REVIEW – The appeal of noise canceling/isolating headphones and earphones is increasing as more people listen to personalized audio. Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) headphones are becoming a more popular option as the availability of sound processing technology converges with lower cost and higher demand. The TaoTronics TT-BH046 Hybrid ANC wireless stereo headphones are a new entry into this market. Read on to see what I think!

What is it?

The TaoTronics TT-BH046 Hybrid ANC wireless stereo headphones have many of the same features that can be found on other high-end headphones: Bluetooth 4.2 compliance, Hybrid Active Noise Canceling,  30 hours of use battery, and 40 mm drivers, for instance. What sets this item apart is the low sale price of about $90. This is significantly less than the $200 – $500 price of competitive products. The real question about these headphones is how do they compare to the competition? Is this gadget a game changer or pack trailer?

What’s in the box?

• TaoTronics Hybrid ANC Wireless Headphones
• USB Charging cable
• 3.5mm audio cable
• User guide
• support contact pamphlet
• airline headphone adapter
• carrying case

Hardware specs

The hardware specs are gathered from the Taotronics website, the Taotronics Amazon page, and the FCC Part 15C Measurement and Test Report

• Active Noise Cancellation – Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation significantly reduces low-frequency sound by up to 96%
• Item Weight – 7.7 ounces
• Headphone Fit – Over Ear & Rotatable Design
• Item Dimensions – 6.89 x 7.87 x 2.17 in
• Playing Time – Enjoy an impressive 2 hours of music with just 5 minutes of charge; completely recharges in just 45 minutes for 30 hours of music playback
• Super soft protein cushions, adjustable headband, 90° rotation axis for comfy all-day wear; safe storage & transportation with the carry case.
• Dual 40 mm drivers deliver audio reproduction at 20Hz-20KHz
• built in cVc 6.0 noise-canceling microphone for clear hands-free calls
• Rated Voltage: Battery: DC3.7V
• Battery Capacity: 550mAh
• Bluetooth Version: V4.2 (BR/EDR mode)

Design and features

Unboxing

The TaoTronics TT-BH046 Hybrid ANC wireless stereo headphones come in a silver high-quality corrugated box with an image of the side of the headphones printed on the front. The rear of the box lists some of the main features. The box and presentation are suitable for gift giving.

Hardware

The headphones come stored in the carrying case included with the product. The carrying case is zippered on three sides and hinged with fabric on the remaining side.

The case has a shiny textured surface that will stand up to a lot of wear and still look good afterward.

The unit I received is still emblazoned with the existing TaoTronics logo, although units manufactured later will have a newer logo. The new logo is shown on the product registration card included with my sample.

One side of the case is a nylon mesh pocket which can hold the included cables and airplane adapter. The opposite side of the case includes a velcro closure that crosses where the slider attaches to the headband.

The item weight of 7.7 ounces is on the lighter side for ANC wireless headphones. The Sony WH1000XM3 headphones weigh 9 ounces, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II weighs 8.3 ounces, and the Beats Solo³ weighs 7.5 ounces, but are not ANC. The headphones feel very solid; the rotation and extension/retraction of the sliders seems very secure and the cushioning of the headband and ear cups seems very thorough and smooth. The earcups do not rotate freely but have to be pushed around, which appears to make them a more sturdy product. The openings in each earcup are large and I have no trouble fitting my ears into them. The headband sits nicely on the top of my head and due to the lightweight design doesn’t tend to flip forwards or back.

The ear cushions seem soft enough to let the temples of glasses by, but since I don’t wear glasses I can’t be sure, and I cannot verify how glasses would impact the ANC if the earcup seal wasn’t perfect. The headphones do have a couple of design issues that I feel may pose a problem: the steel of the headband seems very sharp behind the imitation leather surrounding the top, uncushioned part of the headband. I wonder if one day it will cut through the imitation leather. Also, the ear cup pivot is only on one side of the cup, and it seems that there is the potential that the plastic or metal may become overstressed where this pivot enters the cup and that the joint may fail. 

