Polk’s Hinge Wireless cut the cord for vintage-styled convenience | Hands on

By Ryan Waniata March 22, 2015

As part of Polk’s Heritage collection, the Hinge on-ear headphones have always had a pleasant mix of convenient control features, solid performance, and a vintage vibe. Now the cans have added a new state-of-the-art twist to the equation, cutting the cord with a Bluetooth wireless connection.

Designed to strike a rustic aesthetic reminiscent of loose boards on your grandfather’s dock, the headphones don’t exactly scream cutting edge. But wireless operation, integrated into the Hinge’s clever mod-control wheel, actually suits these cans pretty well, as does the manageable price of $200, coming in relatively close to comparative wired headphones in the space.

All controls are handled by the aforementioned silver wheel on the right ear cup, including power, pairing, volume control, play/pause, and song skip. It’s a lot for one little dial, bit it’s actually quite intuitive. The cans are also comfy and easy to wear, and the Bluetooth connection is extremely reliable.

As for the sound, these are a bass-heavy headphones — a bit too bassy for our ears — but they don’t give up much to achieve that umph. Midrange and treble are both clearly delivered, though we wish there was a bit more detail and definition in the mix. There’s also a bit of noise from the on board amplification that kicks in whenever the cans connect to your source device. It’s not a huge issue, but it will be noticeable to more discerning listeners.

While $200 isn’t chump change, these cans are a pretty attractive way to go wireless without selling a kidney, especially considering pricing for many wireless competitors often starts at $300 or more. If you’re looking for a bass-forward pair of affordable wireless cans, Polk’s Hinge Wireless headphones are available now at Amazon.

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Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…

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