REVIEW – During 2018, many readers followed my reviews of wireless Bluetooth earbuds and my quest to find the best earbuds for me. The criteria included the sound quality that I like as an Audiophile as well as great function as a phone accessory and of course they had to fit securely and comfortably. By the end of the year, I did have a #1 pair of earbuds from KNZ that still hold that position, followed by a tie for the #2 position between the earbuds from Aimus and Lux. It is important to keep in mind that this quest/contest does not include any Bluetooth headphones that I have reviewed. I have decided that since there is always a new offering on the market, that the quest will continue for 2019. So let’s see how it went with the T5 True Wireless Earbuds by MPOW.

What is it?

The T5 True Wireless Earbuds from MPOW are a pair of lightweight, mid-sized earbuds that are designed for listening to music and conducting phone calls. They also work with Android, Windows and IOS systems, and should be compatible with most Bluetooth equipped mobile devices.

What’s in the box?

1 x MPOW T5 Earbuds
1 x Micro USB Charging Cable
3 x Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x Hand Strap
1 x User Manual
1 x Charging Instruction Card

Design and features

Features

• Smart Switch Between Twin & Single Mode
• Both the Left and Right earbud can work separately. You can switch to single and twin mode freely
• Compatible System: Android/Windows/iOS
• Powered by the upgraded chip and adopting latest Bluetooth 5.0
• Extended Usage Time of Earbuds. When fully charged, the earbuds can support up to 7 hours music playtime
• Built-in 50mAh battery of each earbud

Specifications

Connectivity: True Wireless & Bluetooth 5.0
Communication Distance: ≥10 meters
Stand-by Time (Connection status): 92 hours(L); 110 hours(R)
Speaker frequency response: 20Hz-20KHz
Charging case capacity: 280mA
Waterproof Rating: IPX7

The Mpow T5 earbuds are what I would call mid-sized, but very lightweight.

The surface of each earbud is the multi-function button.

At the back of the charging case, there is the micro USB port for charging the case.

Mpow also includes a hand strap, and there is a slot to attach it on one side of the charging case.

Performance

When I received these earbuds, they were 97% charged, so I just got right down to the business at hand. Once I removed them from the charging case, I powered them on and shortly thereafter they appeared on my phone as a choice in the list of available Bluetooth devices. I selected them and they immediately paired. After the initial pairing, I have repeated the process each time I use them to see how they would connect and the connection is always swift and easy. When I place them in the charging case, they automatically disconnect from my Bluetooth, but amazingly, and this is something I really like, my iPhone still shows their level of charge once they are within range of my phone. The Bluetooth connection remains rock solid.

For daily listening to music, these earbuds are nice. They do not have a volume limiter like some others, so audiophile folks like myself will likely turn down the volume a bit, while other folks that like to listen to music really loud, will like them. There is good presence and separation of the low, mid and high frequencies, with a bit of distortion in the highs if the volume is turned up all the way. While they are not audiophile grade, they are decent.

In terms of phone use, I was expecting great quality because these earbuds claim to have built-in Mics that support CVC8.0 that is much more advanced than others in the market and to offer phone calls of higher quality. With the exception of a few earbuds that I have tested, I have encountered major phone call quality issues with most of them. I still have not ascertained whether this is a personal issue, but a few of them worked very well. My experience with these has not been good. The party on the other end of the call can hardly hear me unless I speak quite loudly. However, I can hear them quite clearly. So far, the charge on the case and the earbuds both seem to last forever. Since the last full charge, I have been using them for  5 days for approximately 1 3/4 hours and they recharge each time to 100%. The charging case still has all 4 LEDs lit indicating that the level of charge left in the battery is greater than 75%. (I would assume this is how the charge is measured)

The following are the operational procedures for these Mpow T5 earbuds:

• Once charged, they enter pairing mode automatically when removed from the charging case. They disconnect automatically when placed into the charging case.
• A short press on the MFB to answer/hangup/reject calls, and to play/pause music.