The headphones look sharp. The metal back to the earcups, with the beveled chrome surround, is a nice touch.

I wonder if this is purely aesthetic or if the added stiffness of the metal is part of the hybrid ANC design or dual speaker design. The plastic parts of the rest of the unit seem untreated after they are cast. The plastic buttons on the earcup look very plain, but at least they do not rattle in place. The bezel around the 3.5mm audio jack is also a nice touch. The inside of the ear cups is a nylon material that is an upgrade from a foam sponge that could be found on lower quality headphones.

Operation

All of the buttons for the system, the 3.5mm input, and the headset microphone (for telephone calls) is on the right earcup. The microUSB input is on the left earcup. The battery is charged in 5 minutes for up to 2 hours of constant use with ANC, or about an hour for a full charge. This 5 minute charge feature is only available with a source greater than 5 Watts (5 v, 1 amp). My measurement of the drawn amperage is about 0.83 amps, so the need for a higher amperage charger is confusing. The headphones don’t come with a charger of their own, but I estimate that most people have 10 or 12 watt chargers available.

The Bluetooth functions of the headphones are controlled using the power and volume buttons. The ANC is operated with a separate switch and switch mounted LED. The Bluetooth is version 4.2 and the headphones support the A2DP, AVRCP  profiles for remote control functionality.  This results in a lot of Bluetooth functionality for 3 total buttons but most are intuitive.

I wish that the redial function was not supported. I have inadvertently dialed my last called number this way; when you butt-dial someone with your head it makes you a…

The type of noise canceling used on these headphones is Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling (HANC) technology.  It takes advantage of a feedforward design that creates a noise canceling waveform based on sounds picked up on the outside of the earcup. It also takes advantage of a feedback design that creates a noise canceling waveform from a sample of the sound inside of the earcups (subtracting the waveform of any music being played). This type of ANC is the most advanced approach available. The execution of this approach depends on the ANC electronics and software. Taotronics claims it can reduce ambient low-frequency sound by up to 96 percent (about 2.5 dB). You can see the mic hole at the top of the ear cup.

The headphones can also be used with a 3.5mm cord and ANC for situations when the Bluetooth radio should not be used (if an airline steward requests you turn off your headphones, legally, you must comply with their request.) If the battery is completely dead then the headphones will still function using the 3.5mm cable.

A nice feature is that if the Bluetooth headphones are not connected to a Bluetooth device for 10 minutes they will shut down.

Performance

It appears that the headphones have two 40 mm drivers on each cup. I wonder what the crossover is between the two speakers because it seems one is entirely for bass boost. Overall I found the listening experience compromising with these headphones. An audiophile would conclude that the sound was muddy and veiled and lacked clarity and presence. Turning on the ANC helped a little bit. I have to guess that some of the muddied sound field may be intentional – like Dolby noise reduction recordings were made on cassette tapes 35 years ago. I listened to Hours from Karakusa by Toshiki Hayashi. Normally, I’m convinced there’s a live bass player on my left shoulder, but not while listening to this. I also listened to the other recordings I used as samples for the V-MODA Forza Metallo Wireless Bluetooth headphone review.  When I listen to Bahia by John Coltrane I can usually feel like I’m listening to a live performance on the upper west side of Broadway, but with the TaoTronics it’s just a recording and not a very crisp one. Listening to There’s No Underwear in Space by The Claypool Lennon Delirium with the Taotronics, the sound of the bow against the bass is muddy and the drums, which are distant to begin with, sound too far away.  The rain at the beginning of La femme d’argent by Air sounds like static and the bass line is too overpowering. The French Suites by Bach played by Murry Perahia is an excellent recording but seems veiled and flat when listening with the TaoTronics. All of these criticisms are made while comparing the sound to some very good alternative headphone and earphones. Using these headphones for daily use, 

The microphone for telephone communication also sounds distant and unclear on the transmitted audio, although the received audio sounds very loud and clear.

