I generally put headphones I review into three categories: Too bassy, too accurate or a balance between the two extremes. Headphones that are too bassy make music sound muffled and oppressive. Overly accurate headphones will accentuate everything that is good in music if the music you are listening to is taken from high-resolution files. But they also expose the bad because they can’t tell the difference. It’s the middle ground—mama bear if you will—where many headphones belong. Among these are the V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones.

V-Moda entered the headphone market by wisely crowd-sourcing—among headphone enthusiasts—the sound signature for their original Crossfade headphone. V-Moda’s plan worked. The Crossfade sold well and spawned other models culminating in the Crossfade 2. Now, V-Moda has made a wireless version of the Crossfade 2 and why not? Bluetooth quality has improved dramatically over the last few years and keeps getting better. Plus, everyone seems to be jumping on the Bluetooth bandwagon.

V-Moda’s Crossfade 2 Wireless has managed to keep its unique and wonderful folding engineering called “CliqFold”. It has to be seen to be appreciated. These are full-sized headphones that fold into something quite small and can be put into their equally small form-fitted hard case. So you get the best of many worlds. The Wireless Crossfade 2 headphones are truly portable.

The case will hold both the charging and wired-mode cables, although it does get a bit cramped when closing the case. The case also has two clever, removable vent port covers. When removed, air can circulate inside the case during storage. This is a bigger deal than it seems at first. I’ve actually found a fine mold on ear pads inside cases that were sealed a bit too well.

Speaking of ear pads, the Crossfade 2’s pads are really comfortable. I have experienced no discomfort after hours of wearing. Surprisingly, this is not the norm. The Crossfade 2 headphone is called over-ear, but on my head, the ear cups are on the small side (for over-ear). That’s not a big deal for me, but it’s something to consider if you have larger ears.

The headband is made of vegan leather (I prefer real leather—apologies to cows everywhere). More headband padding would be better, but that’s a minor complaint since comfort is not compromised.

V-Moda has used materials judicially—the Crossfade 2’s metal frame is thin, yet quite strong. There isn’t any wasted space. Each piece serves a purpose and still, the Crossfade 2 Wireless is one of the better-looking headphones on the market in its price range. However, they are not conservatively designed, so you may disagree.

The Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones come in three color combinations: Matte Black/black metal; matte white/silver metal and black/rose gold metal. I received the white model with a silver steel frame. Even though I prefer black, I have to photograph what I review and white shows details that are difficult to highlight when everything is black. So, white it is.

It doesn’t stop there. V-Moda wants to promote an interesting aspect to the Crossfade headphones: The metal plates on each ear cup are customizable. You can either choose one of V-Moda’s designs or send V-Moda one of your own. If you’re not creative, V-Moda offers many (almost too many) choices and colors in either 3D printed precious metal, 3D printed steel, 3D printed fibre or laser etched metal, which is what I chose. I sent V-Moda my logo to be printed white on black. They are quite unusual looking on the white model I received. This makes for great photos, but I’ve also grown to like the look. Putting your name on some headphones makes them yours. I like that! Note that the custom plates are an extra-cost option.

Obviously, these are Bluetooth wireless headphones. With many headphones, pairing with your smartphone or other Bluetooth enabled device can be a pain, but not with the Crossfade 2. Just slide the On/off button and hold for 3 seconds. That’s it. Weird radar sound prompts tell you when you’re connected. I prefer voices that actually say “Connected” as some headphones do, but it’s no big deal. What is a big deal is that you have to remember to turn the headphone off when you’re done. Despite the generous 14+ hours of battery life, I have drained the battery by forgetting. For forgetful people like me, it would be nice if the headphones could automatically shut down after a few minutes of not being worn.

The right ear cup houses basic music controls: Volume up/down; pause/play and track skip forward/backward. The buttons have embossed controls that are easy to feel without distraction.

The Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones have a built-in mic for calls. In testing, persons I was talking to could hear me fine, but the quality was not as good as speaking directly into the phone itself. V-Moda makes an optional boom mic that makes calls sound great and they are perfect for gamers. In my testing, the mic had to be used in wired mode because plugging them in shut off Bluetooth.

