Fender Mix review: Well-designed headphones that just fall short of greatness

I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Fender a guitar company?” It sure is, and has been one of the most iconic names in guitars and amplifiers since 1946. So what is the company doing making headphones and speakers? Well, it isn’t, exactly. Like Zound Industries used to do with Marshall (before buying the amp business), another company is licensing the Fender name for its consumer audio products. Fender Audio, the brand that’s on the headphones I’m reviewing, is owned by the Fender Corporation, but Riffsound oversees the design and production of portable audio gear.  The first products from Fender Audio are the Mix headphones and the Elie speaker (in two sizes). The company revealed these in January before properly showing them off  at CES. I’ll get to those speakers in a few weeks, but the Mix headphones are first up on the review docket.  With the Mix, Fender Audio seeks to offer a set of premium over-ear, noise-canceling headphones at a lower price than the likes of So