The Monster headphones founder’s son, Kevin Lee, has teamed up with electro-house DJ, producer and hipster icon Steve Aoki to launch a new headphone label, Sol (Soundtrack of Life) Republic. We gave their latest in-ear model, the Amps HD, a try to see if this new brand has really got soul.
(+)The flat cable doesn’t get tangled up.
(+)The volume remote is conveniently located and comes with a mic
(+) The design of the earphone is nice and bold.
(+)Unlike many in-ears, the ear tips are  comfortable and don’t hurt your ears after long periods of use. They’re a good fit and stay in place even when working out at the gym.
(+)The noticeably punchy bass doesn’t block out vocals, the mid-range isn’t too dry or deep, and the noise cancelation works well even at low volume.
(+) It comes with a rubber case.
(-) The buttons on the remote feel a bit cheap.
(-)The remote is heavy and would’ve been better located further from the ear tips.
(-) Although the Amps HD comes with a new i6 sound engine, the only difference we could sense from the old i4 is the slightly clearer bass.
(-) Sound isolation isn’t bad, but it could’ve been better.

Verdict: The Sol Republic Amps HD has a stylish design, smooth treble and grooving bass. With its B4,190 price tag, the sound comes pretty close to more expensive in-ear models. If you’re into pop, rock, hip hop and electronic music, it’s definitely a solid option. But if you don’t need the enhanced bass and flat cable, the normal Amps model (B2,590) would do just fine.

B4,190 at 3/F (Munkong Gadget), Digital Gateway, Rama 1 Rd., 02-623-4143. BTS Siam.