As I said earlier in this review, the sound signature of the CrossFade 2 Wireless headphones is what I call “mama bear”. This middle ground makes them slightly warm sounding and accurate at the same time. What does this mean? As long as you are not listening to heavily compressed MP3 files, these headphones will accurately portray your music with all its nuances giving you a pleasing reproduction. However, they are not so accurate that they reveal every glitch in a music file. Minor irritants that are brought out with super accurate phones are masked over, so what’s left is the fun factor of listening to your favorite song. That’s what “warm” sound means. That is not an easy thing to do when making headphones, but V-Moda did it with these.

While testing the Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones, I primarily used my iPhone 7+ as the music source. Whether using Bluetooth or hardwired or listening to Apple Music or CDs I’ve stored on the device itself, I’m not disappointed. Having said that, the Crossfade 2s do sound better hard wired than wireless. The volume is louder, plus there is more clarity and punch to the music. That’s normal. Hard-wired always sounds better. Bluetooth has vastly improved, but it still can’t compete with wires—at least not yet. I’m convinced that one day soon, it will sound just as good as wired. Despite that, I used Bluetooth almost all the time. It’s just too convenient and the audio is still great.

Rachmaninov’s choral masterpiece “Bless the Lord, O my Soul” is music that is so beautiful that it will give you goosebumps. The Moscow Chamber Choir is pitch perfect and haunting at the same time. The recording is sublime and the Crossfade 2 wireless headphones add just the right amount of warmth. When you’re as big a fan of Russian Choral music as I am, listening with these headphone is a major treat.

Speaking of goosebumps, Enya’s “Water Shows the Hidden Heart” from the album “Amaratine” is a speaker tester halfway through the song when Enya’s voice reaches into the stratosphere. It’s at this point in the song where distortion can happen. The Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones breezed right through the passage with no problems. Her singing retained all its beauty, sans distortion.

That’s not to say that the Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones can’t rock. Siouxsie and the Banshees thumper, “Peek-A-Boo” packs a bass wallop that can cause people to rip headphones off heads in bass distortion frustration. However, these headphones provide a bottom kick that can be felt in your head as well as heard. And I even cranked up the volume. My ears gave out before any distortion showed up. Fun.

V-Moda offers what they call Six-Star service, which is a one-year warranty plus a 50% replacement cost for life.

\V-Moda clearly has a winner with the Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones. They’re not cheap, but if you want a pair of headphones that fit that middle spot where they sound good with all kinds of music, are built like a tank and are wireless, then the Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones will start to look like a bargain.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by V-Moda. The Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones sell for $330 US. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 27, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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Now that smartphones like the latest iPhones and my new Pixel 2 XL have abandoned 3.5mm headphone jacks, the quest to find the perfect pair of Bluetooth earbuds has been high on my tech wish list. The latest test buds to show up on the Gadgeteer testing bench are the Freedom 2 wireless sport headphones from Jaybird.

What is it?

The Freedom 2 wireless sport headphones are earbuds that connect to a smartphone, tablet, or computer using Bluetooth.

What’s in the box?

Freedom 2 buds
Charge clip/Battery pack
USB charging cable
4 pairs of silicone tip/fin combos
Shirt clip
Carry pouch
Quick start guide

Design and features

The Jaybird Freedom 2 wireless sport headphones are available in black and in white/gold like you see above.

These are in-ear style headphones which come with 4 sets of ear tips with built-in fins that really help keep the earbuds in your ears even when you’re working out or running. Speaking of which, the Freedom 2 headphones are water and sweat resistant, so you can get as icky as you like and the headphones won’t skip a beat.

I found these headphones to be comfortable even for extended wear. I like the fin design of the ear tips because they never feel like they are about to fall out of my ears. They easily stayed put when I was sitting at my desk and when I was working out. I’m not a runner, so I didn’t test how well they stay in your ears while pounding the pavement, but I am pretty confident that that won’t fall out.

The headphones are small and compact and feature an inline controller and speedfit cord clips that allow you to customize the length of the cable for the perfect fit.

The inline controller has three buttons on one side that control volume and functions like power, pairing, play, pause, call answer, call end, and next track.

On the other side of the controller are electrical contacts that mate with contacts on the snap-on backup battery/charger.

To charge the Freedom 2’s battery, you snap on the charger and then connect it to a USB port or AC adapter.

