Moving beyond premium in-car stereo systems, Alpine Electronics has entered the consumer electronics arena with their launch of Alpine Headphones and the accompanying Alpine Level Play iPhone App. Designed specifically for EDM-loving ears these headphones were crafted to enhance a users’ senses to deliver the ambiance of a dance party. “Breaking the paradigm of how playback is done, we are delivering the first headphones that deliver a real audio experience,” said Tom Yamasaki, President of Alpine Electronics of Silicon Valley. “This experience immerses users as they feel, hear and see their music.” The Alpine Level Play App analyzes and organizes the listener’s music library into different “energy” levels. If it’s party time and you’re ready for nothing but Peak Hour House, it already has a playlist in mind. If it’s Monday night and you’re on your way to yoga, Level Play has the chill vibes you seek.
It is no secret the millennial generation demands something different from their music than audiences have in the past. We do not want to pay money just to see a guy stand up there and manipulate an instrument against a dull background, we desire an assault on all of our senses. We want our favorite artist up on stage with mind-blowing visuals as the background and lasers beaming over our heads so close we feel we can touch them while the bass rattles your rib cage. We want to completely immerse ourselves in a total body and sensory experience while we enjoy the kind of music that is taking an underground culture to the mainstream of every radio wave. We don’t just listen to music, we demand to feel our music, to be literally and figuratively moved by its frequencies. Is Alpine’s TKR3 Full Frequency Immersion Technology exactly what we need to take our headphone listening experience to the next level? We put them to the test to find out.
SPECS
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Type: Over-Ear Circumaural
Impedance: 30Ω±20% at 1kHz
Frequency response: 15Hz – 24,000Hz
Sound pressure level: 107dB ± 3dB at 1kHz max
Total harmonic distortion: <0.1% at 1mW/1kHz
FACTS
MSRP: $299.00
TKR3 Full Frequency Immersion Technology creates a unique sound field expansion that allows you to feel the music
24-bit stereo audio analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog converter
Powered Digital amplifiers
2 X 40 mm high performance drivers
Fully programmable audio processing for separate bass and equalization
Bluetooth Low Energy for easy-pairing with your iPhone
Level Play application scans, analyzes, and organizes the listener’s music library into “energy” levels
Fixed rechargeable Li-ion battery with 10 hour capacity
PROS
Futuristic design is sleek and sexy.
Great in the low end. Bass lovers you have found your headphone. Listening to Skrillex & Trollphace remix YOGI really made these Alpine cans shine:
Full Frequency Immersion Technology actually works. Other brands have tried, Alpine has succeeded.
You can turn the Full Frequency Immersion Technology on and off easily. This is great for songs like Sangobeat’s remix of Mr. Carmack x Kaytranada that you may sound better with this option disengaged.
You could DJ in a loud club with these headphones. Comfortable over-the-ear earcups keep sound from leaking in and out.
Producer friendly. Frequency response range will pick up the lows in your bass lines and the highs in your high-hats.
Comfortable. Headband is lightweight even though a transducer is placed inside for the Full Immersion Technology.
Designed with the EDM lover in mind. These were made for you. They are the music listening experience you have been looking for.
CONS
iPhone-friendly only. No Android app yet.
Alpine Level Play iPhone App only worked with songs downloaded to your iTunes library. Not compatible with any streaming services like SoundCloud or Spotify.
You have to charge your headphones. Charging headphones is something many people aren’t accustomed to doing and may not like doing.
No markings on the earpieces to distinguish the left side from the right. You need to learn that the audio cord hangs from the right side and wear them appropriately.
Are They Worth It?
Yes.
The Full Immersion Technology Alpine boasts actually enhances your listening experience. EDM lovers will rejoice that someone has finally made this technology work with high-fidelity headphones. Where other brands have failed to do this, Alpine has refined the process and truly made listening to music a cerebral experience. A feature that is easily disengaged when you’re ready to turn down, Full Immersion is never annoying and always there when you want it.
In the EDM world many listeners rely on streaming services like SoundCloud or Spotify. If you are the type of person to only stream music and never download, you are not going to be able to take advantage of the Level Play App that organizes your library by energy level. Even if you forego use of this feature because of your music listening lifestyle, these are still spectacular headphones I would recommend to anyone looking for a pair of high-fidelity cans.
Learn more about Alpine Headphones and pick up your own pair at AlpineHeadphones.com
