Sonic Lamb Headphones Review: The term ‘bassheads’ has gotten a bad rep over the years. Frowned upon by audiophiles but admired by novice listeners, bassheads are often misunderstood as these jock-y guys who are thumping dubstep and EDM numbers on their headphones. This author would like to strongly argue against that belief. Why, for example, can’t an opera enthusiast enjoy overtures with equal immersion as a nu-metal fan when the breakdown hits the right spot? The answer is pretty simple: lack of ‘good’ headphones for bassheads.
Most headphones on the market right now that promote adages such as “EXPLOSIVE BASS” often tend to mess up all other sound levels when tuning their audio drivers so that all you get is that pointless thump, thump while all other intricate works put in by the artists and sound engineers in the music get buried.
Sonic Lamb got the brief right. I can wholeheartedly say that we finally have a basshead-y headphone that focuses more on high-fidelity audio rather than just one level of frequency, making everything from classical to rock music an eargasmic event. However, there are still some quirks that I’d prefer to see removed in the firm’s future offerings.
Sonic Lamb Headphones Review: Quick Pointers
What we love:
- Dedicated audio modes to find the right balance
- Admirably comfy ear cushions
- Excellent range of sound
- Detachable boom mic adds a nice touch for gamers
What we don’t:
- No 3.5mm jack is disappointing
- Plastic build feels cheap for the price
- Side buttons could have been more tactile
Don’t Just Listen, ‘Feel’ The Sound
If we break it down to a layman level, Sonic Lamb headphones are simply headphones with thumping subwoofers built in – claimed to be the first of its kind in the world. How it incorporates the technology is even more fascinating.
Founders Navajith Karkera and Jagath Biddappa were experimenting with hearing implants and working on audio comms on safety helmets when they figured out a way to use air and body conduction to allow users to not only listen to music but also feel it. Their patented Hybrid Driver tech was celebrated on Shark Tank India as well, and now, you can get it for yourself at a pocket-friendly price.
But what does it mean to ‘feel’ the music? Well, like any other over-the-ear headphone, Sonic Lamb sports two gigantic ear cushions – called ‘Wooferpads’ – that sit cosily on your ears and the general area around your ear. When you listen to music, the headphone’s low-frequency bone and skin conduction impulse drivers and the mid+high frequency air conducting dynamic driver send in waves of rhythmic vibration through the wobbly Wooferpads. This gives you the feeling of sitting inside a studio with a wall of subwoofers shooting sound at you.
So, when you listen to Twenty One Pilots’ “Lavish”, you can make out the distinct chompy sounds of Tyler Joseph’s synths distinctly while drummer Josh Dun continues his bass-heavy groove.
Sonic Lamb can adhere to the genre you listen to adeptly. Be it Phil Collins’ heartstopper drum roll on “In The Air Tonight” or the symphony of strings in Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” you can listen to every single instrument in great detail while feeling like you’re sitting in a concert hall or a vast open-air stadium.
A commendable mention has to go to my listening experience of the entire “Phantom of the Opera” soundtrack by Andrew Lloyd Webber. From the booming piano riff in the title track to the subtle vocal progression of Michal Crawford in “Music of the Night,” the Wooferpads made me feel like I was right there in the Dress Circle of a West End theatre.
One might imagine that the constant thumps and booms on your ear and neck might turn painful after a while, but that’s precisely where the modes come into play.
Tune To Your Mood
The Sonic Lamb Headphones come with a dial on the right cup, which offers users a quick way to switch between the woofer modes – Hear (for a flat sound, almost no bass), Feel (bass kicks in ever so lightly), Immerse (bone conduction kicks in and the magic begins), and Beast (bass on adrenaline, meant for the most driven bassheads).
You can cycle between the modes as you wish, with each mode taking a second or so to kick in. Personally, the Immerse mode was just right for me, as the woofers would work only when heavy bass hits, keeping the sanctity of the other levels intact. The Beast mode is full-on shots of bass and is certainly not meant for the faint-hearted.
For watching movies, we’d highly recommend the Beast mode during high-octane action sequences to truly feel those on-screen explosions with a chef’s kiss-level of satisfaction.
Some Shortcomings
While the overall sound signature of Sonic Lamb Headphones makes it a hot recommendation for anyone who appreciates the nuances of sound, there are some glaring misses.
For starters, no aux cable? In this day and age? The headphones support Bluetooth v5.1, which is great for mobile listening. But I was disappointed when I found out that I couldn’t enjoy a session of gaming on my PS5 on these headphones, simply because there’s no 3.5mm input port! Baffling, I must admit. Even audiophiles prefer to listen to music with wired headphones and DAC. The addition of a 3.5mm port could have made the Sonic Lamb one of the G.O.A.T.s. Hands down!
Secondly, the overall body of the headphones feels very plastic-y. The power and volume buttons on the side don’t feel very tactile. Particularly, the power button has way too much travel depth for my liking.
The headband adjusters are pretty smooth and the overall headphones feel very light and comfortable when worn, so no complaints there.
Of course, one must appreciate the support of a wide variety of codecs, including aptX and AAC, for lossless listeners.
Sonic Lamb Headphones Review: Final Verdict
The Sonic Lamb offering is not like anything I’ve tried at this price point. At just Rs 17,999, Sonic Lamb Headphones feel novel and are a welcome change to other run-of-the-mill offerings out there.
The bone-conduction woofer tech offers unmatched immersion. Despite not having active noise cancellations, the Wooferpads are spread out enough to cut out most external noises, even when you are listening to a podcast while travelling in an auto-rickshaw.
The call quality is great, the quality of music is splendid, and this is one headphone you’d want to show off to your friends. Top marks, Sonic Lamb.
