Wicked Audio Helix Earbuds Hands-On: Polarizing Design, So-So Sound

Wicked Audio’s new Helix earbuds come in three psychedelic color combinations—magenta/yellow, blue/orange and black/white.  One glance at the loud, hectic designs on the packaging should be enough to tell you that Wicked is catering to a niche market with punk-rock sensibilities.

All three designs sport an asymmetrical color scheme that, while off-putting to some, will probably appeal to Wicked’s target customers.

The ear canal sleeves come in three stock sizes, with the largest attached by default. Unless you have abnormally large ear canals, you’ll probably be switching to the medium or smaller sizes, and the change is simple with enough brute force. The cord is approximately 4 feet in length—industry standard, enough for most users, and unlikely to tangle.

Wicked boasts that the Helix will stay in your ear through just about any kind of physical activity, and it will—provided you put them on correctly, which took us some practice as the buds kept falling out until we used the appropriate amount of force.

While the Helix buds feel light, their construction seems flimsy. A tiny, sharp nib of plastic on the very end of the clip will be a constant source of discomfort if you’re the type to frequently pop your headphones on and off.

Compared to other headphones in a similar price range, differences in sound quality are negligible. We listened to Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” Akon’s “Right Now (Na Na),” and Far East Movement’s “Girls on the Dance Floor” on both the Helix and a pair of Sony’s clip headphones ($9.99), obsessively switching between the two with no noticeable change in quality. The clarity of sound was only slightly improved because of the Helix’s noise-blocking design.

These earbuds function well, are barely noticeable once you manage to get them on, and are not a bad deal for $14.99 if you spend long stretches of time moving around in places with pervasive ambient sound. However, other earbuds are a lot easier to put on.

On the other hand, if you like quirky asymmetry and off-the-wall complementary colors, you might consider the Wicked Audio Helix Earbuds.