REVIEW – Noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones are a great investment for this time of year. If you’re traveling, you’re probably needing the soothing envelope of your own sounds, whether it’s a podcast, an audiobook, music, or something calming like a neutral soundscape. Corded is fine, but if it’s wireless, so much the better. Cowin recently sent us a set of their E8 model Over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones, and I’ve been testing them. Come into my quiet place and let’s talk about them.

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

What is it?

The Cowin E8’s are a very nice looking, well-built set of over-the-ear headphones. They arrive in a hardshell, form-fitting protective zippered case with all the cords, cables, and adapters you can imagine.

Hardware specs

• Impact-resistant materials
• Corrosion-resistant stainless steel headband spring
• Premium listening experience with Adaptive Noise Cancelling (ANC)
• 18 Month Warranty
• Cushions feature advanced venting and ergonomic pivoting
• Advanced mic system with HD Voice on calls

What’s in the box?

• Headphones
• Hard-shell travel case with net pocket for accessories
• USB charge cable for battery
• 1/8″ – 1/4″ adapter
• Proprietary audio cable to connect to AUX
• Airline audio adapter
• Velveteen drawstring bag for above adapters

Design and features

The Cowin E8’s are a premium-look and feel in the NC Headphone space. Leather earcups, nicely stitched headband and padding around the earcups, and a soft, springy mesh over the actual speakers inside, as well as firm, sure switches make every touch a positive experience. There is no creak, squeak, or groan when you bend and adjust the unit to your head. The wide steel band that slides into and out of the headband for adjustment is etched to give you a place to reset to, should you share them, or pack them away and the adjustment gets changed.

Like most over-the-ear headphones, the E-8’s fully cover your ears and seal against your head. This prevents much background noise from permeating your soundscape. But sometimes, say, in my office right now, there may be a machine running that is distracting. Like, say, a dehumidifier. Turning on noise-cancellation reduces this noise from a low roar to a slight whoosh. A tiny bit of background music or sounds will remove it entirely.

All controls for the Noise cancellation and the Bluetooth connection, as well as phone and playback controls, are on the right earcup. The top brass round button engages or disengages the noise-cancellation, while the power button turns the Bluetooth radio on or off with a long-press. A short press of the power button while connected will stop or start music playback, or connect/disconnect a call. At the very bottom below the buttons, there is an open microUSB charging port, and the 3/32″ proprietary audio input jack.

Performance

The headphones work well to isolate unwanted sounds from the environment without using noise cancellation technology. If there are really loud or irritating sounds, turning on noise-cancellation will produce an anti-wave to cancel it out. Plane engines, loud machinery, or other loud, repetitive noises will simply disappear.

What I Like

• Nicely padded ear cups with sound-isolating properties
• Comfortable band and adjustments
• Nice travel case with a net pocket for cables
• Easy to find and use controls
• Rechargeable battery for Noise Cancelling feature

What needs to be improved

• Small, non-standard AUX cable for headphones (difficult to replace)
• Not stereo when using cable
• Battery has short shelf-charge life

Final thoughts

I love over-the-ear headphones. Whenever I’m sitting at my Mac, I’m usually wearing a set, since others in the house are rarely in the mood for whatever sounds and music are coming from my virtual environment. The other reason I love them is the immersion you get from being fully surrounded by the soundscape of whatever you’re listening to. The E8s from Cowin are a well-made set of headphones that have a decent sound profile but are hampered by a few little electronics issues. First, they went with a cheaper 3/32” connector into the headphone for the wired connection. Why? The 1/8” jack cannot possibly be that much larger. and you know what? As a result, when operating with the noise cancellation and only the wired headphone, only the right side gets sound. How special is that?

The battery only lasts a few days when not being used or charged. Before you leave for a trip where you’re expecting to use this, make sure you have it freshly charged.

Price: $149.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Cowin

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Headphones

Cowin E8 over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 31, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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.

REVIEW – When I was given the chance to review Focal’s new Elegia headphone, my first thought was to compare it to the slightly more expensive Elear headphone I reviewed earlier this year. The reason was simple: The Elegia is a closed-back design—good for personal listening in public places. The open-back Elear is best for private listening while alone, since those around you will be able to hear your music. The price difference was $100 between them and I thought it would make a fair comparison. I’m not so sure anymore.

What is it?

The Elegia is the latest in a line of uber-expensive headphones from French audio company Focal. It’s their first high-end closed-back design.

