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Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones review

REVIEW – I love Jaybird headphones, mostly because they allow me to select my personal favorite equalizer setting via the Jaybird app and save it to the earphones. I recently reviewed the Jaybird Tarah Wireless Sport Headphones and really liked them, but my X3’s still reigned supreme. Then, a month after Jaybird released their latest headphones, the X4’s and the Tarah headphones, they came out with the Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones which I was able to review.

I found that the Tarah Pro headphones stand out from other Jaybird headphones in several ways. They have a playing time of just over 14 hours (yep, that’s right, 14 hours!) when they’re used at a moderate volume level. Next, the Jaybird app has an additional tile on the dashboard called “Personal EQ” that takes you through some tones tests to create a personalized equalizer profile just right for you. Additionally, each earpiece pivots on its base (Jaybird calls it “Switch fit”) so that you can wear them in the over-ear or under-ear position just by rotating them while still in your ears. They also have fast charging capabilities – five minutes of charging time will get you two hours and eighteen minutes of playing time at moderately low volume and it only takes one hour and 45 minutes to fully charge them. And finally, the earbuds clasp together magnetically which automatically pauses the music you were listening to and if they are idle for 15 minutes, they will automatically shut off.

Even though they have a proprietary charging cradle, the headphones will fit in the charger in either orientation. In addition, the charging cradle magnetically adheres to the in-line remote of the headphones thus, it is easier to attach them to the charger than previous Jaybird headphones to their respective chargers.

What is it?

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones are an in-ear pair of Bluetooth 5.0 headphones which are great for casual users and athletes. They are IPX 7 rated which means that “they are designed to handle rain, mud and outdoor adventures. However, Jaybird Tarah Pro earbuds are not designed for swimming, showering or exposure to pool or ocean water”.

Hardware specs

AUDIO
Type: In-ear style
Noise-isolation: Passive
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Speaker sensitivity: 103 +/- 2dB at 1KHz
Output max. 12mW RMS (with level limit)
Total harmonic distortion <5% (1KHz, 1mW)
Audio format: 16-bit stereo
Codec: Bluetooth SBC implementation
Response bandwidth: 20Hz – 20kHz
Driver size: 6 mm

BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth version: 5.0
Frequency band: 2.4 GHz
Profiles: Handsfree, Headset, A2DP, AVCRP, SPP
Wireless range: Class 2 standard range 10m/33ft

INTEGRATED MICROPHONE
Type: MEMS, omnidirectional
Sensitivity: -38dB +/- 3dB (Test conditions: 1KHz, 0db = 1V/Pa)

COMPATIBLE PRODUCTS
Any Bluetooth device with HFP, HSP, and A2DP

WEIGHT & DIMENSIONS
Headset: 490mm x 20mm x 22mm
Controller: 43mm x 11.9mm x 6mm
Charger: 111.8mm x 33.57mm x 7.2mm
Weight of headphones (without eargel): 20g
Weight of charger: 6.5g

BATTERY
Play time: 14 Hrs*
Charging time: 2 Hrs
Quick charge: 5 min = 2 hour playtime
Charging: Via USB charging cable with Pogo pin connector
Input power: DC 5V 1A
Type: Lithium Ion
Battery voltage: 3.7V
Energy voltage in watt hrs per battery: 0.28wh
*May vary depending on usage, device & aging

What’s in the box?

  • Jaybird Tarah Pro headphones
  • Speed cinch
  • Integrated USB cable charging cradle
  • Carrying pouch
  • Eargels – sizes 1, 2, 3 (S, M, L)
  • Shirt clip
  • Quick Start guide

Design and features

The Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones look similar in style to the Jaybird Tarah Wireless Sport Headphones.

The Tarah Pro headphones are made up of plastic pivoting earphones (each earphone pivots around on its base to be worn in the over-ear or under-ear position), silicone ear gels (no memory foam ear tips included), a braided reflective wire (it was not reflective in my tests), a plastic in-line remote with silicone buttons for controls, and a plastic sliding cord cinch to adjust the cord slack between the earpieces.

These Bluetooth 5.0 headphones are sweat and weatherproof (IPX7) which means,

they are designed to handle rain, mud and outdoor adventures. However, Jaybird Tarah Pro earbuds are not designed for swimming, showering or exposure to pool or ocean water. In the case of exposure to salty or chlorinated water, rinse the earbuds gently with fresh water and air dry before using them. The charging cradle is not water resistant, so please ensure your earbuds are completely dry before charging.

