Earlier this year Apple introduced the world to their AirPods. Admittedly, I was intrigued by the idea of wireless Bluetooth earbuds; however, as an Android loyalist, I assumed it wasn’t meant to be.

Fortunately, SmartOmi offers a similar product that’s compatible with Android. The SmartOmi’s Q5s are completely wireless, Bluetooth 4.1 earbuds. I was recently given the chance to take them for a test run.

In the box

• SmartOmi Q5 wireless earbuds
• 5 various sized eartips
• Universal 2 in 1 combo USB cable
• Travel pouch
• Manual

Specifications

• Dimensions –  4.5 x 1.9 x 3.7 inches
• Weight -0.2 ounces
• Bluetooth 4.1

Design

The Q5s are very small earbuds, about the size of a quarter.

The outside facing portion of the earbuds have a multi-function button and a notification LED; while the interior of the earbuds contain the micro USB charging port.

The opposite side of the earbuds have the speaker where you place the eartips. The Q5 comes with five different sized eartips.

All in all, it’s a very simple design; it’s basically every wired Bluetooth headset I’ve ever owned, sans wires.

Performance

Like all Bluetooth headsets, the Q5 has to be paired with your smartphone. As wireless earbuds, the Q5s pairing process is slightly different than most; instead of pressing one button, you simultaneously press the multi-function on both earbuds until the notification LED is purple. Next, you open the Bluetooth menu on your phone and select “SmartOmi Q5” from the available devices.

Once the earbuds are paired, and each time you power them up, you should hear “left channel” and “right channel” in the respective earbuds, indicating both are paired properly.

Once paired, the Q5s function in much the same way any Bluetooth headphones/earbuds would. The multi-function button answers/ends calls and pauses/plays music; although, you can’t control volume or skip tracks from the earbuds.

I primarily tested the Q5s while mowing my lawn and using an exercise bike at the gym. For the most part, I found the sound quality was good; however, one time while at the gym the right earbud kept cutting out. It wasn’t once or twice either; it happened over a dozen times in a matter of minutes. I’m not sure what the cause of the problem was and I haven’t been able to replicate the issue, but it was incredibly annoying.

Accessories

The Q5s come with two very important accessories for wireless earbuds.

First – and perhaps more important – a travel pouch is included.

I am 100% going to lose at least one earbud sometime in the near future. I haven’t owned a pair of Bluetooth headphones that I haven’t misplaced at one time or another. At least with a travel pouch, I’ll be able to minimize the number of times I lose them.

The second included accessory is a bifurcated micro USB charging cable.

The one downside of wireless earbuds is they each have to be charged separately. Thankfully, you don’t have to take up two USB ports charging the Q5s. This wasn’t an issue I had even considered prior to testing the earbuds, but it’s one I’m glad SmartOmi had to foresight to avoid.

Conclusion

The Q5s were the first wireless earbuds I’ve ever tested. I can definitely say it’s nice to use headphones and not have a cord constantly tickling my neck.

Overall, sound quality was good; although, I wish I knew why I was having connection issues at the gym. Additionally, I wish I could skip tracks and adjust volume from the earbuds, but I suppose you have to assume sacrifices are a must when going wireless.

The inclusion of the travel pouch and dual charging cord is an added plus to an overall great product.

At $39.99, the Q5s are a very affordable product and one I have no issue recommending.

The sample for this review was provided by SmartOmi. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

SmartOmi Q5 wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 16, 2017 at 4:11 pm.

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While “wireless headphones” have been around for a while, “true wireless headphones” are a relatively new concept in headphone technology. The ear pods sit independently in each ear. No wires. No nothin’! I’ve reviewed wireless headphones before, but the TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless Earbuds are the first I have tried in the category. Let’s go see how they do!

Packaging, storage, and charging

When you crack open the box on the TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless Earbuds, you’ll find yourself facing a black storage case that’s roughly the size of a hockey puck at 3” in diameter and 7/8” deep. Multiple sized silicone earbud tips (S/M/L), a pair of memory foam tips, and a USB to Micro-USB cable complete the package out of the box.

Rotate the top half of the puck clockwise, and you’ll expose a panel that includes the Micro USB port for charging the base, and a standard USB port for charging other devices. Four blue LEDs on the top of the panel indicate charge levels on the base. The base itself takes about 3 hours to charge to full capacity, at which point it will provide up to 60 hours of earbud operation without an additional charge.

Rotate the top half of the puck counterclockwise to expose the earbud dock. A pair of magnetic ports keeps your buds secured in place when not in use. Each earbud had a red LED light that lets you know when they are charging in the dock and will go out when they are fully charged. It takes about an hour to charge the earbuds when completely drained. The buds will charge while you are charging other devices on the USB port, or while the base unit is charging, or both.