What I like

• They are lightweight
• They fit well in my ears and remain secure
• They sound decent for everyday listening

What can be improved

• Call quality (This may be a personal issue)

Final thoughts

The MPOW T5 True Wireless Earbuds are well built and lightweight. For daily use, they sound good, and they fit well in my ears and never fall out despite vigorous movements. As I mentioned before, they are not audiophile grade, but at their cost, they are not expected to be. If the phone quality issue is, in fact, one that is somehow a personal one for me, then they would be a great choice for many. I do think that many folks will also like the music listening experience they provide. Because of the phone quality issue, they do not make it into my top five, but they are certainly worth trying.

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by MPOW.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

MPOW T5 True Wireless Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 18, 2019 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

REVIEW – At this point in my quest to find the best wireless earbuds for me, I pretty much know what my minimum requirements are including sound, size, connectivity, stability, etc. I have been using one pair for a while now that has withstood the test of time and that I have been quite satisfied with. However, that does not mean that the contest is over or that I have settled on my current pair. So, let’s see what the LUX Wireless Earbuds from Ashley Chloe have to offer to the quest and challenge.

What is it?

The LUX Wireless Earbuds from Ashley Chloe are a pair of lightweight earbuds that are designed for listening to music and conducting phone calls. They also work with Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant and should be compatible with most Bluetooth equipped mobile devices.

What’s in the box

1 x LUX Wireless Earbuds
1 x 3 Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x Charging Case

Design and features

Specifications:

Dimensions: Earbud: 0.55” (D) x 0.82” (L), Portable charging case: 1.48” (D) x 3.19” (L)
Weight: Earbud: 0.18 oz. (5g) each, Portable charging case: 1.92oz (54.4g)
Battery type: Rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
Battery input: Earbud: 5V / 35mA, Portable charging case: 5V / 1A, to earbuds: 5V / 120mA
Battery output: Earbud: 60mAh, Portable charging case: 480mAh
Charging time: Earbud: ≤70 minutes
Portable charging case: ≤150 minutes
Standby time (power on): about 70 hours
Standby time (power off): about 120 days
Music/talk time: up to 3.5 hours
Frequency response: 20Hz-20 kHz
Bluetooth version: 5.0
Bluetooth Profiles: HFP, HSP, AVRCP, A2DP, and SPP
Number of recharges from the case: 3

These earbuds come in a relatively small charging case and they are quite small. The charging case is all black with the exception of the brand name that is showcased on both sides.

When the case is open there are 4 LEDs on one side that show the charge level of the battery in the case. Each LED represents 25% of charge.

On the opposite side of the case, there is the USB charging port.

When the earbuds are in the case and being charged, the LED on each earbud blinks red.

In the picture below,  I have enlarged a photo of the earbud so that the tiny control button can be clearly seen.

The diagrams below show the operating functions of each little button on each earbud.

Performance

When you first open the box with these earbuds, you soon realize that there is no included paper User Guide which for me is ok, but may not be ok for everyone. The instructions inside of the box tell you to charge the earbuds and then to go to the Ashley Chloe website to continue. After I fully charged the earbuds I took them out of the charging case and as per the instructions online, I placed them next to each other. They automatically synced with each other and the right earbud started flashing red and white indicating that is was then in pairing mode. Pairing was easy and quick and they were ready for listening to music and of course conducting phone calls. There were times when the earbuds were not already on when I took them out of the case. To turn them on, you have to press and hold each earbud for five seconds and they power on and automatically pair once they were initially paired. One issue that I have encountered is that at random times they will take more than 30 seconds to pair as opposed to the usual 4 or 5 seconds. Another issue is that each time I have to use the buttons on the earbuds it is very difficult because of their very small size. I actually control my music from my phone because of my dislike of the small buttons and I have become very frustrated when trying to use them to manipulate the functions. I also dislike that the left and right marking on each respective earbud is so small and so light that I would either have to strain and squint my eyes to see which earbud was the right one or I would have to use my reading glasses. I do have 20/13 vision.

Otherwise, these earbuds function well and hold their charge for a long time. Using them approximately 90 minutes each day for 5 days weekly, I only recharge the case once weekly.

