In the search for an affordable yet comfortable pair of headphones that could replace Apple’s earbuds (at around the same price), I was led to a pair of over-the-ear cans fit for any teenage snow-border who already didn’t own a pair of Skullcandys. The Wicked Reverb, fit for hoodie toting hooligans ready to faux-rock to 128 kbit mp3s, arrived at my desk in an oversized box littered with the kind of graffiti that speaks marketing over value. However, I didn’t want first impressions to ruin what could possibly be a charming relationship, so I’ve spent a couple week’s worth of alone time with my hot-rod red headphones just to see if something Wicked can actually sound, “wicked.” Past the break, a few pics and our conclusive review on whether these are an ample replacement for your worn out buds.

While I’m not afraid to wear a full-sized pair of headphones in public, the Wicked Reverbs have that kind of giant “flashy muffs at a gun range” look that’s not terribly appealing. Although I will admit that what the Reverbs lack in style, they make up for in comfort. While I’m not impressed with the plastic ear cups or the hollow knock that reverbs in your ear as you tap on said plastic, the light weight attributed to the lesser materials is light as air on your noggin (they only weigh a quarter of a pound). Though I won’t be making a statement with its sporty red paint or terribly gaudy headband, at least I can feel comfortable being… well, comfortable.

While I rag on Wicked Audio’s design choices (perhaps white would have been a better choice), they were nice enough to bundle in an extension cable that gives me an extra six feet of length to walk about the office and reach some of my ill-place audio equipment. It’s a nice touch, considering the Reverb already packs a four foot cable by itself. I shouldn’t forget about the included 1/4th jack either, which felt like a cheap addition rather than being added for necessity.

Yet how do these fugly yet fashionable-with-a-beanie style headphones compared to the cheap Apple buds you’ve got with your iPod? If you’re like me, in-ear headphones are okay for travel or listening in short bursts, but any extended activity has to be done over-the-ear (on-ear ‘phones just hurt). These could-be replacements sport a 40mm driver and a frequency rage of 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz at an impedance of 20 ohms. The Reverbs can get pretty loud, though you might want to beware as there is some sound leakage. Not enough to drive your seat buddy crazy, however, as a sealed fit does an okay job of passively blocking out noise in low traffic settings such as an airport bench or on college campus. There’s no need to crank up the volume unless you’re sitting next to an interstate.

Unfortunately, what the Reverbs produce in loud muddy bass are obscured by highs that ultimately end up distorted. Otherwise passable bass and punchy drums are immediately overpowered by a mid-range that’s clear and pronounced, but otherwise you’re left feeling as if everything else is underwater. I can’t help but feel these headphones want to produce some thunderous lows, but as soon as the drums kicked in on Kanye’s, “All of the Lights,” the Reverbs simply gave up, spurting a mess of highs and lows distracted by otherwise passable vocals. It often felt these headphones were overwhelmed when tasked with producing the kind of clarity (but lack of punch) Apple’s earbuds are good at for the price; the Wicked Reverb replaces clarity with an attempted loudness that never feels crisp.

What you get in the overall package for Wicked Audio’s Reverb series of headphones are a very comfortable, but plasticly pair of cans that struggle to bring to life even the least transcoded mp3s. If you care about loudness and a good thump, you’ll appreciate what bass the Wicked Reverb manages to keep together over its otherwise non-existence on Apple’s default buds. At the same time, you can probably do so much better if you save up another Jackson. These a pair of $30 pair of cans you wear for comfort over style and sound, and I found myself ultimately wearing them to solely listen to podcasts in the afternoons, because quite frankly, I just can’t enjoy music in these things.