The case itself is quite rugged, keeping your buds thoroughly protected while knocking around in your pocket or bag. When combined with the additional on-the-go charging features, it makes for a great base package for the system.

Setting up for use

The TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless earbuds are tiny and bullet-shaped with a single multifunction button on the tip of each earbud, and that’s all there is to it. As you can see from the photos below, they are tiny!

You turn the earbuds on or off by pressing and holding each button for three seconds. They will also turn off automatically if placed in the storage cradle, which is a nice feature for both convenience and conserving power. As you power the earbuds up, a series of spoken audio cues let you know the status (“Power on!” “Connected!” “Power off!”). They will also tell you which bud is which (“Left Channel!” “Right Channel!) so you know that you have them in the proper ears. Each earbud is also marked, but the extra audio cue is nice.

The earbuds are connected to each other by default, with the left earbud serving as the master unit. Bluetooth Pairing is easy. Go to your Bluetooth settings and connect to the “NOVA” device. The earbuds will tell you that you’re connected with the words “Pairing successful. Connected!” The buds will automatically connect to the last paired device, but you can switch between devices using the Bluetooth controls on each device.

Once you are connected, the multifunction button on each earbud has some very basic control features. Press either button once to pause or play a track queued up on your device. You can take calls while wearing the earbuds by pressing either button once when your phone rings. Double-pressing either button will redial the last number you called. Any other phone functions (opening your music or podcast app, selecting tracks, starting a playlist, dialing someone from your contact list, volume control, etc.) are all activated from your device.

I do like that TRNDlabs is keeping it simple with the NOVA True Wireless Earbuds. There’s only so much additional functionality you can pack into a tiny pair of earbuds without really making the usability too complex for normal operation. While the on-board functions are limited here, the controls and audio queues are intuitive and easy to learn.

Bring the noise!

Sound quality on the TRNDlabs is quite good. Audio is crisp and clear, and offers nice volume range. Since the buds sit deeper in your ear, you’ve also got quite a bit of ambient noise suppression. The bass levels are not particularly deep, which I would expect from tiny little buds like this. I’ve also noticed that the sound quality is directly impacted by how deep you have inserted them in your ear. 

As I expected, phone call quality is a mixed bag as a result of the design. Incoming audio is crisp and clear, but the positioning of the microphone in the earbud makes for muffled audio going out. I’ve had several people comment that can be difficult to hear me, especially if I am speaking in a low voice in a crowded area. I’ve also noted that incoming call audio only plays in the master bud in my left ear. It’s a trade-off that’s unavoidable in this sort of design, but something you should consider if you’re used to making frequent calls.

Overall, connectivity is quite good. The TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless Earbuds use Bluetooth 4.1 technology with a range of about 30 feet. I tend to keep my iPhone in my bag or pocket and have noticed no issues with connectivity.

Running about and working out

I’ll admit that the bullet-style earbuds take some getting used to, as there is nothing to anchor the bud in your ears other than the nibs. Once I found the right sized nibs, I found the TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless Earbuds to be quite comfortable. They are really light and don’t irritate during periods of extended use. I have experienced some issues with the right-hand bud sliding around or popping out, especially under strenuous conditions like a workout. In checking out other reviews online, this seems to be a problem for some people. It could be my tiny ears. I’m still experimenting with different sized nibs to get the right fit.

I’ve also experienced the occasional audio drop while working out, almost as if the audio is buffering or reconnecting. This may be the result of the activity, however… I’ve been sitting here playing these for two hours while writing this review and experienced no such issues. Other online reviews seem to collaborate this, but it’s not a significant issue for most of the reviewers I have checked out.

Overall, performance and operation of the TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless Headphones are really good. One of the drawbacks of many smaller earbuds is limited power capacity; with the portable charger/case TRNDlabs provides here, I never find myself with a dead pair of earphones. Simple controls make for easy and uncomplicated operation, which is a plus when you need to focus and just want to listen to music or podcasts while you’re up and about (or working out). Sound quality is very good, and connectivity has been consistently good during the several weeks I have had them.

Wireless… or true wireless?

Based on my research, there are some drawbacks to true wireless headphones in general. That extra cable gives you a place to hand an additional control pod for a microphone to improve call quality, as well as extra controls like volume adjustments. Wireless headphones also tend to have larger earbuds, which helps with secure fit and better speakers. You also don’t have problems with losing a tiny earbud if it pops out of your ear since it’s always connected to its partner by that cable or headset arrangement. Both wireless and true wireless headphones have the same issue with limited power supplies from what I have seen, so that’s not a big differentiator.

