We’ve just finished an extensive months-long testing of the SOUL by Ludacris Black and White SL300WB headphones ($249) and can honestly, thoroughly & without-a-doubt say… Meh. 
Let me be clear… they’re pretty decent headphones, especially compared to the average joe’s out there. However, when compared to “other” headphones which tout the same features and roll in at around the same price-point… sadly… I felt a little let down. Let me be more clear, these are very very nice headphones with good sound (the one and only thing that really matters with headphones), just a little under par in their price category.
Clarity: I’m not what some people might call an audiophile and I don’t hook up my headphones to fancy equipment to test levels… when I review a set of headphones it’s 100% based on the experience. With the Soul SL300WB headphones… the sound, rhythm, pulse, vibe… whatever you want to call it… it was there, and I was thoroughly rocked. However, (yes, this is the bad part) the “noise cancelling” feature falls horribly short. Not only could I hear everything clearly with them on and no music playing… I could easily hear outside noise when blasting away my fav tune. And with them stating: “Prepare for a high definition, fully isolated listening experience any time, any place” and bragging “world class noise cancelling technology”; I was let down.
Clarity pt2 (powered): The Soul SL300WB does have a pretty cool sounding battery operated (not chargeable) option that supposedly amps up its performance. So, I powered it on and definitely noticed a difference right away… and it absolutely kicks them up with massive improvement (for the good). However, (darn it… more bad) after about 15 days a “whomp-whomp-whomp” reverberating bass tone crept in and quickly got bad enough to where I don’t even use the powered option anymore. I tried changing batteries, but the problem persisted. I’ll chalk it up to a bad pair and hope all other units are solid. But (yes, I know you’re not supposed to begin a sentence with the word but) even with the powered-up option it still fell short of others (namely Monster’s Beats by Dre) without batteries.
Design: This is where I think Ludacris and Soul really stepped up their game. Great design (especially if music is your thang) for cruising around, staying home or showing off to the crowd. This set even has a cool lighted feature where you can push a quick button and the Soul ear-cup badge on each side illuminates in a soft glow. And, they even fold up into an easy to carry shape for the travel pack.
Comfort: Another SOLID part of the SL300WB is its comfort. VERY comfortable fitting over the ears and across the head… it’s like these headphones are dipped in clouds. They seem to almost float on-top of your head they are so comfy. With the telescoping arms to get just your right fit… these just may be the most comfortable cans I’ve ever tried on.
Toss in gold-plated connectors, multi-device compatibility (including iPhone calling) and a stylish hard case for transporting… and we have ourselves a very well-built high-class pair of headphones. Sadly, I just can’t bring myself to full-on recommending these based on the sound quality. They talk a big game on their website and tout lots of great technology, but ultimately…
I say pass.
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