Also, according to the documentation, the headphones provide up to 14 hours of playtime and have very basic calling features.

The headphones are magnetic and when clasped together, they pause whatever you are listening to. If they remain idle for 15 minutes, they will shut off. Each ear gel of the Tarah Pro headphones integrates the ear tip and ear fin (or wing) into one piece instead of two separate pieces per earphone just like the Tarah headphones. Each ear gel is labeled “L” (left) or “R” (right) as well as 1, 2, or 3 to indicate its size (small, medium, or large).

In the above photo, you can see a black tab on the earphone that is positioned inside the base of the ear gel’s fin.  You can see more clearly the black tab (labeled “L” or “R”) on the earphone that helps to position the ear gel correctly over the earphone.

Again, just like other Jaybird earphones, the Tarah Pro headphones have a proprietary charging cradle. NOTE: Each of the Jaybird headphones has their own specific charging cradle that will not work with other Jaybird headphones. The headphones’ in-line remote contains (from left to right): the Volume Down button, the microphone, the Middle button, the LED status light, and the Volume Up button.  The back of the in-line remote contains the contacts for charging the headphones. Because the charging cradle’s contacts are centered on the in-line remote as shown in the photo above, you can place it in either direction into the cradle. The remote magnetically attaches to the charging cradle thus making inserting the headphones into the charger much easier than other Jaybird headphones.

While the headphones are charging, the white LED light flashes slowly. When they are fully charged, the LED light stops flashing and remains on.

Setup

Pairing

The pairing of the Tarah Pro headphones is exactly like that of the Tarah headphones. To pair the Jaybird Tarah Pro headphones with my Pixel 2 XL phone, I first made sure that Bluetooth was turned on in my device and then tapped on “Pair new device” (you do this last step only if you are using Android 9). Then, with the Tarah Pro earbuds completely off, I long-pressed the Middle button (center button on the in-line remote) for a total of about six seconds to put them into pairing mode.

While I was holding the Middle button, I heard the ascending power-on tones, a female voice prompt which said, “Battery [%] charged”, more tones, and then another voice prompt that said, “Ready to pair. Download the Jaybird app for an assisted setup.” The white LED status light blinks quickly when in pairing mode. I then went back into my device’s Bluetooth settings (or Connected device settings in Android 9) and tapped on the newly discovered Jaybird Tarah Pro headphones, after which I heard additional tones, and finally, a voice prompt which said, “Connected.”

The Tarah Pro headphones will remember up to eight paired devices and when powered on, they will connect to the most recently connected device. They do not yet support being actively connected to two devices simultaneously (multipoint connection) but are supposed to in the future according to the Jaybird Community support page.

Resetting the headphones

Resetting the Tarah Pro earphones is also almost exactly like the Tarah headphones. I first removed them from my phone’s Bluetooth settings (or Connected devices settings) by tapping on the gear icon next to the name of the headphones and then selecting “Forget this device”. Next, with the headphones powered off, I put them into pairing mode as described earlier. While in pairing mode, I double pressed the Middle button to reset them. The LED flashed red once and the earbuds shut off. Then after about one second, they powered back automatically on in pairing mode.

Powering on/off

Like the Tarah headphones, to power on the Tarah Pros, I needed to press and hold the Middle button for about three seconds, after which I heard a series of ascending power-on tones and the LED flashed white once. There is no way to tell when the headphones are powered on because the LED light does not stay on nor does it flash.

I tested the automatic shut off of the Tarah Pro headphones and found that they will indeed automatically shut off when they are magnetically clasped together and have been idle for 15 minutes.

To power off the headphones, I had to press and hold the Middle button for two seconds after which I heard a series of descending power-off tones and the LED flashed red once.

Performance

Bluetooth connectivity

Bluetooth connectivity was maintained up to 83 – 85 feet when in line-of-sight of my Pixel 2 XL and iPhone 7.

I also found that I was able to listen to my earbuds with four walls separating me from my connected device without drops or interruptions. That’s impressive.

I did not experience any connectivity issues when using the Tarah Pro headphones with my Pixel 2 XL or iPhone 7.

Fit



The Tarah Pro headphones can be worn in under-ear or over-ear positions. I tend to prefer the under-ear position (shown in the photos above).

The Tarah Pro headphones did not fit quite as well as the Tarah headphones did for me. I had problems getting the ear gel (size 3) in my right ear to seal properly. Something is different from the Tarah ear gels. Perhaps it’s little smaller than the size 3 ear gel that comes with the Tarah headphones, although they look the same. However, after a few seconds of adjusting and readjusting the earphone, I was able to find the right position to get it to seal properly.



