What is a product that is worth investing in? Is it a good, solid pair of leather boots, instead of cheap imitation ones that last for less than a year? Or is it a classic little black dress, that you know you can always rely on throughout the seasons? The folks over at Legal & General are asking their customers this very question, and asked me what I would consider to be a smart, long-term purchase for myself. After some careful thought and consideration, I decided to choose some new headphones as my investment product. Why? Well, I spend the majority of my evenings and nights on my laptop, either blogging or catching up on Youtube videos (That may be videos of cute animals, but still...). As it is, I work afternoon and evening shifts at work so usually by the time I get home and get settled down, the rest of my family have gone to bed and cannot be disturbed. This is where a lovely new set of headphones come in. Having been missing some since my brother broke my last pair a couple of years ago, I wanted some that were excellent quality, good value for money and most importantly, would last me for years to come.



Enter the August EP650 Bluetooth Headphones in White*, £37.50 (Over colours available from £32.50). Now, whilst my requirements did not necessitate that they needed to be wireless, I decided to choose these over other wired pairs due to practicality. When I'm out and about, I'm forever getting my earphones tangled up - in my clothes, bag handles, around themselves - and I swear that I spend half of my life untangling them. With these, there isn't that problem! Of course, they're bulkier to carry around, but they actually fold down into themselves so they're not as cumbersome as you might expect. They connect with my phone via Bluetooth satisfyingly quickly, which means that once I get my music going on my phone, I can chuck it in my bag and not have to worry about keeping it near me due to the cable length. The added bonus to these headphones are the controls on the right ear piece, allowing you to play, pause, skip forward or back a track and adjust the volume. Once I got used to where the controls were, I've found it quite easy to use these and it certainly saves me time! These headphones also double as a headset, so you can answer calls and talk without having to remove them - how cool is that?



They also come with a 35mm to 35mm audio cable so they can be used as wired headphones, and a micro USB cable for easy charging. It's a good job that they do come with an audio cable, as I've been having some trouble using them as Bluetooth headphones with my laptop - Windows 8 is a right royal pain in the backside, let me tell you! However, I have found that there is no difference in the quality of sound using them wired compared to wireless, which you'd think there would be. Music is crisp and clear, with an impressive bass and richness to the sound - I'd struggle to find a better quality sound in headphones for the same amount of money or, in some cases, three times the cost (Beats by Dr. Dre, I'm looking at you!) They're also extremely comfortable to wear, even for several hours at a time, thanks to the thick, cushioned ear pieces that sit completely over my ears and the padded headband. They're also click-adjustable, so they fit to my head perfectly. The quality of the headphones themselves is also impressive for the money; they feel durable and well made, and even when they fold down, the action doesn't feel flimsy at all. There is little negative that I can say about these (Not working with my laptop is my laptop's fault, not the headphones!) - which is a good thing, seeing as I've got them for years to come!

I have to say that I am absolutely over the moon with my fancy new headphones and wear them every opportunity I get. Now that I have them, I wonder how I've managed without a pair for so long!