Headphone Review: Putting 4 New Pairs to the Test

Flips Audio Headphones

Good music is meant to be shared, right? That’s what the folks at Flips Audio believe, and that’s the idea behind these “solo to social” headphones. When the ear cups are turned toward you, you’ve got high def sound that nobody else can hear, but when you flip the ear cups outward, it projects bigger sound that everyone can jam to.

I love these for travel — they keep a lot of outside noise out and are comfortable for long periods of time (as long as you don’t have earrings poking you, as I found out). And when I wanted music in my hotel room, I just flipped them around and was able to dance around to my favorite tunes.

I feel like they’re a bit hot to wear for serious workouts, especially if you’re a major head sweater like I am — there’s not much breathability with those ear cups. But they’re more lightweight than they look, so they’re great for walking or other lower-impact workouts. And I will say that, while the speaker worked really well with just me in a small room, the sound was not quite loud enough to handle a large, noisy crowd, so it’s not going to replace your big time sound system.

Flips run $120, which is not cheap, I’ll admit, but if you’re in need of a sweet pair of headphones and a portable, rechargeable speaker, they could be perfect. —Kristen