REVIEW – When I review many products from one company, it can be hard to differentiate similar efforts. Such has been the case with Master & Dynamic’s various headphones. They are all based on a similar (but beautiful) design esthetic. And they are all excellent headphones—if a bit expensive. This is—and isn’t—different. Master & Dynamic has ventured into the totally wireless arena as only they can. The MW07 True Wireless Earphones are not me-too earphones—not by a long shot. They are about as unique as they can be in an increasingly crowded wireless earphone market. The MW07 earphones do hold on to one M&D trait among its products—they are expensive. But are they worth it?

Master & Dynamic’s headphones are not cheap—there’s no getting around that. However, Their headphones are made as well or better than many I can think of. We’re talking all metal and leather—no plastic exterior parts. The quality is apparent when holding and wearing them. Thankfully, M&D’s audio quality matches the materials used. A slightly warm sound approach has become M&D’s trademark that’s evident in all of their headphones. That trademark sound has now been successfully transferred into the MW07 wireless earphones.

What is it?

The Master & Dynamic MW07 true wireless earphones are just that—truly wireless. There are no wires anywhere. Each earphone is independent of the other, giving the listener a freedom unmatched by semi-wireless Bluetooth earphones. The MW07 wireless earphones are made of handcrafted acetate. They come in four colors: Matte black, tortoiseshell, grey terrazzo and steel blue. The earphones come with what M&D calls “fit wings”. More on these wings later.

Specs

• Dimensions:
  Earphones 1 in. (L) X .87 in. (W)
  Case: 2.5 in. (L) X 1 in. (D) X 1.75 in. (W)
• Driver: 10mm Beryllium
• Weight:
  Earphones: .3 oz.
  Case: 2.7 oz.
• Materials: Acetate body, stainless steel case
• Battery life:
  Earphone: 3.5 hrs.
  Case: 3 full charges
• Bluetooth: 4.2 aptX
• Range: 65 ft.
• Waterproof: IPX4 splash proof

What’s in the Box

• Earphones
• USB Adaptor
• USB-C Charging Cable
• Canvas Earphone Pouch
• Fit-Wings
• Ear tips

Design and features

The MW07 earphones are lightweight and comfortable over long listening periods, although after a couple of hours, I began to feel they were there. The fit wings help make the MW07 earphones more comfortable and more secure in the ear. At no time did they feel loose. 

The more I wear the earphones, the more amazed I am at the genius of the fit wings. They come in two sizes and the silicone “fingers” provide just enough force to hold them in place without applying any unwanted pressure. I’m not sure if these wings are patented, but I’ve never seen them on other earphones. Their use is optional, but I highly recommend trying them out before dismissing them as a gimmick.

The MW07 earphones come with 5 sizes of silicone ear tips in clearly marked tiny bags. The fit wings come in two sizes: Medium and large. A more varied tip selection should have been offered at this pice range— there are no foam or flanged ear tips included. However, you shouldn’t have any problem finding an ear tip that fits.

The MW07 earphones are double-protected. When not in use, they are stored in the chrome charging case which can be kept inside an included canvas carrying pouch. Although the chrome case is a fingerprint magnet, it reeks of style. It has three charging lights and secure snap-shut lid. The lights indicate whether the case or earphones need recharging with green, yellow or red lights. The earphones fit only one way inside the case so left and right can’t be mixed up. Note that storing the earphones with the fit wings attached has a tighter fit than without.

Removing the MW07 earphones turns them on and starts the pairing process. There are buttons on both the left and right earphone. The left earphone has two buttons that control volume. It’s the right earphone that does all the work. Its single button controls play/pause/skip functions, as well as pairing and voice assist activation. That’s a lot for one button to do and it requires a slight learning curve to memorize. Also, the right earphone will work without the left one, but not the other way around. That’s not ideal for me because my left eye and ear are dominant.  

The speaker drivers are made of 10mm high-performance Beryllium that results in a warmish sound. This simply means that your music will exhibit a bit more bass. Normally in this price range, you might think that a more equal setting of low, mid and high frequencies would be ideal, but a slight boost in the low end helps make music more pleasant to listen to—especially for longer periods. This is the sweet spot that the MW07 earphones strive for and hit. They sound more like a good pair of headphones than a pair of totally wireless earbuds—and that’s a really good thing.

