Last year Dan and I took a look at the Blue Mo-Fi Headphones, and to this day, they are still among my favorites. At $349, the Mo-Fi might be a bit out of grasp for the casual audiophile, though. If you don’t necessarily need the built-in amplifier the Mo-Fi sports, then you should consider the comparably built, less expensive Lola.
Included in the box are the Lola headphones, a soft travel case, an almost 4-foot long flat tangle-free audio cable with Apple iPhone/iPad controls and microphone, an (insanely long) flat 10-foot audio cable, and a 3.5mm-to-1/4 inch adaptor.
If you liked the Mo-Fi’s style, you’ll love the Lola. It retains the H. R. Giger-esque squared off headband and retracting ear cups design that made the Mo-Fi stand out, but there are subtle differences. As I mentioned, the Lola doesn’t have the added built-in amplifier that made the Mo-Fi sound so insanely exceptional, but in exchange the Lola weighs 14.5 ounces to the Mo-Fi’s 1 pound 1.1 ounces — that’s pretty significant if you felt that the Mo-Fi headphones were just a bit too heavy.
What makes Lola special? Well, let’s start with the earcups; they aren’t round, they are (for lack of a better description) ear-shaped. They are made to completely cover your ears, sealing out much of the outside sound without the use of noise cancellation.
The headband is thickly padded with about an inch of foam that comfortably cradles the top of your noggin. You might be wondering about all of the hinges on the sides, they are there so that you can adjust the earcups and headband in tandem to get the best, most comfortable fit — one where the weight of the headphones is supported by resting on the top of your head rather than by squeezing your ears. The result is an incredibly comfortable experience which allows you to wear the headphones for hours on end without ear or head pain.
One the left earcup, there’s a 3.5mm jack for the audio cable.
You’ll notice that Lola’s earcups are incredibly padded at over 1.5″ thick; not only does that make them comfortable on your head, the cups serve to “provide premium sound isolation and clarity”.
We optimized every aspect of Lola’s design for performance—from large 50mm premium drivers, to huge enclosures that maximize the volume of air around the drivers. The airtight, 100% sealed enclosure consists of a thick wall that’s heavily reinforced. This makes the enclosures extremely strong and resistant to vibration and flexing, creating a stable platform for the drivers to deliver accurate and inspiring sound. Lola’s holistic design delivers full-range sound that’s tight and powerful in the low end, articulate and warm in the mids, and extended, with accurate high-frequency response.
Here’s a shot of the Lolas fully extended, which means they will comfortably rest around your neck, on your shoulders, and out of the way when you aren’t wearing them.
The sound produced by the Blue Lola is blissfully authentic at any volume. Bass is thumpy yet crisp, and vocals are clear and solid. When wearing these headphones, you’ll pick up things you haven’t noticed before in your favorite songs, fingers gliding across guitar strings, low chatter between the musicians in the background, soft background vocals that you’ve never really heard articulated. Listening to Miike Snow’s Genghis Khan or Animal is a fully immersive, almost 3D sound experience; The Presets Kicking and Screaming is an audio experience akin to being at a live concert with a massive sound system and an excellent sound engineer doing what she does best. Alt-J’s Every Other Freckle is so clear that I finally heard the “turn you inside out and lick you like a crisp packet” lyric in all its glory — wait, what? Yeah, they really say that. It’s hard to explain, but the sound produced by these headphones is near magical; I love listening to music through them.
They’re a little bit bulky for travel, but that hasn’t stopped me from using them for that. Even without the noise cancellation that so many headphones marketed at travelers sport, and even when no music is playing, the Lola dampens a good bit of the airplane noise that makes it so hard to fall asleep or concentrate when trying to work on a cross-country flight. The fact that there is no noise cancellation feature that needs recharging means one less cable to remember, and one less thing to fool with.
At $249.99, the Blue Lola might be on the upper end of the casual music listener’s price range, but if you want a pair of headphones that will please you with their comfort and sound every time you wear them, these are the ones to get.
The Blue Lola Sealed Over-Ear Headphones retail for $249.99, and they are available directly from the manufacturer and from other retailers like Amazon [affiliate link].
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Same comfortable style as the more expensive Blue Mo-Fi Headphones (but lighter); Exquisite and rich sound; Extremely comfortable ear cups; Distinctive design; Comfortable headband; Ear cups fold down to comfortably fit on your shoulders when you aren’t using them
What Needs Improvement: Not really portable enough for travel, but that hasn’t stopped me
