Kids' headphones typically limit volume levels to well below what adult headphones output.
The Untangled Pro headphones from LilGadgets take a slightly different approach.
Instead of the typical limit of 85dB, they reach 93dB.
The idea is that the 85dB safety ceiling is based on eight hours of continuous listening, while volume can be somewhat higher if the duration of continuous listening is shorter.
And the Untangled Pro sound quite good for their $49 price, especially for planes and cars, where the higher volume is useful to overcome the ambient noise of engine rumble.
Consider this pair if you want to limit the volumes on your kid's headphones a bit, but not to a level that renders them unhearable in noisier environments.
Design
Available in black, blue, green, pink, purple, or white, the lightweight circumaural (over-ear) Untangled Pro headphones look like they're made for adults, except for their smaller size.
The perforated, leather-like details on the headband and plush earpads are stylish.
If your child doesn't want to wear headphones that are clearly designed for kids, these are a strong option.
LilGadgets claims the headphone pads reduce ambient room noise passively by about 13dB, which means your child is less likely to max out the volume.
We'll have to take the company's word on this, as the over-ear cups fit like on-ear cups for adults, and thus no seal is created for passive noise reduction.
Internally, the headphones employ a 40mm driver in each ear, for a frequency range of 20Hz-20kHz and an impedance of 30 Ohms.
The left earcup's outer panel houses a power/pairing button and a volume/navigation dial with a play/pause button in the center.
Answering and ending phone calls is achieved by pressing the power button briefly.
This earcup also houses a micro USB port for the included micro USB charging cable, as well as a 3.5mm aux input for the included headphone cable.
The right earcup houses a "shareport" jack, allowing for two pairs of headphones to connect via cable and listen to the same audio in either Bluetooth or wired mode.
You'll need another 3.5mm audio cable to do this in wired mode.
The onboard mic offers average intelligibility.
Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 6s, we could understand every word we recorded, but the mic sounds a bit distant and there are some low-res audio artifacts in the mix.
Basically, this is par for the course with Bluetooth headphone mics, whether they're for kids or adults.
The inline mic on the cable provides much stronger clarity for ideal intelligibility.
In addition to the aforementioned USB charging cable and audio cable, the headphones ship with a drawstring pouch for easier stowing.
LilGadgets estimates the Untangled Pro's battery life to be roughly 12 hours, and the volume limiting should help keep this number fairly accurate, but your results are still likely to vary with overall volume levels.
Volume and Performance
The first thing for parents to keep in mind is the ability for the headphones to get louder in wired mode.
Essentially, these are more akin to normal, adult headphones when used with the included cable, so some parents may wish to take the cable out of the equation and use the Untangled Pro in Bluetooth mode only, as you can be assured of volume limitation in wireless mode.
In Bluetooth mode, the headphones are also louder than most of the competition as well.
As mentioned, they don't stop at 85dB, they go up to 93dB.
If you know your child will not be listening for long periods without a break, the headphones certainly sound better than most of the options we've tested.
The dynamics don't sound squashed and there's plenty of bass response.
They also don't sound "quiet," whereas some other models have no bass depth at all and produce volume levels that feel faint.
It's a trade-off for sure, and one you need to be comfortable with, but the Untangled Pro essentially sound like a traditional pair of headphones and most kid-friendly options do not.
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," you hear a rich, full bass depth.
It's not overwhelming, but the fact that you hear bass at all, and that the dynamics aren't squashed and flattened to death by DSP (digital signal processing) makes the listening experience far more rewarding than it is on most kids' headphones.
Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Untangled Pro's general sound signature.
The drums here can sound thunderous on bass-forward headphones, and brittle on kids' models.
Here, they sound full and deep—again, not over the top, but there's definitely a sense of bass presence here, as well as in the low-mids, providing some richness for Callahan's baritone vocals.
The guitar strums and higher percussive hits on this track are crisp and bright.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop receives plenty of high-mid presence, allowing its attack to remain punchy.
The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are powerful.
Again, these don't sound like kids' headphones.
Conclusions
If you're considering the LilGadgets Untangled Pro for your little one, but are concerned about the volume, consider this: Limit volume in the settings menu of your audio device and set a password for it.
If you do, it also dials back the maximum levels on the headphones, and things still sound better than much of the competition.
Yes, that essentially makes you responsible for one of the key selling points of the Untangled Pro.
But there's no denying they sound better than most other pairs we've tested.
In this price range, there are other models that don't get this loud.
The Onanoff Buddyphones Wave and the in-ear Etymotic ETY Kids 5 are solid options.
If price is your primary consideration, the JLab JBuddies Studio Bluetooth won't break the bank.
Our favorite pair overall, meanwhile, is the JBL JR300BT.
The Bottom Line
The wireless LilGadgets Untangled Pro headphones for kids sound great, but get louder than some parents will be comfortable with.