It doesn’t seem to matter what genre of music you prefer, the MW07 earphones handle them all with ease. They are forgiving enough so lower resolution music files can sound good without digital artifacts being brought out in glaring detail. As a fan of 60s-80s music, I listen mostly to analog recordings that have been converted to digital. Even if analog’s inherent graininess and compression remain, the MW07 earphones don’t care.

The intro of The Moody Blues “Question of Balance” album begins with an energetic strumming of an acoustic guitar when a crescendo of sound suddenly pounds you without letting up. This aural slam from the MW07 earphones is applied to full effect—especially at high volume. The opening to “Seventh Sojourn” is only slightly less impactful on the MW07 earphones. The driving, primal beat of “Lost in a Lost World” underlays the revolutionary (but dated) lyrics about earthly catastrophes. 

David Bowie’s cover of the Johnny Mathis classic “Wild is the Wind has him crooning as good as Sinatra ever did. The MW07 earphones show how good a singer Bowie was when he wanted to be. His voice displays an emotion that even Mathis didn’t show in the original. Add some kick-butt percussion and your ears are in for a treat. A perfect follow-up to Bowie is Fun.’s “We are Young” with a backbeat that you can feel as well as hear. Again, at high volume, the MW07 earphones don’t disappoint.

What I like

The MW07 earphones Have a lot going for them, They’re much more comfortable than most truly wireless earbuds. They’re hand-made from premium materials with a sound to match. The stainless steel chrome case is a step up from everyone else’s plastic versions. They are definitely expensive, but they look and feel what they cost.

What needs to be improved

You can’t get around the $300 price when many other good wireless earphones cost half that. Bluetooth is 4.2—not the newest version 5. 

Final Thoughts

Master & Dynamic have hit it out of the park with their first entry into the wireless earphone arena. If you can afford the steep price of admission, you will be rewarded with a comfortable fit and stellar sound—two things not usually associated with totally wireless earphones. Highly recommended.

Price: $299 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The samples for this product were provided by Master & Dynamic.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Master & Dynamic MW07 True Wireless Earphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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REVIEW – My personal quest to find my next favorite pair of Bluetooth headphones continues with the Mobvoi TicPod Free wireless earbuds which are reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods. The TicPods Free was an incredibly successful Indiegogo campaign that earned 2.8 million! Let’s check them out.

What is it?

The TicPod Free earbuds are Bluetooth earbuds that are completely wireless without a cable that connects the left and right earbuds to each other.

Hardware specs

Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.2
Speaker – 92dB +/- 3dB SPL
Noise cancellation – Yes
Battery life with case – 18 hours
Battery life on single charge – 4 hours
Fast charging – Yes 1.5hr
Water resistance rating – IPX5

What’s in the box?

TicPods Free Bluetooth earbuds
Extra set of ear tips
Charging case and lanyard
micro USB charging cable

Design and features

I’ve never tried Apple’s Airpods, but the TicPods Free earbuds certainly share a similar design with  “stems” that point down from your ears. The TicPods Free earbuds are a little more adventurous than Airpods because they come in a lava red color in addition to navy blue and white versions. As you can see, Mobvoi sent me the red version.

The earbuds feel solid and feature replaceable ear tips and a touch-enabled stem. Each earbud is clearly marked so you’ll know which ear it goes in. There are also two electrical contacts on each earbud stem for charging purposes.

The TicPods Free comes with a handy storage/charging case. Magnets hold the earbuds in place and as soon as you flip open the case’s cover, the earbuds will automatically power on and reconnect to the previously paired device. When you place the earbuds back in the case, they will power off, disconnect from the paired device, and charge. The case itself has a built-in battery which charges with the included micro USB cable. The earbuds will recharge within 1.5hrs after being placed in the case.

Fit and comfort

I’m happy to report that the TicPods Free is the most comfortable pair of earbuds that I’ve tested so far. The left bud fits perfect, but the right one is a little more fiddly. But that’s just me and my ears. Everyone will have a different fit and feel due to individual ear shapes. But for me, I can wear the TicPods Free for hours on end with no ear fatigue which is a big deal since most earbuds become painful for me within minutes of wearing them.

