Review: Satechi’s Aluminum Headphones may be just the thing your new iPhone 7 will need

Your next iPhone probably won’t may not have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Finding new earbuds or headphones may be necessary at that point, and Satechi thinks its new over-ear cans can satisfy you.

But will they?

Hardware

Satechi is using anodized aluminum that mimics Apple’s own product line (except Rose Gold). The earphones also fold flat for slipping into a bag, and have a comfortable padding for both your ears and top of the head.

On one side, there are three buttons, each with multiple functionality. The Bluetooth button is also the power button, and pulls triple-duty as a pause button. The volume rockers work when held down; if you single-tap either, it skips the track forward or backward one spot on your playlist.

Satechi’s headphones also have a mic so you can take calls, and come with a 3.5mm audio cable (with a mute button) if you’d prefer a wired experience.

There is an optional stand for your desk that doubles as a USB hub. It’s also aluminum, and available in the same colors as the headphones.

Are they good headphones, though?

For a basic user, Satechi’s headphones are great. They don’t deliver a ton of bass, and the treble is accurate but not crisp. The sound is accurate, but I can’t endorse Satechi’s ‘premium sound’ claim (that’s something Bose can say with ease).

But they do respond well to software tweaks. In the Settings app on your iPhone — buried under ‘Music’ — there’s an EQ. Toying with settings there made the headphones sound a lot better (compared to other headphpones and earbuds I’ve also exposed to Apple’s EQ) depending on what type of music I was listening to.

Still, I wasn’t wowed. I’m no audiophile in any way, but it’s clear these aren’t the best headphones you can get. They’re really good, just not great.

Should you buy them?

Satechi’s headphones have Bluetooth 4.0, and the battery life is really good (I got through days of light use without being notified I should charge them; Satechi says you’ll get around 16 hours use before needing to charge). They fold flat, have a nice stand for the desk, and can be wired if you need it.

They’re also $69.99.

Again, these are nowhere near the best cans I’ve had on my ears, but they’re far from the worst — and may be among the most comfortable on-ear headphones I’ve used (and I typically hate on-ear headphones). Unless you want to spend upwards of $200, Satechi’s headphones get the job done just fine.

For the price, it’s hard to argue against the Satechi Aluminum Wireless Headphones. Especially as Apple appears to be moving away from wired audio, Satechi’s aluminum headphones are worth a look.