The headphones have a fast charge feature. To test this feature I left the headphones on until they were out of juice. Neither the power button not the noise canceling was functioning. I left the headphones alone for a few hours to allow the condition of the battery to normalize. I attached the headphones to a high power charger and the headphones drew only 0.83 amps. I set a timer and charged the headphones for 5 minutes. The tester indicated 69 mAh of charging had occurred.

After charging I immediately started listening to music from my iPhone at 5-6 volume segments (31% to 38% full volume) with the noise canceling on. I got 2:15 minutes of listening before the 20% low battery alarm started.

What I like

• Low Cost
• Fast Charge
• Effective ANC for loud environments

What needs to be improved

• Sound Quality
• Cantilevered earbud may break
• the redial feature is accident prone.

Final thoughts

The TaoTronics TT-BH046 Hybrid ANC wireless stereo headphones provide excellent ANC isolation from your environment, but with average sound quality. With ANC off, the sound is muffled and clogged by heavy bass. Turning ANC on improves the sound, but not enough to recommend using these headphones for serious audio. At this low price, however, these may be the perfect set for commuting on a bus or train.

Price: $84.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by TaoTronics.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Tao Tronics Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 12, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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REVIEW – One of the perks of reviewing products is that sometimes, we get to test something before it’s offered for sale to the public. Not only did I get to do that with the new Master & Dynamic MW65 wireless headphones with ANC (active noise canceling), but M&D make some of my favorite headphones, too. I had a feeling this headphone was going to be fun and I wasn’t wrong. Once again, Master & Dynamic has scored big with an all-new product.

What is it?

The MW65 ANC Wireless headphone is the latest in a line of impossibly good-looking headphones from Master & Dynamic. Like their previous models, the MW65 uses real metal with real leather resulting in a premium feeling (and sounding) headphone that’s priced accordingly—as in, not cheap. The MW65 is the first Master & Dynamic headphone to incorporate active noise canceling—something that’s becoming more and more common in wireless headphones. It’s an over-ear, closed-back design making it suitable for commuting. The MW65 is also optimized for Google Assistant.

Specs

• 40mm beryllium drivers
• Up to 24 hours battery life, 
• Charges to 50% in 15 minutes and 100% in 40 minutes
• 4.2 AptX Bluetooth range of 65+ feet
• Two active noise-cancelling modes
• Google Assistant
• Replaceable lambskin ear pads

In the box

• MW65 ANC wireless headphone
• Canvas and leather carrying pouch
• USB–C to USB–C charging cable 
• USB–C to USB adapter
• 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable 
• Airplane adapter

Design and features

When it comes to Master & Dynamic, What I say is beginning to sound like a broken record. IMHO, Master & Dynamic make the most beautiful headphones available at any price. Just looking at them (and holding them) makes you want them—they are that pretty. Others may disagree, but they would be wrong. 

Note: Despite the different Master & Dynamic headphone models I’ve reviewed, I’ve never received my favorite color combination—silver metal with brown leather—until now. The wait was worth it—it’s a stunner. 

As I said, the MW65 is all leather and anodized aluminum. Many headphones today (cheap and expensive) are made with a good amount of plastic to keep weight down, making them feel cheaper than they are. It’s understandable. However, M&D have made the MW65 as light as any plastic headphones I’ve reviewed. How’d they do that?

Master & Dynamic calls the MW65 over-ear as opposed to on-ear. Technically, that’s true, but the ear cups are on the small side. For many, they will feel more like on-ear. It’s a weird in-between feeling. It fits my ears just fine, but I can see where it might annoy some people. I compared the MW65 ear cups to the original MH40 headphone’s ear cups. The MW65 ear cups are ever-so-slightly smaller, but the interior opening is noticeably smaller which can make them feel more on-ear than over-ear.