I can’t comment on how well these earbuds will stay in your ears if you wear them during workouts or while running. I used them while doing my workouts, but I don’t jump up and down a lot. That said, they didn’t fall out during the movements I did do.

The small ear tips do provide noise isolation which you may or may not like.

Touch controls

There’s good news here too. I usually hate touch controls on wireless earbuds because they require me to tap harder and harder to get the gesture to be recognized and as a result, my ear starts hurting from all that pounding. That’s not the case with the TicPods Free. The double tap to answer/end a call or advance to the next song works great as does the slide up and down gesture to adjust volume. Then there’s the tap and hold on the left bud stem to play/pause and on the right stem, the same gesture initiates voice assistant (Google or Siri). If you do the same gesture on either earbud while in a call, the call will be rejected.

I really love that I can leave my phone in my pocket or across the room and still be able to change tracks and adjust volume.

Audio quality for music and calls

More good news! Audio quality on the TicPods Free is awesome. I tested the earbuds with Spotify, Amazon music and other streaming services, and was very happy with the audio quality of the music. Even bass lines sound better than so many other Bluetooth earbuds that I’ve tested.

In calls, the TicPod Free earbuds sounded fine on my side of the conversation, but on the opposite side of the call, I was told that I sounded a bit muffled but no so more than when I’ve tested other Bluetooth earbuds. Note that due to their in-ear noise isolation style fit, you’ll hear your own voice in your head as you talk.

Multiple device usage?

From what I can tell, you can only pair with one device at a time.

One earbud usage?

There’s a feature built into these earbuds which will automatically pause music if you remove one of the earbuds from your ear and will resume when you put the earbud back in your ear. While this feature is nice, I often like to use only the left earbud to listen to music when I’m at work so that I can hear things that are going on around me and I can talk to people if they walk up to my desk. I didn’t think I’d be able to do that with these earbuds but I found that it is possible to use the right earbud individually, but not the left earbud. From the Mobvoi website:

The microphone is located on the right earbud, which functions as the master control earbud. How it works is that phone calls/music will be transferred from your phone to the right earbud, and then from the right earbud to the left earbud. So you can leave the left earbud in the charging case, close the case, and continue to listen to calls/music using just your right earbud.

You might be wondering why the right earbud is the “master earbud”. It’s because the right earbud is the one that has the microphone for calls and using the voice assistant.

Battery life

Each earbud has an 85mAh battery and a full charge will provide up to 4hrs of play time. The fast charging case has a 700mAh battery which will provide up to 18hrs of battery life.

What I like

• Comfortable
• Fast charging
• Fast pairing
• Above average audio quality
• Easy to use touch controls
• Auto pauses audio when removed from ear(s)

What needs to be improved

• Can’t use just the left earbud
• Only comes with one extra pair of ear tips
• Doesn’t have multi-device pairing capability

Final thoughts

Drumroll please… I’m happy to report that the Mobvoi TicPods Free wireless earbuds have earned the award of becoming my current favorite pair of completely wireless earbuds. They tick all the boxes for me. They are comfortable to wear for hours at a time, they have easy to use touch controls, they sound great, and they charge in their own case when they aren’t being used. I highly recommend these earbuds.

Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Mobvoi.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Mobvoi TicPods Free wireless earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 11, 2018 at 11:30 am.

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REVIEW – Here we go again as we continue on my quest to find the best earbuds for my taste. So far, I have encountered some really nice challenges, but as an Audiophile, I am looking for that surprise that will go beyond being great for daily listening category into the “also reserved for dedicated Audiophile listening” category without breaking the bank. Maybe I am asking for too much, but one never knows. The latest contestant is the Wicked Audio ARQ True Wireless Earbuds. So here we go!!

What is it?

The Wicked Audio ARQ True Wireless Earbuds are a pair of lightweight, medium size earbuds that are designed for listening to music and conducting phone calls. The charging case also includes the capability to power/charge external devices.  As with most earbuds, they should be compatible with most Bluetooth equipped mobile devices.

