My most recent music-related purchase was a pair of white Panasonic RP-HTX7 “retro-style” over-ear headphones. I was desperate for a new pair: my beloved year-old Bose Triports had crapped out on me, as did my threadbare seven-year-old backup iPod earbuds (RIP my loves). So I strolled into AC Gears, knowing full well that I would be paying a premium for instant gratification. I dropped $60 for the pair, the last of my savings for the month, but you know what? It was completely worth it.

I am a bass junkie; I set my iTunes equalizer to a custom setting that turns up the bass as much as listenably possible. I am going to buy a subwoofer very very soon. Where I’m going with this is, I am extremely satisfied with the bass capabilities of this pair. The treble isn’t shrill either: there’s a good overall tonal balance.

A good pair of headphones has noticeably improved sound quality and clarity than the built-in computer speakers or the drugstore/Best Buy variety of headphones (cough Skullcandy cough): this is especially true for this pair. However, it doesn’t matter how good the sound is if your headphones are uncomfortable and distractingly so. Not an issue for the RP-HTX7s. With a leather headband and leather earcups, not only does it cushion, but it also creates a sound cave around your ears that external noise can barely penetrate, pretty much making them in the most basic sense, noise-canceling. They feel like nothing on your head and the sound quality is the best possible for the price bracket. If you want a pair however and it’s not an emergency like it was in my case, I suggest Amazon as opposed to AC Gears, you’ll save about $25 by ordering online and waiting a couple days for them to arrive.

P.S. The song I just posted, along with New Born by Muse and YYZ by Rush make for very good test songs for headphones. They make it easy to see whether or not the bass is audible, the treble is subdued and the two are balanced.