All that said, I find myself using TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless Earbuds more than my wired/wireless headphones. I tend to do more listening than talking while using my headphones, however, so I am OK with the trade-offs. I don’t find the sound quality to be an issue, and the ability to constantly charge the device when not in use is a big plus for me. They’re also much more comfortable in my opinion, without any bulky stuff hanging off my ears. Your needs may be different, however, and you should think about how you use your headphones on a regular basis before making the jump.

Conclusion and Pricing

After doing some research into pricing, I can tell you that these earbuds look like a pretty good value relative to their competition. Apple’s Earpods start at $160, and other higher-end competitors (such as Jabra and Samsung) start at $200+. The TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless Earbuds retail for just $79! Add in the simple controls, great sound, and the additional charging features and you have a great little package. Check them out at TRNDlabs web site or on Amazon for more information!

Source: The sample for this review was provided by TRNDlabs. For more info visit their site.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

TRNDlabs NOVA True Wireless Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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I find minimalistic running to be the best kind of running. Thankfully the days of the big, clunky, bright yellow Sony Sports Walkman are long behind us. We have come so far that headphone ports are even being phased out (like it or not), as are many types of cables and cords. I prefer running without wires or anything that weighs me down or jiggles around to distract me from pounding pavement, preferring truly wireless earbuds and music streaming from my smartwatch. In this case, Jaybird is joining the (quickly getting crowded) cordless earbud market, with their recently released RUN True Wireless Sport headphones. 

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

I have reviewed more than a few Jaybird Bluetooth earbuds over the years, all with decent, comfortable design and solid sound quality that continues to evolve and improve with each generation. The RUN True Wireless Sport headphones are Jaybird’s first completely cordless earbuds. Like previous Jaybird headsets, the RUN’s are noise-isolating earphones, designed to fit tightly/snugly in your ears blocking out a majority of the ambient sound.

The new RUN True wireless sport headphones feature all of the sport-centric features that you would expect from Jaybird, most importantly a sweat-proof/water-resistant minimalistic design. The RUN earbuds follow Jaybird’s familiar wing-tip design.

The earbuds are made of a black plastic with silver accents around the rim with Jaybird’s logo on the main face of each. The RUN’s have a double hydrophobic coating to prevent sweat or rain from killing them.

In the Box:

• Jaybird RUN True Wireless Sport Headphones
• Charging Case
• Round Silicone Ear Tips S/M
• Oval Silicone Ear Tips S/M
• Secure-Fit Ear Fins 1/2/3/4
• USB 2.0 Charging Cable
• Carry Pouch

The Jaybird earbud case is not only for storage, loss prevention, and safe transport but is designed to charge the RUN True Sport headphones as well. The case has a microUSB port in the back for connecting to power. There are three LED’s on the front of the case that glow on and off while charging and solid green when fully charged. The center LED shows the status of the case’s internal battery and the side ones show the individual headphones. The case itself is a bit “plasticy” and not the best quality. The latch mechanism occasionally failed, popping open in my bag or pocket activating the earbuds which unbeknownst to me connected to my smartphone.

The RUN earbuds are inserted into their respective spots within the case where the five inductive charging points make contact.

By themselves, the earbuds are rated for four hours of playback on a single charge. The carrying case provides an additional eight hours or two more charging cycles for a total of 12 hours of playback before the trio has to be recharged. While I do not spend hours at a time marathon training, the RUN’s never died on me during a workout. They easily made it through an hour on the elliptical machine or 4-mile run. But in a pinch, a 5-minute charge gives an hour of play time.

Connectivity:

You can use the right earbud by itself or the pair depending on how situationally aware of the outside world you need/want to be. The main face (where the Jaybird logo is) of each earbud has a programmable button that by default: plays/pauses music (right ear) and activates Siri or Google Assistant (left ear). But you can change that to volume controls via the smartphone app.

The right/main earbud connects to your smartphone and the left/slave earbud connects to the right. After a few connectivity issues, I came to find out the two earbuds do not use Near-Field Magnetic Induction (like other well-known wireless earbuds do) to communicate, just Bluetooth.  This is what I believe to be the cause of them having trouble staying connected and in sync with each other. We live out in the sticks where interference shouldn’t be an issue as compared to the big city. The connection problems come and go randomly (fixable by turning the buds off & on) but overall the earbuds work as advertised.

