Bowers & Wilkins are known by their extremely accurate speakers and comfortable and warm sounding headphones. Recently, they’ve ventured into the wireless world with the excellent P5 Wireless headphone. Now, B&W has upped the ante with their first noise canceling headphone, the PX with aptX HD Bluetooth.
The B&W PX is a “smart” headphone that features sensors allowing listeners to intuitively control their music. Pick them up and the headphones will switch on immediately and automatically resume playing music; put them down and they return to standby mode. Lift an ear cup to talk, or hang them around your neck, and PX will pause the music, resuming playback when you’re ready to listen. B&W’s adaptive noise canceling does not reduce sound quality.
The PX speaker drivers are angled towards the ears for a more convincing soundstage. The placement of the transducers results in a more natural listening experience and improved stereo performance. The headphone also uses the latest aptX HD Bluetooth technology for 24-bit audio resolution to get the best possible sound.
The PX provides 22 hours of playback in wireless noise cancellation mode, or 33 hours in wired noise cancellation mode.
The Bowers & Wilkins PX sells for $399 US and is available now.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
The Fiil Canviis Pro wireless noise-canceling headphones have some unique features and great sound quality, but with a spotty app and plenty of similarly featured cheaper options on the market, you might be better off waiting until the $349 price comes down a bit.
The high price tag of the Canviis Pro is definitely reflected in the packaging and presentation of the product.
The Canviis Pro headphones arrive safely protected in a thick, well-designed box. The headphones come with a great carrying case that sets deeply into the box.
The Fiil logo is emblazoned on a metal tag on the carrying case and under the case are spaces for accessories.
Along with a very basic instruction manual, the Canviis Pro comes with two cables.
One cable is an audio cable with inline controls that work for both Android and iOS. A handy sticker is attached to the cable so you can configure it probably with a tiny switch before use. The inline controls work fine, allowing you to answer calls, adjust volume and change tracks.
This audio cable also enables you to use the headphones in a wired configuration with any audio source, which is a nice option to have.
The charging/OTG cable comes with Micro-USB plugs on both ends with an attached USB-A adapter plug as well.
The USB-A adapter snaps right over the Micro-USB plug and can be used to charge your headphones from a laptop or USB power supply and to attach the headphones to your computer as storage for adding music files to the 4GB of internal memory.
The carabiner attached to the carrying case is a nice touch and makes it easier to secure the case on a backpack.
The build quality of the Canviis Pro is quite impressive. The unit has a great heft to it and the switches, buttons and ports all seem like they can handle extended daily use.
The headphones fold in on themselves to fit into the case or to make it easier to store them in a coat pocket. I was disappointed to find that the ends don’t rotate flat though, which would make it easier to wear them around your neck when you’re not listening to them.
The Canviis Pro headphones are “on-ear” so the comfort of the ear pieces are vital to long term listening enjoyment.
The ear pieces and headband are made from “smooth protein leather and memory foam” and provide a great deal of comfort during use.
I’ve worn the Canviis Pro for hour-long stretches and comfort has not been an issue at all. Actually, the pressure of the band on my ears was the first thing I noticed after prolonged use, not any issues with the ear pieces, but that’s the nature of on-ear headphones in general.
The Canviis Pro has one button and one switch/button on the unit to allow the user to control the various functions and features. While I appreciate the simplicity of design, trying to assign so many functions to just two controls is a bit counterintuitive.
For instance, one of the Canviis Pro’s many features is limited voice control, which despite repeated efforts I never got to work properly. To activate this feature via the headset control you have to hold the Multi Function Button (MFB) for exactly two seconds. I found this to be maddeningly impossible. If you held it for too long the unit would shut off, if you didn’t hold it long enough the track would pause and play. When I did hold the button for the correct amount of time, the unit would simply say “Hello” and then not respond to my commands.
And this is the major failing of the Canviis Pro, Fiil is trying to do too many things at once with the unit and, as a result, none of them are executed effectively. The features that do work well, are incredibly useful. I’ll go through the features and their effectiveness in my testing.
The touch controls are great to have. While in use, you can swipe your hand across the side of the right earpiece to advance or rewind tracks or you can move your hand up and down to control the volume. A lot of headphones at this price point have been incorporating this feature and it really is worth having.
The Canviis Pro also has a “Smart-Sensor” auto-off feature that notices when you’ve removed the headphones and automatically pauses the music and puts the unit in low-power mode. This was great when it worked. The problem was it didn’t work every time. So I’d take the headphones off and then have to check to see if the auto-off engaged, which again defeats the purpose of the feature.
