Wicked Audio 3D Headphones Review

There are two types of headphones in this world: finely crafted aural masterpieces for those who listen to their Mahler or Rachmaninoff while sipping cognac by the fire, or down-and-dirty cans for the people who use their headphones as hard as their bikes or skis.  Wicked Audio’s phones fall firmly into the latter category and I’ve been abusing their stylish 3D (that’s the product name, not a descriptor) over-ear cans while pursuing the life of a bike bum.

Wicked Audio 3D Headphones Features:

• Synthetic Cups
• Hero Volume Control
• Enhanced Bass
• High Fidelity
• Impedance 32 ohms
• Frequency: 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz
• MSRP: $29.99

My Experience

The 3D’s are your straightforward budget cans – you can pick them up for just $20 0n Amazon and it’s hard to argue that price.  Sound quality is pretty on-par for the price range: voice range and treble are muted and a little lackluster, though the phones do boast some solid bass to keep your cilia tingling. An inline volume control is a nice touch, and the rotary knob actually has enough range to give the user a decent amount of control.

The headphones are built to be stylish rather than comfortable, and I can definitely say they hit that niche.  The cans are visually striking and I daresay that’ll appeal to the average teenage aspiring gravity champion.  Don’t plan on wearing these headphones for more than around forty five minutes, though; the on-ear design creates painful pressure points which, unfortunately, come with the design territory.

The only real hangup to the 3D’s is the crummy build quality.  My test period was only one month and I experienced a failure on the right speaker assembly.  The leather cushion and speaker assembly plopped out of the main headband.  When I tried reseating it, it appeared that there was hardly any glue or mechanism to keep the speaker attached.

Otherwise I didn’t experience any of the failures that I’d expect for the price range, such as snapping plastics and failed soldering.  Those may very well show up beyond our monthlong test period.

The Good:

• You can’t argue with a $20 price tag
• Stylish design, definitely appealing to younger teens
• Thumpy bass
• Inline audio adjustment is a nice addition

The Bad:

• Poor build quality
• Mediocre treble and vocal range
• Uncomfortable for moderate periods
• Plasticky build, doesn’t inspire any confidence

The Bottom Line

These headphones were never designed for luxury, but they’re definitely mired within the flaws associated with cans of this price range.  They’re easy to recommend for younger listeners who will love the styling, but it’s hard to justify this purchase when they’re likely to fracture under enthusiastic use.  For my part, I’ll stick with my Audio Technica noise cancelers, but the 3D’s are the epitome of “different strokes for different folks.”

Buy Now:  Available at Amazon.com