Specs

• Type: Circum-aural (around the ear) closed back headphones
• Impedance: 35 Ohms
• Frequency response: 5 Hz-23 kHz
• Speaker driver: 1.57″ ‘M’-shape Aluminium/ Magnesium dome
• Weight: 0.95 lbs
• Cable provided: 3.94 feet asymmetric cable (3.5 mm TRS jack).
• Stereo jack adapter: .25″
• Hard-shell carry case: 10″ x 9″ x 5″ (250 x 240 x 120 mm)

Design and features

When Focal entered the headphone market, they started with affordable (for them) models that sounded great and appealed to different tastes. However, subsequent headphones have moved up in both build and audio quality with prices to match. For instance, Focal’s Utopia headphone sells for an eye-watering $4,000! The Elegia is $900, so it’s affordable—all things being relative.

So what does a $900 headphone get you that a $200 headphone won’t? Let’s see, a more solid build, premium materials, handmade (in France), better audio (more on this later) and the Focal name. If you’re unfamiliar with Focal, go online and look at their unique home speakers. $120,000/pair—yes, you read that right.

The Elegia headphone features extremely comfortable leather-wrapped microfiber headband and soft suede-like microfiber ear cups. Despite being a bit hefty in weight, they can be worn for a few hours with no issues. The headphone is built on an aluminum frame that feels solid. One caveat is the ear cups are plastic—although I could not detect any squeaks or loose-fitting parts. 

The ear cups feature what Focal calls an “M”-shape inverted dome speaker design. This speaker is angled towards the ear as opposed to being flat on the head as are most headphones. It’s like room speakers being in front of you instead of being positioned at your left and right sides. This approach provides a more realistic soundstage. It’s a subtle, but noticeable effect.

Elegia’s cloth-wrapped cable is thick and splits apart with a mini plug connector for each ear cup. Because the Elegia can be used for commuting, Focal chose to include a mini plug as the main audio connector instead of the larger .25″ plug found on the Elear. Even with this welcome revision, I would be forever nervous about wearing such expensive headphones on a commuter train or subway. The included zippered case is quite nice and with a formed interior and rich-looking cloth exterior. Note that the Elegia headphones do not fold, so the case is a bit large to easily fit inside a crowded backpack.  

However, if you do choose to the Elegia headphones for either commuting or office, you will be rewarded with accurate, yet friendly-sounding music, no matter the genre. When I say friendly, that means that listening is fun. Some headphones are so accurate that music becomes more about how it sounds rather than how it feels. The Elegia headphones allow you to get involved in the music. The Elegia is also easy to drive at only 35 Ohms, making it work great straight from an iPhone—external amp not necessary.

From its sinister howling to artificially filtered narration intro, you just knew that David Bowie’s 1974 classic “Diamond Dogs” would not be like anything else released in the heady 70s. This dystopian album featured Rolling Stone’s-styled guitar overlaid on a funky beat. The album becomes less harsh (the recording quality is not that great) and—dare I say—pleasant when heard on the Elegia headphones. On other headphones, the horns used can border on harsh, but not here. Bass is a bit lacking, but again, it’s the recording and not the headphones.

Even the live recording of Neil Young performing “Cinnamon Girl” on “Weld” becomes pleasurable with these headphones. The sheer power of this song comes through loud and nasty-sounding complete with all kinds of distortion from a towering wall of amplifiers. Soundstage is non-existent on this recording, but who cares? Just crank it up and the Elegia headphones will transport you to the front row.

The beauty of Johann Strauss’ “The Blue Danube” from the “2001-A Space Odyssey” soundtrack is reproduced with exceptional clarity. The Elegia headphones are able to capture the piece’s wide dynamic range combined with the orchestra’a emotion-filled playing and reproduce it to perfection. I could listen to this over and over.

Despite how enamored I am with the Elegia headphones, here is where I have misgivings. First, I just think open-backed headphones—such as the Focal Elear—sound more real with their enhanced soundstage and spacial quaity than a closed-back ever can. I understand that the open-backed approach sometimes is not appropriate, but if I had $900 to spend on headphones, I would choose the Elear, pocket the difference and use it to purchase a cheap pair of headphones for commuting. Plus there is another good reason to consider the Elear over the Elegia. The Elear has been marked down from $1000 to $700, which leads me to believe it’s either being discontinued or replaced with another model. Time will tell, but that kind of price drop can’t be ignored. 

Understand that audio products are subject to the law of diminishing returns—meaning that the higher the price, the smaller the improvements. So the difference between $50 and $250 headphones is much greater than the difference between $250 and $500 headphones. However, the $200 difference between the $900 Elegia and $700 Elear crack—if not break—this law.

What I like

 The Elegia is one of the best sounding headphones available—at $900, they had better be.

What needs to be improved

Nothing to note.

Final Thoughts

Since the Elegia and Elear were so close in price, it appeared that the only difference was that one was open and the other closed. If you have the money and want a more personal experience, you can’t go wrong with the Elegia headphone. However, if you want the most from your headphone, don’t need to block out background noise and don’t mind saving $200, I recommend trying out the Elear instead. Having said that, I’m going to miss the Elegia headphone (and the Elear sent for comparison) when they are returned to Focal.