The ear cups are replaceable, but after removing one of them, it took some time to get them to snap back together as seamless as before. My OCD wouldn’t let it go until it looked perfect.

Since the MW65 headphone is wireless, it has a built-in rechargeable battery. This is recharged via USB-C, a faster and more welcome alternative to micro USB. Battery life is rated up to 24 hours listening. I’m not one to use a headphone until the battery dies. I never reached the point where I had to recharge because it’s always been my habit to recharge daily.

The MW65 headphone’s button array on each ear cup is laid out in an easy-to-grasp design. The left ear cup houses the On/off/pairing slider and ANC buttons. The On/off/pairing button comes with tiny LED lights that indicate pairing and battery level indicator. The bottom of this cup has the mini plug port for wired listening should it be desired.

The ANC button is set farther away from the On button. What’s interesting is that ANC comes with two modes—High and Low. High is for Airplanes, busy streets and similarly noisy environments. Low is used for a quieter (but not too quiet) environment. Each time the ANC button is pressed, a female voice prompt tells you (in English) either “Noise canceling is High, Low or Off.” Voice prompts are always better than beeps you have to translate in your head. The High setting is total ANC on. The Low setting allows a bit more environmental noise in. This works best for low background noise and windy environments. 

There’s an ongoing argument about how much ANC can alter the sound of music in a headphone. I have two thoughts on this. I’ve never heard a headphone where ANC does not affect how music sounds. What’s important is how much music may be affected. Also, using ANC in an airplane with its background engine noise is always preferable to not using ANC—no matter how much it alters audio.

That said, the MW65 headphone has really good ANC. Yes, it slightly alters how music sounds, but unless I’m closely paying attention, I just don’t notice it. I don’t hesitate turning it on anytime I feel it’s called for. Note that more headphone makers offer ANC and it’s getting better as technology improves over time.

The right ear cup has the charging port and separate Volume up and Volume down buttons placed on each side of a larger Play/pause button. This button also serves as Call answering, Skip forward and Skip back depending on how many taps you apply. Call quality for the person I was talking to, was decent but not great, although I could hear them just fine. People I talk to have yet to experience excellent call quality from any headphone I use (regardless of price) that’s as good as Apple’s own AirPods.

Another benefit of the M&D MW65 headphone is Google Assistant. Since it’s built-in, you can use the headphone to get info from Google, play music via Google music and get directions help via google maps. The downside is that (at least with Apple iOS) the Google app needs to be pulled up on the iPhone and the mic button tapped in order to work. It’s not native where you can just say, “Hey Google” and it responds. But once inside the app, Google understood my commands way better than Apple’s Siri ever does. Apple needs to get on the ball if they want to compete. I noticed that when the mic icon is tapped there’s quite a bit of static in the background. However, once a command has begun, the static disappears. I can’t tell if this is an issue with M&D or Google. 

I’m lukewarm about Google Assistant being used over headphones and earphones. It’s weird when I see people walking around talking to themselves whether it’s Google, Amazon’s Alexa or Siri. Maybe over time that will become more normal, but I’m not sure I want it to.

The really good news with the M&D MW65 headphone is that it sounds as good as it looks. Whether wired or wireless—and with or without ANC—music sounds full and rich. Master & Dynamic has a known sound signature across its entire line that exhibits a bit of a bass boost that’s never overpowering. It’s just enough to make listening a pleasure for hours. Sure, whatever music you’re listening to may sound a bit less accurate than what comes from a more “accurate” headphone, but who cares? Even though I am a fan of extremely accurate music reproduction, I admit that it can become aurally fatiguing after a while. These never become tiresome. 

