Tech Trend 247

The future of music listening will be wireless, but that doesn't mean good, old-fashioned wired headphones will disappear just yet.

Beats' newly announced EP on-ear headphones, priced at $129.95, are designed to get people to focus just on their music. They're available in four colors (white, black, blue and red) and offer a no-gimmick audio experience.

"The build quality on [the EP] is absolutely exceptional," Luke Wood, president of Beats Electronics, told Mashable. "The sound is beautiful and it's extremely simple. It's really the entry point into the brand."

I got to try a pair of EPs and briefly listened to some music and they're, well, they're Beats. They sound good with solid lows and good bass — better than the Solo 2s (with wire attached) in my opinion, but obviously nowhere near as good more expensive headphone geared at audiophiles. 

But again, they're not designed for audiophiles; the headphones have just enough kick to sound better than most average headphones and magnitudes better than the pack-in EarPods or earbuds that come with iPhones and other phones. 

The EPs fit comfortably on my head, the ear cups are cushiony, and the stainless steel-reinforced frame and friction adjustment sliders are solid. They definitely didn't feel cheap.

Like all Beats, the headphones have a built-in RemoteTalk control for mic, Siri and music playback controls.

One thing that Beats got right from the start was making its headphones fashionable. From offering tons of different colors to a clean design, Beats, whether you like them or not, look cool. All the cool kids wear them and everyone knows it.

And now they sound a lot better, too. So it might be good to clean your ears, maybe take a break from the 24/7 world and learn how to appreciate music. You might surprise yourself and hear things in your favorite songs that you never did before.