SOUL by LudacrisSL150BW High-Definition On-Ear Headphones (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

For years, I've been searching for the ultimate portable headphones. After countless hours and dollars, I have finally found them. I have already found the ultimate headphones for home use which is the Senn HD650. However, you won't go wrong with the highest end Senn, AKG, or Grado. These headphones are rather easy to find as they can be found even in popular lists like CNET's, but I always had trouble finding a good pair of headphones for the go.The problem is there are many criteria for good portable headphones. For starters, they have to be closed back for privacy. This alone eliminates a lot of great-sounding headphones like the Senn PX100 or any of the flagship Grados. Comfort is another factor that is important and because of this, I automatically exclude all the in-ear headphones. I own some good ones like the Shure SE535, Head-direct RE0, and the Etymotic HF5 - all super headphones providing precise clarity but also not too comfortable and frankly, I never like the music coming from inside my head.The Soul is in direct competition with the Beats Solo but I can guarantee that if you try these for a few minutes, you will never use your Beats Solo ever again - they sound just horrible in comparison.Here are other areas it excelled on:ComfortThe soul has a rather nice build quality which exceeds the Beats tremendously from its cross-stitching on the bottom of the headband to the smooth contour shape. When I put these babies on my head, it felt really good - fits like a glove. The cups are oval shaped to basically cover your entire ear but these are still on-ear as opposed to over-the-ear. The Beats Solo's design in contrast is less streamlined and looks rather outdated. The plastic headband is also too tight and hurts my ears after an extended period of time. This is also the same problem I have with the AKG K81DJ - extremely, almost unbearably uncomfortable after a while which is a shame because it's a really good neutral sounding set of cans. The oval shape of the cups is a plus because they will shield outside noise better than the circular cups found in the Senn PX200 and AKG K450. These are both pretty good headphones but they do a horrible job of noise isolation and I also find the sound smaller because of the circular ear cups. Basically, the Soul is almost as comfortable as my Bose on-ear but sounds 10x better.SoundHere is where the Soul does not excel as much. The best sounding headphones for portable use in my opinion is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50. But only one problem - it is an over-the-ear design so it's big and bulky. You would basically have to wear it on your neck, but it sounds great even without any portable amp. After that, the Audio-Technica ATHESW9A is another amazing set of cans but would you believe a lot more expensive? Goes to show you, expensive doesn't mean better (I'm talking to you, Bose). But honestly, I rarely even use these headphones because they're made of special wood and I can't bear to see them damaged. In terms of more portable headphones, I would say the B&W P5 and the V-Moda M80 are among the best in sound. Listening to the Soul, I feel they are not too far behind these guys. The sound is actually much warmer with a closer sound stage compared to the M80 which sounds very distant. Another highly rated set, the Phiaton MS400 has an even colder sound which actually sounds very weird like you're listening to a small speaker from a distance. I would avoid the MS400 if you're a bass head. The Soul's bass is just enough but not overwhelming which is similar to the M80 and P5. The Beats Solo do have a slightly thumpier bass but mids and highs are nowhere to be found.PortabilityThe Soul headband folds just like the Beats Solo. You may need a slightly bigger pocket because it is somewhat bigger than the Solos but not much. Comparison to the other guys: M50 - huge, P5 and ATHESW9A - only the cups can turn flat, M80 - not foldable at all! No contest here.DesignIf you do some research on the web, you will find that the almost-undisputed portable champ among the audiophile community is the Senn HD25-1 II. Quite an odd name. If you search for this, you can see what it looks like. This is one set of cans that I do not own because it's quite ugly-looking. Even uglier than the Koss PortaPros but at least they have a retro look and you could pretend they're cool ;) But seriously, it's all very subjective. M50s don't look too bad but their sheer size will make you look like a dork. The woodies will make you 10 years older. P5s are actually pretty elegant looking...if you're a 40 yr old businessman. And the M80s? From far away, people would be smirking at you because they'd think you have skullcandies. The Souls are beautiful and looks even cooler than the Beats which I used to think are the coolest looking headphones and which is why I got them. Thankfully, the Souls not only look great but sounds awesome as well.In terms of comfort, portability, sound, and, most importantly, design, I don't think there is any equal to the Soul SL150.UPDATE: I still think they are 5 stars, but the soft cushy big ear cups providing excellent comfort and sound isolation come with a price, it's quite BIG! I was barely able to fit this in my jacket pocket which is quite big (it is big enough to carry the unfoldable M80 and P5). Therefore, it is not as perfect as I thought previously and I shall continue looking for the perfect portable headphones. For now, I may switch between this and my AKG K450 just so not to tear my jacket pocket.