What I like

• Luxurious in both sound and feel.  
• Well made
• ANC works well
• ANC doesn’t alter audio much
• Light weight and comfortable 

What needs to be improved

• Expensive
• No Bluetooth 5

Final Thoughts

When you combine a comfortable-to-wear headphone with a sound that’s pleasing to just about anyone, it’s a winner. But when you then add superior build quality, Google Assistant and active noise canceling to the mix, you have more than a winner, you have a keeper. The Master & Dynamic MW65 headphone is a keeper.

Price: $499 US
Where to buy:
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Master & Dynamic.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Master & Dynamic MW65 wireless headphones with active noise canceling review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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REVIEW – As wireless headphones and earphones are becoming the norm rather than a luxury, it only makes sense that customers will keep asking headphone makers “How can you top that?” with each new headphone. Now that wireless is common, the next step is making ANC or Active Noise Canceling standard. Currently, it seems Bose and Sony have ANC locked down, but more headphone companies are incorporating ANC into their product line with varying degrees of success. One of those companies is Edifier—a maker of first-rate (and expensive) home speakers, downright inexpensive computer desktop speakers and everything in-between. They also make good sounding headphones that provide a lot of bang for the buck.

What is it?

The Edifier W860NB headphone combines a warm sound signature, ear pad tracking and ANC into a successful mix of good sounding tech. It’s an affordable headphone that sounds better than its price might indicate.

Specs

• Frequency response: 20Hz～20kHz 
• Impedance: 32 Ohms (easy to use with smartphones)
• Input sensitivity: 100dB
• Bluetooth: 4.1 
• Bluetooth profiles: HSP HFP A2DP AVRCP 
• Connection distance: 33 feet 
• Battery capacity: 1400mAh rechargeable battery
• Battery standby time: About 800 hours 
• Charging time: About 3 hours 

In the box

• W860NB headphone
• Hard case
• Micro USB charging cord
• Mini plug cord
• Airplane adapter

Design and features

The Edifier W860NB headphone loosely reminds me of Bose ANC headphones. They don’t look like them, but there are similarities. The W860NB is mostly plastic but feels solid and not cheap—like Bose. The ear pads are quite soft and comfortable with head clamping that holds securely without being too tight—also, like Bose. It’s a mama bear approach—just right. These are the kind of headphones that can be worn for hours with no issues—with or without glasses. The ear pads are tilted at the same angle as human ears, so the fit is more “eargonomic” than many other headphones. Because of this, the W860NB headphone looks and feels perfectly natural when wearing—so why is this a rarity?

Black is the go-to color for headphones that aren’t trying to make a designer statement and the W860NB headphones are no exception. The look is all business with black plastic mated with black protein leather ear pads and a subtle silvery-black trim. It’s a classy look, if a bit forgettable. However, they don’t sound forgettable. More on that later.

All controls are on the right ear cup. Edifier calls the On/off button a Multi-function button. It will power the W860NB headphone on or off, but pressing it longer begins the Bluetooth pairing process. Anyone who hasn’t read the manual may get quickly frustrated trying to pair for the first time. NFC is available for most smartphone users—except Apple, of course.

Next to the Multi-function button is the active noise canceling switch. This slider button is easy to find with fingers without looking while wearing the headphones.

The left ear cup houses both the micro USB charging port and mini-plug port for wired listening. I listened to music both wired and wirelessly. Usually, I can tell the difference between the two sources, but not with the W860NB headphone. That’s rare.

The right ear pad has a touch screen (track pad) built into its slightly rounded surface. Dragging your finger up and down adjusts the volume up and down. Dragging forward will skip to the next track and dragging back go will either go to the previous track or return to the beginning of a track. Double-tapping the center of the ear pad pauses and un-pauses music or accepts/rejects a phone call. 

This is all a nifty feature with a couple of caveats. Sliding a finger up and down changes volume alright, but there’s no finesse. I was either adjusting the volume too loud or soft. I realized that short-flicking my finger on the ear cup rather than dragging changed the volume in more accurate, shorter increments. The other issue I had is that anytime I touched the ear cup to adjust it on my head, I  would perform one of the trackpad functions when I didn’t mean to. I needed to be aware of where I touched the ear cup. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but its a learning curve.

