The first thing that strikes you about the Liberate Headphones by House of Marley is there awesome styling and attention to detail. As the brand lives up to Bob Marley’s vision of sustainability, humanity, authenticity and integrity, they try and use recycled and reclaimed materials. The headband is made from recycled aluminum and carry case and headband cushion is a fabric which is weaved from organic cotton, reclaimed hemp and recycled plastic bottles. It’s not often that you can wear something so cool that’s also so ethically produced.
There are lots of other fine details on the Liberates such as red thread on the headband which contrasts well with the blue fabric, a cool design of holes in the headband (which not only looks cool but also reduces weight and increases comfort) and finally my favourite, etched House of Marley logos in sapele wood on the exterior surface of the headphone speakers. The cherry on the cake with these headphones is the carry case which is made from the same ethically produced fabric as the headband cushion. It’s a great addition as with a lush piece of gear like this you are going to want to keep it nicely protected.
A great feature of the Liberates is the fabric cable, this not only adds to the high quality and multi-material aesthetic but also makes the cable tangle free. I didn’t believe this claim when I read it on the box but it really does work. Just where the headphone cable splits there is a very thin and lightweight remote control. This genius little three button device worked perfectly with my iPhone. You could tap the center button once to pause and then press again to play, if you double clicked the same button it would skip track (which is such a genius idea). There are also up and down buttons which you can use to control the volume on your iPhone. I found this really useful as I didn’t have to take my phone out of my pocket when I needed to change tracks and make volume adjustments on the move.
I’ve spent ages talking about the design and styling of these headphones but now let me tackle what is undoubtedly the most important aspect of any pair of headphones, the audio quality. I’m not an audio snob but I do appreciate good sound and would consider myself a bit of an amateur audiophile. I can say for certain that House of Marley are definitely not style over substance. They tick both boxes and them some – these headphones sound epic! I threw a massive variety of music at them from acoustic folk to dub step to thrash metal and of course reggae and they coped well with it all. They create a deep rich sound with all the highs, mids and bass I wanted, making me want to listen to my entire music collection again. The House of Marley Liberate headphones are definitely a great purchase; they look awesome and provided a crystal clear reproduction of all your favourite tracks.
