Urbanears Plattan headphones (photos)

The Urbanears Plattan headphones are all about style, which unfortunately doesn't leave much room for great sound in this case. Beware of mushy bass, nasally mids, and an absence of clarity.

Jasmine France

Jan. 27, 2010 4:31 p.m. PT

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Josh Miller/CNET

It's nothing new, but the propensity of headphone manufacturers to crop up with the latest "fashion-forward" model has enjoyed a sharp uptick as of late. Newcomer Urbanears provides several examples, with three lines of portable headphones designed to catch eyes and turn heads. One is the Plattan, an on-ear model that comes in a choice of 14 colors.

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In case you were wondering if that 14 before was a typo, it's not--the Urbanears Plattan headphones come in hues to suit every taste, including a charmingly green "salad" tinge, two shades of gray, and three shades of blue.

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The color extends from the padded, fabric-coated headband down to the circular earcups and even the stiff padding. This could definitely stand to be cushier, as the headphones tend to put uncomfortable pressure on the ear after about an hour of wear.

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But the Plattan headphones definitely look good, with their matte finish and metal adjustment loops.

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Although Urbanears doesn't include a carrying case of any kind--not really a surprise at this price range--the Plattan headphones are quite portable. The earcups measure just 2.5 inches in diameter and fold in for easier transport.

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A single cloth cable measuring 45 inches long descends from the left earpiece and terminates in a nickel-plated straight plug. The cord is impressively thick, isn't very tangle-prone, and is reinforced at both ends, which speaks volumes about its potential durability. It also includes a module containing a mic and call answer button for use with the iPhone and other music phones, a nice feature in this price range.

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Josh Miller/CNET

Urbanears also packages a dual-banded adapter with the headphones for audio sources that might take issue with triple-banded plugs.

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Josh Miller/CNET

The Plattan headphones are unimpressive on the audio quality front--not a terribly surprising discovery given the price point. Clarity is the real loser here. Music in general sounds as if it's coming through water or a wall--it's quite muffled.