Yes, that means that you’ll always need to carry the snap-on charger with you so you’ll be able to charge the headphones where ever you are.

If that sounds like a hassle, I agree with you. But, the good news is that the snap-on charger is pretty small and easily fits in the included pouch. Even better news is that it doubles as a battery extender that will provide up to 4 hours of extra play time for the headphones. As you charge the headphones, the backup battery also charges.

Without the backup battery snapped to the controller, the Freedom 2 headphones will play for about 4 hours on their own. Snap on the charger/backup battery and they will play for an additional 4 hours, for a total of 8 hours of play time. Note, that when you connect the battery clip it will power off the headphones and you’ll have to power them back on which is a little annoying.

I rarely listen to music for more than a couple of hours at a time, so 4 hour battery life isn’t a problem for me.

Pairing the headphones

I had no problems pairing the Jaybird Freedom 2 headphones with my Pixel 2 XL Android smartphone and so far I’ve had no problems with the phone and headphones reconnecting after cycling power on both devices.

The headphones have a female voice that will tell you that the headphones are powering on, battery level, when they are connected, and when they are powering down.

These are multi-point headphones which means that you can pair them with two devices at the same time. You can have the headphones connected to your phone for calls and your computer for media. The headphones will also remember up to 8 devices.

How do the Jaybird Freedom 2 headphones sound for music?

I wasn’t initially that impressed with the audio quality while listening to my favorite tunes through Spotify and Amazon Prime Music apps. But then I installed the Jaybird app on my Pixel 2 XL and customized the sound settings and was MUCH happier.

The app offers pre-configured sound settings or you can start from scratch to create your own. The app also offers music playlists that might help you find some new favorite tunes.

Depending on the sound setting that you choose (my current favorite is called Perfect Quality) through the Jaybird app, you should be happy with lows, mids, and highs.

I don’t listen to just one type of music, I like almost all genres and so far the Jaybird Freedom 2 headphones have not disappointed me. If I don’t think a particular type of music sounds as good as it can, I choose another setting in the app and am happy again. But honestly, the Perfect Quality sound customization pick has been the one I settle on about 95% of the time.

How do the Jaybird Freedom 2 headphones sound for calls?

I don’t like taking calls with in-ear headphones because I feel like I’m talking in my head with the way my voice sounds. That said, using the Freedom 2 headphones to take calls is fine. I could clearly hear the person on the other end of the call and they said that they could hear me. Only one time did someone tell me that I sounded a little quiet.

Final thoughts

Right now the Jaybird Freedom 2 wireless sport headphones are my favorite Bluetooth headphones because they are comfortable to wear, sound great, and have the ability to play for up to 8hrs with the clip on battery. They get two thumbs up from me.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Jaybird. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Jaybird Freedom 2 wireless sport headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 22, 2017 at 2:25 pm.

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There are a lot of different styles of Bluetooth headphones on the market today. On-the-ear, over-the-ear, and in-ear are the most common. Personally, I own a pair of on-the-ear Sports headphones that I use when I go to the gym or walk my dog. I even have a pair of earbuds that I only use when cutting my grass. One thing I don’t own is a pair of high-quality headphones that I can use solely for the purpose of relaxing and just listening to music. The Soundwhiz SymphoniQ Bluetooth headphones are exactly that and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a pair to review for the Gadgeteer.

In the Box

• SymphoniQ Bluetooth Headphones
• Hard Shell carrying case
• Micro USB charging cable
• Audio cable
• 3mm to 5mm jack converter

Technical Specs

• Bluetooth Version: 4.1 with APT-X
• Noise Cancellation: CVC6
• Pairing: Normal or NFC
• Play Time: Up to 20Hrs
• Talk Time: Up to 18Hrs
• Standby: Up to 6000Hrs
• Speaker: 40mm Dynamic Driver
• Frequency: 10Hz – 20KHz

The first thing that appealed to me about these headphones was their striking design.

The clean Arctic white with black accents and just a touch of chrome gives them a real modern, edgy appearance. The SymphoniQ has build quality you can FEEL. The earcups are made of metal with soft leather covered memory foam ear cushions.

No cheap plastic here.

The adjustable headband is strong & flexible and has just enough spring to hug your ears for a stable fit without being over tight. I found them to be a little tight in the beginning but after wearing them for a few days they broke in nicely.

