As the “perfect earbud” search goes on, I got another opportunity to test and review a contender. Here we go:

What is it

The Kitbeez True Wireless Earbuds with Power Bank, are a pair of very small earbuds with a charging case and a built-in battery, and a removable power bank that can charge devices with micro USB, micro USB-C or Lightning jacks.

What’s in the box

1 x Pair of Kitbeez True Wireless Earbuds with Power Bank and charging case
3 x Pair for EarGels
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x Micro USB-C Male Adapter
1 x Lightning Male Adapter
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

The Kitbeez True Wireless Earbuds with Power Bank consists of a base unit that is a USB power pack, and it plugs into a charging base for the wireless earbuds. When the 2 halves are connected, the entire case measures approximately, 3 inches x 2 inches x 3/4 inch. These measurements include the top cap that covers the earbuds when they are placed in their charging case.

The base unit which is the USB power pack/charger has a micro USB connector that plugs into the charging case. This is illustrated by the pictures both above and below. The earbuds then sit in the charging case to be stored and recharged. In addition to the micro USB connector on the base unit, there is also an LED indicator that shows the charge level of the power pack, and female micro USB jack that is used to charge the base/power pack.

As illustrated below, on the front of the case on the base unit, there is a button that when depressed shows the charge level as indicated above by the blue LEDs. The back of the unit has the following imprinted information:

Model: X2-TWS
Input: 5V/1A
Output: 5V/1A
Capacity of earphone: 45mah
Capacity of charging base: 1600mah

Two additional adapters are also included with these earbuds. They plug into the male micro USB connector of the base power pack and allow you to plug in and charge any device with a micro USB-C port or a lightning port.

The picture below on the left shows a micro USB cable plugged into the base power pack to charge it.

Performance

The Kitbeez True Wireless Earbuds perform well in a few categories. The sound is decent with a good balance of lows, mids, and highs. No one frequency range overshadows the other, which is nice for earbuds that are on the relatively lower side of the price scale. The lows are acceptable but do become somewhat distorted at higher volumes. Any distortion can be easily remedied by lowering the volume a notch or two. The earbuds are very small and light and stay in your ears quite well, although I am still not convinced that they will always stay in place while sprinting across a hard surface.

The Bluetooth connection is very stable, and I only experienced disconnections when I was in an area with known interference. Charging time is great, and the earbuds’ power lasts quite long on a full charge even when played at high volume levels. The active noise canceling works, but since it is always active, I was not able to turn it on and off for a comparison. While I was able to use these earbuds for phone calls, there were times when I had to repeat myself several times because the person on the other side of the call could not hear me clearly.

In terms of music, I tested them with my usual genres of Contemporary Jazz, R&B, Reggae, Easy Listening, Gospel and “borderline” Classical, and the sound reproduction was always relatively acceptable. They are not audiophile grade by any means, but they work well for daily use while going about my business.

What I like

I like that the sound of the earbuds is decent and loud enough and that they are quite small. I also like the charging options that the base unit provides and that they seem to last a very long time on one charge of the base unit. Once properly charged, I used them for at least 2 weeks at about 1 1/2 hours each day from Monday to Friday without ever having to recharge the base unit. After the 2 weeks, I decided to charge the base unit albeit that the LEDs still showed 2 of 4 lights indicating that it was still at about 50% charged.

What can be improved

1: The earbuds have no visible markings that I can see to tell me which one is left or right, and I only know after I place them in my ears and the voice command lets me know. About 80% of the time, I had to switch them around. I did not really hear any difference in performance when they were in the wrong ear but just knowing that they were in the wrong ear compelled me to switch them around.

2: When connected the base unit to the charging case, you have to pay extra attention to the connection and fiddle with the two halves while looking at the earbuds seated in the case to ensure that they are charging. For the first few days of testing these earbuds, I just “dropped” them into their charging case and assumed that they were charging. When I went to use them, one side was “dead”. The next day, I tried leaving them to charge overnight and got the same result. After some further investigation, I found out that I had to plug the base unit in and out of the charging case a few times until it seated properly.