I listened as I usually do to several genres including Contemporary Jazz, Easy Listening, The Classics, Gospel, etc., and I enjoyed the sound across all of the genres. While not audiophile quality, the sound is quite good and well balanced for the lows, mids, and highs. Once listening to a quality track, there was no real discernable distortion in any frequency range.

Of course, I also tested these on phone call functions and was pleasantly surprised at how well they worked for both parties on the call. I usually encounter issues with using earbuds for phone calls where I cannot hear the other party or they cannot hear me. These earbuds worked well.

If you would like to read the full manual for these earbuds, click here.

What I like

• Surprisingly I like the size
• The weight
• The rock solid Bluetooth connection
• The nicely balanced sound

What can be improved

• The opening distance of the charging case so that it is easier to remove the earbuds
• The consistency of the pairing time.
• Brighter left and right side markings

Final thoughts

The LUX Wireless Earbuds from Ashley Chloe are actually quite good for daily use and have a nice sound. While not audiophile grade, they certainly accomplish what they are designed to do and they do it at a very reasonable price. I was not sure how I would like the very small footprint of these earbuds, but they are very comfortable and very secure in my ears. They have a volume limiter that makes them nice to listen to even at the highest volume of my iPhone, and their Bluetooth connection is rock solid. Other than my pet peeve about my difficulty removing them from their charging case, and the occasional longer than usual pairing time, I definitely think that they are worth the purchase and I give them two thumbs up!!

Price: $84.99
Where to buy: Ashley Chloe and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Ashley Chloe

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

LUX Wireless Earbuds from Ashley Chloe review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 20, 2018 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

REVIEW – We’re big fans of wireless earphones ’round here at The Gadgeteer, and every of us have reviewed many pairs, myself included.  I’m always on the lookout for a pair that is moisture-proof and durable enough to survive my fairly rigorous workouts.  Having reviewed a few pairs of Optoma NuForce Bluetooth wireless earphones in the past, so when Julie offered me the opportunity to try out a pair of Optoma’s latest, the NuForce BE Live 5, I was pretty excited.  Let’s check ’em out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The Optoma NuForce BE Live 5 wireless earphones are Optoma’s latest generation of Bluetooth wireless earphones that feature lower-profile earbuds, stylish design, moisture resistance, long battery life, and other features.

Hardware specs

• Color options: Black or Gold
• Driver type: 8mm, dynamic graphene
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Impedance: 15 Ohms
• Microphone sensitivity: -42 +/-3 dB
• Bluetooth type: V4.1
• Bluetooth range: 33 feet (10 meters)
• Bluetooth profile: A2DP V1.2 (AAC, aptX, SBC), HFP V1.6, AVRCP V1.4, HSP V1.2
• Sensitivity: 95dB +/-3dB at 1KHz
• Weight: 0.49 oz
• Audio support: AAC and aptX
• Moisture resistance: IPX5 rating
• Battery life: 8 hours of playback time

What’s in the package?

• Optoma NuForce BE Live 5 wireless earphones with Cable Loop
• Earwings in 3 sets of sizes (Small, Medium and Large)
• Silicone tips in 3 sets of sizes (Small, Medium and Large)
• “Comply” foam tips in 2 sets of sizes (Medium and Large)
• Micro USB charging cable
• Storage case
• Instruction manuals

Design and features

As pictured above, the BE Live 5 includes multiple styles and sizes of ear tips to give the user plenty of options to fit their ears and their preferences.  Along the top row are small, medium and large sizes of silicone “earwings” used to help retain the earbuds in your ears, the middle row are small, medium and large sizes of silicone earbud tips, and the bottom row are medium and large sizes of Comply foam tips (more detail in the photo below).

The Comply Isolation tips are made of foam and provide a bit more ambient sound blocking than the silicon tips.  They work best when squeezed and compressed down a bit, placed in the ear, then allowed to expand to conform to the ear canal.

The photo above illustrates the setup that I used most for this review, which included the medium size “earwings” and the large size Comply foam tips.

