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Congratulations to Incase for a near-flawless introduction to the headphone marketplace. The $150 Sonic headphones are the company's first product, and their unique details demonstrate a forward-thinking R&D effort. A round of applause to the company for introducing new materials like memory foam and micro-fleece that surely have competitors wishing they thought of it first. The Sonics are light and comfortable to wear for hours at a time, and though they don't feature active noise-cancellation, Incase clearly understands the aural benefits of achieving a proper fit. If you only have room in your budget for one set of $150 headphones, the broad appeal of the Incase Sonic earns my endorsement.
Design and features
Incase seemed to draw inspiration from the Dieter Rams school of minimalism when designing the Sonic headphones, as it cleverly strips the chassis of all the weakest elements of a traditional headphone.
For example, the rubber-lined headband and earcups are built on a one-piece modular design that hides the notched adjustment brackets deep within the chassis. This way, the headphones don't fall victim to the exposed metal hinges on something like the insufferable Beats by Dre. Dre headphones, which creak and whimper under pressure.
Furthermore, Incase inspires another eureka moment by elongating the earcups into an oval that tapers at the bottom to mimic the shape of an ear. The adjustable nubs fit securely into the earcups yet still allow for a fully articulated rotation, and these two innovations work together to achieve a blissfully natural fit that makes me wonder why all earcups aren't modeled after ovals instead of circles.
Any traveling DJ will also tell you that the wire and plug are the most fragile part of any headphone, but Incase has the foresight to include two detachable 3.5-foot cords to match your color choice: primer, black, or gray paired with fluorescent blue, green, and gray mesh lining, respectively.
This omission of steel parts certainly shields the headphones from knocks and drops, but it also reduces the weight down to a little less than half a pound. Combined with the supple memory-foam padding that lines the earcups and the top of the headband, it's easy to forget you're wearing the headphones unless you're pumping music through them. The plush micro-fleece cloth stretched across the padding feels remarkably similar to a Snuggie, though I wouldn't recommend you fall asleep on top of them.
