They lack the final touches that mark out a ‘premium’ headphone – which is perhaps why the ‘premium’ naming has to insist they are exactly that. Featuring a contemporary foldable design, an integrated microphone and a button panel to keep you in control of your playlist, it’s a convenient option for those that are constantly changing locations.

Pressing down on the right cup (which is effectively a big button) also turns off cancellation while depressed, making hearing what’s going on around you that bit easier. iPX4-rated for water resistance, these earbuds will hold up in bad weather and tough workouts and feature a convenient LED indicator for battery status so you don’t end up with dead headphones mid-run or commute. The headband’s core is made of a fairly chunky band of steel, while the rest of the headphone is made from a mixture of aluminium and plastic parts. Although the WeSC Chambers by RZA Premium are distinctly Beats-like, they have a much less destructive obsession with bass than all the Beats-range headphones we’ve tried recently.The rear of the left cup is a twist-to-lock battery cover that hides the two AAA batteries powering these headphones’ active noise cancellation. As with most noise cancellation systems, the WeSC one has a persistent ‘psst’ low-treble hiss that’s pretty audible when listening to quiet music or spoken word recordings. Like most current style headphones, though, the headband padding is minimal and has a rubberised finish rather than a fabric/leather one. Although not perfectly controlled, the bass is seriously deep and powerful – and not so dominant that any non-electronic music sounds swamped and confused. Their rotating plastic cup surrounds clack around like maracas when the headphones are waggled in the air, and the hinges that let the headband fold in on itself for portability’s sake barely hold their position.

It doesn’t make any terribly wrong-footed moves, but it’s probably not what people looking for rapper-branded headphones are after.WeSC, which stands for We Are The Superlative Conspiracy, and the imprint’s CEO and creative director, Joseph Janus, saw the untapped potential for entering the tech-meets-fashion space. The WeSC Chambers by RZA Premium are far less effective at removing background noise than the rival Bose QC15, and in a relatively quiet office, they’ll appear to add more noise than they remove. There’s a distinct ‘V’ shape to the sound, which makes headphones sound energetic rather than accurate, but then these were never going to be studio-grade headphones. Founded in a time when there was a lack of subversive subcultures in Scandinavia, lifestyle brand WeSC aimed to fill the gap, arriving on the scene in 1999 at the latter half of streetwear’s defining era.

Continuing their mission, the brand’s latest endeavor is a duo of headphones: the WeSC True Wireless and WeSC On Ear. The WeSC Chambers by RZA Premium are relatively high-end headphones that roughly match the Beats Studio noise headphones on spec. Forget design niceties for a moment, look a little closer and the WeSC Chambers by RZA Premium build quality seems perfectly good. Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest.They are reasonably comfortable, with generous faux-leather topped foam pads and a mid-level grip on your head that balanced security and comfort well enough. Other neat hardware nods include a the removable cable, which has a three-button remote for iOS devices, and the dual 3. Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year. And if you're looking for something a bit more subtle, try one of WeSC's button down shirts paired with matching shorts.