Listening to music can be a public or a private matter. You can either line up for a concert and, together with thousands, watch your favourite singer or band belt out music at shattering decibel levels. Or you can retire to your room and appreciate the sound in silence.

For the latter, you need a good pair of headphones. And that’s certainly not a problem because in recent years, headphones have been dusted off and transformed into an essential music and, in some cases, fashion accessory.

Last year, boutique microphone and headphone maker Blue released the Mo-Fi headphones, an ambitious project that, thanks to totally integrated design and built-in amplifiers, provided awesome sound quality. The only issue was that, weighing in at more than 460g, they were a bit awkward to wear.

The new Lola headphones are an update on the Mo-Fi model. Thankfully, they are lighter and therefore less cumbersome. This saving in weight is due to the fact that the headphones don’t have built-in amps and are therefore slimmer. That, of course, has an effect on the sound quality – that said, the sound is still crisp and clear, thanks to 50mm drivers and a sealed design that blocks out unwanted outside noise.

Apart from the sound, the main strength of the Lola headphones is their adjustability. The multi-jointed headband allows you to adjust the cans up and down without compromising the fit on the top of your head.