Review: Incase Sonic Over Ear Headphones

by Bill Palmer

Incase is so thoroughly known as a case maker that the word is right there in its brand name. But wanting more, the company has expanded into audio products. And rather than dabbling, Incase has gone all-in with a set of $199 headphones called Sonic.

Right away, the advantages a case maker can bring to a headphone product become apparent. Rather than employing metal and leather and other rough products like most headphone makers do, the Sonic goes soft all around: the felt-like cups are plush, the undercarriage of the headband is just as soft and just as thick, and even the hard plastic holding it all together has a smooth velvety feel to it. It’s technically a two-tone design in that the central interior of the cups is a bright color of your choice. But it’s only visible to you when you’re holding them, not to others when you’re wearing them, making the secondary color a sort of private splash for your eyes only.

Unfortunately, the audio quality of the Sonic isn’t quite as impressive. It’s good, but not great. Music sounds crisp on both the high and low end, but a bit thin overall in comparison to the best sounding headphones in this price range. You get the punch from the music but not necessarily the meat, so to speak. Don’t get me wrong – the audio sounds enjoyable, but merely doesn’t merit this kind of price tag.

In all, the Sonic gets four and a half stars for design and comfort, three and a half for its good but not great audio, for an overall four star rating. The good news for those who are fans of the Incase brand and its design flair is that the Sonic is merely a start for the company in this particular product area, with every reason to expect more from its future audio offerings.

Rating: four stars out of five • Price: $199 • goincase.com

About Bill Palmer

Bill Palmer is Editor in Chief of Beatweek Magazine. His editorial contributions include interviews with musicians and iPhone industry coverage.