REVIEW – Does anyone remember Aiwa? Years ago, I installed an Aiwa car CD player in a ‘92 Acura. It was good—not great. Later, Aiwa just about disappeared after Sony bought them. Now they’re back and getting some serious (as in good) attention. First Aiwa released the Exos-9 Bluetooth speaker—a monster speaker that’s getting rave reviews. Now, they’ve just come out with their own wireless headphones—the Arc-1 Bluetooth headphones. Aiwa’s goal is to offer affordable wireless headphones that sound better than it should for its price. Did they achieve their goal?

What is it?

The Arc-1 is a wireless, over-ear Bluetooth headphone that utilizes a non-traditional biocellulose speaker cone—more on this later. 

Specs

• Design: Closed back, dynamic, circumaural (over ear)
• Driver: 40mm dynamic
• Driver technology: Bonded biocellulose composite with flexible surround
• Impedance: 20 ohms.
• Frequency range: 15Hz to 20kHz
• Max. power: 40mW
• Inputs: 3.5mm stereo mini jack or Bluetooth 4.2
• Materials:  Aluminum, protein leather, real leather
• Bluetooth range: 33+ feet
• Battery life: 20 hours playback
• Microphone
• Codecs: aptX, AAC

In the box

• Arc-1 Bluetooth headphones
• Travel case
• Micro USB charge/data cable
• 3.5mm audio cable
• Quick Start Guide

Design and features

There’s nothing about the Aiwa Arc-1 headphones that scream, “Look at me!” The design is rather bland and generic looking. It’s not surprising because Aiwa freely admits to picking certain non-audio related parts off the shelf, so they could concentrate resources on the important stuff. A bright and colorful exception to the bland design are red speaker covers that have L and R printed on them. That’s actually helpful when you quickly grab your phones to put them on. Aiwa also printed the serial number and service web address above and below the large L on the left speaker. If you ever have any issues with the Arc-1, the info you need is right there. Clever. The Arc-1 has a 90-day “No questions asked” return policy and a 3-year warranty that will provide a replacement should they ever have a defect.

The packaging is even blander than the design. Aiwa’s stated goal is to place more effort into the product than the disposable box it comes in. That is plainly evident.

The first thing one notices when wearing the Arc-1 headphones is how comfortable they are. The clamping factor is just enough without being too tight. I do have to extend the ear pads all the way, so anyone with a larger head may have fit issues. Extending the ear pads was not as smooth feeling as I would have liked, but the build felt solid. 

The leather ear pads are soft and have an unusual shaped flat spot that works quite well at completely covering the ear. Even though the Arc-1 headphones do not have active noise canceling, the pads provide good isolation from exterior noise. The headband could use a bit more cushioning, but it didn’t detract from the comfort. It’s sturdy and can be bent without any damage. The headphones are protected by a large, but sturdy case. Unfortunately, the Arc-1s don’t fold, which is too bad, since the wireless headphones were made for use while mobile.

The selling point to the Arc-1 headphones is the speaker material. Rather than the usual—and fragile—mylar speaker material, Aiwa uses a 40mm biocellulose-diaphragm driver that they designed. Biocellulose is a natural material (made from bacteria!) that retains its stiffness similar to metallic speaker cones, while remaining lightweight—perfect for headphones. This stiffness helps individual audio waves quickly snap back to a neutral position resulting in better music reproduction with sharper bass. You might think that this approach would create super accurate sounding headphones, but it doesn’t. And that’s a good thing.

It’s apparent that the Arc-1 headphones were tuned for a mass audience rather than a select group that may prefer a bass heavy model or one with a bright sound. The Arc-1’s sound signature is slightly warm and smooth. Bass is slightly boosted, but not too much. It’s just enough to allow for hours of listening with no aural comfort issues. Mellow is a word that comes to mind. The speaker’s smooth character is forgiving which simply means that lower resolution song files can sound better than they might on more accurate (and more expensive) headphones. This is especially true when streaming music from a smart phone over Bluetooth. 

Aiwa uses 24-bit digital signal processing to help achieve its sound signature. They’ve also set up what’s known as Qconnect—dual-radio Bluetooth. This allows the Arc-1 headphones to not only receive the Bluetooth signal but also send a signal allowing you to share your music with a friend no matter what brand wireless headphones they may have. Note that Qconnect is still in Beta. Future firmware updates will improve Qconnect as well as improving audio tuning. Unfortunately, firmware updates can only be done using Windows PCs—sorry Mac users. 

Battery life is rated at 20 hours on a full charge. 3 extra hours can be quickly added after only 20 minutes of charging. Battery life is indicated by lights on the right headphone cup. This cup also houses the on/off button as well as Bluetooth pairing and volume/forward/reverse buttons. A built-in mic allows for phone calls, but I’m not a fan of talking on the phone through any headphones—no matter the brand or cost.