You can also wear the Tarah Pro headphones in the over-ear position as well (shown in the photos above) just by rotating the earbuds while they are in your ears. Although this process sounds easy when reading the instructions, in practice, I found that it was actually easier to take them out of my ears, rotate them, and then reinsert them into my ears.

Comfort

When I use the headphones for casual purposes, the headphones are comfortable for about two hours, after which the fins start to hurt my ears. At this point, I pop the ear fins out of my outer ears while leaving the earphones in my ears canals. This allows me to wear them for many more hours comfortably.

When exercising, I found that the headphones stayed in my ears well as long as I used the ear fins and tucked them into my outer ears. The fins really help keep the headphones in place when you’re doing high impact workouts.

Jaybird MySound app



This Jaybird MySound app works only with Jaybird Freedom, Freedom 2, X3, X4, Run, Tarah, and Tarah Pro headphones. All screenshots for this review were taken using my Pixel 2 XL.

The first time my Tarah Pro headphones were powered on and connected to my Pixel 2 XL, the MySound app found them and thus I was able to immediately start customizing them. However, if you need to connect your headphones to the app manually, you can do so by tapping on the Menu icon located in the upper left corner of the MySound app dashboard then tapping on “Pair new headphones”. A message will pop up informing you that this will remove the already paired device.

NOTE: You cannot connect more than one set of Jaybird headphones to the app at a time. Therefore, if I want the Tarah Pro headphones to connect to the app, I have to have all other Jaybird headphones powered off and then open the app.

Dashboard: There are very minor differences in the app depending on which set of Jaybird headphones you have powered on and connected with the app. All of the Jaybird headphones that I have (X3, Tarah, and Tarah Pro) have the following dashboard information. The MySound Dashboard contains (starting at the top left of the app): menu (three-line menu icon), notifications (bell icon), edit the dashboard (pencil icon) and add a new preset (“+” icon). The app also has three tabs just below the previously mentioned icons: Presets (equalizer icon), Running Music (music note icon), and Profile (profile icon) as shown in the above three screenshots above.

When you launch the app, the dashboard shows your current EQ preset frequency response curve beneath the tabs. And if you wish to customize that preset, you may do so by tapping on the “Customize” button and adjusting your frequency preferences.

Beneath the current EQ preset frequency response curve, there are several tiles: “Discover more presets”, two default presets – “Flat” and “Signature”, “Personal EQ” (added when using the Tarah Pro headphones), as well as each of your saved presets (those that you create or those that you save from the “Discover more presets”).

Equalizer tab: Just like my review of the Jaybird X3s and Tarah headphones states, using the MySound app, you can do many things. The app allows you to try out the sound presets created by other Jaybird headphones users when you tap on the “Discover more presets” tile. I was able to preview others’ EQ presets by tapping on the Preview button (I needed to be playing music to preview) and if I liked it, I could save it to my dashboard.



Personal EQ dashboard tile: One of the really cool MySound app additions that shows up when you use the Tarah Pro headphones is the “Personal EQ” dashboard tile. When I selected this tile for the first time, I had to tap on the “Personalize” button located in the area above the presets. Then, when the next app screen pops up, I tapped “Start” to start the app assisted EQ customization process. The app guides you through tone tests. On each app screen, you slowly slide the bar up until you just start to hear the tone. After which you’ll tap on the “Next” button.

The app guides you through “Sub bass” as shown above in the last screenshot…



… “Bass range”, “Low midrange”, “Midrange” …



… “Upper midrange”, and “Presence and brilliance” frequencies as shown in the screenshots above. When you are finished, you’ll tap on “Go to dashboard” to see your “Personalized EQ” frequency response curve. In my case, this worked fairly well. However, I found that I still preferred my “Hi Res + Bass” preset (which is my very slight alteration of Colton Tate’s “Hi Res” preset) over all others.

NOTE: You can only edit (customize) or reset the “Personal EQ” preset if you are using the Tarah Pro headphones with the app. Other Jaybird headphones can use the preset, but cannot alter it.


Creating your own preset: You can also create your own equalizer presets. To create my own EQ presets, I tapped on the “+” icon located at the top right of the MySound dashboard. The next screen allowed me to adjust the frequencies to the levels that I prefer by moving the circles around – up, down, and side to side (middle screenshot above). By tapping any circle, you will be provided adjustable vertical boundary lines on either side of the circle that allow you to isolate and adjust a particular range of frequencies as shown in the first screenshot above. After several adjustments and finding my preferred frequency levels, I tapped on the Save button located at the upper right of the screen. I then named my equalizer settings and could add a description, select the music genres that it works best for, and select whether or not to share it with other Jaybird headphone users (last screenshot above).