Another unique feature is the 4gb of internal storage that the Canviis Pro has for use as a stand-alone music player. It’s nice I guess, but I honestly can’t think of a situation where I’d ever use this function. The paltry 4gb size makes choosing what music I store on the unit more aggravating than the feature is worth. Worse yet, the music player functionality and playlist options are, at best, barebones. It’s really just a folder of music files that will play if needed. The only way I can see this as useful is for a runner who doesn’t want to carry her phone. But, after testing the unit, I doubt these would be a good running or workout set of headphones.
The noise-canceling function is one feature that worked very well and it definitely increased the listening experience. The feature, called My Audio Filter (MAF), creates a noise-canceling wave out of phase with the ambient noise to block that noise. It works great, but is way more complicated than it needs to be. There are four different configurations for the MAF; Noise-Cancelling mode blocks out all outside noise, Monitor mode blocks just low-frequency noise but allows you to hear some ambient sounds, Open mode allows all ambient sounds, and Wind mode blocks just noise that would be created in a windy environment.
The problem is you have to cycle through all of these modes when using the headset switch and good luck remembering which switch configuration triggers which mode. Plus, in practical use, you only ever really need the Noise-Cancelling mode and the Open mode. Why would I ever just want to filter out JUST windy noise?
Sure, you can use the Fiil+ app to control or change the MAF, but, as is the case with so many other companion headphone apps, it’s just not a good user experience.
The app doesn’t have any instructions on how to use it properly, so you’re just fumbling around trying to make sense of all the options. It includes an EQ that isn’t adjustable and just gives you three options; Bass, Original, and Treble. There is an option to engage the onboard storage, but those functions never worked right for me and frequently had the tracks I stored on the unit misnamed. There are the frustrating MAF controls, which give you three options at first; MAF, Off and Windy, but then if you click on the MAF icon you are given three other options; Open, Monitor and Noise-Cancelling. Why not just give the user all four options up front?
The app also allows you to access the “3D Sound Effect” functionality. Which, again, is a mostly useless function that adds varying amounts of reverb to your music to make it sound like you’re listening to it in a living room, theatre, or hall. None of these options will positively add to the listening experience unless you REALLY like reverb for some reason.
The app also allows you to control a few other useless functions like turning the logo light off and on, adjusting the auto-off timing, and turning off the Smart Sensor.
The absolute WORST thing about the Fiil+ app though is that you have to have a Facebook, Twitter or WeChat account and app installed on your phone to be able to log in and get the full functionality. Any app that requires me to install another app on my phone in order to log in properly has failed me as a user.
As a Bluetooth headset, the Canviis Pro work fine. I made and answered calls with the unit and the sound quality on both ends was perfectly fine. I got pretty good battery life out of them over the course of a week with varied use.
Overall, I liked the sound quality, noise-canceling, and touch features of the Canviis Pro, but I think they’re overpriced and over-engineered in a bad way, especially the app. For the same price, you’re better off with some higher-end models from Sony or Bose.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Fiil Audio. Please visit their website or Amazon for more info.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
With smartphones gradually evolving to pack more technology into the same space, become sturdier and waterproof, manufacturers have removed the ubiquitous and familiar 1/8” stereo/microphone jack. While his innovation is somewhat controversial, at least for the mean time, dongles of various shapes and sizes have entered the scene permitting users to enjoy their “traditional” headphones, earbuds and ear cans with the newest phones. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there have been countless wireless headphone options introduced for those wishing to cut the cord.
I’ve always preferred wired headphones or earbuds to Bluetooth for superior audio quality. I have yet to discover a pair of Bluetooth headphones I thought was as good as their wired counterparts. Several years ago, I used a pair of Etymotic ETY-8 that was pretty good, but battery life on long days required toggling between wired and unwired. Still, the wire between the left and right channels was cumbersome.
Until recently, most Bluetooth headphones utilized some sort of wired connection between the left and right channels. The diminutive Tronsmart S5 headphones do not. Each channel, barely larger than a quarter, sits unencumbered in each ear – “Look, Mom, no wires!”
The headphones arrived in a handsome white and purple box, nested in form-fitting plastic. Included were three pairs of ear tips, a “Y” USB charging cord, removable ear hooks that plug into the USB sockets while not charging, and a tiny instruction manual
Out-of-the-box charging took 25 minutes, a tiny LED on each changing from red to blue letting me know charging was complete. Pairing was done using the left earpiece and was the same painless procedure as most other Bluetooth devices. In the event that a user would want only one earpiece, only the left is configured to be used independently. Turning the right earpiece on results in audio messages from each earpiece indicating the left or right channel and that both are connected. Once a connection from the left to the right earpiece is established, the button functions for both become identical.