3: This is my biggest issue with these earbuds: With a few exceptions, almost all of the wireless earbuds that I have tested disconnect when put in their charging case. This is not the case with these earbuds. Initially, After I placed the earbuds in their charging case and tried to answer a few phone calls, I could not hear anyone on the other side of the calls. I checked to see what was wrong, and I found out that the earbuds were still connected to the Bluetooth on my phone. I tested this several times with the same result. After that, I knew that I had to physically power down the earbuds before placing them in their case to release the Bluetooth connection, or I would have to go into the settings on my phone and disconnect. Since this discovery, I have been powering them down after each use.

Final thoughts

Honestly speaking, I did not expect a whole lot from these earbuds, considering the price and some of my previous experiences. However, they work quite well for daily “runabout” use, and having the USB power pack is a great convenience since it can be used universally to charge other devices. Recommending earbuds based on sound is very risky since this dynamic is based on individual perspective and very subjective. For the cost, and the features offered, I would say that these are definitely worth a try, and are a good value.

Price: $54.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Kitbeez.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Kitbeez True Wireless Earbuds with Power Bank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 17, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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What is it?

The Wicked Audio Shred 2 wireless earbuds are wireless Bluetooth earphones that are optimized for ease of use and use during exercising and sports activities.

What’s in the box

Package contents:

1 x Wicked Audio Shred 2 wireless earbuds with neck loop
4 x loops (2 black, 2 lime)
4 x Large fins (2 black, 2 lime)
4 x Small fins (2 black, 2 lime)
12 x cushions (6 black, 6 lime)
1 x Instruction Booklet (This was missing from my sample)
1 x USB to Micro USB (This was missing from my sample)

Specifications:

10MM Driver
16Ohms Impedance
99DB Sensitivity
20-20,000 Hz Frequency
Bluetooth 4.2
Range 32ft/10M

Design and features

The Wicked Audio Shred 2 earbuds are nicely designed and built, and they make it easy for you to swap out the fins and loops as desired. The inclusion of both the black and lime colors add a sense of style.

I was able to use the setup right out of the box since they were a perfect fit for me.

The neck loop opens and closes magnetically, and this makes it very easy to hang around your neck.

These earbuds are very comfortable, and I wore them at about 45 minutes to one hour each time with no issues. As a matter of fact, they are so lightweight and comfortable that their presence is hardly noticeable. I tested them speed walking, jogging and with excessive and wild movement, and they stayed in place at all times.

Now on to performance and sound:

I normally listen to music on my iPhone for approximately 45 minutes each way to and from work, for a total of 90 minutes daily. When I first received the earbuds, I charged them fully on a Monday evening and started using them from the next morning.
The control part of the earbuds has 3 buttons for all of the music and phone functions. The bottom has the Micro USB port for charging. There is also the LED that is blue when on and when fully charged, and red when charging.

When you press the power button there is an audible click in the earbuds that indicate that the power is on. It is the same for powering off. Pairing is accomplished by holding down the power button for about 5 seconds until it blinks blue and red, which is typical of most earbuds. Pairing was very simple and without issue. Once the paring is done, there is an audible voice confirmation that says “connected”. If the earbuds disconnect from the Bluetooth connection, there is an audible voice confirmation that says, “Disconnected”. (This only happened when I was in an area with high interference where any and all of my Bluetooth headsets usually disconnect). What I did find to be strange is that when powering off, there is just the click and no voice confirmation. All of my other headsets with voice commands say “Power on” and “Power off” and “Connected” and “Disconnected”.

The power button also works as the “play” and “stop” button when listening to music. The top (+) button in music mode works as “volume up” and “track forwards”, and the bottom (-) button works as “volume down” and “track backwards”.

When using these earbuds for phone functions, the calls were crystal clear on both ends, with no distortion or unwanted frequencies.

These earbuds have better battery life than almost any earbuds I have owned. At 90 minutes of use each day without recharging, the first voice notification to charge them occurred on Friday afternoon after a total of about 5 ¾ hours of playing, and they were still at 40% charge when the alert first started. I was wondering why it alerted at 40% which seemed a bit early, but after approximately another 20 minutes of playing the charge dropped to 20%, and then the earbuds shut off after another 15 minutes. The total play time was over 6 hours at almost full volume, which to me is quite incredible.

I am an Audiophile, and I enjoy several genres of music. I tried these earbuds with Soul, R&B, Rock, Country, Gospel, and Jazz. They performed reasonably well across all genres. I decided to test them without any equalization to make all things equal. I found the Mids to be very present and very pleasant to my ears. The Highs were a bit overwhelming on most genres, and the Lows were ok but not as present and as deep as some of my other earbuds. After I was done with my initial testing, I did try using an equalizer to adjust the Lows, but the threshold was not much lower than without any equalization, and very quickly became just noise.

