Audio Brand Urbanista are the brand for the millennial who enjoy their headphones with a mix of style and audio quality then this brand is something you need to look at. Urbanista is a brand that names its products after capital cities such as Miami, Seoul, Lisbon for example.

In this review, we have been testing the Urbanista Los Angeles which are ANC headphones that actually charge up from the sun so in principle will never need to be charged up. 

First impressions the Urbanista Los Angeles have a very similar design to that of the Urbanista Miami. However, the Los Angeles have a very unique feature the headband has a solar-cell material that draws power for a light source either natural or artificial. This really puts this pair of headphones on its own in the market. 

I have been using these as my main pair of headphones now for 2 weeks and audio quality they did well and if you like bass you won’t be disappointed. When you consider the cost of £149 for a pair of self-charging headphones it’s hard to argue.  

So let’s take a closer look. 

Design

If you placed the Los Angeles next to the Miami model they are identical the only difference is the colours with the Los Angeles come in either black or sand compared to the Miami that comes in red, white and teal.  

Obviously, the headband technology is different but that to one side they have a discreet design that offers a snug design which I did find a little uncomfortable for the first few days but once that headband softened over time they become pleasant to wear and that head cramp disappeared. The adjustment mechanism is sturdy and well built and you can adjust it to make it more comfortable but it’s the headband technology that is a unique feature.    

The headband comes with a strip of Exeger’s Powerflyte photovoltaic material running along the width of the band. Its this unique technology that is capable of drawing power from any kind of light.  The manufacture suggests an hour in the sunshine will provide three hours of playback.  The battery life offers 80 hours with ANC off and if you use the ANC expect about 50 hours which is excellent. 

In terms of controls, you have a few physical buttons for example on the right cup you will see 3 buttons you have that multi-function button that controls the power, play/pause and call answer/reject. On either side of that multi-function button, you have the volume/track control buttons. 

On the left earcup, you have a control button that allows you to switch on the ANC or Ambient mode. Also on the left earcup is that USB-C charging cable if you have spent 50 hours in the dark and need to recharge them.

Now the control button can also be customized by the Urbanista control app. The app itself is nice to have I guess but it does not do much. It has a display to show you how much battery life the headphones have as well as the level of the charge they are gaining.

Audio Quality

The Urbanista Los Angeles use that Bluetooth 5 connection but with the use of 40mm drivers they can handle hi-res audio so if you have a Tidal streaming account lick your lips as they offer an energetic if overconfident audio quality.

It’s the bass that Urbanista has worked hard on as you get a deep and detailed bass that is controlled. Unfortunately, the strong bass does affect the midrange you do get a detailed midrange but the vocals just feel a little overwhelmed by that strong bass.

Finally, the highs don’t thank god get affected by the bass they are delivered in full with just the right amount before it sounded too much. Pump up the volume and the highs still shine. So if you are looking for a bold bass that is the star of the show the Los Angeles will keep that smile on your face. 

Active Noise Cancellation   

When you decide to use the ANC it won’t impact the overall sound quality that much but does remove a lot of the external sound which is a bonus and what you expect from active noise cancellation.

In terms of the audio, the ANC does allow the bass to get stronger which really is negative when the mids are considered a shame but hopefully, in the future, Urbanista can look to improve this issue. The Los Angeles also comes with an ambient mode but blink and you will miss it as it does let in some of the external sounds but at the same time does not reduce the volume so the ambient mode does not really work. 

Verdict

The Urbanista Los Angeles are a unique pair of headphones and if you want to go green and charge them with the power of the sun these are a great option for your next purchase.

The bass is bold and at times can overwhelm the rest of the sound profile so if you’re looking for a balanced sound look elsewhere. The Urbanista app is basic and I would like to be able to customise the sound profile more and maybe it could also incorporate a smart speaker control would also be useful. As currently apart from viewing the battery and turning on ANC it does nothing.

So overall these headphones are not perfect but with the introduction of Exeger’s Powerflyte photovoltaic material in the headband, they stand out from the crowd. However, it’s that bass that affects the sound quality so if you are buying on sound quality along I would consider the likes of Sennheiser or Jabra. 

However, if you want unlimited audio that your headphones will charge while you are on the way to work these are worth considering as your next pair.

Product Rating:          

Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0.

Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Battery Life: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

ANC quality: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0.

Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0  

   

Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars4.6. 4.6 Stars  

     

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