Sync by 50 wireless headphones review

It feels like the Sync by 50 headphones were designed by someone who still uses the term "bling bling." Available in both white and black, they have a glossy plastic enclosure with metallic chrome trim and aqua accents throughout. The plastic is definitely cheap-looking — I would've liked to see something more high-end given the price. A blue status indicator illuminates a stylized "S" on each ear pad, slanted ever so slightly so that it’s level with the ground when on your head. The headphones themselves don't rest on your head at a perfect ninety-degree angle, but the angularity of each "S" corrects for the difference and makes them appear parallel to the ground.

Though they are large, the Sync headphones aren’t particularly heavy, and I actually found them quite comfortable. The plush memory foam pads are mushy and soft, and the curvature of the entire unit seems to result in just the right amount of pressure on each ear. Each side can be extended around one inch in length, and friends who tried them on were all satisfied with the fit. The band has the right amount of give to provide enough of a seal to help keep out unwanted sound, without being uncomfortable. I could foresee them stretching out over time, however, which could become a problem for leakage down the road.

The Studio Beats by Dre headphones fold up for more compact storage, but the Syncs don’t enjoy the same luxury. Not folding makes the Syncs more difficult to store or transport, but it also means they don’t need any hinges, which improves the build quality significantly. The main body is sturdy and can withstand a good bit of flexing, though there is slight creaking if you start to over-extend. The lack of fragile hinges also makes these easy to take off or put on with one hand. I never felt the need to carry around the enormous case for safekeeping, and didn’t have any problems after tossing the headphones into a backpack unprotected. They seemed to survive a few falls in my apartment, but I wouldn't suggest dropping them repeatedly on cement or pavement.

The Syncs come with a detachable cord that has an inline microphone, plus a single button for iOS controls: click once for play / pause, twice to skip forward, hold down for Siri, and so on. However, they can also be used wirelessly thanks to built-in Kleer technology, which has been appearing on niche audio devices for years but hasn’t seen widespread adoption. The spec promises lossless sound quality and lower power consumption than Bluetooth, but it also requires a clunky, included dongle. It has a 50 foot range and will transmit audio from any device with a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The dongle is about the size of a matchbox and has buttons for power and sync, along with a Micro USB port for charging. That's right, you need to charge the headphones and dongle for wireless listening. The dongle's construction leaves much to be desired, especially given its purpose: the 3.5mm plug wobbles along the bottom, giving the impression that it could snap off with even a modest amount of pressure. The positioning of the headphone connector on the left side means that it covers the iPhone 4’s sleep / wake button most of the time, but there’s nothing else attaching it to the handset’s body so it can be pivoted quite easily. It’s large enough to be annoying, but still small enough to lose: I actually misplaced it during my testing and was confined to wired listening — at least until I found the dongle in a jeans pocket a few days later. The wireless option is supposed to be a major advantage for 50's headphones, but poor execution almost makes it not worth the trouble. Plus, at $50 to replace, it’s not a cheap item to lose.

Up to four different pairs of headphones can be synced to the same receiver, meaning four people can listen to any one audio source in tandem. Unfortunately, I couldn’t test the feature for myself, since I only had one pair of Kleer-capable headphones. Still, the feature should work with offerings from any manufacturer that uses the standard, be it SMS Audio or not.

Each earcup has built-in controls, though they don’t actually work as you would expect. The left ear has a power button and a "Bass boost" mode control, while the right has volume controls and a forward / back button. Since these use Kleer instead of the ubiquitous Bluetooth, profiles like A2DP and AVRCP are not supported. That means you can’t stream wirelessly and control your music at the same time, even if your device has Bluetooth.

The experience is seriously disjointed and can get quite confusing. When you're listening via the included cable, you can use the in-line microphone button to control play / pause and skip forward / back, but on-ear controls don't function. When wireless, you can only adjust the volume level on-ear but can't control playback remotely at all. In fact, the skip forward / back buttons are only functional if you purchase a different Kleer dongle for a USB port or Apple dock connector. SMS Audio sells a Kleer USB adapter for $80, but it’s even larger than the included 3.5mm dongle and works with fewer devices.