Comfort and fit:

For the most part, the RUN True earbuds are comfortable with a relatively secure, wiggle-free fit. Jaybird includes a multitude of tips and wings to ensure the earbuds fit your ear without feeling loose or ever having to worry about them falling out during an epic workout. I’ve have tried various combinations of wings and tips and found the medium for both stays in my ears best. That said, they sit in my ears pretty well while running stairs, on my elliptical machine, walking around etc. Though I do need to adjust and reseat them every now and then while on the treadmill or out for a run due to sweat and up & down motion while running.

Sound Quality:

With a solid, sealed fit…the overall sound quality of the RUN’s is very good.

Jaybird engineers the RUN True wireless earbuds to work hand in hand with their MySound app, available on both iOS and Android. As with previous Jaybird headphones, the app allows you to customise the equalizer balance of the RUN earbuds, tweaking the sound profile to your liking. The app includes a multitude of preprogrammed sound curves and the ability to create personalized ones of your own. It is easy; you simply use your finger to tweak the equalizer curve, dragging the bass, mid, and treble settings however you prefer. Whichever profile you select or create is saved directly to the earbuds and stays set until you change it.

The RUN True wireless earbuds worked well with all the devices I paired them with, this included: iOS, Android, Tizen, and macOS.

In addition to Jet (black), the RUN True wireless earbuds are also available in Drift (white).

As the Jaybird website touts, the RUN True wireless earbuds are designed and built by runners for runners and in theory, I agree. Their form factor is ideal for minimalistic running without anything to distract you from the Zen of pounding pavement. They are comfortable and well fitted, stay securely in your ears, and are hardened against sweat and rain. The only real issue I have with them is the intermittent connectivity problems that can hopefully be fixed with future firmware updates…though no guarantees.

Source:  The samples for this review were provided by Jaybird. Please visit their site for more information and visit Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Jaybird RUN True wireless sport headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 1, 2017 at 1:14 pm.

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Can you ever really have too many sets of earbuds?  Right, I didn’t think so.  I mean, you need some in your office, car, and all over the house.  What I don’t like about earbuds is that they are always falling out of your ears.  So the $24.99 QCY Wireless Sport Earphones intrigued me because of their over-the-ear design.  But would the sound quality pass muster, and would that cord not get in the way?  Let’s find out.

Before we get into the review, let’s look at the specs from the manufacturer:

Weight:  .5 oz

Speakers:  10mm speakers built-in (other buds mostly use 6mm or 8mm speakers) to deliver the Deep Bass as well as the accurate midrange and treble frequencies for real HD quality.

Battery:  90mAh lithium polymer battery can deliver you a max 8 hours at 50% volume. Standby up to 8 days, while only needing 1.5 to 2 hours to get a full charge.

Controls:  Built-in control buttons on the earbuds.

Warranty:  1-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty and 30 days no-questions-asked return policy.

Bluetooth 4.1

Included in the box:  QCY earphones, a USB power cable, and some extra tips for the earphones

What I liked

These earphones sound great!  In fact, I can’t listen to them on max volume because they are simply too loud.  They paired quickly with both my cell phone and my tablet.  The buttons on the earbuds are great and work really well.  I love not having to fumble to find the in-line controls that a lot of other earbuds have.  And the over-the-ear design is awesome.  These earphones have never fallen off, or even come close to falling off. Finally, the battery life is pretty much what QCY says.  I do use them a little louder than the recommended 50% level though, so I don’t quite get 8 hrs of use.  But I did test it at the 50% level and did get about 8 hrs.

What I didn’t like

They do function as a Bluetooth headset to answer your phone calls, but I wasn’t that impressed.  My wife told me that it sounded like I was in a tunnel, so the sound quality isn’t that great for phone calls.  But really, that is pretty much what I have experienced with other earbuds that are promoted as being able to answer calls.  Answering calls is really secondary to what they are made to do, which is listen to music. So I am not that worried about this feature.

I am disappointed that there wasn’t something in the package to help with storing the earphones.  The over-the-ear design is great for wearing, but they are a nightmare when you have to store these or transport them somewhere.  The cable gets tangled up in the earphones and I have yet to find a way to not spend 2 minutes untangling the cord.

I usually use the earphones with my cell phone when I am walking the dog.  And I have found that I need to hold my cellphone in my right hand when walking or I get skipping in my music.  I can’t put the phone in my left pocket or it just skips too much.  I imagine that if I had one of those straps on my arm to hold my phone it would be fine, but I don’t.  So that is kind of annoying.