As I said, the Arc-1 headphones are smooth sounding. This helps with older recordings which can be a bit weak on bass due to recording restrictions that existed back then. I’m a fan of 60s and 70s rock. Some of my favorite albums were dismally recorded. Listening with the Arc-1 headphones makes many of these older albums tolerable. One of my favorite late 60s albums was an obscure country-rock album from Chicago’s Mason Proffit. Their first album perfectly captured the political tone of that tumultuous time with biting lyrics wrapped in a radio-friendly country sound. As good as the songs were (and still are), the recording is in dire need of remastering. Until that happens though, it’s easier to listen to the album on the Arc-1s than many other headphones.

Bass-happy modern music also fares well with the Arc-1 headphones. Yes, bass on these recordings is most definitely there, but it’s tuned in such a way that it doesn’t create a headache. Credit Aiwa’s DSP at work. Groups like Massive Attack, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Daft Punk benefit from this tuning approach. While bass may be more up front than what I prefer, it’s never distracting or unwelcome.

What I like

The design may be bland, but the constriction is solid. Despite that, it’s the sound and comfort that captivates me. These are headphones I could listen to for hours—and have. 

What needs to be improved

I like the sturdy case but I would have preferred that the Arc-1s fold into a more compact, easy to carry form.

Final Thoughts

Aiwa has risen from the ashes in a big way with the Arc-1 headphones. If they can keep up the momentum with more great products, the future of personal audio will become even more interesting.

P.S.

If you’re interested, you can read an exhaustive history of Aiwa here. The short version is that an entrepreneur named Joe Born acquired the Aiwa name for North America and several European countries. Shortly after, the Exos-9 Bluetooth speaker was born (pun intended). 

Price: $199.99 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Aiwa.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Aiwa Arc-1 Bluetooth headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2018 at 11:33 am.

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REVIEW – Noise canceling headphones are wonderful, but they cost a bit more than regular headphones, and the cheapo ones generally are not up to snuff. I’ve tried one pair out so far and enjoyed them, but they were wired, so I had to keep an adapter handy. The Cowin E7 Pro active noise canceling headphones are Bluetooth with an option to wire in if needed and come at a reasonable price tag. That combination intrigued me enough to want to see them for myself. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Cowin E7 pro headphones are noise canceling, over the ear Bluetooth headphones that are made for daily use.

Hardware specs

Active Noise Canceling
45 mm drivers
Frequency: 20Hz-20kHz
Bluetooth or 3.5 mm wired

What’s in the box?

Cowin E7 PRO Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones
Headphone Case
Micro USB Cable
3.5mm Audio Cable
User Guide

Design and features

Other than the decent price tag, what I liked about these headphones was the simplicity in the design. On the right headphone, you have a plus and minus button, which if pressed once will change the song, or held down change the volume. It took a bit to get used to how long to keep it pressed for, but it was so sleek and simple to use. If you press towards the middle of the ‘triangle’ where the plus and minus buttons are, you will start and stop the music. They were easy to use and gave a tactile click when pressed.

One thing about Bluetooth is that you have to keep them charged up and watch the battery life. I was very impressed with the battery life on these headphones. I took a trip to the Midwest and used them nearly constantly on the plane (a good six hours total) and I barely made a dent in the battery. I am at about 3/4 of the way through the battery in three weeks of on and off use totaling around 20 hours. Not bad at all.

I was quite impressed with the comfort of these headphones, as they did not cause any ear fatigue after three hours of constant use. The pads are soft and while not giant, still big enough to go fully over my ear. They are very loose on the head, however, so if you are jostled around you can hear the noise canceling go in and out due to the seal loss. This happened during turbulence on the plane and if I walked downstairs. The sounds it made when it would move around on my head was the one thing I felt needed improving since bumps happen in the air and in a motor vehicle.

The noise canceling was pretty decent. They are not Bose by any means, but they worked very well at cutting out the noise of the engine and chatter in the airport. I had a lovely red-eye flight to test these on, and I used the noise canceling only (no music) for a majority of the flight and was very thankful for them. In the airport, I could still hear the announcements from my gate, but most of the idle talk around me was drowned out by the noise canceling and music. It made for a very enjoyable airport experience.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I hate the sound delay with Bluetooth headphones. The best pair I have so far is a pair of Bose earbuds, but I am very happy to say the Cowin E7 Pro headphones beat the Bose in that there is virtually no sound delay. In fact, I watched several videos, got to my destination, and thought “Oh yeah, I need to test the sound delay!” and while pulling up the videos, realized I had already watched them, and didn’t realize it because it was unnoticeable. That impressed me most of all with these headphones.

Lastly, let’s talk about the sound quality. I took a phone call on these and I could be heard, and I could hear my friend just fine. When it came to music, these had above average bass sound, decent mid-range sound, and average highs. The sound itself was nice and clear though, and I could definitely hear the words articulated pretty well. Since I sometimes listen to music in foreign languages, it was nice to really hear how the words were sung. This, of course, was with the noise canceling on. With it off, the overall sound quality was just average.