Tronsmart includes three pairs of ear tips that most will find comfortable.
I was pleasantly surprised that the channel separation is very good, with no audio bleed from one channel to the other. The drivers look to be about 10mm. Fidelity is quite good. I was able to listen to several hours of assorted music. They are not audiophile quality, but for daily use, they worked flawlessly. The earpieces are comfortable and stay in place, particularly while using the ear hooks. I even set the phone down and walked about 30 feet away with no loss in audio quality. There is a noticeable delay when pausing audio or changing volume using the solitary button on either of the earpieces. The single button arrangement works ok for most functions, but not so much with volume. Volume cycles from the lowest to the highest making for an ear-shattering experience if you should want to turn down a particularly loud selection. It’s easier (and safer) to just use the controls on the hosting device.
I made a few calls and found reception to be stable, static-free, clear and audible, albeit slightly “tinny” as I’ve found with many BT headsets. Interestingly, phone audio is limited to only the left earpiece.
I measured battery life using mixed stereo and calls to about 3.5 hours, not bad for such small batteries, but not enough to use during a whole, untethered workday.
Overall, I liked the Tronsmart S5 headset and would recommend them for anyone wanting tiny, comfortable, wireless headphones. While not the best battery life, performance, and value should please most casual users. My daughter has already claimed them to put in her school backpack.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tronsmart. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
Consumers’ personal preference and manufacturers’ desire to offer differentiated products has lead to an assortment of earphone styles: earbuds, in-ear headphones, in-ear-canal headphones, etc. If the different ways earphones are connected to the audio source or supported by the body are considered then the list stacks multiplicatively. So when V-MODA recently announced the Forza Metallo Wireless as the world’s first ergonomic neckband headphones I was intrigued. Val Kolton, V‑MODA CEO and I have similar opinions about other in-ear wireless headphone designs; he says, “They either look like unsightly massive ‘plastic space ring around the collars’, Frankenstein bolts that will not stay in your ears or separate earbuds that are quickly lost, have reception issues and need a dongle or case.” So what makes the Forza Metallo Wireless different? Read on to see what I think!
Unboxing
The V-MODA Forza Metallo Wireless comes in a clam-shell display box with a see-through compartment so that the actual product can be seen while still in a retail environment. The box shows the unique features of the Forza Metallo neatly presented in the protective foam insert:
The titanium wire spring ergonomic neckband
The two microphones located on the left and right of the neckband’s ends
Three sizes of ActiveFlex Sport Fins (Similar to Jaybird Secure-fit ear fins)
four sizes of silicone ear tips (4 of each size, just in case you lose one)
Underneath the foam packaging is a quick start guide, the additional supply of sport fins and silicone ear tips, a user’s manual, a warranty card, a nylon cinch case and a lay flat USB charging cable.
Design
The earphones are a good example of how to tastefully combine style, design, and functionality. For instance, the rear of the earphones contains the battery, antenna and charging port. The grouping of the larger battery and antenna in the largest part of the unit allows the largest capacity and antenna range possible while including the company logo on the back allows the manufacturer to promote their brand, but not at the expense of being obtrusive when facing another individual.
The style-crushing manufacturing info, CE marking, and other information is white ink on white plastic on the inside of the rear to make it less obtrusive (only the serial number is in black ink).
One criticism is that the door to the micro USB charging port on the base of the rear is hinged. it would be useful if the unit showed which side the hinge was on or how the cover is supposed to open.
Perhaps the earphone’s most distinguishing feature, the Titanium TrapLock Ergonomics, allows the front controls to flex, to the point of being able to tie them in a knot, and still maintain the original ergonomic form. These titanium springs combine the functionality of providing power and signal wiring, the design of a freely positional collar and the style of a thin and elegant form. The connection point of the TrapLock to the rear is designed for freedom of movement, while the ferrules on the control and microphone sections are metal and securely fasten the controls to the wire.
The metal ferrules are in the style of the V-Moda chevron and provide stiffness, durability, and style to the control points.