What’s in the box

1 x Pair of Wicked Audio Arq True Wireless Earbuds
3 x Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x Instruction Booklet
1 x Quick Start Leaflet
1 x Micro USB to USB Charging Cord
1 x Charging Case

Design and features

The charging case for these earbuds is relatively large, measuring 5 1/4″ long with a diameter of 1 1/4″. On the right side, there is the earbud charging compartment with the usual charging slots and the embedded contacts for charging. The rest of the case holds the internal battery pack. The earbuds are what I consider medium size.

The earbuds sit neatly in their charging slots. In between them, it a power/on/off button that you use to turn on/off the charging mode.

On the front of the case where the earbuds are stored/charged, there is a button to release the cover.

On the side of the charging case opposite the earbuds, there is the micro USB charging port and a standard USB port for charging/powering external devices.

Performance

Specs:
– Driver: 10mm
– Sensitivity: 103 dB
– Frequency: 20-20,000Hz
– Impedance: 16Ohms
– Bluetooth Version: 4.2
– Earbud Battery Life: 3 Hours
– Additional Playtime: 60 Hours
– Range: 32ft
– Earbud Charge Time: 30 Minutes
– Power Bank Charge Time: 5 Hours
– Power Bank Battery: 2600mAh
These earbuds are nicely packaged and once fully charged, they are very easy to set up. When you remove them from the case, you press the button on each earbud simultaneously and they power on and give you the usual voice commands indicating the on status, and connection to each other. Once you select them in your phone’s Bluetooth settings, they confirm that they are paired. After the initial pairing, they remain known to your device as is the norm with Bluetooth devices. The following is the charging process:

When you engage the power on/off button that lies in between the earbuds, they start charging, and their individual LEDs are red.

In addition, the 4 LED charge level lights also turn on and light blue. These lights indicate that the earbuds are charging and also the level of charge remaining in the built-in battery.

The picture below shows me charging/powering my portable audio recorder via the built-in battery.

The following are the operating instructions:

First of all, I must say how pleased I am that these earbuds work well for me for phone calls. This is usually a challenge for me, so this is always an automatic plus for me.
In terms of music, the earbuds sound pretty good with a nice balance of lows, mids, and highs. The volume level can be raised so that they are quite loud, but I do not play them at full volume. I found them to perform nicely for daily listening with the genres that I tested that include my usual which are Contemporary Jazz, Gospel, Easy Listening, Reggae, Soul/Ballads, The Classics, etc. The charge lasts quite long and is comparable to most earbuds, and the noise canceling works well.

The two main issues that I encountered were that the Bluetooth connection would randomly drop out individually. While either side would only drop out for a very short time and while they reconnect automatically, this issue is very disruptive to my listening experience. In addition, you have to power on and off the earbuds for each use. They do not automatically disconnect from the Bluetooth connection when placed into the charging case. Since I am used to my earbuds doing so, I would forget to power them off and they would remain connected. This is a pain when they are put away and I receive a phone call or attempt to make a call, and have to remember that they are connected and manually disconnect them to proceed.

For additional information, click here for the manual.

What I like

• Build quality
• Decent sound
• Built-in power bank for external charging

What can be improved

• Bluetooth connectivity while listening to music
• Bluetooth disconnection

Final thoughts

The Wicked Audio ARQ True Wireless Earbuds are quite good despite the two main caveats that I mentioned. They are well built, and the built-in battery pack charging/powering capability is a nice feature. In terms of the competition for the best earbuds for me, they do not win the top position, but they have certainly captured a position within the current top 5. Wicked Audio did a decent job with them and the price is reasonable.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Wicked Audio website and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Wicked Audio.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Wicked Audio ARQ True Wireless Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 7, 2018 at 11:02 am.

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REVIEW – So here we go again. One of the most exciting testing series for me has been the earbud challenge and that battlefield where I enlist all earbuds to try out for the top spot. It is the battle to see which pair can be the best of the best for me and my personal taste. While individually subjective, it continues to be a great way to compare the various brands and what they offer. Now the Phiaton Bolt BT 700 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds have entered the competition. Let’s see how they perform.

What is it?

The Phiaton Bolt BT 700 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds are like most earbuds that handle audio listening as well as phone call functions. These earbuds feature Balanced Armature Drivers and a charging case that includes a built-in speaker.