Note: Since the Elear’s price dropped from $1000 to $700, it leads me to believe it’s either being discontinued or replaced with another model. Time will tell.

Price: $899 US
Where to buy:  Amazon
Source: The samples for this product were provided by Focal.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Headphones

Focal Elegia Headphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 26, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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.

REVIEW – In the world of earphones, there is one constant that ties them all together, and it’s this: there is no constant. It may sound contradictory, but hear me out. I have reviewed earphones that are made with dynamic speakers, armature speakers—and hybrids that utilize both speaker designs. These earphones have ranged from a single speaker to six speakers per ear. And the one (non)constant has been that price has never been dependent on the number of speakers an earphone has. Case in point: the new RevoNext QT3 quad driver hybrid in-ear headphones have four speakers—two dynamic and two armature speakers per ear. For $70. That’s 70, not 700! Despite this ridiculously low price, are they worth it?

What is it?

The RevoNext QT3 quad driver hybrid in-ear headphones are an aluminum over-the-ear, quad driver earphone with removable cord. Over-the-ear means that the cord goes up and behind the ear—much like the earphones that stage musicians wear. The earphones are universally-sized as opposed to a custom molded earphone. The hybrid speakers are both dynamic (best for bass) and armature (more accurate) designs. Theoretically, this hybrid approach results in a more rounded, best-of-both-worlds earphone, but the reality is more blurred than that.

Specs

• Type: In-Ear
• Connectivity: Wired
• Cable Length: 49 in.
• Sensitivity: 105dB
• Impedance: 15Ω
• Frequency Range: 7Hz-40KHz
• Plug Type: 3.5mm
• Pin Type: 0.78mm
• Weight: 25g

Design and features

The QT3 earphones are encased in an aluminum shell, which is almost unheard of in this price range. Not only that, but they are built quite strong. When holding them, you would never guess the price was so low. The parts fit together almost seamlessly. The 49 in. cable is more than long enough for almost any use. The removable cable uses a standard 2 pin connector that easily separates, but is a bit fragile. RevoNext is said to be working on a Bluetooth adapter that will use the same 2 pin connector allowing the QT3 earphones to easily switch to wireless mode. That will be interesting to see. The cable has a standard 3.5 mm mini plug connector, so using the QT3 with a newer iPhone will require the infamous Apple dongle. A cable with its own lightning connector would have been a nice option.

Each earphone is clearly marked L and R for quick insertion. Since they are over ear, getting them properly inserted is a bit more tricky than regular earphones, but only until you get used to it. Three sizes of silicone ear tips are included.

Comfort with the QT3 earphones is good, not great. While they never became painful when wearing for an extended period of time, I always knew they were there. Note that it’s almost impossible to get a perfect fit with over ear earphones that are universally sized. Ears are just too different. The QT3s are available in matte black, space gray and red. I was sent the space gray to review, but given a choice, I would have chosen red, because … red.

As I said before, the quad speakers are hybrid—in this case, two balanced armatures, one dynamic bass driver and one dynamic sub-bass driver. Bass is more accurate than you would expect, given that two bass drivers should make the QT3s a bass monster. My first impression of these earphones was that they were weak on bass, but the more I listened, the more they opened up. The treble comes off as a bit too bright on certain songs. The QT3 earphones are not as forgiving as some other earphones I’ve heard, but those were way more expensive.

So how do the RevoNext QT3 earphones sound? 

I was sampling Elton John’s classic “Madman Across the Water” album and enjoyed how the QT3 earphones were able to exhibit detail. Yes, there were parts that were too bright, but older recordings can be guilty of that. The title song had none of this and was totally pleasant to listen to.

Emmy Lou Harris’ poignant “Red Dirt Girl” is another example of some too-bright spots. While the album leans towards bass, her voice comes across as hot and gritty. I was able to fix this by adjusting the EQ, which I’m usually not a fan of doing. However, it worked magic with this song.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) have some serious bass on many of their songs. “Metroland” has a potent bottom end that you can hear (but not feel) with the QT3 earphones. Once again, changing the EQ did the trick and brought down the treble to a smoother level.

What I like

The RevoNext QT3 earphones are kinda amazing. Their build quality is as good or better than many earphones I’ve reviewed regardless of price.

What needs to be improved

Treble is the QT3s weak spot. I skipped over some songs simply because they were to brittle sounding.

Final Thoughts

Okay, I’ve heard better single, dual, triple and quad driver earphones before. But never at—or even close—to this price. Seventy bucks is a steal for earphones of this quality. If RevoNext can smooth out the QT3’s too-bright tendencies, then they could easily compete head-to-head with any quad-speaker earphone costing much more.

Price: $70 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by RevoNext.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Headphones

RevoNext QT3 quad driver hybrid in-ear headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 12, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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.