The NuForce BE Live 5 casings are made of aluminum and polycarbonate and Optoma has done a good job of reducing their size and mass from previous designs so that they are less likely to fall out of your ears due to their weight.  In addition, their drivers include 8mm magnets that are 30% larger than other earphones which help produce clearer sound.  Optoma also claims IPX5 water and sweat resistance, and in practice, I found that even with my waterfalls of sweat during workouts, it never failed (at least in a way that would attribute to moisture of any kind).  In fact, I wore the BE Live 5 for a run in a light rain one day, and they were unaffected.

A simple feature that I noticed and liked immediately was that Optoma marked the “Right” and “Left” earbud brightly and in different colors, which make these marking much easier to read quickly.

As with Optoma’s previous NuForce products, the BE Live 5 have magnets embedded into the back of the casings such that they magnetically stick to each other.   This can come in handy if you are wearing them and want to remove them from your ears for a moment but not set them down somewhere (and perhaps misplace them).  You can just place them around your neck and let the magnets clasp together, turning the BE Live 5’s into a sort of necklace.

The BE Live 5 have an inline remote that is used to control its function.  It’s a simple design that has three buttons, +, O, and -.  Each of these serves various functions such as song advance or rewind, volume up/down, phone call answer/hang up and so forth.  Pairing with my phone was simple, and I should also mention that the BE Live 5 are capable of being paired with multiple devices, such as a phone and a laptop.

The side of the inline remote has a small cover with a lightning bolt symbol on it.  This cover protects the Micro USB charging port, as shown below.

Above, the included Micro USB cable is shown plugged into the BE Live 5’s charging port, with the charging port cover carefully rotated to the side.  The cover is a bit fragile in this position, so beware of it breaking off.  Also seen in the image above is a tiny hole for the BE Live 5’s microphone, which enables phone calls or voice commands (as through Apple’s Siri or “Hey, Google”).  Regarding battery life, Optoma touts that it takes 2.5 hours to fully charge the BE Live 5, giving a full 8 hours of use, and I’d guess this is roughly accurate.  I was able to use the BE Live 5 for 4 or 5 workout sessions of about 1.5 hours each.

Above, the tiny LED is shown in red when the battery is charging.

Above, a tiny blue light is shown illuminated on the inline remote, indicating that the BE Live 5 is fully charged.

As do many similar wireless earphones, the BE Live 5 includes a small Cable Loop that holds the cable together and can be used to tighten the headphones up and better stabilize them against your head.

The Optoma Nuforce BE Live 5 includes a clamshell-style storage case made from a molded foam with a zipper closure. The outside of the case is covered with a gray fabric that gives is a classy look and feel.

There is a small mesh pocket on one of the inside halves of the case where I placed the included Micro USB charging cable.

The BE Live 5 fit well in my ears, especially with the Comply foam tips, and the “earwings” did help to keep them secure, even during activities.  However, between my apparently large ear canals and my likely higher than average intensity workouts (which generate a ridiculous amount of sweat), the BE Live 5 tips, did not stay put in my ears.  I’ve given up being critical of wireless earphones for this, because I think I am a pretty extreme user, but bear this in mind if you have extremely large ear canals and/or work out to the point of profuse sweat production and motion.

Above, you can see that the BE Live 5 do stick out of the ear a bit, but I think they are lower profile than other wireless earphones that I’ve tried.

Now, how about their sound?  I really liked the Optoma BE Live 5’s sound, especially with the Comply foam tips, which I think help keep the ambient sound out and the intended sound in.  They don’t have super deep bass, but in this geometric size and shape, I wouldn’t expect that. However, Optoma has done a really good job of improving the sound quality of each of their successive wireless earphones and the BE Live 5 represents their state of the art.

