There are a lot of different styles of Bluetooth headphones on the market today. On-the-ear, over-the-ear, and in-ear are the most common. Personally, I own a pair of on-the-ear Sports headphones that I use when I go to the gym or walk my dog. I even have a pair of earbuds that I only use when cutting my grass. One thing I don’t own is a pair of high-quality headphones that I can use solely for the purpose of relaxing and just listening to music. The Soundwhiz SymphoniQ Bluetooth headphones are exactly that and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a pair to review for the Gadgeteer.

In the Box

• SymphoniQ Bluetooth Headphones
• Hard Shell carrying case
• Micro USB charging cable
• Audio cable
• 3mm to 5mm jack converter

Technical Specs

• Bluetooth Version: 4.1 with APT-X
• Noise Cancellation: CVC6
• Pairing: Normal or NFC
• Play Time: Up to 20Hrs
• Talk Time: Up to 18Hrs
• Standby: Up to 6000Hrs
• Speaker: 40mm Dynamic Driver
• Frequency: 10Hz – 20KHz

The first thing that appealed to me about these headphones was their striking design.

The clean Arctic white with black accents and just a touch of chrome gives them a real modern, edgy appearance. The SymphoniQ has build quality you can FEEL. The earcups are made of metal with soft leather covered memory foam ear cushions.

No cheap plastic here.

The adjustable headband is strong & flexible and has just enough spring to hug your ears for a stable fit without being over tight. I found them to be a little tight in the beginning but after wearing them for a few days they broke in nicely.

SoundWhiz even includes a nice executive looking hard-shell carrying case.

The headphones come with a built-in 480 mAh rechargeable battery. Charging the SymphoniQ is done using a Micro USB charging cable plugged into any standard USB port such as a phone adaptor or PC. SoundWhiz recommends charging the headset for 3 hours prior to first use. Once charged the headphones have an impressive 20 hours of playback time and up to 600 hours of standby time.

Pairing the headphones with your favorite Bluetooth device is easy.

Simple slide the on/off switch (located on the right ear cup) to the Bluetooth icon and hold for 2 seconds. The LED indicator light (located on the side of the right ear cup) will flash red and blue. Open your devices Bluetooth setting and select ‘SoundWhiz SymphoniQ’. Once connected the blue LED indicator light will flash twice every 4 seconds.

There is even friendly voice prompts that will tell you when the headphones are powered on or off, pairing, connected or disconnected.

The SymphoniQ also automatically connect to the last paired device when you turn them on. To reconnect with a paired device in standby mode, short press the Multi-Function button to find paired devices in range.

If you have an Android device you can connect using NFC. Make sure your Android devices NFC is enabled and hold it next to the headphones Multi-Function-Button. The connection should occur automatically within a few seconds. 

The SymphoniQ also has Dual-Pairing which allows you to connect two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. If the headphones battery is low, or if you prefer a wired connection you can use the provided audio cable.

SoundWhiz even throws in a 5mm jack converter so you can plug into a stereo system, amp, or musical instrument.

 The headphones controls are located on the side of the right ear cup. During music playback, you can control volume, play and pause music, and next or previous track.

The large disc design of the controls makes them easy to use; no more fumbling for buttons.

Playing and pausing music is done using the headphones MFB (Multi-Function Button). A short press of the MFB will play and pause music playback. A short press of the (+) and (-) icons will raise and lower volume respectively. To play next track press and hold the (+) icon, do the same to the (-) icon to play previous track. 

 A built-in HD mic with CVC6 noise cancellation allows for crystal clear phone calls even when you’re somewhere with a lot of ambient noise. To answer an incoming call short press the MFB, another short press will end the call.  A short double press of the MFB will automatically redial the last number. You can even manage 2 simultaneous calls using just your headset.

The SymphoniQ headphones feature an innovative hybrid semi-open back ear cup design.

To be honest, before I reviewed the SymphoniQ headphones I had no idea what an open back headphone was. What I learned is that there are generally two types of over-the-ear headphones, closed-back, and open-back.

Closed-back headphones are what most of us are familiar with. They basically isolate you from the outside world. It’s just you and your music. Open-back headphones usually have a grill on the back of the ear cups allowing music to escape outward. Doing this provides a significantly larger soundstage, it’s like listening to music in a room as opposed to it being beamed into your head. 

On the SymphoniQ instead of a grill SoundWhiz designed the ear cups so that sound could escape outwards and the face plates are more acoustically transparent and not hermetically sealed, therefore, allowing sound to escape out.

This would explain why these headphones sounded so different to me when I first put them on. Indeed the music sounded more spacious and detailed. Definitely, a different listening experience then what I was used to. 

These headphones produce a really rich sound, with a deep resonant bass and crystal clear mids and highs. Even though the bass really pumps it doesn’t bleed over to other parts of the music, it’s still controlled and detailed.

Vocals remain clean and the treble is clear and bright, so things like snares and high-hats pop out very nicely. All and all these headphones work wonderfully for listening to any kind of audio genre. From classical and rock to hip-hop and rap the SymphoniQ headphones handles them all beautifully.

