The new Balmain Powerbeats headphones are the perfect marriage of tech and fashion (AAPL)

Beats by Balmain 5

The worlds of tech and high-end fashion collide with the newest iteration of Apple's Powerbeats3 headphones.

The new $250 Bluetooth headphones from Apple's Beats by Dre brand were created in partnership with French fashion house Balmain (pronounced "ball-MON"), a high-end brand most famous these days for outfitting the likes of Kim Kardashian and Gigi Hadid. In fact, Kardashian's little sister, Kylie Jenner, was the face of the campaign to promote these new headphones.

While Apple and Balmain created four products in total — Beats Studio over-ear headphones and the Powerbeats3, in two colors each — I had the chance to test the Powerbeats in khaki, a greenish-brown color with gold accents. Other than the color scheme and branding, the design and specs of the headphones are identical to the original Powerbeats3.

The Balmain collaboration isn't the first fashion partnership for Apple — Fendi and Alexander Wang have created Beats headphones in the past — and after nearly three weeks spent testing the headphones, I'm hoping it's not the last.

Here's what they're like:

Gorgeous — if a little flashy

The standard Powerbeats3 had never appealed to me before I tried the Balmain version because they seem designed with men in mind. The color combinations can be too sporty for my taste, or just plain boring and uninspired.

But the Balmain Powerbeats are gorgeous — if a little flashy. The khaki color is stylish and on-trend, but is still neutral enough that you won't get sick of it. The gold accents lend a touch of luxury and make it clear that these headphones are Fashionable with a capital F.

There's a downside to all that gold, though: It's made out of plastic, and actually seems a little cheap up close. While metal would have made the headphones heavy and irritating, I wonder if having the gold being matte rather than super-shiny would have been a better choice.

A minor design issue

I noticed a design issue with the headphones right away, and this applies to all Powerbeats headphones: The piece that wraps around your ear is great for holding things in place, but it isn't great if you're someone who tucks her hair behind her ears.

Obviously, this isn't deal-breaker, and if you tuck your hair behind your ears, then carefully put the headphones into place, you can make it work (see the photo above). But I quickly got the sense that these headphones aren't designed with women in mind, or they're designed solely for working out when you're wearing your hair back anyway. But if that's the case, it makes this particular style of headphones a strange choice for a fashion collaboration.

One small touch goes a long way

One of the best design decisions Balmain and Apple made was the addition of a carrying case. While Powerbeats usually come with a small rubber case, the Balmain edition comes with a suede zippered pouch emblazoned with the Balmain logo.

Having the pouch helped make the headphones seem more high-end, and also helped protect them from damage. Plus, it made them easier to find in my bag when I wanted to use them again, and prevented them from getting tangled up with the other things in my purse like my Apple earbuds usually do.

The case was an extra-special touch, one you would expect out of a fashion brand, but perhaps not a tech company. It was here that Balmain's influence shined through the most and elevated the headphones to a luxury product.

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