The left side control houses the power button and the status light. The status light is two color (orange and white) and indicates the charging status (a slow on/off pulse), operation (steady white), pairing mode (blinking white – entered by holding power for 5 seconds), and low battery operation (orange). When the unit is powered on the light blinks orange to indicate the approximate battery charge (once for 0 – 40%, twice for 41% – 60%, three times for 61% – 80% and four times for 81% -100%). Even the LED gets a touch of style by the fact that the port through the control casing is hexagonal. The front of each control has another metal ferrule to hold the audio wire in place. The top front of each control also has a microphone. Having two microphones allows for better audio and noise rejection during calls because the hardware can reject noise that is unbalanced and out of phase (coming from the surroundings) while accentuating the audio that is balanced and reaches the microphones at about the same time (the user’s voice). The right side control has dedicated buttons for the volume up and down and a central multifunctional button for start/pause, answer/refuse/end call, next song (two presses), previous song (three presses), and voice assist (hold for 3 seconds).
The wire to the earphone speakers looks and feels like the wire used by the Apple EarPods, although it is a true white vs a light gray color like the EarPods. Some have remarked that the wires are too long, but I think that they are just right to permit unrestricted turning of the head; any shorter and they would lift the neck collar any longer would be unnecessary. The earphone speaker housings are quite small and lightweight and fabricated from aluminum. The tight machining tolerances on these eliminates any resonance while also looking attractive. The rear of each is a hexagonal shape which gracefully transitions into a circular form toward the speaker. This design is not only stylish but also functional in that it holds the sport fins in alignment.
The earphones are labeled “L” and “R” on the base, but my guess is that this is just an artifact from the Forza Metallo wired design. The precision used in manufacturing these is demonstrated by the minuscule port on the rear of the earphone can.
The post for the silicone ear tips is about 3/16″ if you want to get a set of compatible Compli tips.
One accessory that is not included are decorative tips that may be installed on the ends of the earphone speaker housings. They are available in a variety of designs and materials, including precious metals. Prices vary depending on the design and material used. Cap materials include platinum starting at $7,500, 14k gold at $2,500, gold plated at $250 and HD acrylic for $40 or $20 when purchased with the headphones. I think a great additional feature would be a magnetic clasp or a way to keep the earphones from rocking when they are not in your ears.
Operation
As mentioned earlier the first thing you may notice is that the power lamp indicates the remaining charge. If you discover that there is relatively little charge left, don’t despair; the earphones will provide over two hours of audio playback with only a 15 minute charge. The second thing you may notice is that the Forza does not announce the power, pairing, and connection status in one or any number of languages. Instead, it broadcasts a set of tones. While this design preserves the international appeal of the unit it also feels like at times you’re communicating with R2-D2. The earphones will also play several short beeps if the signal is lost and several longer beeps if the battery is low.
The Bluetooth paring is quick, easy, and no pass code was required (if it is requested the pass code is “0000”. The earphones will pair and connect to two devices at the same time. In order to switch devices just pause the audio stream on one device and start it on the other. If this doesn’t work then connecting/disconnecting the device may be necessary.
I noticed that my initial guess as to which ear tip I should use was a size too small and resulted in sub-optimal bass. The next size up fixed the problem but this is a good warning that you should try a couple of sizes of tips to ensure the best fit and bass response.
A full charge took 1:16 and lasted for more than a day of use.
One unique feature of the Forza is that incoming calls to the connected audio device will cause the neckband to vibrate. The vibration feature is useful if you wearing the Forza and connected to a phone but do not the earphones in your ears. The vibration also works when the headphones turn on and when they go to standby.
Performance
Before getting into the audio I need to explain how comfortable these earphones are. They are very lightweight and are barely noticeable when being worn. In my experience, the wires to the earphones don’t quite hang as freely as they do on the model below but maybe over time, the cord will straighten out.
I’ve gone on several runs with this and have never had a problem with the neckband slipping off or the earphones becoming sweat-logged.
I have noticed one or twice that the neckband will slip off my shirt, but this only happened if I was rocking in my chair or if the neckband got pushed back by my shirt collar.
The audio out of these is just stunning. I’m surprised such small drivers can deliver such amazing sound. From a purely technical standpoint, my 40+ year old ears could hear from about 19Hz to 1,4260Hz using http://onlinetonegenerator.com/. I have very little doubt about the technical capabilities of these drivers since they are the same ones used in the certified Hi-Res Forza Metallo wired earphones. Also, once the correct ear tips are installed there is a significant level of passive noise reduction.
