We Are Rewind Freddie Headphones Are Reel 80s Cool

After previously pressing play on the colourful EDITH cassette player and later turning up the volume with the Curtis GB-001 boombox, the French analogue revivalist has now introduced the EQ-002 Freddie headphones. As the name rather loudly suggests, these are not shy, minimalist wireless cans designed to disappear into a work bag. They are colourful, lightweight, proudly retro and clearly aimed at listeners who believe headphones should have a little more personality.

The Freddie headphones draw direct inspiration from the slimline portable headphones of the 1980s, complete with a stainless-steel adjustable headband, metal grille styling and interchangeable ear cushions. Orange, yellow and black cushions are included in the box, giving users the option to match their mood, outfit, cassette player or perhaps their best attempt at a synth-pop album cover.

Unlike the featherweight headphones that originally came bundled with cassette players, however, the EQ-002 is not entirely trapped in the past. It supports Bluetooth 6.0 wireless listening and is designed to work with We Are Rewind’s WE-001 cassette players, as well as smartphones, tablets and computers. For those who prefer a physical cable or simply forget to charge everything they own, a 2.5mm to 3.5mm jack cable is also included for wired playback.

Battery life is rated at up to 14 hours, with charging handled via USB-C. That should be enough for a long day out, a weekend record fair crawl or a worryingly committed re-listen to your old mixtape collection. The headphones are also impressively light at around 66 grams, which suggests comfort and portability are as central to the pitch as nostalgia.

On the audio side, the EQ-002 uses 36mm drivers and offers a stated frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz, with 32-ohm impedance, 106dB sensitivity and total harmonic distortion listed at less than two per cent. We Are Rewind describes the tuning as warm, balanced and immersive, which sounds about right for a product built around the romance of analogue listening rather than forensic studio analysis.

Obviously, the Freddie headphones are not trying to muscle in on the serious noise-cancelling travel headphone market, nor are they pretending to be a purist audiophile tool. Instead, they sit somewhere more playful: a lifestyle-friendly companion for cassette listeners, retro audio fans and anyone who thinks modern headphones have become a little too anonymous.

The built-in microphone and on-ear controls also bring them into the present day, allowing users to take calls and control playback without reaching for a phone. They may not make those mixtapes you’ve been hanging on to sound exactly as you remember them, but they should at least make the act of listening feel a little more fun.

The We Are Rewind EQ-002 Freddie headphones list for a suitably 1980s-era price of £43, €49 or US$59, depending on region. Included in the box are the headphones, three sets of ear cushions, a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, USB-C charging cable and user manual.

For more information visit We Are Rewind