Timbre Gitara – The Color of Music

Timbre Gitara – The Color of Music

Proudly Pinoy

There are a lot of ways to describe a particular sound or a piece of music. Pitch is the term for how high or how the frequency of a sound is. Loudness, on the other hand, describes its magnitude. Then there's timbre. Pronounced as “tam-ber”, it is a musical term that describes the quality of a sound that comes from a musical instrument. It isn't exactly pitch or loudness, which are measurable. Timbre is qualitative. A guitar and a saxophone for example, can play the same note with the same pitch and loudness, but have different timbres. Timbre is also known as “the color of music.” It is for this reason the country’s first-ever headphone brand took the term as its name.

The company's maiden model is called the Gitara (guitar), named after what is arguably the most popular musical instrument in the Philippines. It has an over-the-head, circumaural design, and features guitar and national flag-inspired graphics, courtesy of the renowned Team Manila graphic design studio. While our demo unit came in a white and brown colorway, the Gitara is also available in a combination of black and red.

Running from the left channel is a detachable fabric audio cable that measures 1.2m long and has an inline volume control wheel. The cable itself is flat, so it feels a lot like a really long and tough shoestring, kind of like the fabric audio cable on the Philips The Snug. The 3.5mm audio plugs at both ends of the cable are pretty unique too. The bit that connects the plug to rest of the cable is flat and flexible, allowing it to take a lot more abuse than the usual plug. This should be great for those constantly on the move while listening to their music. During our time with it, we found that the Gitara was very comfortable to wear for extended periods; even more comfortable than much more expensive headphones we’ve tested before, thanks to its light weight and ample cushioning.

Audio-wise, the Gitara generally sounds good and clear, but nothing particularly outstanding. The middle to high frequencies were pretty well-represented, but there was not a lot of bass to be heard and the sonic detail wasn't as high as we'd like it to be. Given that, we'd recommend these headphones more for the casual listener rather than the more critical audiophile.

All in all, the Timbre Gitara is a very affordable pair of good-sounding headphones with a unique design that’s proudly Pinoy. You can get it for PhP 2,499 in the following stores: Team Manila Lifestyle, The A Shop, Mobile 1, Analog Soul, Vinyl on Vinyl, The Sole Project, Wooden Canvas, and Wardrobe.ph.

For more information, please visit www.timbreheadphones.com.