Usage and Testing

 

So they’re headphones, to test them I had to use them. I used them to listen to music on my computer, my HTC One phone and ZuneHD. I also used the Throne headphone with my PS Vita and my computer for movies and TV.

 

Comfort:

I have to honestly say these are by far the most comfortable pair of headphones I’ve ever worn. The earpads are just so soft and comfortable to wear, you can wear the Throne headphones for hours at a time and you won’t even notice them.  The earpads are made of memory foam, the same stuff in those expensive and rather popular mattresses and pillows, making them extra comfortable. The outer covering the earpads is leather, this is good and bad. Yes it’s nice and soft, but I noticed when it’s hot and humid my ears will sweat a bit. Don’t get me wrong, my ears weren’t dripping with sweat but they were damp and in a few minutes they air dried.

The headband is padded, but with a cloth soft cloth material making it very comfortable as well. The headband is of course a big part of the comfort in any set of headphones, the headband can really make or break a set as it were. Having an uncomfortable headband can just ruin the entire experience for anyone. The headband on the Throne is padded and made of soft cloth making it lightly rest on the top of your head, you won’t even notice that you’re wearing them really. The combination of the earpads and headband really make the Throne a an enjoyable and comfortable experience to wear.

The Throne headphones are of course adjustable for fit, they move up and down and the actual earpieces swivel. Like any headset the headband is a spring, that’s what holds it on your head and to your ears. The headband on this set is just right, there’s not too much tension, it’s just right. I’m sure you’ve had headphones that felt like they were squeezing your head, these don’t do that, they’ve very comfortable holding the headphones in place but yet not applying too much pressure to your head.

 

Cord:

The cord is four feet long and that should be long enough for most uses. I can wear the headphones on my head and have them connected to my phone on my hip with no issues. The cord of the Throne is tangle free, but this is good and bad. Having a tangle free cord means it’s rather stiff and that means it’s kind of hard to manage and it doesn’t stay put where you rest it. The cord is springy, that’s the best word I can use to describe it.

I should also mention that there is little to no ‘cord noise’ when using the Throne headphones. What I mean by cord noise is that the actual cord can produce sound in the speakers or earpieces, when you move the cord the sound travels upwards and it’s audible. Many times this can be very loud and just annoying, but with the Throne there is very little to none really, you really have to shake the cord to get any audible sound from it.

 

Sound:

For any headphones sound is probably the most important thing. I listened to several types of music with them, my favorite being rock and heavy metal like some Pantera, Black Sabbath, HellYeah, and stuff like AC/DC and Aerosmith and even some Jethro Tull. I found the Throne to be a little light on the treble in rock style music but it was very clear. It all depended on the music really, I played The Beatles and it sounded much better than hard rock or heavy metal where it seemed to be low on treble. The Beatles actually sounded excellent with the Throne headphones.

I tossed a little rap and hip hop in there as well and I found the Throne has a lot of bass, I mean when I cranked up the volume the earpieces actually vibrated on my ears! There was very little distortion at high volume surprisingly.

I then chose a selection from my southern rock music collection like Charlie Daniels and some Lynrd Skynrd for good measure. Here again the sound was very good, it’s clear and full and just excellent overall.

All in all I noticed the Throne headphones do have an emphasis on bass over treble, this isn’t a bad thing it just depends on the type of music you listen to.

Using them with my HTC One I found that they were recognized by the phone and worked as they should, I could talk and or end calls by pushing the button. I also found out that you can use the button to play or pause your music, just push it quickly to play or pause. A long press on the button bring up Google voice search.

 

There is a carrying case included, but it’s just a cloth bag, it’s not going to offer any protection for the Throne headphones. Yes it’s nice they included the carrying bag, but for the price, something a bit more protective would be nice.

On most higher end headphones you’ll find a removable cord, but these don’t have that. To me it’s not a big issue, but I know audiophiles out there will take exception to not having a removable cord. So it’s just something to think about.

One thing I might improve upon about the Throne is the lack of volume controls. The Throne has a microphone and answer button in-line but no volume controls. The throne is made for music so why not be able to control the volume?

One other small nitpick I have to mention is the finish on the outside of the earpieces, the gold part basically.  Yes it looks great when new, all nice and shiny, but it very quickly dulls from smudges and fingerprints. They could be gold colored as they are but just less glossy. Again, this isn’t a big deal, just an aesthetic thing.