Kendall Jenner has become the new face of headphone brand Beats by Dre in a new campaign, and I had the opportunity to test them out. The Kardashians star is featured in the new advert for Beats 360, the new over-ear headphones hailing from the brand and which promise the “most personal listening experience yet”.
The campaign and customisation
In the advert, Kendall sits in a cafe to discover that every customer around her has become a different version of herself. It’s a nod, of course, to Beats 360’s tagline: “One headphone. Every version of you.” With a soundtrack of Gary Numan hit Are Friends Electric?, a key element is just how customisable the headphones are, coming with interchangeable ear cushions.
Kendall said: “I’m always on the go and switching between so many different looks.
“So Beats 360 fits my lifestyle. I love that I can switch the cushions to match whatever I'm doing that day.”
The review experience
The personalisation is probably one of the better bits of Beats 360. I opted for the base headphones in Sky, a pastel blue, priced at £299. But for my Performance Knit cushion kit I opted for pink – because turquoise and pink is a colour combination that simply cannot be bested, in my opinion.
Being able to change out the ear and head cushions is great for anyone who fancies matching the headphones to their outfit of the day. The base tech is available in Cloud, Black, Sky or Pink, while the cushions come in colours including Black, Sky, Volt, Navy, Pink and Cloud. For any Gen-Z gym girlies, they’re probably a great option.
Audio quality and comfort
But when it comes to the audio quality, I’ve sadly heard better. They pale in comparison to my Dyson OnTrac headphones, admittedly at a slightly higher price point of £449.99. But the sad fact is, they also don’t hold up well compared to my standard Apple EarPods, which cost a mere £19.
The Beats 360 come with a noise-cancelling mode which can be toggled on and off, but no matter what I did, I could not erase the sound of my own footsteps thundering down the pavement as I walked. I’ve never had this issue with any other pair of headphones – so I don’t think it’s entirely down to my elephantine clomping – and it was truly distracting even when I turned my music up higher.
They are, thankfully, comfortable to wear. They’re pretty lightweight, making them great for carrying around, and come with a cushioned magnetic-close carry case. And as long as you’re not thudding along on a treadmill, they’re great for the gym, with IPX4-rated water resistance.
Verdict
And thankfully, they do win out over the Dysons in one area – the interchangeability of the cushions. They’re super easy to remove and swap out, while I actually struggle to convince myself I’m not going to break the OnTracs every time I try to detach the cushions.
I’m willing to give the Beats 360 a bit more time, and the fun colours certainly help in that regard. Knowing I can step out of the house with tech that complements my outfit is a definite bonus – and if Kendall swears by them, I reckon they’ll definitely be popular with a certain demographic.
