When we heard about the Sync by 50 headphones from SMS Audio, our hearts soared. We hoped that company founder and hip-hop star 50 Cent — or Fiddy, or Fif, or Cent, or Curtis, or whatever the hip-hop cognoscenti are calling him this week — would tap his fabled entrepreneurial skills and no-nonsense business attitude to create the world’s first hip-hop headphones that don’t at least kinda suck.
Yet at the same time, our ears cringed. We feared that the flashy Sync by 50 would reprise the overhyped bass, muddy midrange, and screeching treble that have been the norm for hip-hop headphones. So we awaited the ship date with an elegiac mix of optimism and despair.
When the review sample arrived last week, we immediately subjected the SMS-WS — the $399 higher-end model in the line — to S+V’s ultra-exclusive headphone obstacle course. Obstacle 1: A panel of three listeners, each with different tastes, different ages, differently shaped ears, and different genders. (Well, two of us shared the same gender.) Obstacle 2: A G.R.A.S. ear-cheek simulator connected to a Clio FW audio analyzer so we could run some technical measurements.
First, I have to describe the Sync by 50, because as with their creator, the design, packaging and ornamentation are far enough over the top that you have to admire the … well, whatever the hip-hop slang for chutzpah is. You can get the SMS-WS in gloss black or gloss white. No matter which color you get, the look is big and brash. On each earcup is a large S symbol illuminated in bright blue. As if this alone wouldn’t get you enough attention, the blue lights flash periodically while the headphone is in wireless mode. There’s an “airplane mode” that turns this feature off, but if I flew with these suckers I’d definitely want it flashing. I’ve always said, never bury the bling.
Yep, I said wireless mode. The SMS-WS comes with a transmitter that uses Kleer lossless transmission technology. (The $299 Street by 50 lacks this feature.) A Kleer dongle about the size of a small matchbox is included. Stick the dongle’s integral 3.5mm plug into your phone, iPod, or computer, and you supposedly get the same high sound quality you’d get with a cable. As contributing tech editor and listening panelist Geoff Morrison discovered, you can walk about 30 feet from the transmitter without losing signal. (And that was through two walls.) Up to four pairs of Sync by 50 headphones can be paired with the same transmitter.
You can also connect the SMS-WS directly to your phone, iPad, etc., with a blue cable that includes a microphone and a push-to-talk switch.
The right earcup has an on/off/mute button and another button that activates the THUMPP Enhanced Bass feature. Surely you’re wondering: Is THUMPP an actual acronym, or merely one of the hip-hop world’s de rigueur myzspellyngz? Sadly, the manual does not elaborate, so like 50 Cent himself, THUMPP remains an enigma.
The left earcup has volume up/down buttons (ineffective in wired mode) and forward/reverse track skip buttons. The manual says that the track skip buttons function only with USB (i.e., computer) and 30-pin (i.e., iPod/iPhone/iPad) transmitters, neither of which were supplied with our review sample.
You may have noticed something’s missing: active noise cancellation. A strange omission, since ANC would seem a necessary feature for awesome airplane bling like the Sync by 50.
You have to synchronize the headphones with the Kleer dongle the first time you use them. Fortunately, I found the process comparable to that of most Bluetooth headphones and easier than with some recent wireless stuff. After the ’phones are synced, the S logos on the sides of the ear cups blink every 6 seconds or so.
All three of our panelists — Geoff, L.A.-based voice actress/singer Lauren Dragan, and I — found the Sync by 50 above-average in comfort. The soft, leather-covered foam ear pads provide ample cushioning, and the ’phones squeeze your head firmly but not so tight that it gets uncomfortable after a half-hour’s worth of tunes. Lauren did complain that the look was plasticky and Geoff thought the flashing lights were obnoxious, but of course those are matters of opinion.
The semi-hardshell case is a sweet piece, with elastic webbing to hold the cord and included adapters and even a spot for the Kleer dongle.
Question. Even if Fity Cent used these phones to master his hip-hop material, do they make the speech more intelligible than a similarly-priced set of "audiophile" earphones? Or, is that not important and the more THUMP the better? That seems to be the case with BEATS.
Hi, John. As I'm sure you can gather from that 2.7 kHz peak, the Sync by 50 has something of a "voice-enhanced" sound. It might make voices more intelligible than with some audiophile 'phones, but it won't sound as natural.
Ok, my sony earphones have totally gone on me after 3 years (one ear is broken off) and i need to purchase another pair of studio head phones and i am debating on beats by Dre pro or sms 50 cents ear phones. Which one would be best for recording music on for my studio or is there something better then both.
Get the sync just received a couple days ago wont be disappointed sound quality is amazing even being wireless....syncs
received my syncs gotta say the sound quality is superb for all genres of music not just hip hop hop very well delievered durability is great very tough don't own dres but gotta say I was in the similar situation looking for great headphones was between the studios by dre the Bose qc15 or the SMS syncs and I pulled the trigger for the syncs the wireless alone is a winner did listen to both the dres and Bose gotta say made the right choice Sound quality was very important to me def sound better than the beats and the Bose are great also would choose between the Bose or the sync but I would go with the sync due to wireless the headset controls and sound quality better than the Bose and durability is def better these syncs are def a winner I was skeptic on swiping that $400 but I am def happy one downfall that I did encounter though is noise cancellation Bose did beat the sync on that part but when jamming you aren't hearing anything outside
@reign - Even given the positive review here, common wisdom would suggest that neither of these for studio recording (though that depends on what kind of stuff you're doing — if you want extended bass for electronic music/hip-hop, you could certainly do worse than either). But there are a ton of more studio-oriented offerings from Shure, Sony, KRK, AKG, Audio-Technica, etc, that you might want to investigate.
I just got these headphones and for some reason the skip buttons on the right earcup don't work while they are in wireless mode... everything else works great but the rev and fwd skip buttons.. Why won't it work??
Hi swaggmaster88,
The track buttons will only work with a USB dongle or 30-pin iDongle that does not come in the box.
You can buy it separately for $80 and $50 respectively.
The buttons do however work to get in (press prev button for 5secs) and exit (press ff for 5secs) airplane mode as explained on the review.