Bluetooth headphones have come a long way in the last few years. With the transmitter requiring just a small trickle of energy, power cells have been whittled down to unnoticeable sizes. Wires are out, all-day battery life is in, and the lightweight DRIIFTER headphones by FIIL are a solid, great-sounding combination of both.

What is it?

The phonetically-creative FIIL DRIIFTER is a lightweight behind the neck set of headphones designed for all-day wear without becoming a hindrance. The earbuds feature magnets that clasp together on your chest when they are not being used, forming a sort of lanyard approach. The feel nearly identical to the BeatsX earbuds I reviewed last year, so much so that one could easily confuse the two at first glance.

Hardware specs

• Extremely lightweight
• Extended-range Bluetooth technology
• Sweat, dust and water resistant for any weather or sport
• KINETIIC Tangle-free necklace mode with a start-stop feature
• Multi-device pairing
• Full-function cable and wireless voice call technology
• Up to 11 hours continuous listening between charges

What’s in the box?

• DRIIFTER headphones
• Micro-USB charging cable
• 3 sizes of earbuds

Design and Features

When I opened up the DRIIFTER headphones, the similarities to the BeatsX headphones that I use at work every day were staggering. They rest behind your neck like a lanyard, have magnetic clasps on the earbuds that form a closed loop, and even have a volume control and call answer button on one cord.

I don’t want to make this entire review about how these two headphones differ, but just for those keeping score, the DRIIFTER is charged by micro USB, while the BeatsX have a Lightning port, and the BeatsX are connected via Apple’s W1 Bluetooth chip instead of Bluetooth 4. What’s the difference? Not a whole lot. It comes down to what sort of cables you have on hand, and most people, it seems, have both lying around, unless you’re staunchly in the Android camp.

That aside, I really like the design of the DRIIFTER. The weight is light enough to forget about. They stay out of the way and deliver long-lasting power. And they look fairly unassuming and wouldn’t call them flashy or attention-grabbing, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

Setup

Charging the headphones is quick and easy… you just plug in the USB micro adapter into the slot and let it do its thing for a few hours. The red LED goes off when it’s fully charged. And if you’ve ever set up a Bluetooth device, you know what you’re in for. A simple long-press puts the headphones into pairing mode and they show up on the Bluetooth sync screen. A quick tap and you’re all set.

Performance

The sound quality and volume that I was able to get out of these headphones were exceptional. I think they had a clearer sound than my BeatsX, the only other headphones I had to compare them with. It’s not like Beats are the end-all of portable audio, but I was impressed that the DRIIFTER buds could punch in their weight class.

I had a bit of difficulty getting a good seal with the largest earbud size, but that’s the sort of thing that will vary widely between users. There are three earbud sizes, so one of them will likely fit. You will need a good seal, though, as in-ear headphones rely on that for the best sound, using the natural acoustics in your ears and head.

They’re perfectly suited for the office or the gym, though I would caution against using them in a situation where you need to be audibly aware of your surrounding, like biking in city traffic. They really do block a lot of outside sounds.

One small bug I ran across was the play/pause button didn’t seem to work when using it with several music apps on both my computer and my phone. I can’t say I ever got it to actually stop or start any music, so perhaps that button is more reserved for picking up a phone call, which does work. The attached mic seems fine for voice calls.

What I like

• Lightweight and comfortable
• Magnetic clasps
• Sounds great for the price range

What needs to be improved

• Play/Pause button didn’t seem to work with all music apps
• There are a lot of options out there for less expensive, similar headphones

Final thoughts

Outside of having great sound quality and a long-lasting battery, the DRIIFTER is about as basic as they come. They’re good. Yes. However, a quick Amazon search for Bluetooth headphones presents a mile-long list of less expensive options that look very similar on paper.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: You can buy the DRIIFTER in black or matte red by ordering on their website or Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by FIIL. Visit their website for more information.

