- Limited edition Tracks headphones in collaboration with Brain Dead
- Even more limited edition Unit-4 wireless studio monitors
- Headphones are $70 / £60; speakers are $400 / £330
Looking at the image above you might think we’ve been hurled into a DeLorean and taken back to a sci-fi themed ’80s club. But these headphones are as contemporary as headphones get.
The headphones are a new, limited edition version of AIAIAI’s Tracks headphones, made in collaboration with creative fashion brand Brain Dead – a firm AIAIAI has worked with previously, with their collaboration selling out in minutes. And there’s a matching speaker, a “highly limited edition” of the AIAIAI Unit-4 studio monitor.
What does this creative collaboration deliver?
As with a lot of Brand X Brand team-ups, these are existing products given a makeover. And that’s no bad thing. While the Tracks headphones may look like the orange-felt horrors that came with early ’80s Walkman cassette players, they won’t sound like them: their 40mm drivers have been praised for their surprisingly bold bass.
It’s the same story with the Unit-4, which has been praised by audio experts: they’re excellent near-field studio monitors whose low-lag wireless capability make them stand out from the crowd (this is something of a specialism for AIAIAI, which makes wireless low-lag DJ headphones too).
The collaboration was intended to “highlight the rich music culture of Los Angeles”, and the launch event this past weekend gave all its proceeds to the California Fire Fund. There’s also a compilation tape for people further away to contribute to the cause.
The Brain Dead versions of the Tracks headphones and Unit-4 speaker will be available from AIAIAI, Brain Dead and selected retailers from January 28. The Tracks are $70 / £60 / about AU$111 and the Unit-4 are $400 / $330 / about AU$635.