Call quality using the built-in mics is okay—not great. People I talked to could hear me just fine, but when (unfairly) compared to Apple’s AirPods, there is no comparison. I sounded a bit muffled and far away. To be fair to Edifier, I haven’t had any headphones yet that can rival the AirPods in call quality—regardless of price.

The W860NB headphone comes with a hard, protective case. The W860NB does not fold, so the case is a bit large. An additional soft, commuting bag would have been welcome, but at the price of this headphone, I can’t argue that point too much. Also included are a mini plug to mini plug cord and a USB to micro USB charging cord. There’s even an airline adapter, though those are becoming more unnecessary as time goes on.

It takes about 4 hours to fully charge the W860NB headphone. Play time is rated at 25+ hours with ANC on or 45+ hours with ANC off. Note that volume can also affect battery time.

ANC is one of the main features of the W860NB headphone. It’s not quite as effective as either Bose’s or Sony’s ANC but hey—the W860NB headphone is a bargain compared to those two brands and it’s almost as good! When on an airplane or in a daily commute, the W860NB headphone’s ANC will eliminate any drone-like background and adequately muffle vocals so you can either rest or have better concentration. ANC on the W860NB headphone does what it’s designed to do and that’s a good thing.

The W860NB headphone’s ANC does affect the quality of music when on. ANC tends to “flatten” the sound a bit. This has the effect of distancing emotional connection to what music I’m listening to. However, with ANC off, music takes on a more engaging, fuller sound. There’s just the right amount of bass for easy listening with no hint of harshness in the high frequencies. Technically, the W860NB headphone may not be as accurate as it could be, but who cares? They’re fun to use, comfortable and can wirelessly make music sound good. That counts for a lot.

Even if music sounds better with ANC off, I would not hesitate to use ANC if I thought it was necessary.

What I like

The main attraction of the Edifier W860NB headphone is not its comfort, ANC or relaxing sound signature. All that works just fine. The attraction is that Edifier manages to provide all this at the price they do.

• Well made
• Comfortable
• Long battery life
• Good ANC

What needs to be improved

• Too bad they don’t fold
• Case is protective, but big for travel
• ANC flattens the music a bit

Final Thoughts

Edifier has a winner with the W860NB headphone, It’s not too expensive—especially with all the extras factored in. The headphone can easily compete with Bose and Sony at a much better price—and still look good doing it.

Price: $169.99 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Edifier.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Edifier W860NB Bluetooth Active Noise Canceling headphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 28, 2019 at 9:09 am.

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REVIEW – The world of Bluetooth headphones/headsets/earphones is wide and varied, and grows every day.  Every shape and size conceivable is out there, to fit every lifestyle and circumstance.  I myself own just about every kind you can imagine… wireless earbuds, wired earbuds, over the ears, in the ears, around the back of the head, waterproof, not waterproof, and on and on.  Just about every pair I have ever owned has something that I like and something that I don’t like.  Enter the $99 Origem HS-3 HDR Bluetooth Smart earphones, fresh off a Kickstarter campaign.  It has some nice features that are worth considering, and 1 feature that is a game changer.  Let’s find out what it is!

What is it?

Bluetooth earphones that provide an over-the-ear fit, 6 hours of playtime, IPX5 waterproof ability, and built-in voice control.

What’s in the box?

• A padded zipper case to hold everything.
• A Micro-USB cable for charging
• Extra sets of earbuds to fit any size ear
• The Origem HS-3 HDR Bluetooth earphones

Here are the specs from the manufacturer:

• They are rated “IPX5 waterproof”, for intense exercise and bad weather, but can’t be submerged in water.
• They have built-in fast charging and can be charged in 30 minutes to provide 6 hours of listening time.
• They come with multiple sized earbuds to fit most ears.
• Each ear piece has hinged earhooks to provide a secure fit.
• It comes with Bluetooth 5.0
• HDR (high dynamic range) algorithm detects the sound pressure of the listening environment and volume of the sound to dynamically adjust loudness for all different frequency levels.
• Built-in voice recognition provides no-hands control of the music and voice calls.
• In-line controls provide physical touch controls.

