Knock knock, mail call!

I opened the weekly care package from Technoodling headquarters and chuckled. There, all jammed up inside a big plastic sack like gifts from Santa, were four boxes, each box sporting a cutaway that revealed a pair of colorful headphones inside.

Just from that first glance, I knew that these weren’t the typical serious boring audiophile headphones that you’d expect to find on a hi-fi forum. No, these looked like they were meant to party. And if their appearance wasn’t evidence enough, the boxes were branded with one of the most famous names in house music: Hed Kandi.Yes, they make headphones now.

The entire Hed Kandi product line consists of four models: the Discotheque, Disco Heaven and Pure Kandi headphones, and the Kandies ear buds. Howard’s already taken a look at the Disco Heavens in an earlier Technoodling review. Meanwhile, today I’ll be unboxing the Pure Kandis. These svelte headphones are available in purple, blue/pink, white/coral, and plain black.

To be honest, other than the black, all the color schemes looked awfully girly. The thin, hairstyle-friendly aluminum headband also sent off definite signals that this was a product skewed towards the female market. The type that goes to trendy, stylish hotspots.

Okay, I’m a male and I hardly go anywhere stylish. Maybe I’m not the right person to review this. *looks warily at wife*

With very little persuasion, Cyn (the aforementioned wife) agreed to take the white/coral pair along on her recent trip to the Cannes advertising festival in the South of France. A tough assignment, but someone’s gotta do it.

The Hed Kandis immediately became useful on the first part of the journey: they kept Cyn company in the airport lounge, as well as on the long (19 hours!) trip from Manila to France via Dubai. And if you have the misfortune of being stuck on a long flight next to a chatty or snoring seatmate, nothing says “I’d like some quiet” more than a pair of headphones.

Cyn found them quite comfortable to wear for extended periods, using them to watch movies on her iPad as well as listen to occasional tunes. Sound quality wise, she gave it excellent marks – surprisingly deep bass, balanced sound, and clear vocals.

It wasn’t an overwhelming thumbs up, however. Cyn had a few issues (and frankly, they’re ones that I never would have experienced if I had reviewed the product myself). First of all, she commented that while the headband does a good job of suiting most hairstyles, the earpads themselves might not be compatible with a female’s choice of earrings. If you’re a girl (or guy!) that happens to favor large earrings, expect to need some fiddling about before you find a comfortable way of using the Hed Kandis, or you could just remove your earrings for extended listening.

Another issue, and this one is a little more unisex: the Pure Kandis definitely need some sort of pouch or case. For the trip, Cyn kept them in her handbag together with her iPad 2, and after a few days she realized the aluminum headband was rubbing up against the unprotected back surface of the iPad. Fortunately, there were no scratches on either of the gadgets, but it’s something you definitely need to watch out for – you can’t just toss the Pure Kandis into a bag full of electronics, touchscreens, and displays and expect everything to work out fine.

Overall, Cyn was pleasantly surprised considering that she considers herself more of an earbuds kinda girl. Minor niggles aside, she found the Pure Kandis to an ideal travel companion for her Cote d’Azur adventure.

Hey maybe next time, I can come along too.

• Surprisingly decent sound for the price.
• Stylish, won’t be out of place even in the South of France.
• Female-friendly.

Cons:

• Designs and colors are a little too female oriented.
• Needs some sort of protective pouch or case to prevent the headband from scratching your other stuff.