for every pair of headphones I buy. And I have owned probably 100+ of them in my lifetime. These are all absolutely and equally crucial, and the last became less, as I struggled to find a pair that would fit all bills and go the distance. Etym?tic failed miserably in the cost department; I thought the premium price would mean premium quality. Ha! I say, HA!!When Lou finally plopped down the Urbanears Plattan, we'd both nearly lost hope. “I just got these in, haven't even inventoried them yet.” The look was strictly Cayce Pollard of William Gibson's “Pattern Recognition,” super-clean, virtually brandless, stylishly unobtrusive, austerely utilitarian, well-constructed & sturdy. All checks on the outside, now let's hear them…I took them through loud heavy metal styles, disco house, classical, all very rapidly, along with my favorite iPod EQ settings (Bass Booster, Classical, Electronic, Deep, Rock, Hip Hop)…after trying probably 15 headphones and almost immediately saying, “NAAAHHH” within about a minute I said to Lou, “I think we have a winner!” (inaudibly to myself, because the Plattan blocks external noise better than the “best” pair of SONY noise-canceling phones I've owned, which also — you guessed it — pooped out in short order).I am NOT AT ALL surprised to discover Urbanears is a Swedish company. I have resonated deeply with Swedish art and design all my life, and have recently decided 100% to make a summer home in Stockholm my place to be when New York City succumbs to the stench of rotting garbage and stale pee. People, people, PLEASE…the Swedes do NOT fuck around! When it comes to marrying science & design, the Swedes are the friendlier, more subtle version of the Germans! Urbanears Plattan are the most delicious headphones I've purchased in years: the right price, excellent, versatile sound, gorgeous design, nice surprises (the Zound plug, so I can share the mix with my DJ boyfriend?! Holla!)… You people are amateurs. Stay outta the audio review ring if you can't get it right. Jag alskar Plattan, jag alskar Urbanears, jag alskar livet, JAG ALSKAR SVERIGE!!!PS: The only thing better than Plattan is the brand new Plattan PLUS, which have the *only* thing Plattan lacked for me: volume control WITH the mic. But, even though purple is my favorite color — and I may buy them as my Stockholm “Music Muffs” — purple headphones are not hardcore enough to accompany on my daily paramilitary romp through NYC. You got away easy this time, Lou.Keepin' it real — Carol from Brooklyn, NYC
Great review of the headphones! I had an almost identical experience and also bought Etymotic thinking it was the answer to my headphone problem…. Wrong, they worked well at first but then they started to lose sound in one earphone. I just happened to stumble upon these headphones ( Urbanears) today in the limelight in NYC. I was floored at how well they sounded. I went through my usual test of everything from Opera to Rap. Next, I asked how much they cost and the vendor, who is a DJ, replied back $60. Needless to say, I bought them. I came home and read online about these headphones and saw this review. I was quite perplexed. Also, it would be interesting to know which headphone the individual that wrote the review prefers. I have tried so many different headphones and these are incredible and I was glad when I read your response which is dead on. Please read Carol’s response to this article…
wow nice job fukkin every detail up in this one
This is a horrid review. I've never had headphones as good as these, block out sound, plays nice and loud, fit perfectly on my head. They are on better than my AKG's, I've had no problem with the having to much bass. This review is really bad. I'm so sorry, it is.
I googled ‘urbanears review’ and this is the first page that came up, so I read the rveiew and I must say I will def skip on these headphones, even though t hey do look cool
Thanks for saving me my money, I appreciate it and please continue to write excellent reviews!
… urbanears is a swedish company… get your facts straight before you do a review
i have a set of the Plattan head phones in grey.. i have had none of the problems this review speaks of. they fit me fine. they dont fall off, they sound great and yeah they look awesome
lol
Carol sounds like she was paid to write that.
This is crazy. I can’t even understand what universe this person must be in, especially in terms of sound quality. honestly, i think his problem is that she was playing 128kbps mp3′s through headphones that can produce a much richer sound than the file he’s playing. this review is just wrong and this man is a fool. my argument is, that sure, they may not be fully equivalent in sound quality to something like beats by dre, but beats sure as hell aren’t more than SIX TIMES better, which is how much more they cost. buy urbanears, they are worth it.