On-ear and over-ear headphones generally tend to offer dramatically better sound than smaller, in-ear buds. The trade-off is, in exchange for better music, you have to carry around the bulkier, larger devices.
But what if you didn’t? What if you could roll up a pair of on-ear headphones and just stow them in a jacket pocket like you do a pair of earbuds? That’s the idea behind the Luzli Roller MK01, a pair of handcrafted stainless steel and aluminum headphones that feature a headband similar to a metal link bracelet on a watch. The flexible band allows them to roll up into a compact and portable package.
According to Luzli, the Roller MK01 features 22 separate stainless steel springs built into the headband, allowing the 13 links to move and conform to the wearer’s head. Each pair comes in a wooden display case and a suede travel bag, along with a few other more normal accessories, like spare earpads, a cleaning cloth, and a 3.5mm cable. Without a chance to listen to them, it’s hard to say how the Roller MK01 actually sound, but the presentation certainly is impressive.
Unfortunately, while the design and materials are meant to evoke a high-end watch, so does the price of the Roller MK01. Each pair is built to order by hand in Switzerland, and they cost a hefty $3,000 per pair. For that price, you could get an actual Swiss watch, along with a pair of headphones to listen to while wearing it.
Still, even if the Roller MK01 is beyond the financial means of most people, it’s still a fantastic-looking design. Even if I’ll never own a pair of the current iteration, there’s always the hope that Luzli will decide to implement the rollable design on a more affordably priced pair of headphones.
