Sol Republic Tracks

When people hear the term “V8” many of them will think of a powerful muscle car. That’s the sort of image Sol Republic wants to conjure with the “V8 HD Sound Engine Speakers” that drive its Tracks on-ear headphones. That image isn’t too far from the reality, but not necessarily for the best of reasons. When we tested the Tracks we found the Sound Engines created an intensely bass-heavy sound, like the rumble of an engine, but one that at times sounded artificial and overpowering.

It all made for a slightly muddy and warm listening experience that extended to the mids and treble, which lacked as much clarity as we’d like. It also meant that longer listening sessions tired our ears. Sound is always going to be subjective, so if you like your music skewed towards the lower frequencies you might enjoy listening to your tunes with the Tracks headphones.

The Tracks use a headband constructed from a polymer compound that’s built to stand up to heavy abuse. This means you’re able twist and bend it without worrying about them breaking. We put this to the test, contorting the band to some impressive angles and it survived. We were never worried about the headband snapping at any point, which was impressive. However, while the band always returned to its original shape, we found it overly tight, and this meant the headphones compressed our ears. The Tracks have a closed-back design, so sound is sealed-in and shouldn’t leak out to annoy other people. The earpads are supra-aural meaning they rest on your ears rather than completely surrounding them. Disappointingly, we found the earpads became very warm and, when combined with the sound, the headphones became uncomfortable to wear after a while.

The headband is replaceable and Sol Republic sells a number of different colours so you’ll be able to customise your pair to your own tastes, reducing the chances of coming across someone in the street with an identical pair. You can even configure your own set of headphones right down to the detachable cables and headband, although you pay a premium compared to the price of a standard pre-configured pair of Tracks. We like the cable used on the Tracks, as it doesn’t become tangled easily. The L-shaped headphone connection was reinforced and therefore shouldn’t be a weak link. The cable also has a 3-button remote control and a microphone.

The Sol Republic Tracks are reasonably priced lifestyle headphones, it’s just a shame they aren’t the most comfortable. While the sound of the Tracks will be divisive, we can’t deny that they achieve Sol Republic’s ambition of providing powerful, bassy sound. If you’d prefer a more neutral sound, the Musical Fidelity MF-100 is a better choice, although it is more expensive.