We get a lot of headphones here at the Gadgeteer. Various ones of us prefer different styles – some want to have sweat-proof workout units, some want minimalist buds with no cables, some prefer on-ear or in-ear wired units. I prefer over-the-ear wireless headphones. If they have noise canceling, well, that’s just icing on the cake. The latest pair I’ve been sent is from Tsumbay, and they are wireless, over-the-ear, and noise-canceling. Let’s see how they fared.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

Here’s the info from the website:

Description:
Quiet the Noisy World
Get tired of the whir of the plane wings? The drone of a lawn mower? Or the city traffic? Advanced noise reduction technology significantly reduces noise. Let you focused more on what matters.

Wear It for All Day Long
Kindle Paperwhite weight, adjustable headband, soft earmuffs and over-ear cups. No pressure on your ears or head. Designed for comfortable wearing for all day long.

No Need to Worry about Battery
23-30 hours playtime in Bluetooth mode left countless similar product behind. When battery is dead, go on enjoying music with provided 3.5mm audio cable.

Impressive Audio Quality
Reduce noise and won’t damage the immersive Hi-Fi sound at the same time. 40mm large-aperture drivers for robust, balanced and crystal-clear sound.

Universal Compatibility
Optional Bluetooth and AUX-IN mode. Compatible with Anroid, iOS operating system, iPhone, iPad, Samgsung, Blackberry, Nexus, Smartphone, Computer, PC, Notebook, MP4, MP3 and more.

Worry-Free Warranty
we believe in our products. That’s why we back them all with an 18-month warranty and provide friendly, easy-to-reach support.

*Playtime varies according to volume level and audio content.

Design and features

The headphones appear on first glance to be high-quality, with faux-leather earcups and headband cover. Stitching is even and hidden, all screws are counter-sunk so that everything feels very smooth. The metal and plastic areas have a slight nappy, satiny texture. It’s not something added on or scratchable, it’s just the surface.

Inside the earcups, the speaker grille has the channel printed in grey in a single large letter. It’s very easy to get the proper earcup on the correct ear. The deep foam inside the cushions seals out room noise, so you’re alone with your sound. If that doesn’t help, there is active noise cancellation.

Everything is accessible to your thumb or index finger on the left earcup: Power on/off, Noise canceling on/off, volume down/up. At the very bottom of that side, there is an AUX input, for older devices that have these ports and no Bluetooth. (Casts a glance at Apple, Google, and others who eschew AUX ports on recent devices) On the right earcup, there is a power port (microUSB) for charging.

Tsumbay allows the listener the privilege of listening to both wired and wireless sources at the same time, which I find myself doing a good bit while watching a video on iPad and working on my computer. I’ve also used this for working on the computer (getting sound feedback) and talking on the phone as well. The unit also works while being charged.

Noise-canceling worked fairly well. There is a fair bit of attenuation in the earphones, where random touches to the device are heard inside the sound space. When noise canceling was on, it was less noticeable, but it was very evident otherwise.

While I was writing this review, the soundtrack for Stranger Things 2 was released on Spotify. I pulled it up and listened to much of it. The analog synth pads and melodies are a great mind salve while writing. With the noise-canceling, you can feel like you’re floating through space. (I’ve not watched the show, but someone in my Twitter feed said it was good for working with, so thought I’d try it. If I knew the story, it might bring up different responses.) Frequency response on this and other music was very acceptable, but I don’t think thumping bass would be as full through here.

What I Like

• Over-ear comfort
• One-hand control of all sound
• Wired or wireless use
• noise-canceling covers environmental noise

What needs to be improved

• Some attenuation when not using noise-cancelation
• Playback not as crisp as other units in price range

Final thoughts

When I listened while moving around a lot, the attenuation was really noticeable, so I had noise-canceling on most of the time. This makes all the environmental noises fade out, but brings in non-repetitive noises. When working, I’ve had several instances where someone would have to tap my arm or shoulder, because they were trying to speak to me. If you’re wanting to be quite alone in your personal soundscape and you’re not moving about a lot, these cans may be a good bet for you.

Price: $25.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tsumbay. Please visit their site for more info.