What’s in the box

1 x Pair of Phiaton Earbuds
1 x Charging Case
1 x Micro USB Cable
4 x Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x Instruction Manual
1 x Warranty Leaflet

Design and features

The Phiaton earbuds are not tiny but not large either. They come in a charging case that is approximately 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ x 1 1/.2″. The left side of the case is longer than the right because there is a  speaker that is housed in the left side.

On the right side, there is a Bluetooth button, 4 blue led lights for charging status and remaining charge, and the micro USB charging port.

On the other side of the charging case, there is a built-in speaker.

Performance

Specifications:
Communication Network: Bluetooth 5.0
Driver unit: Balanced Armature
Impedance: 40 Ohm
Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW
Driver Unit Frequency Response: 20 Hz ~ 20 KHz
Max. Input Power: 40 mW
Operating Range: Within 10 m / 33 ft.
Call Time: 5 hrs Max.
Music Play Time: 5 hrs Max.
Standby Time: 94 hrs Max.
Full Charge Time: 2 hrs (2.5 hrs including Charging Speaker Case)
Fast Charging: Support 10 min. Charging= 1 hr Playing
Audio Codec: SBC, AAC
Operating Frequency: 2.4 GHz(2.402 GHz – 2.480 GHz)
Earbud Weight: 6.5 g
Charging Speaker Case: Input Power: DC 5 V / over 1 A
Battery: Lithium Ion, DC 3.7 / 750 mAh
Full Charging Time including Earphones: 2.5 Hrs
Number of charges with the case: 3 times (4 X 5 Hrs + 20 hrs with fully charged earbuds)
Speaker Output: 3W Max.
Music Play Time via earbuds & Speaker: 8 Hrs Max.
Standby Time: 220 Hrs Max
IPX4 Sweat and Water Resistant

In terms of music, these earbuds fit comfortably in my ears, and they function quite well. They have a nice volume range that works for me for all of my favorite genres, with a maximum volume that does not overwhelm and will not cause any damage to my hearing. The lows, mids, and highs are good and without distortion, but if you want to experience the lows in their full capability, it is very important to use the correct size and properly fitting ear tips.

For phone calls, these earbuds work ok even for someone like me that has had issues with all of the earbuds that I have tested except for one set. These are decently clear for both parties as long as I raise the volume of my voice just a bit for the other party to hear me clearly.

The earbuds automatically pair with the Bluetooth connection when removed from the charging case, and the connection is consistently solid and did not once disconnect involuntarily. These earbuds like most others have voice commands that confirm the connectivity. You should keep in mind that because there is a speaker built into the case and because it also operates via Bluetooth, the earbuds do not automatically disconnect when returned to their respective place in the charging case. A standard function of earbuds is to disconnect when placed in the case and the charging contacts are engaged. With these earbuds, I can place them in the case, close the case and they will not disconnect until you press the Bluetooth button on the side of the case to disconnect them, or you disconnect via your phone settings. Otherwise, and as I experienced, when you receive a phone call, you are unable to hear the other party on the line until you realize that the earbuds you put away a while ago are still connected.

In terms of the built-in speaker, it sounds surprisingly pleasant albeit closer to a full range sound as opposed to the earbud sound that provides the easily recognizable separation of lows, mids, and highs.

What I like

• The build quality
• The sound
• The comfortable fit

What can be improved

• The ability to disconnect the Bluetooth connection when the earbuds are placed in the case without having to press the case button to power off/disconnect.
• The manual is in such fine print that it is almost impossible to read

Final thoughts

The Phiaton earbuds do a great job with sound for all of the genres I tested including, jazz, R&B, Easy Listening, Reggae, Gospel. etc. They are well built and quite comfortable. They stay securely in my ears irrespective of any vigorous head movements, The only issue that bothers me is that they do not disconnect the Bluetooth connection when placed into the charging case. I quite understand the intended logic behind this design, but I would prefer them to automatically disconnect and I would re-engage them should I want to use the speaker that is built into the case. Since this is a challenge for the best of the best for me (my taste), this feature takes them out of the race for first place. It this issue does not bother you,  these would be a great buy and they still get two thumbs up!!

Price: $139
Where to buy: Currently available on Kickstarter with shipping in December.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Phiaton.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth earbuds

Phiaton Bolt BT 700 wireless Bluetooth earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2018 at 9:43 am.

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