It’s one thing to make a pair of great sounding headphones.  It’s another thing entirely to not only make a pair of great sounding headphones but do so in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the environment.  thinksound does just that.  Their entire line of headphones not only sound as good as any other we’ve tested in the same class but their manufacturing philosophy ensures that they make a small eco-footprint on every component going into the product.  Marc recently reviewed thinksound’s ts02 model and today I’ll take a look at their ts01 Sport Edition.

thinksound takes the environment very seriously.  Their eco-awareness starts with their packaging, which is made from recycled materials.  It’s easy open, easy close.  You don’t need a chain saw to break into it and there isn’t a ton of plastic to have to dispose of.  Just a plain box that’s just large enough to protect what’s inside.

Let’s start by looking at what’s included in the ts01 Sport box.  You’ll find a manual, the headphones, four sized flexible silicon ear inserts for secure fit (s/m/l/xl), the sport ear attachments (Active Lifestyle Ear Hooks), clip and a cotton carrying pouch.

The thinksound headphones not only sound good (we’ll get to that later) and are environmentally friendly but have I mentioned how good they look?  Each of their headphones is fashioned from real wood.  The ts01 Sport comes in a choice of Silver Cherry or Black Chocolate.  I was sent the Silver Cherry version to review.  Not only does the wood they use help their eco-footprint stay small but the wood housing offers a sound that’s fine tuned for the music you listen to.

The tso1 Sports feature a 10mm dynamic driver that’s more than ample for any application.  If you’re into music with a lot of bass these headphones can handle it.  They don’t distort, simply sounding clear and crisp throughout the entire range of volume on the dial.

The cable used with all the thinksound headphones is 100% PVC free and the 3.5mm plug is gold  for increased sound clarity.  There’s no microphone on this particular model.  So while they work just fine with the iPhone (and other mobile phones) for listening to music you’ll need to talk through your phone’s built in mic. during telephone calls.

Once you find the best fit for your ears the ts01 Sports offers a great amount of passive noise cancellation. When it comes time to participate in more strenuous activity you can strap on the ear hooks for an even more secure fit.  The hooks are easy to install.  You simply slide the cord through the channel on the hook leaving enough slack at the end so you can place the ear bud into your ear.

Once you do you’re left with an incredibly comfortable fit.  I’m sure I’ve come across a set of headphones that fit me any better.  They stayed in my ear during my morning run and on the elliptical machine.  The tight fit also blocked out all of the unnecessary outside noise that I didn’t need to hear and left behind just the crisp sounds of the music I was streaming.

We all want to do our part to help the environment.  I get that.  But let’s be perfectly honest.  Most of the time we’re not willing to sacrifice quality to do so.  With thinksound’s ts01 Sport you don’t have to.  What you get is a great sounding headphone, that looks good and is super comfortable in your ear.  And in exchange you get to do your part in supporting a company’s effort to save the planet.  If that’s not a Win/Win then I don’t know what is.

You can learn more about the thinksound ts01 by visiting the company’s web site here.

MSRP: $74.99

PROS: Comfortable, secure, great sound, eco-friendly.

CONS: No mic.