The Urbanears Plattan sounds like it’s an IKEA product, but as opposed to sitting down or chopping onions on it, you wear the Plattan right on your head. Don’t let the modest design fool you, though: this headset packs a lot of sound and can even link up with your friend’s headphones, so you can both listen to the same music source.
Design
Despite the ultra colourful appearance of the Plattan, the design aesthetic is quite subtle. Strips of silver outline the inside of the headband and the exterior of each earpiece, and you ‘ll really only see the branding if you look for it.
The headband is covered in mesh which makes it feel soft to the touch, and each earpiece is covered by a significant amount of padding. While these are comfortable additions to the design, I worry about how much dust and dirt these areas will attract over time, since they don ‘t look particularly easy to clean.
The cord, which extends from the left side of the headphones, feels a lot more like a shoelace than a dinky iPod earphone wire ” which is a good thing. This wire doesn ‘t tangle easily, and the included pause/play button and microphone are placed perfectly for easy access and usage. One extra detail I didn’t expect is the plug’s iPhone 2G compatibility, meaning you can use it with first-gen iPhones without the need for stupid adapters.
Overall, the Plattan feels like a solid pair of headphones that should last quite a while, as long as you take care of them. They ‘re not exactly portable, but they do fold up so that you can throw them more easily into a bag for travel. You could also simply sport them around the neck, although they can feel a little tight.
Fit
As if overly eager to please you, the Plattan tends to (care)bear hug your skull. These headphones feel just fine during the first 20-40 minutes of use, after which you ‘ll quickly start to feel an uncomfortable amount of pressure, especially towards the back of the ear. Tweaking the fit of the headphones by moving the earpieces backwards helps a bit, but if particularly tight fits irritate you, then you won ‘t like the Plattan.
That said, this extra tight fit does have its advantages. The earpieces are so big that they actually do a decent job of muffling sound, leaving you free to enjoy your music without inadvertently sharing it with everyone else.
Sound
I ‘m no expert on audio quality, although I do like to make sure my tracks are at least 256kbps VBR, and I listen hard to try and get the most out of my music.
The Plattan tends to make listening a little easier, by virtue of being so darn loud. I normally set my MacBook ‘s volume to about 40% and keep iTunes volume at 70%. I ‘ve found that the Plattan is so loud that I ‘ve lowered my MacBook ‘s volume by about 15% to enjoy the same sound level I got from my V-Moda Vibe II ‘s. I also tend to play songs about 10% softer than normal on my iPhone when wearing the Urbanears.
I ‘ve read other reviews that have criticized the Plattan for being ‘muddy ‘, and after several side-by-side tests using iPhones at the same volume levels, I’d agree with that conclusion. The sound from the Plattan isn’t quite as crisp as it is from my Vibe II’s (~$100), but it does feel rich and full.
Zound Port
The last major selling point of the Plattan is its extra 3.5mm port, which allows one friend to simply hook right into your headphones and listen to what you’re playing. Urbanears calls it the Zound Port, and I think it’s awesome. There ‘s nothing like synchronized rocking out with a friend, and Urbanears ‘ solution certainly beats using an awkward adapter splitter.
Conclusion
I think that the Urbanears Plattan are good, but not great. Yellow wouldn’t be my first choice for earphones (I find it difficult to match with clothing), but all of the Urbanears products feature bright, almost retro tints, that really stand out from a lot of drab, modern designs.
If you don’t mind a bit of a tight fit and aren’t a real stickler for crystal clear sound, then the extra Zound Port, bright colours, and gorgeous minimal design should definitely win you over.
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You can pick up an Urbanears Plattan in one of twelve colours for about $60 from ThinkGeek or Karmaloop.
The Plattan was provided by the Max Borges Agency for review on Just Another iPhone Blog. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About” page.
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TAGS: headphones, Music
