An Italian Midlife Crisis in Your Ear

Once upon a time a friend told me that the first thing I should do when I open a brand new iPod or iPhone is throw the included headphones out of the nearest open window because they're not worth the plastic they're bound in. Street children have woven fishing nets out of the dozens of flimsy white cables I've tossed over the years. Aftermarket earbuds or full-sized cans are an automatic upgrade in getting whatever sound you want out of your iOS, and now Android, device and always have been.

The Tonino Lamborghini line of luxury products spans everything from slick garden tools to fancy hotels to an energy drink packaged to look like something you should pour into your car's motor to, of course, a group of in-ear headphones. To be clear, the Tonino Lamborghini (mechanical genius Ferruccio Lamborghini's oldest son) name is supposed to stand apart yet still borrow from the mystique of the famous Italian sports car so don't be surprised if you hear the faint roar of finely tuned engines when you jam these buds into your ears.

The entry level EL-01 of the Quantum line of headphones work best as a daily complement to all of that smartphoning we're all so fond of these days. The higher end ML-01 and HL-01 add richer bass and perks like on-cable volume control and a clothes clip, but all share the same basic approach to design as the EL-01s. The microphone/action button module on the 40-inch cable will let you start and stop your device's default audio player with minimal fuss. And fuss is the enemy here because you can't look cool with your designer headphones with the red-tips and metallic bull logos if you forced to do something as lame as pull your phone out of your pocket just to pause a song. Mashing that button on the main module to stop your favorite ironic Reggaeton hit while ordering a ridiculous, faux Italian-sounding coffee drink is just one of the ultimate hipster moments you'll be able to create with the Quantum EL-01s.

Besides the original look you'll be sporting with the colors and the bull logo in your ear, the woven anti-tangle cable is the feature you'll most likely appreciate the most. Yeah the bass knocks louder than you'd expect and the variety of foam and plastic ear tips to fit your ear shape and size are important as well, but always being able to quickly and easily retrieve your headphones easily and without tangling can't be overstated. Taking them out of a pocket or bottom of some bag is the most action-oriented thing your headphones will ever do so it makes sense to have a design that accommodates this crucial action. It's an underrated function that you'll really come to appreciate with the Quantum series.

For the cool kids out there looking to impress folks with more than just style from the EL-01s, you can annoy strangers with the story about Lamborghini's history as a tractor-maker and that your favorite rapper rhyming about "Lambo" sports cars all the time don't know what they're talking about. These headphones really shine when you sit back with a smug look on your face.