Phone It In

Gone are the days when a clear, crisp sound and a heavy bass were the drawcards when it came to buying new headphones. Now, like everything else, headphones have been sucked into the vortex that is 'fashion', with major brands such as Sennheiser and Marshall taking their trigger finger off the technical garb and, instead, focusing their attention on aesthetics.

Of course, that doesn't mean the sound suffers. Indeed, it's quite the opposite, as our recent fervour for fashionable headgear has done little to dim a music lover's quest for clear sonics. Harajuku-girl inspired earbuds – complete with diamantes and glued-on miniature animals – have begun popping up in the most curious of places, including late-night convenience stores and even chemists. So, now you can grab a listening device while you treat a migraine. Nifty.

The steady rise of fashion forward headphones has been boosted by celebrity endorsements, with Dr Dre's Beats range (released in partnership with Monster in 2008) leading the charge. Since then, Lady GaGa, P Diddy and Justin Bieber have jumped on the endorsement train, with The Beibs releasing his purple Just Beats range (which, in terms of musical clout, has proven the most vexing thorn in the company's side). Monster and co. has also just released a limited edition Neon Range, complete with an ad featuring the most oversaturated DJ on the planet, David Guetta, and Les Twins.

You'd also be hard-pressed to find another headphone brand that's riled people up as much as Beats. A quick Google search will reveal a healthy smattering of Beats hate sites, all spewing out hilarious and oddly intense cyber vitriol against the brand.

In all seriousness though, there is of course a fine line between fashion and douchebaggery. You know what I mean – those cats who let the headphones hang limp around their neck without even sliding them on.

So, how does one navigate this fine line? Well, you've got a few options.

FYI – forget the aforementioned tawdry trash found in chemists etc. We're talking headphones that boost supreme sound quality and make you look goooood.

Urbanears are among a handful of companies that have managed to straddle the sonic sensibilities whilst still appealing to the fashion conscious. Their headphones come in myriad bubblegum pop colours – yellow, purple, red, pink, blue etc – and they've come up with a neat little way to amp up the celebrity endorsements by proxy, getting people to snap shots of anyone famous spotted wearing a pair of Urbanears and uploading them with the #urbanears hashtag. Genius.

So far, they've nabbed pictures of Girls creator Lena Dunham and Macklemore.

Not quite Bieber, but good enough. Scrap that: far superior.

In terms of price, their classic Plattan style will set you back around 90 bucks – meaning the avid fashionista can splash out on a few colours – and (finally!) start dressing around your headphones.

They never needed to, but iconic music equipment giant Marshall have also reinvigorated their personal listening experience, with their headphone styles now ranging from the classic black egg shape to a more retro, early '60s-inspired box design that's available in black and white –  the latter also boasting shiny gold trimmings.

Note: perfect for conservative sound snobs.

For the less ostentatious, SOUL – the preferred headphone brand for none other than Usain Bolt – boasts a slew of sleek earbuds that are simple and classic. Apart from being spruiked by the fastest man on earth, rapper/actor Ludacris has also lent his design skills to SOUL, creating the eclectic, space age-esque Fly design.

These are for those of us who like the simplicity of Apple's obligatory iPhone earbuds, but want a better sound.

Designed by three mates with a passion for sound and fashion, the TANK range is bright and chunky. Their TANK Mondrian flavour comes in a sleek white design that's been splashed with an array of different colours. It's cubism at its most outrageous.

Because these are so visually volatile, you wear them as a statement piece, indirectly cutting your wardrobe cost in half. They also boast designs for the less adventurous, with their Sound Disc Sports Beanie collection, which basically comprises a beanie and flat, disc-like earbuds that fit snug between your ears and the beanie.

More for the sports fanatic but also cool if, hey, you just don't give a shit.