Published on February 12th, 2013 | by Lucy

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In a city of horns and sirens it can be difficult to find a moment's peace. In fact, it's practically impossible. So, in the absence of the silence, many New Yorkers choose to paint over the wall of sound with personal audio. You see them everywhere: on the train, on the bus and in the streets. The rabbi in the seat next to you. The commuters. The movers. The shakers. The walk-of shamers. Headphones are now every bit as essential as a Metro Card and an umbrella. No self-respecting New Yorker leaves home without them.

Over-the-ear audio fashion has become a staple for music enthusiasts, and in a sea of Beats, it's nice to see other headphones that make an actual statement. The I-MEGO Throne headphones are certainly distinctive, with strong styling and cups cleverly modeled after the ever-popular Shure "Elvis" microphone. Available in a choice between blingy black and gold or sleek gunmetal and purple. While "Gold" may be a slight stretch (more of an iridescent copper) these babies have style to spare and the more sophisticated Poison purple is in a class by itself. The leathery plastic-coated headband is understated by comparison and simply bears the I-Mego brand in black embroidered script.

We were most surprised by the lightness and portability of these phones. Although they don't fold like many of their peers, the cups are small, super-plush and built from high-quality plastic. The band is wrapped in a velvety padding that creates zero uncomfortable tension or squeezing of the head. In fact, it would be easy to forget that you've got them on. The 4-foot cable is perfectly appropriate for most on-the-go situations and the jack is sturdy enough that a dropped iPhone isn't the end of the world. The one-button microphone left us navigating playlists and answering calls like a boss, however we're a little baffled at the lack of volume control. With sound this good, we'd love the ability to quickly crank the tunes.

Both the Poison and Gold models are fine-tuned to enhance the subtleties of music (their frequency response charts on even available on the official site). Our newfound appreciation for the melodic nuances of "Call Me Maybe" can be exclusively credited to these headphones. Gold boasts booming bass for hip-hop and rock while Poison is more geared towards vocals and acoustics. They both cancel external noise fairly well; at around 2/3 volume we're unable to hear train announcements. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on whether or not you like ending up in Queens after your train suddenly decides to become an express. However, the open-air vents mean that you run the risk of blowing your Carly Rae cover in public. We tested this feature both at home and on the streets and found that our level of potential humiliation seems to be inversely proportionate to the amount of environmental white noise. Even the hum of the office seems to help.

All in all, at $129 these headphones are competitively priced and a great investment in sound and style. Go forth and rock out.