Blood Orange’s headphones with AIAIAI are ear candy that, actually, sound good

Over the years, I’ve become an accidental headphone connoisseur. When I go on my workouts and walks, I face my unexpectedly vast headphone collection: Should I wear my sleek, green AirPod Maxes or the Sonos Arc? Or my Bose earbuds or Apple Airpods, or forgotten wired earphones that have been collecting dust in storage? I didn’t need yet another pair added to my stockpile, but when AIAIAI reached out about their first-ever collaboration with Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes, I couldn’t resist giving the newest products a whirl.

If you missed it, the English musician released a limited-edition headphone line that coincided with his new album Essex Honey. Hynes was designer and creative director on AIAIAI’s latest Artist Series campaign, reimagining two of the brand’s core products: the Tracks headphones ($70) and the TMA-2 Wireless headphones ($220). He gave them a subtle aesthetic upgrade — and yes, hints of orange were involved. “I only ever want to work on products that I actually use, so the idea of doing something with AIAIAI was a no-brainer,” Hynes said of the project. “I make Blood Orange music with the hopes that it will solely be listened to in headphones, which is part of what makes working with AIAIAI so exciting to me.”

When my package arrived, the headphones arrived in pieces that needed “to be assembled like IKEA furniture,” as FADER director Steffanee Wang described best in our text exchange. I agreed, but no matter: I put them together per the instructions detailed on the box and in a pamphlet, which made for a smooth process. Aesthetically, both headphones differ from the minimalist pairs I already own. Tracks gleams with a retro look, and it’s the first over-the-ear, wired pair in my collection; while the TMA-2 is chunkier and more complex design-wise.

I haven’t tested out Tracks just yet (the jack isn’t compatible with my Apple devices), but Steffanee reports that the “chic, Y2K design doesn’t compromise on the sound quality. They obviously can’t be compared to over-the-ear, studio headphones, but for a lightweight, aesthetic-forward option, it’s really not that bad. It’s good for commutes and casual outings when you wanna incorporate some ear candy with your fit.”

I’ve been using the gray-and-orange TMA-2 every day for the past three weeks during my workouts, mild treks, and long commutes. I’m all for headphones that are comfortable, easy to use, and have clear sound, but to me, the TMA-2’s best feature is its ability to toggle between different audio experiences of your choice on the accompanying app. You can customize your listening experience entirely or select predefined sound profiles: there’s the “studio” profile where you can achieve an “accurate,” “natural,” or “detailed” sound quality, while the “DJ” profile allows you to toggle between a “balanced” or bass-focused audio experience. I’m no DJ, but I prefer to hear my music in “detailed” mode. So what if it’s just for casual listening on the couch?

My only complaint is the lack of a noise cancellation feature. Maybe I’ve been conditioned to want this function in all of my headphones, but full-spectrum isolation and a no-noise button is a need for headphones in 2025. Still the TMA-2’s long-lasting, 40-hour battery life (I haven’t needed to charge my headphones once even after using them for weeks on end) softens the blow. The consensus? My listening experience got an upgrade it never knew it needed.