Saving a preset to my Tarah Pro headphones: When I decided on a favorite preset, I selected it (the last preset that you select is the one that is saved to your headphones). I was then able to use that particular preset which was saved on the Tarah Pro headphones on all devices and all apps and media. And if I wanted to change that preset, all I had to do was open the MySound app, make sure that the app was connected to my Tarah Pro earbuds, and then select a new preset from the list of my other saved EQ presets.

Running Music tab: I finally tried out the “Running Music” tab (screenshot above) on the dashboard for a very brief time. This section of the MySound app only works with Spotify. The available playlists are those used by other Jaybird headphones users (I only use the free version of Spotify so I think my use of this app feature is limited). This is a great way to discover new music and share your own playlist.

Profile tab: The Profile tab allows you to log in or out of the app, change your profile information, and connect to Spotify as shown in the screenshot above.

Menu: In the MySound app menu, you can also access the headphone’s settings, how-to guides, find your fit, contact Jaybird support, pair new headphones, or shop Jaybird (shown in the screenshot above).

The settings section of the app is another place in the app that is specific to the Jaybird headphones that you are using (shown in the screenshot above). The Tarah Pro headphones settings contain: “Find my buds”, “Voice prompts”, “Name your buds”, and “Battery status” settings.

By turning on “Find my buds”, the MySound app provides you with a map to see where they were last used. The “Voice prompts” setting allows you to select “Voice prompts and tones” or “Tones only” for your headphones. This is also the area where you could change the language. And when the “Battery status” toggle button is turned on, it allows Android users to view the headphones’ battery status in the notification bar when they are connected.

I love Jaybird headphones because of the MySound app. I’m not sure I could switch to any other in-ear headphones and be as happy as I am with these. The fact that app allowed me to create or select my own EQ preset and save it to the headphones is invaluable to me. This allows me to use that particular preset saved on the Tarah Pro headphones across all devices and all apps and media. And it was easy to change the preset at any time, although I found that I didn’t need to.

Music controls

I tested the music controls of the Tarah Pro headphones. A short press of the Middle button allowed me to play/pause music on Pandora, Amazon Music, Google Play Music, Netflix, and YouTube. However, I was completely unable to play or pause Amazon Prime Video content using the in-line remote on my Tarah Pro headphones which were connected to my Pixel 2 XL phone. Yet, the play/pause feature does work on Amazon Prime Video when using the headphones with an iPhone 7.

A short press of the Volume Up or Down buttons successfully increased or decreased the volume when listening to music or watching streamed movies. The volume buttons were also synchronized with each of my devices. While listening to music, a two-second press of the Volume Up button skipped ahead a song and a two-second press of the Volume Down button skipped back a song.

Playing time

The Jaybird website states that the headphones will play for 14 hours on one full charge. I found that the playing time of the Tarah Pro headphones was mind-blowing. They provided me with a whopping 14 hours and 45 minutes of playing time on one full charge when I used them at a moderate volume level.

Charging

The Jaybird website states that the Tarah Pro headphones take two hours to fully charge. When connected to my laptop, I was able to fully charge my Tarah Pro headphones in one hour and forty-five minutes.


The printed Quick Start Guide states that “Wall/car adapters/chargers that supply more than the 5.5 V may damage your Jaybird earbuds and should not be used.” Using my USB multimeter, I made sure to test that my laptop and desktop multiport charger were not delivering more voltage than that specified in the Quick Start Guide. It’s a little difficult to see in the above photos, but my laptop and Aukey multiport desktop charger provided 5.03 V/0.27 A and 5.07 V/0.27 A, respectively, to my Jaybird earbuds.

The guide also states that five minutes of charging time provides two hours of play time. I tested this and found that I was able to get two hours and eighteen minutes of playing time when the headphones were set at a moderately low volume. This is so awesome.

Calling features and call quality

I have learned that the “How to Guides” in the MySound app are riddled with inaccuracies, so if you need information on fit, controls, and waterproof info, consult the printed Quick Start Guide that comes with the headphones. According to the printed Quick Start Guide for the Tarah Pro earbuds, the headphones have very basic calling features. These include accept/end a call, reject a call, and call volume controls. That’s it. They do not have mute/unmute, redial, or switch-a-call features. 🙁

I tested the “Accept/End Call” feature (short press of the Middle button), “Reject Call” feature (double press of the Middle button), and the volume controls. They all worked well. And just in case the Quick Start Guide was incorrect, I tested to see if the mute feature existed by long pressing and double pressing all the buttons, but alas, no – it does not exist.