What I like

• Cool styling
• Very moisture and sweat resistant
• Lightweight and low profile
• Long battery life

What needs to be improved

• They fell out of my ears during vigorous activities

Final thoughts

I really like these Optoma BE Live 5 wireless earphones.  Optoma has done well with continuing to improve their product designs, and the BE Live 5 represents their state of the art.  Their styling is top notch and incorporated into this are lighter weight, lower profile earbud pieces that stay in your ear better and the multiple tips and ear wings help the user customize their comfort level for their preference.  Their battery life was impressive at somewhere between 6.5 and 7.5 hours for me, and their sweat and moisture resistance is solid.  Their sound is clear and sharp.  I still feel they are a bit pricey at their $99.99 retail price, but if you can manage to find them on sale for any kind of a discount, they are worth a serious look (and listen).

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The product sample for this review was provided by NuForce.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Optoma NuForce BE Live 5 wireless earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 21, 2018 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

REVIEW – Here we go again as I continue my enjoyable challenge of finding the “perfect” earbuds for my taste. So far, I have enjoyed some beautiful contenders, but I still think that somewhere out there are earbuds that will “wow” me beyond my imagination. The SoundFlux Earbuds by KNZ Technology are the next contestants. Let’s see how they do!

What is it?

The SoundFlux Earbuds by KNZ Technology are a pair of small and lightweight earbuds that like all others are designed for listening to music and conducting phone calls. As with most earbuds, they should be compatible with most Bluetooth equipped mobile devices.

What’s in the box

1 x Pair of SoundFlux Earbuds
3 x Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x Charging Case
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x Instruction Manual
1 x KNZ Sticker

Design and features

Specifications:

Operating Instructions:

These earbuds are small and sleek and angled to fit easily and perfectly in your ears.

On the surface of each earbud, there is a sleek silver control button, and above it is a status LED.

On the front of the case is the KNZ branding and on the inside, there are the 2 charging slots and connectors.

At the back of the charging case, there is an on/off charging button, a micro USB charging port and a status LED.

Performance:

The KNZ wireless earbuds are very attractive and comfortable despite what first appears to be an odd shape.

When I placed them in my ears it was obvious that a lot of thought was put into the design because they fit in a way that makes them very secure and they nicely match to the contour of your ears. They are also very easy to set up. Once you charge them and take them out of the charging case, they go into pairing mode and you just need to select them in your mobile device Bluetooth settings. These are the first earbuds that have managed to take my listening to an entirely new level where earbuds are concerned. In my opinion, these earbuds have managed to cross the line into entry-level audiophile category. The lows, mids, and highs are beautifully separated and smoothly co-exist so that every audio characteristic is nicely present.

The maximum volume is as such that there is no distortion and the low frequency is also void of distortion. They do a great job of reproducing the pure musical genres of jazz and classical music as well as my other favorites, like easy listening, ballads, the classics, and gospel, and the reproduction is very detailed.
For phone use, they work very well and I did not experience any issues on either side of the conversation. The noise canceling works well, and the Bluetooth connectivity is rock solid.  I did not experience even one involuntary disconnection.

The only issue I encounter is that when I power off the charging case with the earbuds in it, or whenever it automatically powers off after charging the earbuds, if my phone is close, the earbuds automatically connect to my phone. In many cases when I cannot figure out why I am not able to hear a call I answer or make, or listen to audio directly from my phone, I realize that the earbuds have reconnected. The connection is very strong and the functional distance quite long, so this constantly happens when I am walking around my home. My current “fix”. is to physically power them off via their MFB button.

What I like

• The build quality
• The design
• The great sound
• Great value for the price

What can be improved

• For its price range and quality, I can’t think of anything that can be improved

Final thoughts

For as long as I have been on this earbuds quest, I had my expectations set at a self-determined level primarily because I always believed that earbuds have many limitations that keep them from even scratching the surface of the audiophile category, which so far for me has been dominated by large over-the-ear headphones. These KNZ earbuds have redefined my expectations and made it harder for any future earbud contestants to claim supremacy. For now, KNZ owns the #1 position. Two thumbs up and well done!!!

Price: $74 (Intro price)
Where to buy: Pre-order via the KNZ Technology website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by KNZ Technology

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

KNZ SoundFlux dual driver wireless headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 15, 2018 at 10:04 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.