I even use them to listen to my TV’s audio and they do a great job with both movies and sports.

Because these headphones are semi-open back you still get pretty good noise isolation. There is some sound bleed but overall they do a good job of keeping out most ambient noise.

The SoundWhiz Symphonic Bluetooth Headphones are the perfect combination of style, comfort, and sound. Priced at $74.99 these headphones SHOULD be at the top of every Holiday shopping list this Christmas.

Source: This sample was provided by SoundWhiz. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

SoundWhiz SymphoniQ Hybrid Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 15, 2017 at 4:04 pm.

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The Fiil Canviis Pro wireless noise-canceling headphones have some unique features and great sound quality, but with a spotty app and plenty of similarly featured cheaper options on the market, you might be better off waiting until the $349 price comes down a bit.

The high price tag of the Canviis Pro is definitely reflected in the packaging and presentation of the product.

The Canviis Pro headphones arrive safely protected in a thick, well-designed box. The headphones come with a great carrying case that sets deeply into the box.

The Fiil logo is emblazoned on a metal tag on the carrying case and under the case are spaces for accessories.

Along with a very basic instruction manual, the Canviis Pro comes with two cables.

One cable is an audio cable with inline controls that work for both Android and iOS. A handy sticker is attached to the cable so you can configure it probably with a tiny switch before use. The inline controls work fine, allowing you to answer calls, adjust volume and change tracks.

This audio cable also enables you to use the headphones in a wired configuration with any audio source, which is a nice option to have.

The charging/OTG cable comes with Micro-USB plugs on both ends with an attached USB-A adapter plug as well.

The USB-A adapter snaps right over the Micro-USB plug and can be used to charge your headphones from a laptop or USB power supply and to attach the headphones to your computer as storage for adding music files to the 4GB of internal memory.

The carabiner attached to the carrying case is a nice touch and makes it easier to secure the case on a backpack.

The build quality of the Canviis Pro is quite impressive. The unit has a great heft to it and the switches, buttons and ports all seem like they can handle extended daily use.

The headphones fold in on themselves to fit into the case or to make it easier to store them in a coat pocket. I was disappointed to find that the ends don’t rotate flat though, which would make it easier to wear them around your neck when you’re not listening to them.

The Canviis Pro headphones are “on-ear” so the comfort of the ear pieces are vital to long term listening enjoyment.

The ear pieces and headband are made from “smooth protein leather and memory foam” and provide a great deal of comfort during use.

I’ve worn the Canviis Pro for hour-long stretches and comfort has not been an issue at all. Actually, the pressure of the band on my ears was the first thing I noticed after prolonged use, not any issues with the ear pieces, but that’s the nature of on-ear headphones in general.

The Canviis Pro has one button and one switch/button on the unit to allow the user to control the various functions and features. While I appreciate the simplicity of design, trying to assign so many functions to just two controls is a bit counterintuitive.

For instance, one of the Canviis Pro’s many features is limited voice control, which despite repeated efforts I never got to work properly. To activate this feature via the headset control you have to hold the Multi Function Button (MFB) for exactly two seconds. I found this to be maddeningly impossible. If you held it for too long the unit would shut off, if you didn’t hold it long enough the track would pause and play. When I did hold the button for the correct amount of time, the unit would simply say “Hello” and then not respond to my commands.

And this is the major failing of the Canviis Pro, Fiil is trying to do too many things at once with the unit and, as a result, none of them are executed effectively. The features that do work well, are incredibly useful. I’ll go through the features and their effectiveness in my testing.

The touch controls are great to have. While in use, you can swipe your hand across the side of the right earpiece to advance or rewind tracks or you can move your hand up and down to control the volume. A lot of headphones at this price point have been incorporating this feature and it really is worth having.

The Canviis Pro also has a “Smart-Sensor” auto-off feature that notices when you’ve removed the headphones and automatically pauses the music and puts the unit in low-power mode. This was great when it worked. The problem was it didn’t work every time. So I’d take the headphones off and then have to check to see if the auto-off engaged, which again defeats the purpose of the feature.

Another unique feature is the 4gb of internal storage that the Canviis Pro has for use as a stand-alone music player. It’s nice I guess, but I honestly can’t think of a situation where I’d ever use this function. The paltry 4gb size makes choosing what music I store on the unit more aggravating than the feature is worth. Worse yet, the music player functionality and playlist options are, at best, barebones. It’s really just a folder of music files that will play if needed. The only way I can see this as useful is for a runner who doesn’t want to carry her phone. But, after testing the unit, I doubt these would be a good running or workout set of headphones.

The noise-canceling function is one feature that worked very well and it definitely increased the listening experience. The feature, called My Audio Filter (MAF), creates a noise-canceling wave out of phase with the ambient noise to block that noise. It works great, but is way more complicated than it needs to be. There are four different configurations for the MAF; Noise-Cancelling mode blocks out all outside noise, Monitor mode blocks just low-frequency noise but allows you to hear some ambient sounds, Open mode allows all ambient sounds, and Wind mode blocks just noise that would be created in a windy environment.