During my tests, I noticed that the call audio quality was very nice on both ends.

Audio quality

When I received the Tarah Pro headphones I thought that the default audio quality settings were fine but lacked strong enough bass. I fully expected that and I knew that I would be using my favorite EQ setting “Hi Res + Bass”.

After selecting the “Hi Res + Bass” preset, the audio quality was vastly improved (a non-audiophile opinion). After choosing this preset, all frequencies remained clear but the bass was louder. I was able to thoroughly enjoy all different kinds of music (classic rock, blues, jazz, classical music, pop, electronica, etc). I listened to “Salute” by Little Mix which is a pop song that has nice strong bass; “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, a jazz tune performed by Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie which has lovely vocals; “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive which has a nice balance of instruments and vocals; and the Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor (Moonlight Sonata) where the piano sounds beautiful. I loved all these using the “Hi Res + Bass” preset.

While using the headphones to listen to music or watch videos, I did not experience any lag when using the earbuds with my Pixel 2 XL or iPhone 7.

What I like

  • The headphones play for about 14 hours and 45 minutes.
  • The MySound app helped me to create a customized sound preset with the “Personal EQ” dashboard tile.
  • The app also allows me to create my own equalizer presets and save one to my headphones.
  • I can change the EQ preset saved on my headphones at any time using the app.
  • The audio quality is great after having saved my favorite preset to the headphones, making all genres of music enjoyable.
  • The Bluetooth range (83-85 feet in line-of-sight) and connectivity (maintained through four walls) is awesome.
  • The headphones charge very quickly (one hour and forty-five minutes).

What needs to be improved

  • The headphones use a proprietary charging cradle.
  • The headphones have only basic calling features (accept/end call and reject a call).

Final thoughts

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones are now my favorite Bluetooth earbuds, supplanting my Jaybird X3s. This is mainly because they play for 14 hours and 45 minutes when set at a moderate volume level. In addition, just like my other Jaybird headphones, the MySound app allows me to create and select my own equalizer preset(s) and save it directly to the earbuds. And changing the preset is easy – I just select a different preset in the app which then saves it to my headphones. Being able to use my own preset makes all genres of music sound great.

There was no lag when watching video streaming apps and the headphones’ music controls work well when using music and video apps on my Pixel 2 XL and iPhone 7 (although the play/pause did not work on Amazon Prime Video when using the headphones with my Pixel phone). In addition, the Bluetooth range and connectivity are fabulous and the charging time was awesome (about one hour and forty-five minutes to fully charge). They also fit me fairly well (my right earphone needs a few seconds of adjusting to get a good seal) and were comfortable to wear for up to two hours or so when I kept the fins in my outer ears (which you can easily pop out and still use the headphones as long as you are not being very active). And last, they stayed in my ears very well while doing high impact workouts with the help of the ear gel fins.

The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones are kind of expensive ($159.99) and only have very basic calling features, but since they play for over 14 hours and you can create your own EQ presets and save them to the headphones to be used across all your devices, well, that’s huge to me. Thus, I would definitely purchase them for those two reasons alone.

Price: $159.99
Where to buy: Jaybird and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Jaybird.

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Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 20, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Goliath Games i-Top review

REVIEW – Here’s something we don’t see very often these days… it’s a toy that doesn’t require an app or a user account in order to use it. Let’s take a look at the i-Top.

What is it?

i-Top is a… wait for it… top that spins. Yes, that’s what it is. It’s a spinning top for humans aged 7+ that features an automatic counter that turns it into a game that will keep you interested in playing with it.

Design and features

I’m not sure what’s up with the “i” designation as it does NOT require you to use an app and it’s not from Apple. The i-Top is made of semi-translucent plastic in several colors like the blue version that was sent to me.

The i-Top has a diameter of about 3.5 inches and has a spinner with a rubber covering to give it extra grip.

For the most part, it looks like a retro top that kids from before the age of video games and smartphones might have used. But don’t dismiss the i-Top because it packs some cool tech inside.

First of all, this top runs on batteries, so you know it’s going to do something worthy. It uses 2 coin cell CR2032 batteries which are pretty easy to find at any drug store or grocery store.

The top of the top (ha!) has a red LED one line display that shows counter that counts how the spins when you spin the top. But instead of talking about it, check out my quick demo video below.

