Mercedes-Benz Headphones review: Sound drive, comfortable

GET IT FOR:
Rs 30,461
HIGHLIGHT:
Sleek design


You don’t expect a brand like Mercedes-Benz (MB) to make headphones, right? After all, it is a name synonymous with cars, supercars and aspiration. However, much to your surprise, Mercedes-Benz does actually make a pair of over-the-ear headphones. So what’s the deal with the MB Headphones? Well, the brand makes you look for a design aesthetic like none other. The headphones look quite distinctive but the use of plastic came as a surprise. Having said that, it is good-quality plastic that is accentuated with a glossy back and shades of metallic grey. The headband is also made of plastic.

The headphones are quite sturdy but on the heavier side — they weigh 400 grams. The ear cups have a leather-like material and proper cushioning. The headphones fit nicely. There are a few buttons on the right ear cup. There’s a power button along with two buttons for active noise cancellation (ANC) and 3D surround sound. The ANC works nicely but is not in the same class as Bose, Apple AirPods Max or Sony’s flagship headphones. The battery life is close to 18 hours, which is quite good. The sound quality on the MB Headphones is pleasing at most times. Does it make you go wow?

Not really. We gave it a shot on a variety of genres. Ramin Djawadi’s The Night King (from Game of Thrones) sounds nice with mids and highs very well handled. There’s enough detail when it comes to sound quality. Hearing Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence’s acoustic version on the Headphones gives you a nice demonstration of how well vocals sound, and instrument separation is reasonably good.

The problem — only if you compare with the Boses and Apples of the world — is with the highs as they often come across as too sharp. This is not to say that the sound quality is inadequate, but it falls short when compared with the competition. But that’s the thing. Mercedes-Benz isn’t in the business of audio products and clearly has made it for the so-called fanboys and those who want to flaunt their headphones.

At Rs 30,000, they look great and produce a good sound output. How do you buy them? They’re available online or if you’re lucky, you can check if a Mercedes-Benz dealership in the neighbourhood stocks them.

The writer is with gadgetsnow.com