The problem is you have to cycle through all of these modes when using the headset switch and good luck remembering which switch configuration triggers which mode. Plus, in practical use, you only ever really need the Noise-Cancelling mode and the Open mode. Why would I ever just want to filter out JUST windy noise?

Sure, you can use the Fiil+ app to control or change the MAF, but, as is the case with so many other companion headphone apps, it’s just not a good user experience.

The app doesn’t have any instructions on how to use it properly, so you’re just fumbling around trying to make sense of all the options. It includes an EQ that isn’t adjustable and just gives you three options; Bass, Original, and Treble. There is an option to engage the onboard storage, but those functions never worked right for me and frequently had the tracks I stored on the unit misnamed. There are the frustrating MAF controls, which give you three options at first; MAF, Off and Windy, but then if you click on the MAF icon you are given three other options; Open, Monitor and Noise-Cancelling. Why not just give the user all four options up front?

The app also allows you to access the “3D Sound Effect” functionality. Which, again, is a mostly useless function that adds varying amounts of reverb to your music to make it sound like you’re listening to it in a living room, theatre, or hall. None of these options will positively add to the listening experience unless you REALLY like reverb for some reason.

The app also allows you to control a few other useless functions like turning the logo light off and on, adjusting the auto-off timing, and turning off the Smart Sensor.

The absolute WORST thing about the Fiil+ app though is that you have to have a Facebook, Twitter or WeChat account and app installed on your phone to be able to log in and get the full functionality. Any app that requires me to install another app on my phone in order to log in properly has failed me as a user.

As a Bluetooth headset, the Canviis Pro work fine. I made and answered calls with the unit and the sound quality on both ends was perfectly fine. I got pretty good battery life out of them over the course of a week with varied use.

Overall, I liked the sound quality, noise-canceling, and touch features of the Canviis Pro, but I think they’re overpriced and over-engineered in a bad way, especially the app. For the same price, you’re better off with some higher-end models from Sony or Bose.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Fiil Audio. Please visit their website or Amazon for more info.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

FIIL Canviis Pro Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 13, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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With smartphones gradually evolving to pack more technology into the same space, become sturdier and waterproof, manufacturers have removed the ubiquitous and familiar 1/8” stereo/microphone jack. While his innovation is somewhat controversial, at least for the mean time, dongles of various shapes and sizes have entered the scene permitting users to enjoy their “traditional” headphones, earbuds and ear cans with the newest phones. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there have been countless wireless headphone options introduced for those wishing to cut the cord. 

I’ve always preferred wired headphones or earbuds to Bluetooth for superior audio quality. I have yet to discover a pair of Bluetooth headphones I thought was as good as their wired counterparts. Several years ago, I used a pair of Etymotic ETY-8 that was pretty good, but battery life on long days required toggling between wired and unwired. Still, the wire between the left and right channels was cumbersome.

Until recently, most Bluetooth headphones utilized some sort of wired connection between the left and right channels. The diminutive Tronsmart S5 headphones do not. Each channel, barely larger than a quarter, sits unencumbered in each ear – “Look, Mom, no wires!”

The headphones arrived in a handsome white and purple box, nested in form-fitting plastic. Included were three pairs of ear tips, a “Y” USB charging cord, removable ear hooks that plug into the USB sockets while not charging, and a tiny instruction manual

Out-of-the-box charging took 25 minutes, a tiny LED on each changing from red to blue letting me know charging was complete. Pairing was done using the left earpiece and was the same painless procedure as most other Bluetooth devices.  In the event that a user would want only one earpiece, only the left is configured to be used independently. Turning the right earpiece on results in audio messages from each earpiece indicating the left or right channel and that both are connected.  Once a connection from the left to the right earpiece is established, the button functions for both become identical.

Tronsmart includes three pairs of ear tips that most will find comfortable.

I was pleasantly surprised that the channel separation is very good, with no audio bleed from one channel to the other.  The drivers look to be about 10mm. Fidelity is quite good. I was able to listen to several hours of assorted music. They are not audiophile quality, but for daily use, they worked flawlessly. The earpieces are comfortable and stay in place, particularly while using the ear hooks. I even set the phone down and walked about 30 feet away with no loss in audio quality.  There is a noticeable delay when pausing audio or changing volume using the solitary button on either of the earpieces. The single button arrangement works ok for most functions, but not so much with volume. Volume cycles from the lowest to the highest making for an ear-shattering experience if you should want to turn down a particularly loud selection. It’s easier (and safer) to just use the controls on the hosting device.

I made a few calls and found reception to be stable, static-free, clear and audible, albeit slightly “tinny” as I’ve found with many BT headsets. Interestingly, phone audio is limited to only the left earpiece.

I measured battery life using mixed stereo and calls to about 3.5 hours, not bad for such small batteries, but not enough to use during a whole, untethered workday.

Overall, I liked the Tronsmart S5 headset and would recommend them for anyone wanting tiny, comfortable, wireless headphones. While not the best battery life, performance, and value should please most casual users.  My daughter has already claimed them to put in her school backpack.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tronsmart. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth headphones

Tronsmart Encore S5 Bluetooth True Wireless Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 12, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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