Design and features

As mentioned in the specs above, there are some features that you might come to expect from a $99 headset.  IPX5 will allow you to have a heavy workout, in the rain, and keep on ticking.  6 hours of playtime, coupled with a 30 minute charge time, will keep you happy almost all day.  Multiple sized earbuds will mean every sized ear should be happy.  And an in-line physical button control is what most Bluetooth earphones have these days.

But now for the big differences.  The design of a hinged hook that goes over the top of your ear and rests snuggly behind it means that these earphones will never fall out, no matter what you are doing.  I have always hated those earbuds that you have to basically suction into your ears to keep them from falling out.  They always fall out.  But the Origem HS-3s will not.  No amount of running, rolling, jumping, shaking, etc, is going to dislodge these.  And honestly, after a short time you forget you have them on.  As you can see by the pictures, the wire that goes behind your ear has a cushioned covering on it to make for an even more comfortable fit.  Unfortunately, one of my earphones lost that cushioned covering at some point, and I never noticed it.  I still have no idea what happened because they are either on my ears or in the zippered case.  But anyway, even without the cushioned covering for my left earphone, I still think they are comfortable.

The second feature worth mentioning is the HDR sound.  I have come to expect crappy/so-so sound from most earphones/earbuds.  But I do think that the HDR feature actually works.  The sound I get through these earphones is very full.  I can hear very good highs and mid-tones.  You won’t get a very deep, rich, bass sound, but it isn’t bad at all.  I would call the sound just ‘very full’.  I can say that apart from my collection of more expensive headphones that have big cushions that completely cover my ears, these are the best earphones that I own, hands down.

Finally, the feature that is a game changer, in my opinion, is the built-in voice control, which is a feature I don’t have on any other headset/earphones that I own.  When a phone call is coming in you can simply say “Answer call” or “Reject call” and your phone responds accordingly.  When music is playing you can simply say “Play music” or “Pause Music” or “Next song” or “Previous song”, without ever touching the in-line physical controls.  You can even say “Hello VoiceQ” and your phone’s assistant (Google or Siri) will come to attention and provide you all the voice control features that those services provide.  And it works flawlessly every time I use it.

Now, before you object and say “But Steve, my Plantronics headset can do that!”, let me tell you more.  I used to own that Plantronics headset and used it daily before it died.  And yes, I could use hands-free voice controls through it as well, and answer and reject calls as well.  But here is the difference.  My Android phone’s screen has to be on before my phone will respond to direct voice commands to do something.  You know… “Hey Google”.  With the Origem HS-3 my phone can be sitting there with the screen completely off and I can tell the Origem “Hello VoiceQ” and it will awaken my phone so that it is ready to accept whatever voice command I give it. And it is over Bluetooth, which means I don’t have to be sitting right beside my phone to do it either.  I can be across the room.  I am telling you, this is a feature that other headsets are going to want to incorporate into their products because it makes life easier.  I have used it to initiate phone calls, start my music, set calendar items, ask for a ballgame score, ask about the weather, and many more things.

What I like

• Great comfortable, stay-put, fit
• Great overall sound quality
• Amazing voice controls
• Great price for the value you get

What needs to be improved

• The zippered pouch is a little too cramped
• The cushion on the wire that goes behind the ear needs to be more securely fashioned.  It can slide off too easily.