I wanted to test the sound using a variety of genres and soundscapes. My first test track is Fantasy by The xx. The pure base tones (in the high 40Hz range) come through strong and without distortion. I also listened to How Low by Ludacris which has some 32Hz tones that come through well amplified. Listening to each of these songs is enjoyable and the bass is delivered just fine on each. However, these headphones are Hi-Res (even if they aren’t certified as such) so they have a relatively flat response profile. Adjusting the bass on the playing device can bring these close to Powerbeats but they are not the same type of headphone. If you really like overpowering bass then Powerbeats are for you but if you want to hear the bass and everything else in a song then the Forza is a great selection.
I wanted to hear how the subtly of an upright bass is delivered by the speakers so I listened to Bahia by John Coltrane. The earphones captured the tone of all the instruments beautifully. This song is also good to test the soundstage of the earphones. It is easy to imagine yourself surrounded by a piano, a sax, a bass and a drum from left to right. Another great song to appreciate the soundstage is There’s No Underwear in Space by The Claypool Lennon Delirium. In this song, you can hear the eechoesof drum and bass against the other sounds in this ominous sounding recording. It sounds like Les is using a bow on his bass on this and he gets some amazing sounds out of it; thanks to these earphones you can hear it all in amazing clarity.
The song La femme d’argent by Air is full of lush and vibrant sounds and the earphones do a great job at reproducing the swirling electronic sounds and hypnotizing melody. If you close your eyes you can really loose yourself to the music and not know where you are!
The recently recorded French Suites by Bach played by Murry Perahia is an excellent recording and shows how versatile the earphones are. It’s easy to enjoy the classical piano of this recording right after playing the above song by Ludacris, and they both sound great.
One more recording is the one I made myself.
I recorded this audio on my computer. Compared to the audio made by the Dell Realtek Audio, which was not set up for adaptive noise reduction, the recording by the Forza Metallo sounds a bit more muffled, but clear and free of the background noise that was being (purposely) made by one of my children. The incoming call quality is as good as I’ve heard on any wireless earphone set.
Conclusion
The Forza Metallo Wireless earphones are a great sounding set of wireless earphones that rival the sound produced by many wired earphones. They are comfortable to wear and quick to charge. They are a little expensive at $170, but not out of the range that competitive devices are priced at. They also come with a 1 year warranty and a lifetime 50% discount on comparative products from the V-MODA product line if your own Forza Metallo Wireless is damaged beyond repair. The style, design, and features make these great earphones and I fully endorse them.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by V-MODA. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to check prices / order.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
Genius or total overkill? We can’t decide. The Sphere from Motorola is a spherical speaker that does double duty as a headphone stand. More specifically, it comes with a pair of wireless headphones that are designed to snap right into it when not in use. This is 2-in-1 at its finest, or so Motorola says.
The speaker itself is a wireless Bluetooth speaker that packs in two 8W speakers and a convenient AUX jack for when you don’t want to cut the chord. The headphones are also wireless and tout an impressive battery life of 22 hours. They also offer in noise reduction and echo cancellation.
At IFA, Motorola’s representatives told us that the Sphere will retail for 149 Euro, which seems pretty reasonable considering that you’re getting 2 for 1. Aside from a choice of white or black, it seems like there will be special “designer” versions of the Sphere covered in skulls, the Earth and other fantastical artwork and photos. Why? Because they can.
We have no word on availability yet or if the Sphere will come to the U.S. You can read more at www.motospheremax.com
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
And this is the major failing of the Canviis Pro, Fiil is trying to do too many things at once with the unit and, as a result, none of them are executed effectively. The features that do work well, are incredibly useful. I’ll go through the features and their effectiveness in my testing.
Consumers’ personal preference and manufacturers’ desire to offer differentiated products has lead to an assortment of earphone styles: earbuds, in-ear headphones, in-ear-canal headphones, etc. If the different ways earphones are connected to the audio source or supported by the body are considered then the list stacks multiplicatively. So when V-MODA recently announced the Forza Metallo Wireless as the world’s first ergonomic neckband headphones I was intrigued. Val Kolton, V‑MODA CEO and I have similar opinions about other in-ear wireless headphone designs; he says, “They either look like unsightly massive ‘plastic space ring around the collars’, Frankenstein bolts that will not stay in your ears or separate earbuds that are quickly lost, have reception issues and need a dongle or case.” So what makes the Forza Metallo Wireless different? Read on to see what I think!
The earphones are labeled “L” and “R” on the base, but my guess is that this is just an artifact from the Forza Metallo wired design. The precision used in manufacturing these is demonstrated by the minuscule port on the rear of the earphone can.
