Home Software SOL Republic Soundtrack Pro ANC headphone review: Good-enough features and performance for the price

SOL Republic Soundtrack Pro ANC headphone review: Good-enough features and performance for the price

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SOL Republic Soundtrack Pro ANC headphone review: Good-enough features and performance for the price

Lifestyle audio maker SOL Republic has launched a brand new headphone mannequin as a part of its Sountrack sequence. The $200 Soundtrack Pro ANC is an over-the-ear wi-fi headphone with lively noise-cancelling expertise and Bluetooth 5.0 on board. 

The Soundtrack Pro ANC (a similar model without ANC can be obtainable at Amazon for $170) is available in three colours: black, grey, and champagne. The acoustically clear coloured cloth overlaying the drivers modifications relying on which headphone coloration you select. My evaluation pair occurred to be black.

This evaluation is a part of TechHive’s protection of the best headphones, the place you will discover evaluations of competing merchandise, plus a purchaser’s information to the options you must contemplate when buying.

Generous battery life

Like its latest competitors, the Soundtrack Pro ANC delivers sufficient battery to final greater than a full day. Its 500mAh battery is rated to ship 32 hours of wi-fi playback. Thanks to fast charging expertise, you’ll get a full cost in about 3.5 hours. 

You can cost the headphones with the included USB-A to USB-C charging cable, which plugs into the underside of the precise ear cup. I discovered the cable tight to suit because of the protruding flange from the underside of the earcup. Five LED lights on the highest of the precise ear cup provide you with a visible indication of the charging standing. 

Theo Nicolakis / IDG

Lights on the highest of the precise earcup let the charging standing.

The headphones fold for simple journey, however SOL Republic ought to have included a carrying case—a pouch, a minimum of—for the worth level. Most patrons contemplating noise-cancelling headphones, in any case, are probably planning to take them on the street. Speaking of which, there’s no airline adapter or 1/4-inch adapter included, both.

Ergonomics

Traditional three-button controls are positioned on the highest of the precise ear cup. The pause/play button has a particular protrusion, and the buttons are pretty simple to tell apart by contact. I wasn’t at all times assured, nevertheless, I had my finger on the right button and wanted to maneuver my finger from entrance to again to get oriented. Manufacturers ought to make all management buttons tactile-friendly. I favor the extra overt button distinctions you’ll discover on V-Moda, AKG, and Bowers & Wilkins headphones.

Plastic is the dominant materials within the Soundtrack Pro ANC’s building, with a click-adjustable steel headband as the only real exception. I didn’t like the headscarf, discovering it tougher than common to regulate. In truth, I discovered every part about this headphone’s design to be stiff or tight. If you favor tight-fitting headphones, you’ll love the Soundtrack Pro ANC.

Side view of the Sol Republic headphones Theo Nicolakis / IDG

A aspect view of the SOL Republic Soundtrack Pro ANC headphones.

Take the ear cups, for instance: Despite being smooth but capable of maintain their form to create a secure listening cavity round my ears, they by no means felt snug. B&W’s barely more-expensive PX headphones create an analogous stability with their earcups, however they’re far more pliable.