The SMS Audio STREET by 50 are fashion-forward headphones that look stylish and deliver decent bass-heavy audio reproduction. They feel relatively sturdy, but the poor noise isolation performance means they shouldn't be your first choice to cancel out ambient noise from noisy commutes.
Our Verdict
The SMS Audio STREET by 50 are below-average for mixed usage. They're bulky headphones that leak a lot and feel cheaply built. They're a little uncomfortable but have a decent but bass-heavy sound that might work for some listeners.
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Good reproduction of the mid-range.
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Leak minimal sound.
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Poor noise isolation.
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Bass-heavy, treble lacking audio profile.
The SMS Audio STREET by 50 are average for critical listening. They have a slightly bass-heavy sound that lacks a little detail with instruments and vocals. They also don't sound as immersive due to their closed-back ear cups, which won't be ideal for more critical listeners.
The SMS Audio STREET by 50 are sub-par for commuting. They block enough noise to use on the bus, but they're also not very portable. They leak enough to be distracting and lack a good control scheme.
The SMS Audio STREET by 50 aren't made for sports. They're cumbersome and too unstable.
The SMS Audio STREET by 50 are poor for office use. They'll block some office chatter, but leak way too much to be a good option in quieter environments.
The SMS Audio STREET by 50 are average for home theater use. Since they're wired, they have no latency, but the cable isn't long enough unless you're watching your movie on a PC or tablet. They're also not the most comfortable headphones to wear for long periods.
- 5.7 Mixed Usage
- 6.5 Critical Listening
- 5.8 Commute/Travel
- 5.6 Sports/Fitness
- 5.0 Office
- 6.4 Home Theater
- Updated Dec 16, 2022: We've renamed these headphones from SMS Audio STREET by 50 Over-the-Ear to SMS Audio STREET by 50 across the site.
- Updated Mar 09, 2016: Review published.
- Updated Mar 07, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
Test Results
The SMS Audio STREET by 50 have a stylish matte black design that looks modern but is slightly bulky. They have bright blue accents on the stitching of the underside headband and the provided cable. The ear cups have a black glossy coating that adds a little more flair, and the padding has a faux-leather texture that gives it a high-end aesthetic.
The SMS Audio STREET by 50's comfort is decent but could be better. They're slightly heavy, have stiff padding on the ear cups, and the headband puts moderate pressure on the head, which is uncomfortable over long listening sessions. However, the over-ear design does encompass the ear successfully, which is a plus.
The button layout and functionality is simple but basic. There's only one button to enable noise cancelling and the rest of the controls are relegated to the in-line control of the cable. Unfortunately, the in-line control is only a call/music button with no volume controls, which is slightly disappointing.
They're moderately stable headphones. They stay in place during casual listening sessions. The broad headband helps the ear cups sway less during physical activity but not enough to comfortably use these headphones at the gym. They'll slip off your head while running or jumping but on the upside, the cable is detachable and won't pull the headphones off your head if it gets hooked on something.
They're are below-average portable headphones. They fold up into a more compact format but are on the larger side for over-ear headphones and still take up a lot of space in a bag.
They come with a stylish, soft case that will protect them against scratches. However, it does add a little bit of bulk and doesn't shield the headphones from hard falls or water damage.
The build quality is decent but not great. These headphones feel relatively sturdy and the metal frame, though a little thin, is solid and flexible enough to handle a fair amount of physical stress. Unfortunately, the headband is a little creaky, and they don't feel as robust as some other headphones within their weight and size.
They come with a 1/8" TRRS-TRRS with call/music, but no volume control, and a USB charging cable.
- SMS Audio STREET by 50 headphones
- Audio cable
- Airline adapter
- USB cable
- Manual
- Carrying case
They have sub-par noise isolation, especially in the bass region. These headphones seem to be adding a few dBs of their own low-end noise, which may be noticeable in quiet situations. The mid and treble isolation is decent, maxing out at -14dB and -34dB respectively.
The profile is rather broadband (covering high-mid and low-treble), but the overall amount of leakage is small enough for that not to be a big problem in most situations.
The SMS Audio STREET by 50 deliver a great battery life but take a bit longer to charge. They're decent headphones for long flights or road trips but don't have any battery-saving features like an auto-off timer and can't continue playing audio when charging.