Velodyne vFree Bluetooth wireless headphones hands on: Pretty and wireless

CES has begun and we’re already in the muck of it all. Before we lose our minds though, we took some time to check out Velodyne’s new vFree Bluetooh headphones.

Velodyne is a name known to audiophiles mostly for their subwoofers, but last year the company expanded their portfolio with a set on in-ear headphones. Now they’re going all in with two new over the ear models, the vTrue Studio headphones and the vFree Bluetooth headphones. We got a chance to go hands-on with the vFree and so far we’re impressed. Not just because of the audio quality, but also the extra perks.

Though the vFree offer wireless audio with Bluetooth, they’re not big and bulky. They’re about the size of Beats Studio headphones and about the same weight. They fold up nice and compact as well. Similar to the Parrot Zik Bluetooth headphones, the controls for volume and playback are on the outside of the right earpiece. The vFree controls are physical buttons, though, which means you’re less likely to activate them by accident.

The vFree delivers rich audio quality with plenty of bass, naturally. The latency is very low, so you can watch video and not worry about the audio getting out of sync. You’ll be able to connect the vFree to a headphone jack as well (the cable is included) for those of you rocking a media player without Bluetooth or if want to use them on an airplane.

Charging is via Micro USB, same as most smartphones and other portable devices, and the vFree is rated to last up to 10 hours on a charge.

The headphones come in three basic colors: white, black, and silver. Alone, they look nice but don’t stand out. That’s where the skins come in. Velodyne designed a set of skins that fit over the vFree earpieces and headband and don’t add a significant amount of weight. They’re easy to put on and pull off, so you can change the look every day if you want. A rep also said that there are plans to allow people to upload their own skin designs in the future.

Even with the skins on you can still control playback and volume. Each skin has small raised bumps corresponding to the buttons underneath, making it easy to find them by touch.

The vFree Bluetooth headphones are available now for $299. Skins start at $40. Check them out at Velodyne.com.