SoundWhiz even includes a nice executive looking hard-shell carrying case.

The headphones come with a built-in 480 mAh rechargeable battery. Charging the SymphoniQ is done using a Micro USB charging cable plugged into any standard USB port such as a phone adaptor or PC. SoundWhiz recommends charging the headset for 3 hours prior to first use. Once charged the headphones have an impressive 20 hours of playback time and up to 600 hours of standby time.

Pairing the headphones with your favorite Bluetooth device is easy.

Simple slide the on/off switch (located on the right ear cup) to the Bluetooth icon and hold for 2 seconds. The LED indicator light (located on the side of the right ear cup) will flash red and blue. Open your devices Bluetooth setting and select ‘SoundWhiz SymphoniQ’. Once connected the blue LED indicator light will flash twice every 4 seconds.

There is even friendly voice prompts that will tell you when the headphones are powered on or off, pairing, connected or disconnected.

The SymphoniQ also automatically connect to the last paired device when you turn them on. To reconnect with a paired device in standby mode, short press the Multi-Function button to find paired devices in range.

If you have an Android device you can connect using NFC. Make sure your Android devices NFC is enabled and hold it next to the headphones Multi-Function-Button. The connection should occur automatically within a few seconds. 

The SymphoniQ also has Dual-Pairing which allows you to connect two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. If the headphones battery is low, or if you prefer a wired connection you can use the provided audio cable.

SoundWhiz even throws in a 5mm jack converter so you can plug into a stereo system, amp, or musical instrument.

 The headphones controls are located on the side of the right ear cup. During music playback, you can control volume, play and pause music, and next or previous track.

The large disc design of the controls makes them easy to use; no more fumbling for buttons.

Playing and pausing music is done using the headphones MFB (Multi-Function Button). A short press of the MFB will play and pause music playback. A short press of the (+) and (-) icons will raise and lower volume respectively. To play next track press and hold the (+) icon, do the same to the (-) icon to play previous track. 

 A built-in HD mic with CVC6 noise cancellation allows for crystal clear phone calls even when you’re somewhere with a lot of ambient noise. To answer an incoming call short press the MFB, another short press will end the call.  A short double press of the MFB will automatically redial the last number. You can even manage 2 simultaneous calls using just your headset.

The SymphoniQ headphones feature an innovative hybrid semi-open back ear cup design.

To be honest, before I reviewed the SymphoniQ headphones I had no idea what an open back headphone was. What I learned is that there are generally two types of over-the-ear headphones, closed-back, and open-back.

Closed-back headphones are what most of us are familiar with. They basically isolate you from the outside world. It’s just you and your music. Open-back headphones usually have a grill on the back of the ear cups allowing music to escape outward. Doing this provides a significantly larger soundstage, it’s like listening to music in a room as opposed to it being beamed into your head. 

On the SymphoniQ instead of a grill SoundWhiz designed the ear cups so that sound could escape outwards and the face plates are more acoustically transparent and not hermetically sealed, therefore, allowing sound to escape out.

This would explain why these headphones sounded so different to me when I first put them on. Indeed the music sounded more spacious and detailed. Definitely, a different listening experience then what I was used to. 

These headphones produce a really rich sound, with a deep resonant bass and crystal clear mids and highs. Even though the bass really pumps it doesn’t bleed over to other parts of the music, it’s still controlled and detailed.

Vocals remain clean and the treble is clear and bright, so things like snares and high-hats pop out very nicely. All and all these headphones work wonderfully for listening to any kind of audio genre. From classical and rock to hip-hop and rap the SymphoniQ headphones handles them all beautifully.

I even use them to listen to my TV’s audio and they do a great job with both movies and sports.

Because these headphones are semi-open back you still get pretty good noise isolation. There is some sound bleed but overall they do a good job of keeping out most ambient noise.

The SoundWhiz Symphonic Bluetooth Headphones are the perfect combination of style, comfort, and sound. Priced at $74.99 these headphones SHOULD be at the top of every Holiday shopping list this Christmas.

Source: This sample was provided by SoundWhiz. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

SoundWhiz SymphoniQ Hybrid Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 15, 2017 at 4:04 pm.

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