Sol Republic Master Tracks Review

Sol Republic have squarely aimed the Master Tracks over ear headphones at a couple of different markets. Equally suited to use with a smartphone, working at your desk or for late night listening sessions. Find out what we think about these versatile headphones in our full Sol Republic Master Tracks review.

Sol Republic are a relatively young company that are aiming to produce high quality, beautiful audio products that appeal to a wide audience. Their overall style is on the surface, quite simple and plain – but in this deceptive plainness comes a stylish expression and look that makes them stand out from the crowd.

Before I get stuck into the meat of this review, I will point out that I bought these for my own use out of choice. I selected the Master Tracks after testing a lot of other headphones in the same sort of price range (roughly £95-250) and still use them on a regular basis.

Build Your Own Headphones

The packaging is a piece of amazing design and engineering in its own right. True to the brand, the packaging is simple, sleek and stylish presenting the headphones inside brilliantly. There’s a magnetic flap which when lifted exposes the headphones underneath – the back of the flap gives you more information about the headphones and the package contents. I have to confess that it took me a while to find my way into the box – once in the fun begins.

Over the years, I have owned many pairs of headphones from a wide range of manufacturers…never can I remember having to assemble them before! One of the biggest selling points, and one that appealed to me, is that any of the components can be replaced. As you can see in the image to the right, they consist of four components: headband, the two earpieces/audio drivers and the cable.

The headband is claimed to be virtually indestructible – whilst I haven’t tested the strength, I can vouch for how tough it feels & looks. made from There are also other colour headbands available if you feel the need to go for a custom look. The headband used is also the same as that on the Tracks headphones – the recent addition of the custom range gives you a very wide choice.

The earcups are equally tough and well finished. These simply slide onto the headband – match up the L & R markings for the correct orientation. The cable then simply plugs in to the underside of the speaker unit using a small audio jack. the cable is of the split ‘Y’ type meaning that a cable is attached to both earpieces.

Further down the cable at the cable split is the microphone and control unit. These inline controls are set up for users of Apple devices (iPhone, iPod & iPad). Android (or other platforms) be aware that the play/pause control works perfectly, but the +/- buttons won’t work for you – this isn’t an issue for me personally, but it would have been a nice touch if this was universal. The microphone should work for use in calls on all systems. Cable has a soft silicon type finish to it and is highly flexible – I have had no issues with tangling or kinking.

You’ll also find a lined nylon storage bag included. The Master Tracks headphones fit inside perfectly – and this helps to protect the headphones when not in use. I will say though that I think the inclusion of a fitted

hard case would have been a very nice addition – particularly at this price point.

Wherever you look on, you can see attention to detail and you can literally feel the quality. The overall finish on these headphones is exceptionally high.

Where the Sol Republic Master Tracks also trump a lot of the competition is the comfort. I have found the fit to be absolutely fantastic – despite the size, they feel light and stay in place very well. The padding on the underside of the headband gives a brilliantly soft feel on top of your head – so soft that i’m not aware its there most of the time. The headband pulls the earcups into the side of your head tight enough to provide a good seal, but not too tight as to cause discomfort. I’ll also add an additional note here, I wear glasses & the earcups don’t crush the arms into my head at all.

Epic Sound

Now for the important bit…

The reason I personally chose these headphones wasn’t for the way they looked, it was purely because of how they SOUND.

The sound is big – really big. The stereo image is fantastically wide and precise – you can hear detail everywhere. The frequency range is pretty epic – the low frequencies are really quite special, sub so low that you almost feel it rather than hear it.

Bass is big, but natural – there’s no boom or honk at any frequency, just plenty of rich warm depth and detail. The top end is nicely open and spacious – really clean, again packing lots of detail. The mid range is very nicely balanced giving a good snappy punch but not overly excessive crunch. This is an audio experience equivalent to listening to the mix in the studio…clean, big and detailed – absolutely fantastic.

The combination of the clean but big natural sound and extreme comfort of fit makes the Sol Republic Master Tracks perfect for long listening periods – you’ll forget that you’re wearing them a lot of the time.

Because the Sol Republic Master Tracks are sealed over ear headphones, they block out a lot of external noise. I use these in an office environment and have to lift an earcup in order to hear someone talk to me. This also means that very little sound escapes into the outside world, they are very good in an office environment or for commuting in this respect.

Sol Republic Master Tracks Review Conclusion

As you know, I bought these out of choice for my own everyday use. I regard them very highly indeed and i’m still blown away by the sound on a regular basis. In order to find a better set of headphones you will have to spend a significantly larger amount of money than this. The Sol Republic Master Tracks are worth every penny – if you are serious about you music, you should be serious about the way that you listen to it…these are a serious set of headphones.