What I like

I like the fit and comfort of these earbuds. While the overall sound is not Audiophile grade, it is decent. The fact that they remain in place no matter the movements, and that the battery charge lasts very long, makes me a fan.

What can be improved

The only improvements that I would like to see, are with the sound in terms of more capable bass, more balanced Highs, and better voice commands. I would also like to see a volume control included with the controls.

Final thoughts

The Wicked Audio Shred 2 Bluetooth earbuds are very nice. While not perfect, they are great for sports and working out, as well as casual listening. Their long lasting battery life along with the short 1.5 hour charging time make them great for daily use.

Price: Currently not listed
Where to buy: Wicked Audio
Source: This sample was provided by Wicked Audio.

The post Wicked Audio Shred 2 wireless earbuds review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Wicked Audio Shred 2 wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 2, 2018 at 1:30 pm.

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What is it?

The Rowkin Surge Charge wireless headphones are a pair of earbuds that fit individually in each ear, to provide mono or stereo capability for phone or music.

What’s in the box

1 x Case with the built-in battery and charging cables
2 x Earbud (1 Left & 1 Right)
1 x Micro USB cable
2 x Pair of additional ear-tips (Different sizes)
1 x Instruction booklet

Design and features

The Rowkin Surge Charge earbuds are designed with complete and mirrored controls on each earbud. The controls include (+) plus, (-) minus and (o) power buttons, that control all of the call and music functions. The top (+) button works as “volume up” and “track forwards”, and the bottom (-) button works as “volume down” and “track backwards”. The (o) power button also works to stop and play music, and to answer and to disconnect calls.

There is also a micro USB port on each earbud for charging, and an extended ear strap for securing around each ear.

The ear strap is flexible and can be molded by hand around each ear for the desired fit. It is important to note that if not properly adjusted to each ear, the ear straps will present some discomfort. These earbuds are large in comparison to other in-ear earbuds that are currently available, but they are light and only create a slight presence on each ear.

The charging case includes a built-in battery that allows the case to be charged and in turn charge the earbuds from depleted to full about 4 times, before the case itself needs to be recharged. Within the charging case, there are two built-in micro USB cables that have to be plugged into each earbud for charging. There is a LED on each earbud that is red when charging, and white when fully charged. The separate micro USB cable that is provided is used to charge the case. There are additional ear-tips that are provided in different sizes. I switched from the ones that came attached to the smallest ones provided.

The earbuds have to be powered on individually, but only one has to be paired to the phone. Pairing is accomplished by holding down the power button for about 5 seconds until it blinks blue and red, which is typical of most earbuds. The pairing process was very easy, and I soon realized that I had the option to pair one earbud, or both earbuds individually. This is an interesting feature that allows each to function separately, for all of the functions including music and phone. Once both earbuds are powered on and the voice command for connected is heard, a second voice command confirms “true wireless stereo” connection. I sometimes heard the “true wireless stereo” confirmation prior to the “connected” confirmation in one or the other earbud. I suspect that this is quite normal since once any one of the earbuds is connected via Bluetooth, they connect to each other to provide the stereo experience without the need for the other to be connected individually. This, of course, is why only one earbud has to be paired if so desired. When using both earbuds, the volume and track controls on either one work for both. I mention this because if using one, you will notice that the volume setting may be completely different than when in stereo mode, since it reverts to the setting of the individual earbud.

Performance:

The Rowkin Surge Charge wireless earbuds are an absolute pleasure to listen to. The Bass, Mids and Highs are well balanced, and are easy but fulfilling on the ears. Out of the dozen or so wireless earbuds/earphones that I have tested so far, these sound the best. However, I did experience several momentary individual dropouts and disconnections, but I cannot really qualify the disconnections since the same happens to some of my other Bluetooth earphones, and usually at or close to the same locations. While it is likely that there is some environmental cause that is accountable for some of the disconnections, I suspect that most were the fault of the earbuds. At times either earbud would fade and then regain the normal connection and volume, and a few times they disconnected and reconnected. While it is very annoying when these events occur, they were not what I considered a “deal breaker”, since they only occurred once or twice during an hour of listening.

