Product test

Two unicorns sound better than expected

4.7.2018

Translation: machine translated

A unicorn rarely comes alone. With the Retrak Unicorn headphones, you get two. And music to your ears. I tried out the plush headphones and can say: the sound exceeds my expectations.

I first saw the unicorn headphones on the table at Stéphanie Quintana, Category Management Assistant. The headphones are white, pink and made of plush. The unicorn even has a hairstyle; its hair is pink and fluffy. The two horns shimmer in all the colours of the rainbow depending on the light. The small, shiny beady eyes with blue eyelashes look at Dominik Bärlocher and me as we walk past. It's love at first sight.

Children's headphones

ReTrak Audio HP Unicorn

We stop and want the headphones. Because unicorns are great, and they're even better when you can put them on your head and listen to music. But how do the plush pieces sound? Can you also use them to listen to music or are they just for looking at, like glitter, rainbows and pink candy floss?

We want to find out. Dominik and I try out the headphones. And we're both amazed: the sound is shockingly good, considering it comes from the back of a unicorn's head.

Stéphanie lends me the headphones for testing. Because for Dominik and me, one thing is clear: the headphones deserve a review. Not just because they're shaped like a unicorn, but also because they can do something. Especially for this low price.

Everything fluffy. Even the music

The Retrak brand headphones are actually designed for children. But they are shaped like two unicorns. And unicorns are so fabulous that even adults want to be children again.

As I mentioned briefly at the beginning, the sound really isn't bad. I am particularly surprised by the clarity with which the plush earpiece reproduces my music. I had expected that music from such inexpensive plush headphones would not sound good at all. I was wrong. The plush headphones also have bass. Not too much, but it's there. The fact that the headphones are so soft also means they fit well.

On the road with the unicorn

The pink headband is made of plastic, but the plush cover makes it sit comfortably soft on my head. And the headband is adjustable. So it fits small children's heads and those of adults who love unicorns. You can't feel the actual headphones inside the unicorn heads. The headphones are completely fluffy and soft and at just 120 grams, they are also nice and light.

As the headphones are intended for children, the volume does not exceed 85 decibels. This is the maximum volume recommended for children by ENT specialists and paediatricians. For comparison: 85 decibels is about as loud as a normal lawnmower. That's loud enough for me when listening to music. I like to listen to music (too) loud. But with the unicorn headphones, I don't mind that my ears aren't shaking for once. The limitation also prevents clashing or overlapping highs.

The unicorn is still aiming high

Just bring joy

The unicorn headphones are all the rage in the office. Everyone wants to try them out. And everyone is surprised that the sound isn't that bad.

Later, Dominik and I go out with the headphones to take a few photos for this article. We stand out: Dominik with his camera and huge lens, me with the unicorns on my ears. People on the street grin at us. We grin back.

With the right music, David Lee will be happy with any pair of headphones

The unicorn parts put me in a good mood. Dominik gives me instructions for the photos, which I sometimes hear better, sometimes worse. The music from the unicorns isn't that quiet after all. But the limitation is good and important for children's ears. The unicorns don't cause hearing damage, but rather fluffiness, stardust and joy.

The men like unicorns. In the picture: Kevin Hofer

Cable tangle: no such thing in unicorn land

The music of the unicorn headphones is transmitted via a 3.5 mm jack plug. They don't have Bluetooth. But there are no tangled cables and small children can't hurt themselves because of the cable. Because it is retractable. One of the two unicorns has a small integrated cable reel so that the cable can be locked at the desired length (maximum one metre). I like that. That way you don't have any excess cable and when you plug in the headphones, the cable doesn't have a chance to get tangled. You just have to be careful not to pull too hard when pulling it in. If things get really bad, the jack will hit you in the face.

Tangled cables are a real problem. Nice that they can't exist here. According to Retrak, we spend an average of three and a half days of our lives untangling cables. That certainly won't happen to you with these fluffy, wonderful unicorn headphones.

They're not as loud and the sound can't compete with any high-quality headphones. But hey, you've got two unicorns on your head. Even if the unicorn hype has been around for a long time: Unicorn headphones are something special. It's a shame I have to return the fluffy rainbow glitter headphones Stéphanie. <p

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Livia Gamper

Editor

livia.gamper@digitecgalaxus.ch

Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.

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