Final thoughts

The price of $99 for these earphones is well worth the price.  My dislikes are petty as well.  I wish the zipper cushioned case was slightly bigger because putting the HS-3s into the case is a bit cramped, and it takes a hot minute to unscramble the wires when you take them out.  I also wish the cushioned covering on the wire behind the ear was a bit tighter, which could have prevented me from letting one of them slip off undetected.  But those are minor squabbles.  I highly recommend these for the person who wants great sounding, great fitting, and highly useful earphones.

Price: $99.00
Where to buy: Origem.com or Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Origem.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Origem HS-3 HDR Bluetooth Smart earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 21, 2019 at 2:30 pm.

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REVIEW – If you’re looking for reasonably priced headphones with excellent battery life and background-noise buffering, consider the Mixcder E9.

What is it?

Mixcder E9 noise-canceling, wireless Bluetooth headphones feature an over-the-ear headset and exceptionally long playing time.

What’s in the box?

• Headphones
• Hardshell case
• Instruction manual
• 3.5mm aux cord
• Charger
• Airplane adapter

Hardware specs

• Weight: 9 ounces
• Dimensions: 7.6 x 6.6 x 3.4 inches
• Playtime: 30 hours (80 hours in wired mode)
• Charging port: Micro USB
• Batteries: 2 Lithium Polymer

Design and features

The Mixcder E9 headphones have an adjustable headband, making them comfortable for children and adults. They’re labeled left and right, printed onto the headband piece. And they’re cushioned, designed to fit entirely over the ear.

There’s “+” and ” – ” volume control buttons on the right earpiece, as well as the micro USB port for charging and the power on-off button.

On the left earpiece is the ANC toggle switch to turn the noise-canceling feature on and off.

Under the ANC switch, you’ll find the 3.5mm aux connection for plugging in to your device with a wired connection.

The earmuffs swivel and turn into themselves for easy storage. And the hardshell case is great for keeping them protected while traveling, or really any time you’re not wearing them.

It comes with a charger (though the battery life is stellar), and aux cord (though the Bluetooth works great) and an airplane adapter (though I haven’t needed one of these in ages).

Noise cancellation

We tested these headphones by having my 10-year-old yelling and playing loud music, both of which we could hear through the earmuffs. So these aren’t true blue, can’t hear a single thing noise-cancellation headphones.

For busy moms desperate for a minute of peace and quiet, this isn’t your miracle cure.

However, it does perfectly muffle out road noise, the refrigerator buzz and the ticking clock. And if you put on some soft music along with the noise cancellation, then you’re in business. (Take note, parents!)

Performance

We took these with us for spring break on a five-stop, nine-night road trip through the Midwest. My teenager usually prefers earbuds he can shove in his pocket, but decided to give these a whirl. Turns out, they were so comfortable, with such good audio quality, I doubt he’ll ever go back to earbuds.

Right away I noticed it was difficult to get his attention during the drive. Where I could normally yell back to him, I had to physically touch him to get his attention. With his music on (at half volume, so not exceptionally loud), he couldn’t tell I was speaking to him.

On a similar note, we couldn’t hear even a hint of his music, even when sitting right next to him.

When using it with Bluetooth, which is how he usually connects, it was quick and easy to pair.

We also tested out the microphone feature, and it worked well on my son’s smartphone while we chatted on a call. He had no trouble pairing or using the mic, and on my end, the clarity of his voice was the same quality as a speakerphone call, maybe even a little better.

At this point, my son’s been using these consistently, wired and with Bluetooth, for two weeks including about 15 hours in the car and at least 15 more outside the car, and they’re showing no signs of needing to be charged.

He notes that the sound balance of bass/treble is quite good with the factory settings but it’s also easy to adjust the balance on your device.

What I like

• Exceptionally long battery life
• Good for buffering background noise, especially with music on
• Very comfortable

What needs to be improved

• Overall noise cancellation could be better

Final thoughts

Comfortable travel headphones with long battery life and decent noise cancellation for the price point.

Price: $69.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Mixcder.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Mixcder E9 headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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