Vain STHLM Lazy Black Originals Headphones

I was really happy with these until recently when they broke (more about that soon). Unit these, I had been using either the headphones that came with my cell phones or cheap pairs I got as needed. I decided to spend a little more, but wasn't ready for (or needing) pricey, top-of-the-line ones. After reading quite a few reviews, I decided on Vain's STHLM Originals and followed them on here until the price was exactly right. I had them for about eight months before they broke. Although a big deal, I'm not letting that cloud everything in case I had a dud. Here's what I thought:The great:* These were the most comfortable earbuds I've ever had. These broke earlier this week, and I had to immediately go back to one of my old, cheap pairs. Being stuck with those made the high level of comfort for these even more noticeable - I miss them now that they are gone.* The sound was great. I used these a lot, primarily for listening to music or podcasts through my phone, and for regular calls (both on my phone and computer). I could always hear clearly, even with talking-heavy podcasts that I struggled to hear clearly with other headphones. It also blocked enough noise that I could hear well without turning the volume up too high when commuting or in a noisy room.* The magnetic backs made it easier for them to keep together when putting away. It wasn't a feature I had been actively looking for, but I liked it.* The storage tin was great - I used it all the time. It was small enough to fit in my pocket / not take a ton of room in my purse. Since I spent more on these than I usually would, I wanted to take care of them. So I appreciated that it came with this.* These looked good. I have a weakness for rose-gold anything, and liked that this had a touch of rose gold without being too pink. I would recommend them to anyone, even those adverse to overly traditionally-feminine-looking things.* I liked the cord. Although I did get a tangle a few times, it was rare and very easy to fix. Although they never had to, I felt confident the cord would stand up to pulling without fraying.The "meh"* I had a few issues with the microphone. The last two months of use I frequently had to change to another pair when people said they couldn't hear me. This was true both when using them on the phone and my computer. I worked from home a lot, and would call in to conference calls from an otherwise silent room. So it wasn't an issue of the mic picking up other sounds preventing me from being heard. Sometimes it would just take a few seconds for my voice to pick up, but sometimes it would cut out a lot (per the other people). In every case, switching out my headphones immediately worked, so I don't think their inability to hear was due to a poor connection.* I really wish there was a volume control button on the remote. I appreciated being able to start / stop music by pushing it, and used that frequently. But I wished I could have changed the volume without having to do so on my phone. I knew it didn't have this when I got it, but underestimated how much I missed that feature.The bad:* They broke! And I'm so sad about it. As you can see from the photos, one of the earbuds separated from it's backing. Although I can easily push it back and it still fits, it won't stay connected.I had these for about eight months and used them at least a few days a week for 30-90 minutes at a time. I always, always used the storage tin after I was done. As mentioned, I liked them and spent more on these than usual, so I was careful with them. They were never pulled extremely hard or caught on anything. I literally took them out of the tin one day and they had separated. I can't help but wonder if the magnet was a factor - if pulling them apart from each other weakened them to the point that one broke. I don't have another explanation.All in all, I was happy with these until they broke, which is why I'm still giving them a 4. The only thing preventing me from getting an identical replacement pair is the want for a volume control button. I liked everything else enough that I would get another Vain product without hesitation, provided I don't hear a lot of similar complaints. I'll definitely miss these!

If I’d reviewed these headphones after a week the review would have been positive verging on gushing.Design has clearly been an important consideration and the attention to detail shows.The headphones look good (the neat storage box looks even better). The fabric cable is very nice and seems to be very robust. It is a very minor consideration but I much prefer the L shaped jack to a straight one. I wasn’t convinced by the magnetic earphones, a feature I’d only seen with Bluetooth headphones before, but I didn’t really feel one way or the other. Most importantly the sound was and is absolutely excellent.Unfortunately I’ve had a couple of minor setbacks…. Most significantly one of the earpieces came apart when I attempted to remove it from my ear. A little bit of glue was applied and appears to have solved the problem. I’m still not certain about the magnetic earpieces - sometimes it is useful, for example if you want to listen with one ear but they can be a pain when attempting to untangle a cable.Overall - I still really like these headphones. They look good and the sound is excellent. My repair seems to be working but I am a little concerned that a repair was required.I should probably give them 3* but the positive qualities tip it over to a 4.

