Urbanista Los Angeles: Review
The Swedish audio specialist’s latest headphones are the Urbanista Los Angeles over-ear wireless headphones. The Los Angeles, like its cheaper sibling, the Miami, has a gorgeous design and solar-powered charging, one of my favorite headphone features. The headband of these minimalist headphones has a solar panel to charge them in the sunshine and artificial light indoors. How cool is that? The battery life claims the headphones can last 80 hours on a full solar charge, which is the longest of any self-powered device I’ve seen. Outstanding sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) with transparency options in Los Angeles
Urbanista Los Angeles Specs
| Type | Circumaural (over-ear) |
| Wireless | YES |
| True Wireless | NO |
| Connection Type | Buletooth |
| Size | 7.5 x 6.2 inches |
| Water/Sweat-Resistant | NO |
| Active Noise Cancellation | YES |
| Price | $199 / £169 / AU$349 |
Los Angeles Urbanista review: value for money?
Los Angeles costs £169, up from £129 for Miami, because of the solar cell. Despite the solar cell, the Los Angeles are over-ear active noise-cancelling headphones that support AAC and SBC codecs and Bluetooth 5.0. They have the same appealing design, but this time they are only available in black and sand gold due to the black solar cell band. Same controls: a “Feature” button on the left earcup to choose sound settings and call your voice assistant, and three buttons on the right for power, playback, and call.
ANC on gives up to 50 hours of battery life before solar charging, while noise-cancellation off gives up to 80 hours at moderate volume. Those numbers are amazing, but with enough sunlight, you shouldn’t need to charge Los Angeles via the accompanying USB-C cable. The case that you will be carrying comes with an open top to charge the headphones when not on your head. This lets the headband absorb light on a desk or window sill. I expect Urbanista products to be smart and clean, and the case is well-designed and protects against bumps and knocks but not rain.
What we liked
Urbanista Los Angeles comes in Midnight Black or Sand Gold, and I was pleased to receive the muted gold hue, which did not look cheap or gaudy. I used to prefer over-ear headphones, but I now prefer earbuds because they are easier to carry in my pocket. I like returning to this old look. Compariring the earcups and headband of the wireless headphones, both are comfortable and stylish. Not only is the headband stylish, but the Exeger solar cell material put on top is the real showpiece.
Price and release date for Urbanista LA
This is Urbanista’s most expensive pair of headphones, excluding the Swarovski edition of its Miami over-ear headphones. Los Angeles is competing with Bose, Sennheiser, and Sony. However, no other headphones have Los Angeles’ unique specs, so perhaps ‘opposition’ isn’t the correct term… Also, see Urbanista Paris for some oomph.
Also Read- Sennheiser IE 200 Review
Design and features
The headband and earpads of Los Angeles are plush and luxuriant. Every touchpoint is wonderful. Solid adjustment mechanism, dampened earcup articulation. However, the Los Angeles headband breaks from the Miami and “every other pair of headphones” templates on the outside. Its entire width is covered in Exeger’s ‘Powerflyte’ photovoltaic material, which can take energy from sunlight, bulbs, or other light. It absorbs light and trickle-charges the battery even when the headphones are off. According to Urbanista, an hour of sunshine can provide three hours of playback, depending on local weather conditions. As long as you don’t live in a cave, your headphones shouldn’t need charging.
Pros and Cons
PROS
- Solar-powered charging
- Excellent sound with powerful bass and clear highs.
- Good noise cancellation given the price
- Elegant design
CONS
- No in-app EQ
- Sound characteristics are slightly affected by noise cancellation.
Conclusion
Each earcup has controls on the bottom. One larger feature button on the left earcup lets you use your voice assistant and choose between ambient and ANC modes. I preferred these buttons on the earcup rather than below it, but they were easy to use once I got used to them. The software lets you choose modes and displays battery life. I checked after using the Los Angeles for a couple hours this morning, and it’s 60% charged. On the windowsill, they went. Hit the light symbol on the top left of the app to see a real-time meter of whether the headphones are gaining or draining and to see how fast the solar power works.
FAQs
How long do Urbanista headphones charge?
Tokyo Charging Case charges in around 2 hours. Once charged, it can charge your Tokyo earphones three times. One charge lasts 4 hours, therefore the case will power your Tokyo earphones for 16 hours!
My Urbanista headphones keep disconnecting. Why?
Turn off bluetooth on your phone or PC. 5) Since the headphones don’t have driver software, you’ll need to update your phone (and PC). Many clients with bluetooth issues have benefited!
How do I modify Urbanista earbud volume?
Adjust volume (+) by pressing the right (R) earphone logo once.
Press the left (L) earphone logo once to adjust volume.
Got to the Next track: Hold the logo on the R earphone for 2 seconds.
Come back to the Previous Track: Hold the logo on the left (L) earphone for 2 seconds.
