RESUME Of course, the Prince’s main focus is the rental model. There is certainly something to be said. Two years from now, you will still have working headphones in good condition, for example. The fact that you can replace parts is more sustainable, and more durability is certainly allowed in our opinion. Regardless of that approach: whether the financial picture is correct, actually depends on your own habits. In any case, you are not going to be disappointed by the quality.

PLUS POINTS Very good autonomy Comfortable and light Trendy, Immersive Sound Innovative Concept MINUSES Rental model should suit you NC does not achieve ultimate efficiency

Services like Spotify and Netflix have turned our idea of ​​owning things upside down. But what about hardware? Look at the smartphone world and everything has become a disposable product. Fortunately, the hi-fi world has been largely spared from that trend, because most hi-fi devices are made to last, and in many cases are supported by service and possibly repair to ensure that. D wireless headphones are the exception, however, as they are almost never repaired if they break. The Rotterdam Gerrard Street would like to do something about this. We started with the Gerrard Street Prince, the top model.

Gerrard Street

The idea behind Gerrard Street is that you no longer buy headphones, to throw it away after a year or two. Does that disposable use sound excessive? According to the Dutch startup we throw like this 1844 million worth of electronics gone. Well yes â € œ awayâ €. The reality is that our junk ends up somewhere in a third world country, where some precious metals and parts are still being recovered in bad conditions. The rest pollutes the local communities, it turns out.

Gerrard Street contrasts with a different model. They now offer three modular headphones that you can rent for a fixed amount per month or year. If something breaks, you will get what you need to repair your headphones. The modular construction makes that easy and the waste content remains under control.

Here we take a look at the Prince, the top model with Bluetooth and noise cancellation. There is also the Boss (wireless) and the Day (wired).

Gerrard Street Prince That’s a very flat box … Â We have a very inventive mailman, but this is the first time he has managed to stuff a full pair of headphones through the slot on the bus. Admittedly, it was also made easy for him. The Prince is delivered in a disassembled condition, in a very flat box. First impression: the postman drove over the box with his delivery van. Which, incidentally, is a reflection on format and not on content; they present the parts in a very neat way, no loose bags taped together.

Step à © à So, this is assembling the Prince headphones. You can view the necessary explanation via a QR code, but we were able to assemble the six parts without too much mess. It is self-explanatory. You just don’t have to forcefully attach the drivers to the metal bracket without first inserting the bracket through the padded headband. The cable that you plug in at the two driver housings also runs along that headband. Gerrard Street opted for USB-C plugs here. Smart, because they are trusted and you cannot insert them wrong.

The assembly took us about two minutes and, as mentioned, was anything but challenging. It does give a warm, I-am-not-just-a-consumer feeling.

Technically strong

Despite the DIY approach, the Prince appears to be quite ahead in terms of technique. Bluetooth 5.0 and support for the aptX codec are two things that ensure a quick connection with your smartphone and good sound quality. If you own an iPhone instead of a recent Android phone, switch to the AAC codec. The autonomy is with 44 hours (with NC, 44 hours without) also very good, charging is done via a USB-C cable and your phone charger.

There is also noise canceling on board, operated via a button on the right ear. You adjust the volume on the left. You can switch off the noise suppression, or switch between an ambient mode or maximum NC. With the ambient mode you get a lot of your surroundings, but even with maximum noise canceling, voices are still relatively well audible. Of course it depends on how loud you listen to your music. Since flying is not a smart idea now, we test the noise canceling by listening to quiet music (‘Getting into Knives’ by The Mountain Goats) with a YouTube video of a train journey through a snowstorm plays the background through speakers. Although we still hear a relatively large amount of the train between tracks (pun not intended, ed.), It turns out that during the moments that music is playing, this is not really bothersome.

We may not be speaking here about NC at the level of the top models from Bose or Sony, but about noise reduction at a better level. You notice that even when no music is playing; there is not much noise or artifacts from the digital NC to be detected. It’s not completely silent, but that’s almost impossible. In any case, you will not suffer from it.

Totally cozy The thick, soft ear pads on the Prince keep out a lot of ambient noise à © n sit comfortably on your ears. That has been won twice. Your ears are getting a little warm â ???? you always have thick pillows â ???? but they also help to completely refine the sound. You get a nice bass foundation in this way, not exaggerated but enough for the various tracks on â ???? Song Machineâ ???? of Damon Albarns Gorillazâ ?? s nice and compelling. Voices stand out well, so Robert Smith comes out of the mix well on the first track. With cheaper headphones you often end up with a â ???? hiddenâ ???? sound as soon as too much happens, but also further on on this album, at â ???? Simplicityâ ???? with Joan As Police Woman, the beats don’t drown out the double vocals. The clipping of the fingers in the background also stands out, which gives a pretty spatial experience for closed headphones.

Conclusion The Prince’s main focus is of course the separate rental model. There is certainly something to be said for it. Two years from now, you will still have working headphones in good condition, for example. The fact that you can replace parts is more sustainable, and more durability is certainly allowed in our opinion. Apart from that: whether the financial picture is correct, actually depends on your own habits. If you do lose (or destroy) a pair of headphones every year or two, then you’re better off with the Gerrard Street model.

In any case, you will not be disappointed by the quality. The headphones themselves are a fine thing and seem sturdy. In any case, it will be assembled by someone you know. The battery lasts a long time, features such as Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX are very welcome, the noise canceling is effective and the wearing comfort is especially great. The Prince also has a pleasant, slightly bass heavier tuning that is perfect for many types of music. It is also a great pair of headphones for watching a movie on Netflix on the go.

Gerrard Street Prince

â ?? ¬ 12, 50 euro / month | Â www.gerrardstreet.nl

Rating 4 out of 5