See it in action

When you spin the i-Top it will first show the last spin count, then it will show the high spin count along with a live counter that counts up until the top stops spinning.

Besides just trying to get the highest count possible, you unlock special animations when you stop the spin at certain count numbers. For example, if you stop the i-Top when it gets to 214 spins, it will show a cupid animation (get it? 214… February 14th – Valentine’s day), 314 will show a Pi animation, 333 will show a diamond animation and more. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture any of these animations in a video because it’s hard to stop the spinner on an exact number. But I guess that is what makes the i-Top fun to play with. You keep wanting to try it again and again.

You can even add your high score to the i-Top challenge website for a chance to win prizes. My all-time high score is 447 spins, so I have a LONG way to go to get on the leaderboard.

What I like

  • Easy to play
  • Does not require the internet, apps, etc.
  • Trying to unlock special animations keeps the toy fun and challenging

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

When I was offered a sample of the i-Top to review, I thought it would be a quick and easy review, but I didn’t realize how much fun spinning a top could be. I have been spinning the i-Top several times a day trying to beat my current high score. Trying it on different surfaces to see what works best and trying to unlock the special animations. It’s a fun toy for kids and adults and it beats fidget spinners by a mile!

Price: $16.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Goliath Games.

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Goliath Games i-Top review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 19, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Cavalier Maverick portable Bluetooth and WiFi speaker system with built-in Alexa review

REVIEW – Operating your smart home got a lot easier once voice control was introduced by various services.  I use Amazon’s Alexa system for voice control of my Hue lights and Nest products.  I bought my Amazon Echo devices before the surge of new-generation Echo devices and before all those new items with built-in Alexa were introduced.  I have a variety of Echo devices, but I mostly have Echo Dots. They work great for talking to Alexa, but they don’t have good speakers.  My iPhone 7 Plus has better speakers for playing back music.  When your Alexa device doesn’t have good speakers, you could buy yourself a set of Bluetooth speakers and pair the Echo Dot with these new Bluetooth speakers for better sound from Alexa.  But now you have two devices you have to have room for on the surge protector and on the tabletop.  Enter Cavalier, whose The Maverick speaker system has both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity and Alexa built-in – Alexa smart home control and good sound in one device.  Cavalier sent The Gadgeteer a Maverick to try.

Hardware specs

  • CAV1 Speaker: 2.96″ x 2.96″ x 8.79″
  • CAV1 Base: 3.7″ x 3.7″ x .99″
  • Weight: 1.76 lbs
  • USB Auto-switching 100-240 V, AC universal input wall adapter
  • Bluetooth Audio and Speakerphone with Echo-Noise Cancellation
  • Connects to your home Wi-Fi network with any 802.11b/g, 2.4 GHz broadcast-capable router for uninterrupted wireless streaming
  • Start and control music with your voice, with built-in Amazon Alexa and far-field voice activation
  • 20W Stereo Speaker system with 2 active drivers paired with 2 passive radiators
  • World Inspired, Genuine Materials: premium genuine leather, high quality acoustic fabric and aluminum chassis with machined edge
  • Built-in Rechargeable Battery with up to 9 hours playtime
  • Wi-Fi for Alexa support and Streaming with Voice Control for Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Prime Music streaming services and more
  • Bluetooth Wireless Audio Streaming
  • Speakerphone with Built-in Echo Noise Cancellation
  • Spotify Connect Integration allows direct control of Music playback via Spotify App
  • For Alexa supported services, use your voice to pause a song, turn up the volume and other basic playback controls
  • Complete Privacy with dedicated microphone mute with illuminated status LED’s to ensure you are aware when in privacy mode
  • Analog volume control knob for when you prefer not to use voice
  • Cavalier Multi-Room Audio Support
  • Cavalier Setup and Control App (for iOS and Android)
  • Programmable Capacitive Touch Smart Button (Change default music controls to include playlist shortcuts for Spotify and iHeartRadio via App)

What’s in the box?

  • Cavalier Maverick Speaker (CAV1)
  • USB-C Charging Cable
  • USB Wall Adapter
  • Protective Travel Case
  • Charging Base
  • Quick Start Instruction Book

Design and features

Cavalier describes their Maverick best: “Each Cavalier is crafted using only the most premium aluminum and carefully engineered with machined edge to give a beautiful finish.  Each is crafted with luxurious genuine leather to compliment the rest of the design and add true character to the product.  Our premium knitted fabric adds unique texture and character to our products. The high quality finish is crafted to not only look great, but feel great too. The texture, colors and patterns are chosen to compliment your personal style.”