I bought these headphones on a whim for $60 to replace my Logitech G35 headset that is falling apart, and I am in no way disappointed. The SL150s are great overall and have no major flaws in build quality, design, comfort or sound.I am no audiophile, but I have a strong appreciation for good sound, and the SL150 on-ear headphones do not disappoint.The lows are punchy, tight, but not overpowering; however, I notice a bit of a depression in response in the upper-bass, lower-mid range.The mids are warm, particularly in the upper-mid range. As a result, vocals are surprisingly crisp, especially in comparison to the generally poor quality of celebrity endorsed sound products (beats, I'm talking about you here).Unfortunately, I'm not as impressed with the quality of the highs. That is not to say that the sound quality is poor, on the contrary, but it is the weakest link in the figurative sound chain. Thankfully, it is not noticeable as long as the volume level remains <50% (though I am not sure why you would go over this as the drivers are low-impedance and respond well at low power input).The soundstage is expectedly average, but compared to other supra-aural, closed design headphones at this price point, the SL150s are pleasantly competitive.Perhaps the thing that I appreciate most about these headphones is the versatility of the sound, which speaks loudly (literally) of the quality. I can swap from Pop to Metal to EDM to Classical without the burden of EQ modification. In fact, these headphones require no equalization at all, and I feel that doing so is simply muddling an otherwise balanced product.I have no complaints regarding comfort, but as with any on-ear device there is a level of discomfort with extended use. Personally, I can wear these for 3-4 hours without feeling the urge to take them off, and I wear glasses.The design is superior, at least amongst the Soul's celebrity-endorsed competitors. The glossy plastic looks and feels high quality, and the branding is tasteful when disregarding the "Ludacris" stamp on the headband. If you read any other reviews you will likely notice people raving about the stitched headband. Frankly, this is a gimmick, but it does give the headphones a classy look that is sure to impress your friends. The metal-reinforced cup extensions are reassuring, and the cups themselves grip well and are easily cleaned with damp cloth.The packaging is well-thought, with the headphones being boxed inside of the hard, clamshell, zip-up case. The basic 3.5mm line seems high quality (time will tell), and comes with a 1/4" adapter. Also included is a second line with 3-button controls and a mic. The controls work on my Samsung Galaxy S4, and while I have not used the mic, I assume it is relatively low-quality, as are all microphones encapsulated in such a small form-factor. Furthermore, the package even included a cleaning-cloth, which I assume is intended to clean fingerprints from the surface of the plastic of the headphones.Overall, I feel that I got a fantastic value at the price of $60, hence the 5-star rating, and I would go so far as to say that the SL150s can easily compete at the $100 price point. However, there are some minor issues which may be of concern to the picky enthusiast, so if I were to rate this product at its regular price of $130-$160, I would have to give it 4 stars, as there are superior alternatives in that price range (Audio-Technica M50, Sennheiser HD380, V-MODA Crossfade LP, and Logitech UE6000 to name a few, but also realize that all of these headphones are over-ear and do not meet the same form-factor). Therefore, I recommend the SOUL by Ludacris SL150 headphones for anyone that wants quality, on-ear headphones at a price that won't break the bank, or for those who are into the style of celebrity endorsed products, but want sound that actually sounds good.

Based on competing products out there, these headphones do not stack up. Positives include the removable cord which comes with iPod/iPhone integrated volume control, mic and start/stop, a second cord with no control, an 1/4" adapter, and a pretty case. Packaging is very similar to Beats, but that's where the similarity ends. The headphones creak while you wear them, they are a bit bulky to carry around, they used a criss-cross stitching pattern on the soft surface (tacky) and the sound quality did not come close to their competition. The headphones felt cheap and plastic. Usually, when you get a major artist who puts their name behind a product, you trust that it will come close to or beat the competition. Sadly, these do not... Unless I got a dud... In which case, I'd like a replacement please...

Bought these for 100 bucks, been using them for 2 weeks now no issues. More durable then beats, as well as the padding is more comfortable. If your a bass-head and don't own a car I recommend these. Sounds great for genres like Rap, R&B, Reggae. Only issue is it doesn't give off the best highs if your more into vocalists like Celine, and Shaina.

I got them on sale and am very pleased with them. The sound quality is all excellent, from the highs to the lows. I listen to a wide range of music, so having headphones that sound good whether I'm listening to Alternative/Indie or Hip Hop was key.

Soo I bought this for my girlfriend for xmas during the black friday event and I paid 100$ for it. since there was 150$ off the regular price (250) i assumed it was a good deal. I would never pay 250 for this. for 2 reasons :The sound is not that amazingThere was a default with the foam that goes around the ear, there is like a hole (like if a part was missing).So well I think it's worth 100$ but never pay 250$ for this....On a positive ending, it has a rly nice case that comes with it where you cand fold your earphones and store it in your bag.

They're great headphones, but the volume and on and off buttons on the wire are not working but the wire still works