Excellent sound and very stylish these are great top-end earphones. The clarity is wonderful and there's plenty of volume range and good bass, something even rival products in this part of the market can struggle with. The remote and mic are easy to control and effective and the tangle-free cable remains exactly that.There's plenty of nice extra touches too that make these earphones that bit more special- apart from looking the business they magnetically clip together so they stay neatly around your neck and I know it sounds daft but my favourite feature is the copper storage tin- apart from looking good its wonderfully useful for keeping the earphones protected and transportable when not in use. Very impressed all round.

Absolutely excellent!These are the first I've had that come in a very neat little round plastic box which works well and very handy to store them, even inside the box has felt cloth coveringThe lead is thin but seems robust and isn't the usual plastic, it reminds me of those old leads fitted to irons years ago but of course a miniature version and the Jack works smoothlyAll great quality, and looks very smart, comes with several sizes of rubber cones to ensure you get a snug fit in your ears although the ones already fitted suited me fineAs for performance it's outstanding for any phones never mind in ear phones, bass is great as is treble and everything in between, I like certain music loud and these manage it with no discernible distortionThese are not cheap but if you like quality you certainly get what you pay for

These headphones are beautifully. Presented in a very stylish copper coloured tin the VAIN STHLM headphones have a real quality feel and look about them before you even pop them in your ears.Inside there are a variety of earbud inserts to choose from to fit all types of ear for comfort and noise reduction. The cable is a very nice 125cm’s long and is has a lovely fabric casing ensuring a tangle free chord. The 3.5mm jack is also gold plated.The headphones are loud and are all about the bass. I really love the sound from these, they are perfect for running and also on my commute to work. I’ve used them for music and audiobooks and they are so much better than the headphones that came with my smartphone.The remote control and mic are very easy to use and switch seamlessly between calls and music. You are also able to change songs on the remote.A really cool feature is the earbuds snap together magnetically. I love this as you are able to leave them hanging around your next and not just drooped down like all other smartphone headphones.

These are the most expensive in ear headphones I've tried and you can tell from the massive step up in quality from the standard fare of £10-£20 that I usually pay. The first thing you notice is the stylish case these come in - it even has a cloth lining so when storing them they don't rattle about inside. The headphones themselves are a very understated but lovely matt black with a copper coloured ring around centre. The build quality feels fantastic, the jack itself has rubber protection to make it more robust.The cable itself is a revelation, I have never had a set of in ear headphones that don't tangle the moment you stop using them. While I was reviewing these over the last few days they never tangled once. I've since passed them on to my son as he goes through headphones for fun and has a greater need than me for them and as yet no hair tearing out tangles...and seriously if anyone can snarl them up he can and he has...slightly as they get stuffed in his pocket at times - but not to the point of having knots in them that need to be picked out, just light easily open tangles that slide away pretty much. On top of that the ear pieces snap together using the magnets inside for storage, what a simple yet innovative idea.The sound...how well an earpiece fits is quite important and these come with a selection so you should get a good fit. Once in the sound quality over others I have tried is outstanding. I've often found others tinny no matter how well the earpiece fits, these though have a nice bass response but not to the detriment of the mids and highs too much, it is obvious they are bass driven but for phones and portable devices then the bass boost is welcome and it makes everything sound fantastic. My son's comment on the sound when he got around to using them was "Wow!", says it all I guess.The inline microphone seems top notch too I had my son phone me and it sounded bang on, I could hear him clearly.Top design and top sound, easily the best in-ears I've tried.