There are two versions of the Maverick.  Both have the aluminum body with a machined edge.  The Black version has a black leather accent with black knitted fabric cover.  The Indigo, which I received, has a caramel-brown leather accent with indigo-blue fabric.  Both are very elegant, but I especially love the caramel and dark blue combination.

Both have a built-in battery with up to 9 hours of playback time.  The Maverick is charged with a USB-C cable and AC power supply.  You can plug the charging cable directly into the back of the speaker tower, or you can use the charging dock.  The charging stands are also made of aluminum and are wrapped in a piece of matching leather.

With the dock, you can easily grab the speaker to take with you for music on the go without having to fumble with charging cables.  And to protect your speaker on the go, put it in the included protective bag.

The button on the top is a programmable Capacitive Touch Smart Button.  Original setup for this button is as follows:  1 tap to pause/play music; 2 taps to advance to the next track; three taps to go to previous track; or press-and-hold to activate Alexa.  You can also program this inner button to activate a streaming service or other function.  The ring around the smart button is the volume adjustment.

Setup

To set up the Maverick, you’ll need both the Cavalier app and the Alexa app on your mobile device.  You’ll have to set up an account in the Cavalier app.  You’ll need to connect to your home WiFi to use the Alexa services and to directly stream music with Alexa voice commands.  With Alexa, you can stream Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Sirius XM.

Performance

When using WiFi and the Cavalier app, I was able to select between the Apple Music library on my iPad, Spotify, and iHeartRadio from the home screen.  The other, circular icon opens setup for Alexa. I don’t have iHeartRadio or any of the other services listed above, so I couldn’t try those.  I do have a basic Spotify, but it turns out you need a Premium account to play Spotify through the Cavalier app.  I’m not willing to pay for the Premium account, so I couldn’t it, either.

I was able to play music from my Apple Music library, but it didn’t have access to the music in my iCloud library.  It could only play the small subset of music I had downloaded to my iPad.

When I had the speaker connected to my home WiFi, I was able to use Alexa voice commands.  It worked similarly to the way my Echo Dot worked, but sometimes it didn’t seem to hear me say the wake word.  However, I’ve been having a little trouble lately with Alexa through the Echo Dot not hearing me, too.  I don’t know if I’m suddenly not talking loudly enough or what, but there have been no other changes in my room.

When I connected via Bluetooth, I was able to use the Maverick speakers just as I would any other set of Bluetooth speakers with my iPad Pro.  The 20W stereo speaker system with two active drivers paired with two passive radiators produced great sound whether I was using Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity.  With Bluetooth, I could send the sound from any app on my iPad Pro to the speakers, including my iCloud music library.  I tried a variety of songs in a variety of genres, and they all sounded great.

I did have a bit of trouble switching back and forth between WiFi and Bluetooth with the Maverick.  When I wanted to switch from one to the other, I’d have to put the speaker into pairing mode with the buttons on its back to change connections.  I’d even have to sometimes tell my iPad Pro to forget the Maverick and start the connection from scratch to switch to Bluetooth.

What I like

  • Beautiful and well-constructed
  • Good sound
  • Can have access to Alexa and great sound through a single device

What needs to be improved

  • Couldn’t access my iCloud music library, which is where most of my music lives.  I’m sure that’s a function of the iCloud access and not a shortcoming of the Cavalier app, though.

Final thoughts

I like using the Maverick for music playback, but I must admit I prefer it with Bluetooth so I can access all my iTunes music.  I have days and days worth of iTunes music, and I don’t want to download it to my mobile device just to be able to play it via WiFi with the Maverick.

Price: $299.99
Where to buy: Cavalier online and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided Cavalier

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Cavalier Maverick portable Bluetooth and WiFi speaker system with built-in Alexa review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 19, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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VivaLNK Vital Scout continuous wellness monitor review

REVIEW – Fitness tracking devices used to only be available in form factors that strapped to your wrist or around your chest. Now we have fitness trackers that you can wear on your finger as a ring or in a patch that you stick to your chest like the Vital Scout continuous wellness monitor from VivaLNK that I’m going to talk to you about today. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The VivaLNK Vital Scout is a wearable wellness monitor that uses medical-grade EGC sensors that track your heart rate, respiration, stress, recovery, and sleep quality 24/7.

What’s in the box?

  • VivaLNK Vital Scout monitor
  • Charging case
  • micro USB cable
  • 10 adhesives
  • Instructions

Design and features

The Vital Scout stores in a small white plastic case when it’s not being used to track your heart rate, stress level, sleep quality, and breathing.