What I like

• No delay when using Bluetooth
• Good battery life
• Decent price

What needs to be improved

• The headphones don’t fit tightly against my head

Final thoughts

Overall, for the price, these headphones are pretty decent. The sound quality is not mind-blowing, but still good, the battery life is great, and I can watch videos on my phone without any sound delay, which is better than my Bose wireless earbuds. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly pair of active noise canceling headphones, the Cowin E7 Pro wireless headphones would be a good pair to look into.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: LuLuLook
Source: The sample of this product was provided by LuLuLook.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Cowin E7 Pro Bluetooth active noise cancelling headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 18, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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REVIEW – Four years ago, I reviewed the RHA (Reid Heath Ltd.) MA750 in-ear headphone (earphone). I ended the review with this, “With all the innovations and improvements resulting in the MA750, where do they go from here? Stay tuned.” We now have the answer to that question. The MA750 is now available in a wireless version, which begs the question: Is the MA750 Wireless Bluetooth in-ear headphone as good as the wired MA750?

What is it?

The RHA MA750 Wireless is just that, the popular MA750 earphone sans wires. Well, maybe that’s somewhat of a misnomer. The MA750 earphones are not truly wireless—each earpiece is connected by a wire that rests on the back of the neck. However, its all Bluetooth, so there’s no wire connected to the music source. 

Specs

• Drivers: Model 560.1
• Frequency Range: 16 – 22,000Hz
• Battery: 12 hours
• Codecs: AAC, aptX, SBC
• Pairing: NFC / Bluetooth
• Sweatproof: IPX4
• Remote & Mic: Universal, 3-button
• Weight: 41g
• Manufacturer’s Warranty: 3 Years

Design and features

If you are familiar with the wired MA750 earphone, the new wireless version will not be a surprise. Both are identical in design and weight—except for the connecting neckband on the wireless.

The MA750 Wireless earphone has what RHA calls an Aerophonic design. It’s horn shape helps the audio sound more authentic with excellent sound isolation, says RHA. I agree with the sound isolation, but I attribute that more to the size and shape of the ear tips. Plus, I’ve heard many excellent earphones that were not shaped like the MA750.

The shell is constructed from stainless steel, making them almost indestructible. It also gives them a top quality feel. The cord wraps around the back of the ear which keeps them out of the way. Unfortunately, they are not removable from the ear piece. Attached to the right cord is a steel-plated in-line controller with two buttons that adjust volume along with a universal button that controls on/off, Bluetooth pairing, play/pause and answering calls.

Pairing for me became a bit tricky because the earphones had to be turned off and then the on/off button had to be pressed for over 5 seconds it initiates pairing. It was difficult to tell if the earphones were on or off, despite the lights. But once paired, it was all good. 

The Bluetooth signal strength was strong throughout all my listening sessions. I’ve used the MA750 Wireless earphones sitting and listening to music, as well as doing sweaty activities, like mowing my yard—in humid Central Florida—a 2.5 hour job on my property. Speaking of sweat, the MA750s are moisture rated at IPX4 which makes them okay for that mowing I have to do every weekend. The connecting cord around my neck never became uncomfortable and never got too warm when exposed to the sun.

It’s interesting that when I first tried the MA750s outside, they would not hold a signal for more than 10 seconds before breaking up. It was incredibly frustrating until I disconnected other Bluetooth devices from my iPhone. After that, the signal never hiccuped again. My guess is that the MA750s are sensitive to other signals from previously paired devices. To be fair, I do a lot of audio reviews and my iPhone’s Bluetooth listing can get fairly long.

The speaker’s driver is a dynamic design, meaning that visually, it looks like a tiny speaker. This is a bit surprising, because it has a sound signature much like an armature speaker. What do I mean by this? The audio is a bit treble happy. While the middle frequencies and bass are there and accurate, the higher frequencies can be a bit bright depending on what music is being played. The MA750 Wireless earphones are more accurate than forgiving. So, if you play lower resolution song files, you’ll know it and listening for longer periods of time can become fatiguing. However, if you mostly listen to higher resolution files or classical and quieter ambient music, the MA750s will delight you.

As usual, RHA provides many sizes and types of ear tips—silicone, flanged and foam. There should be no problem finding one that fits. Also included is a mesh carrying pouch and a USB-C to USB charging cord. Battery life is rated at an impressive 12 hours. There’s an LED battery indicator with a power saving auto-off function after twenty minutes of inactivity.

What I like

The MA750 Wireless earphones are built like a tank. They’re great for everyday use whether indoors or out.

What needs to be improved

If the higher frequencies could be tamed a bit, the audio would be close to perfect.

Final Thoughts

The MA750 Wireless earphones bright-leaning sound signature may not be your preference, but if you’re a fan of accuracy, wireless and durability, the MA750s may be what you’re looking for.

Price: $169.95 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The samples for this product were provided by RHA. Visit www.rha-audio.com/us for more information.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

RHA MA750 Wireless Bluetooth in-ear headphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 7, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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