When using these earbuds for phone calls the sound quality is clear, and I received the same confirmation from the other party on the call. With normal use, the charge lasted a bit over 4 hours before the “battery low” warning was heard.

What I like

I really like the sound and clarity of these earbuds. They provide a pleasurable and comfortable listening experience irrespective of the volume. I like that they can operate individually, and that you are not forced to use one particular ear for phone use. The time between recharges is acceptable, and the ability to recharge them via the case is a plus.

What can be improved

The biggest issue I find is the way the earbuds charge. Unlike most earbuds that are housed in a charging case, each of these has to be physically plugged into the micro USB plugs that are built into the inside of the case. I am used to just having to drop my earbuds into the case, and the built-in contacts do the rest. For me, this is a major negative. I also would like to see the size reduced so that no ear strap is needed, and so that they are lighter, albeit that I suspect that the size has something to do with the great sound and the individual operational features.

Final thoughts

The Rowkin Surge Charge wireless headphones are great to listen to, and once the time is taken to fit them properly to each ear, they do not disappoint. They are somewhat large and therefore not inconspicuous. The great features that they offer are also a plus, but they may not be able to overcome the many other available earbuds that offer smaller and lighter devices, with true wireless charging. That being said, I will continue to use them until I find a similar pair with comparable operational features and sound reproduction, along with a better design.

Price: $119.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Rowkin.

The post Rowkin Surge Charge wireless earbuds review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Rowkin Surge Charge wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 30, 2018 at 1:32 pm.

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Jabra’s Elite Sports truly wireless earbuds were my favorite earbuds of 2017, perhaps ever… Their secure fit, comfort, quality, rugged build, and sound experience was second to none in the cord-less, fitness world of music listening. Though recently Jabra has introduced several additions to their Elite line of wireless earbuds: Elite 45e, Elite 65t, and Elite Active 65t. For this review, Jabra has sent me the Elite 65t’s to give them a try and see if they live up to the originals I’ve come to know and love.

What are they?

The Elite 65t’s are Jabra’s second generation of truly wireless earbuds with improved sound quality, a better, more secure fit, and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. These lightweight earbuds are not only comfortable with a secure fit but engineered/optimized for listening to music, videos, and participating in calls.

Design and features

The Elite 65t’s design is a departure from Jabra’s classic fin-stabilized form factor. Unlike its predecessor, the 65t’s molded shape is all that is needed to securely hold the earbuds in your ears. Inserting them into your ears is a simple quarter turn process…as easy as turning a 90-degree valve.

The exterior of the earbuds is made of a gray metallic plastic with Jabra stamped in the center of both multifunction buttons. Each earbud has two microphones for better ambient noise and wind reduction, making for crisp clear calls on both sides of the conversation. The rest/majority of the Elite 65t earbuds are a hardened black plastic, each with a pair of metal connectors for charging in their case.

Build quality and style:

The Elite 65t earbuds’ material and build quality are both very good, as you would expect from a high-end and relatively expensive set of headphones. The Elite 65t’s have a very tight build and an IP55 rating against dust and water, meaning they can survive moderately sweaty, rainy workouts. Jabra offers a one year warranty on parts and workmanship and two years against failure due to dust, sweat, and weather.

The Elite earbuds are direct competitors of Apple’s AirBuds and crush them in nearly every category including: secure fit, features, controls, and overall looks. I admit style is subjective, but Apple’s earbuds look like white dangly earrings from the 1980’s that could come falling out @anytime. The Elite’s secure fit, compact design, and subdued looks are much more me.

Package Contents:

• Jabra Elite 65t
• Charging case
• Micro USB cable
• 3 sets of silicon EarGels
• Quick Start

Charging & Storage:

The charging case is small, black, and well made. It is meant to not only charge the Elite earbuds but store, transport, and protect them as well. The case is powered by a micro USB charging port on the base. There is an associated status LED meant to let you know when it needs to be recharged, is charging, or fully powered up.

The top third of the case opens to reveal two form-fitting spaces for the earbuds, with a LED in between that lets you know if the headphones are fully charged and ready to go. The lid has a tight and very firm seal that can be tricky or an effort to open. But with a bit of practice and use, opening the lid becomes easier as the case/mechanism wears in. When the earbuds are in the case, LEDs on their exterior momentarily pulse, depending on how charged they are (green) or that they’ve made contact with the charging points as you store/charge them (red).

