“It looks like you have cookies on your head” is the exact phrase loosely translated from Swedish to English that one of my co-workers uttered about the Tracks headset. I might not agree with that statement when it comes to them looking like some sort of sugary delight. It does however have a completely own look. Minimal simple retro design with clear colours, and good contrast details.
Once you open the vibrant box you are left with a stainless steel headband with large grooves in it. Sliders are slid into the grooves, and it is on these sliders the headphones are placed. There are three different colours to the sliders, and you are free to mix however you want to. I choose to go with red sliders, as the connector was red as well for the sand coloured set I got to try out. Assembly takes less than a minute, and the hardest part is selecting the colour. It is really easy to disassemble by just sliding the sliders upward where the grooves get wider. If you want to pack them in a bag or something where they aren’t protected it is probably the best option to sore them disassembled.
The cord is colour matched with the headphones. It is a ordinary quality with medium tendency to tangle. It is lightweight, and has little to no noise transference from rubbing against clothes. I would say that it is quite similar to the cord that comes with the stock iPhone earbuds from Apple. The angled connector extends slightly, and can be used with any case for the iPhone or iPad.
The microphone is the standard that AIAIAI uses, and hence it is quite weird compared to other brands. It is large, has unmarked buttons and feels much like something used in an electrical appliance some twenty years ago. I really like having volume controls as well, even though it is easy to accidentally press the wrong button. The microphone works really well for making calls. It is placed quite low at neck height, and when outside I have to hold it to my mouth to make up for ambient noise.
Sound wise the Tracks are all about fun, bass and a surprising amount of power. Most open headphones leak excessive amounts of sound by default. The Tracks manages to focus the sound better than both the PortaPro from Koss, and the PX100 from Sennheiser. The audio it puts out is heavy on bass, and it is easy to get into some spontaneous headbanging or dancing on the spot. The high end is also good, and the only weakness I have found is the mid range. These still manages to play metal and rock well, but lacks that extra crunch to the guitars that you can find in closed headphones, and in ear earphones. For listening to music in a crowded room the Tracks also fare better than other open headphones, as they are quite well noise isolated.
With extremely low weight the Tracks are comfortable for very long sessions. When out running they stay on well, but the foam can become moist and hence uncomfortable. To me these are perfect allround headphones for usage at work, out walking and playing games. Worth noting is that people with large heads should try before buying, as the headset is not that big at the largest setting. I have a medium head measuring 54 centimetres, and I guess anyone with a noggin larger than 58 centimetres will get in trouble fitting into the tracks.
The Tracks from AIAIAI combine cool minimal design, fun youthful sound, ability to customize at a great price. If you are looking for open on-ear headphones with microphone these are definitely the ones to get. Unless of course you can afford the P5 from B&W…
Final Rating
Tracks at the UK Applestore £59.95