Bottom line

I love these for the sound and ease of controlling the music with the buttons on the earbuds, and they are so light you already don’t know they are there.  And for the price of $24.99, it is hard to complain.  But I don’t like the struggle of keeping them untangled and the skipping when my phone is on the left side of my body.  So I only use them in certain situations when I don’t have to deal with the possibility of skipping, like sitting in my office or at home at my desk.  I can recommend these, as long as you can deal with the downsides.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by QCY. Please visit Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

QCY Wireless Sport Earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 27, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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With all the wireless headphones and earphones coming out, it really is becoming a wireless world—finally. However, what really excites me about the near future is the advent of what are known as True Wireless Earphones. You may be asking, “Aren’t all wireless earphones wireless?” Well, yes—and no. While wireless earphones are (usually) Bluetooth and not connected to your smartphone, they are connected to each other by—you guessed it—wires. Which brings us to the “True” kind of earphone. These little wonders are truly wireless. They are two separate earphones—one for each ear. As this market matures, the earphones are getting better, can do more and are becoming affordable. Case in point: the E’NOD Mini Ring wireless earphones.

The E’NOD Mini Ring (the name makes no sense) are petite earphones that fit easily into my ears. They’re a bit thick and protrude outside the ear, but not too much. Since they have a plastic shell, they’re light which helps keep them comfortable. There’s no included ear-lock, but they still stay in place for walking or exercising. Plus they are sweat proof and IPX4 water resistant due to a protective nano-coating. Keep in mind that they are not waterproof, so treat them with care.

The Mini Ring earphones are not what I would call a name-brand product—they look suspiciously just like the SmartOmi ACE Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds reviewed recently by our own Andy Jacobs. But the build quality is impressive. Everything fits and seams are smooth. They look and feel more expensive then their cost. There are three included silicone ear tips; small, medium and large. I would rename them tiny, small and medium. Maybe I have big ear holes, but the large-sized ear tip was not big enough to give me a good seal. And as I’ve said before, “No seal = no bass”—more on that later.

Pairing with my iPhone was easy as soon as I removed them from the box, but I had issues pairing with my iPad for this review. The earphones kept wanting to re-pair with the iPhone. The manual was no help at all (the manual had tiny text—I literally needed a magnifying glass to read it). I had to do some research online to find an answer. Once paired however, the pairing with my iPad remained in place. However, later when I tried to re-pair back to the iPhone, I continually had to disconnect and reconnect before the earphones would work properly. Often, only one earphone would pair and not the other. I ended up having to shut them off and retry which finally worked on the third try. It became very frustrating, but once re-paired they worked great. This won’t be an issue if you want to first connect to your smartphone and leave it that way. The Mini Ring earphones use Bluetooth 4.2, so they will work well with the latest devices.

Speaking of connecting, when you remove the Mini Rings from the case and put them in your ears, you will first hear prompts that the pair has connected to each other last/right channel (this happens before any Bluetooth pairing). When Bluetooth does pair, there are voice prompts for that, too. These prompts are quite helpful since there is nothing to see when they’re in your ear. There’s also a voice prompt when they’ve reached low battery power.

Each earphone has only one button. Pressing the button (left or right—it doesn’t matter which one) will pause music; twice to skip forward and three times to replay the previous song. Holding the left button for one second will pause music and set up for a phone call. If you receive a call, music will pause automatically until the call is terminated; then music will resume. A long press on either button will power the earphones off. It’s recommended to leave them in the charging case when not in use. The case will recharge the earphones 3 times before the case itself needs charging.

The Mini Ring earphones will play music for 2-3 hours between charging. That’s not a long time, but if they lasted longer, they would need to be larger and heavier or much more expensive, so compromises must be made. This situation should improve in the years ahead as battery technology progresses.

Call quality was iffy. I could easily hear the person I was talking with, but they said that I sounded distant, as if on a speaker phone. I had to talk a bit louder to be clearly heard, which I should not have had to do.

Musically, the Mini Ring earphones sound accurate, but as I said before, bass is weak at best due to the smaller ear tips. When I physically pressed the earphones deeper into my ears, the bass picked up immediately and sounded good (if a bit muffled)—until I let go. Actually, this is a good test that the problem is in the seals and not the earphone itself.

I sampled many songs and albums across a few decades of music to get a good sampling. Because of the bass issue, I discovered what works best are older songs such as classic rock, standards or even talk radio or sports. If you’re into hip-hop or bass heavy music, look elsewhere.

The E’NOD Mini Ring earphones belong in a category that hasn’t quite matured as much as I would like. They are well made, fun to use and sound good. If you plan on pairing them only once, aren’t a bass-head and will only use them to make an occasional phone call, then these earphones won’t let you down. But the pairing issues and lackluster call quality prevent me from giving them a full recommendation.

Source: The sample for this review were provided by E’NOD. The Mini Ring sells for $79.99 US. Please visit enodaudio.com for more info and Amazon to order

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

E’NOD Mini Ring wireless earphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 24, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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