Jabra promises 5 hours of use before needing to recharge. The storage case has an internal battery with two additional charges before the 65t + case needs to be plugged back in. If your earbuds run out of power and you want to use them on the fly, a quick 10-15 minute charge gives an hour plus of listening, long enough for most runs, commutes, phone calls, even most shows and videos.

The earbuds themselves are relatively lightweight (the right-ear at 6.5g, the left, 5.8g) and so comfortable, you barely know they’re there. The right bud has a single multipurpose button for call answering, pausing/playing music, and pinging your smart-devices’ digital assistance (longer press) and the left is a rocker button with two small tabs for managing volume and track skip/repeat (longer press).

Fit and Comfort:

Jabra includes three sets/sizes of silicon EarGels meant to help find an ideal, custom fit. With the right fit, the Elite 65t earbuds are very comfortable to wear producing excellent sound. Jabra’s new wingless design works extremely well, providing a secure fit second to none. Once inserted into my ears, I rarely had to adjust them for comfort or better sound. Even when pressing either multifunction buttons (aka adjusting volume or answering a call), the Elite 65t’s remain securely in place.

The easiest way to get them properly situated/inserted is to position each earbud with the arm facing straight down, and then twisting backward. The arms should point toward your face with a slight downward angle, as pictured above.

Sound Quality:

As with most/all earbuds, the better the earplug-type of fit you can get, the better the sound quality and passive sound isolation. Overall the sound experience was excellent on all fronts: music, video, calls, and video chat. Bottom line: the Elite 65t’s are the best sounding earbuds I have ever used or tried.

Companion App:

The Elite 65t earbuds work and sound great straight out of the box. That said, the Jabra Sound+  is a companion app that enables you to tweak your experience as you see fit. The app is available for Android and iOS and has a handful of useful features including: Voice Assistant, Audio Experience, Call Experience and Equalizer. The software also allows you to see how much battery life each earpiece has left and whether or not it is time to update the Elite’s firmware.

• Voice Assistant allows you to toggle between your smartphone’s default assistant, Siri, Google, or Amazon Alexa (coming soon). I tried this feature with Siri and it worked just fine.
• Call Experience allows you to adjust the volume of your voice you hear on the call, enhance the treble or bass on the call, and hear the name of the incoming caller (aka caller ID).
• Audio Experience allows you to toggle on/off the HearThrough function, Auto Pause, and Headset Prompts.
• The Music Equalizer enables you to manually adjust a five-band equalizer, which ranges from 60 hertz to 14 kilohertz. This feature works well though I was more than satisfied with Jabra’s default sound.

As with its predecessor, when it is time to update the earbud’s firmware the app will let you know. As you proceed, the app prompts you to place the earbuds in the charging case then the LED status light flashes purple to signify the update is in progress. The light flashes green when the process is complete.

Connectivity:

The Elite 65t’s can be paired with eight different devices but unlike its earlier siblings, they can be connected to two devices at a time (multi-connect). When removed from their case, they automatically connect to the last paired device it was streaming to. When you remove one bud from either ear (as in, to have a conversation with someone) they automatically pause whatever you are listening to and start again when reinserted. They disconnect when placed in the charging/storage case. The Elite 65t’s worked very well with all the devices I paired them with from my Apple Watch to my laptop.

What I like

• Solid, secure, comfortable fit
• Excellent sound quality
• Great call quality
• Solid passive noise isolation
• 5 hr battery life (15 w/case)
• Zero video lag

What needs to be improved

• Not fully water-resistant

Final thoughts

As I stated above, the Jabra’s Elite Sports continue to be one of my favorite earbuds, especially for epic, sweat-soaked workouts. That said, the Elite 65t’s have become my new goto headphones the rest of the time. Their comfort, secure fit, sound quality, and overall design are excellent and really the truly wireless earbuds to beat. I worry a bit about damaging/destroying them during an extra sweaty workout thus the reason I continue to use the Sports during long runs. But overall, I carry the Jabra Elite 65t earbuds with me throughout my day for listening to music on the bus ride into work, video on the elliptical machine, running stairs @lunch, or just walking around town.

Price: $169.99
Where to buy: The Elite 65t’s are available from Jabra or Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Jabra.

The post Jabra Elite 65t true wireless earbuds review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Jabra Elite 65t true wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 15, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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