{"id":8838,"date":"2021-11-09T00:03:30","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T00:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1372546"},"modified":"2021-11-09T00:03:30","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T00:03:30","slug":"review-urbanistas-solar-powered-los-angeles-headphones-feel-like-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=8838","title":{"rendered":"Review: Urbanista\u2019s solar-powered Los Angeles headphones feel like the future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Whenever I unbox new wireless headphones for review, the first thing I do is connect them to a charger so I can have a nice long listening session the next day. But rather than connect a charger to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urbanista.com\/uk\/losangeles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Urbanista Los Angeles<\/a>\u2018 USB-C port, I simply set the headphones near a window. By the time I actually listened to them, they\u2019d been topped up by nothing other than the power of the sun.<\/p>\n<p>It kind of feels like magic.<\/p>\n<p>Solar power obviously isn\u2019t anything new, but beyond that cheap calculator you used in high school, most of us aren\u2019t accustomed to devices that we just never have to charge. It\u2019s one of those technologies that feels like the future, despite having been around for ages.<\/p>\n<p>Yet the Urbanista Los Angeles represents an opportunity to take one of our most commonly used devices completely off the grid. For all the talk about wireless headphones the past few years, and even \u2018true wireless\u2019 earbuds, these are the first headphones I\u2019ve used that are truly, actually wire-free (as long as you don\u2019t spend your whole life in a sunless dungeon).<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"INTRODUCING URBANISTA LOS ANGELES\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YLe8O8sNl8s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The key lies in the headband. Urbanista teamed up with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exeger.com\/product\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Exeger<\/a> to implement the latter\u2019s Powerfoyle solar technology into a strip that runs along the top of the headphones. And unlike those cheap old calculators, there\u2019s nothing giving away the fact there\u2019s a solar panel up there, at least in the black model I tested.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s doesn\u2019t just drip-charge either. A combination of efficient component choices, on-ear detection, and the Powerfoyle tech means that you can get two hours of playback with just one hour of solid sunlight. It is the strangest, awesomest thing to check Urbanista\u2019s app \u2014 which tells you how much energy is going in and out of the headphones \u2014 after a long walk and see that the headphones <em>gained<\/em> a charge.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll put it this way: I\u2019ve used the headphones regularly for nearly a month, and I haven\u2019t had to charge them once. The app is currently showing 90%. I could use USB-C if I needed to \u2014 say, if I left them in a backpack or drawer for a long time \u2014 but with a claimed 80 hours of battery life before you even factor in solar charging, I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll ever have to bring the charger out at all. Just note that they do charge much more effectively with sunlight than with indoor lighting.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this wouldn\u2019t matter if Urbanista didn\u2019t get the basics right. Luckily they do.<\/p>\n<p>I appreciate the understated design (although it\u2019s perhaps just a little too plain in the black edition I tested). I found the headphones comfortable to use for extended periods thanks to soft padding, although those with larger ears should be warned the earcups aren\u2019t the largest or deepest, and clamping force is a little high out of the box. I also appreciate the physical buttons, including a customizable function button. They\u2019re a little small, but I\u2019d take them over touch controls any day.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1372556 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3.jpg\" alt width=\"1640\" height=\"1230\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-280x210.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-180x135.jpg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-360x270.jpg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-796x597.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-1592x1194.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-368x276.jpg 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-736x552.jpg 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-1200x900.jpg 1200w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/review-urbanistas-solar-powered-los-angeles-headphones-feel-like-the-future#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2021%2F11%2F09%2Freview-urbanistas-solar-powered-los-angeles-headphones-feel-like-the-future%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Powerfoyle solar panel is embedded into the headband\" data-title=\"Share The Powerfoyle solar panel is embedded into the headband on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Powerfoyle solar panel is embedded into the headband on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>The Powerfoyle solar panel is embedded into the headband<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1372556\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3.jpg\" alt width=\"1640\" height=\"1230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-280x210.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-180x135.jpg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-360x270.jpg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-796x597.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-1592x1194.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-368x276.jpg 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-736x552.jpg 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-3-of-3-1200x900.jpg 1200w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>The sound quality is solid for a pair of $200 noise-canceling headphones. While not my favorite in this price range and category (that crown still goes to the <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/razer-made-a-surprisingly-classy-pair-of-200-noise-cancelling-headphones\">Razer Opus<\/a>), the sound is punchy with ample bass and decent tonal balance that should satisfy most listeners and highs that won\u2019t offend, although I did find they tended to sound a bit thin in the midrange.<\/p>\n<p>They use the AAC codec, so audiophiles will miss a higher quality codec like AptX HD or LDAC, but AAC is good enough that most listeners shouldn\u2019t be able to tell the difference. I wouldn\u2019t recommend them to the most persnickety audiophiles \u2014 the headphones don\u2019t have a 3.5mm jack, which also could be a problem for airplane use \u2014 but they are strong performers overall.<\/p>\n<p>The ANC is surprisingly good too; not Sony levels of blackout silence, but one of the better implementations I\u2019ve heard from a brand that isn\u2019t known for its noise-canceling chops.<\/p>\n<p>I have two main complaints about the sound: One, the headphones sound completely different with ANC off. This may be because my pandemic \u2018fro isn\u2019t allowing the headphones to create the best seal, but the best wireless headphones will monitor for seal and compensate sound quality accordingly (indeed, I believe this is what the headphones do when ANC is on).<\/p>\n<p>Second: they don\u2019t get very loud. I\u2019m not someone who tends to listen very loud, but I always like having some headroom with my headphones. Many classical music tracks, for instance, are mixed at very quiet volumes for maximum dynamic range, and even with ANC on, you might miss out on these quiet passages in a noisy environment.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1372555 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3.jpg\" alt width=\"1640\" height=\"1230\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-280x210.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-180x135.jpg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-360x270.jpg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-796x597.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-1592x1194.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-368x276.jpg 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-736x552.jpg 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-1200x900.jpg 1200w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1372555\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3.jpg\" alt width=\"1640\" height=\"1230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-280x210.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-180x135.jpg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-360x270.jpg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-796x597.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-1592x1194.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-368x276.jpg 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-736x552.jpg 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/Urbanista-Los-Angeles-2-of-3-1200x900.jpg 1200w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>Long story short: The Urbanista Los Angeles are stylish headphones with good noise-canceling, solid sound quality, and one big gimmick \u2014 but what a gimmick it is. Now I just wish I could solar charge all the things.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/review-urbanistas-solar-powered-los-angeles-headphones-feel-like-the-future\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whenever I unbox new wireless headphones for review, the first thing I do is connect them to a charger so I can have a nice long listening session the next day. But&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8838"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}