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Marc Ecko Zip headphones actually zip up

A new pair of designer headphones come with a zip in place of the cord, which actually zips up. Just careful you don't catch your jumper.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
Joe Svetlik
2 min read

Just when we were thinking there was nothing new in the world of headphones, along comes Marc Ecko with some bonkers new designs.

Because his new range of in-ear headphones under the *ECKOUNLTD brand don't feature bog standard cords. (Well some do, but not the ones we're interested in.) Instead, there's a zip, a chain, and shoelaces in place of the cable. Altogether now: wtf?

That's right, the Zip headphones feature a functioning zip, though it's not clear how far you can do it up. Presumably not all the way to your ears; though it would stop them getting tangled when you pack them in your bag. That's the only real benefit we can see to having a zip in place of a cord, but from the promotional bumf it looks to be some kind of 'lifestyle' add-on.

The second most crackers pair in the range are called Chain, and — yes, you've guessed it — feature a beaded, dog-tag chain in place of the cord. Like the Zip, they have an inline mic for handsfree calls, volume controls, and come with a travel bag and three sizes of ear-piece gels. But both are surprisingly affordable: $39.99 (£25) for Chain, and $29.99 (£19) for Zip.

And the Lace pair? They have a shoelace-style cord, unsurprisingly, and will set you back $19.99 (£13). Also announced are the Zone, Chaos II and Stomp earbuds, which are more conventional and come in a range of colours. And Mr. Ecko has something special up his sleeve for CES 2012, according to the release.

Marc Ecko Enterprises is a fashion and lifestyle company, but previously it has dabbled in a range of bling-style over-the-ear headphones.

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