This case doubles as the charger for the wearable monitor. The monitor is made of soft flexible plastic. It has an oval shape with two round nodules that stick up from the surface and a large square protrusion in the center.

When you flip the Vital Scout over, you can see two small electrical contacts which are used to charge the patch and three larger contacts which make contact with your skin through a thin layer of adhesive to track your fitness data.

Before you can begin using the Vital Scout patch, you need to charge it first. This is easily done by placing it correctly in the case and using the included micro USB cable to plug into an AC adapter or a USB port on a computer. While the patch is charging, a large LED on the case glows red.

Once the patch is fully charged, the LED will glow green.

The next step is to attach the patch to your chest using one of the included Hydrogel adhesives. The Vital Scout comes with two packs which each contain 5 adhesives. Additional packs of adhesives can be purchased for $5.99/pack of 4 adhesives.

The adhesives have three sections which are numbered to make them easy to identify. You obviously remove tab #1 first.

Once the protective tab is removed, you can see the thin silicone film surface of the adhesive.

The Vital Scout patch sticks to this area and then you can peel off tab #2 and stick the patch to the upper area of your left chest. You can also stick it in the center of your chest.

I opted to put it in the upper area of my chest. Once stuck in place, you can peel off tab #3 and you’re ready for action. There is no worry that the patch will fall off. The adhesive is strong and water resistant. You can even shower with it.

I have to tell you that I immediately had flashbacks of 2011 when I had a port in my chest for chemo treatments. I had the port for over a year under the skin in the same area as shown here. You can even see one of my 6 tattoos in the photo above. It’s that little black dot to the left of the patch. The tattoos were for the radiation treatments that I had after the 2 rounds of chemo. Anyway, the reason why the Vital Scout patch reminded me of the port is that it sticks up and gets in the way with some activities like wearing a seat belt or a with the strap of a messenger style bag.

I was a little concerned when I agreed to review the Vital Scout because my skin sometimes has an allergic reaction to adhesives. Back when I was going through treatments for breast cancer, they would put an adhesive film called Tegaderm over the port with the needle attached to it to keep out germs during treatments. That type of adhesive would make my skin itchy and red and would leave an exact mark where it had been for days and even weeks later. I’m happy to report that I had almost no issues with the adhesive included with the Vital Scout. I had just a tiny area where it became itchy and red when I removed the patch after wearing it for a couple of days, but the irritation cleared up quickly.

Using the Vital Scout the app

As you can see, the patch does not have any type of display, status LEDs, speakers, etc. To see the data that it collects, you have to pair the patch with an app on your iOS or Android device.



The app is easy to use and has a main dashboard screen as you see above that gives you a quick way to see your stats for the current time period, including your current heart rate, respiration, 24hr stress level, recovery level, activity level, and sleep quality.

Stress – a normal physiological reaction to physical or mental load. Not all stress is bad and can be caused by a variety of positive and negative factors such as working, training, commuting, anxiety, excitement. The goal is to moderate the amount and intensity of stress over time and to ensure sufficient recovery to balance the stress. General guideline according to VivaLnk:

• > 60% = More than usual
• 40- 60% = Normal
• < 40% = Less than usual

Recovery – The calming of the body, and helps to balance stress. The majority of recovery occurs during sleep, but day-time recovery is also beneficial and can occur in a variety of situations such as relaxation, meditation, and enjoyment. General guideline:

• > 29% = Good
• 20 – 29% = Moderate
• < 20% = Low

Activity – When the body is in a physically active state such as walking, running, exercising etc.

Sleep – The amount of time spent in sleep. General guideline:

• > 7hrs = good
• 5.5 – 7hrs = moderate
• < 5.5hrs = poor




Tapping any of the boxes under the main dashboard graph will let you drill down into each category such as Stress, Recovery, Activity, and Sleep to see more info.


The same goes for the heart rate and respiration info. Heart rate is determined by beats per minute and respiration is determined by breaths per minute.

You can also see graphs that bring Stress, heart rate, respiration, Activity, and Recovery all together in one graph to give you a better overall picture of what’s going on with your body during the day.

I found that the Vital Scout patch and app did a good job tracking my times of stress/activity and recovery. Vital Scout uses heart rate variability (HRV) which is the variation in the time interval between heartbeats and is used to determine stress levels. I could easily see the times when I was recovering was when I was vegging out on the couch in front of the TV and the times when I was “stressed” was when I was moving around and active.

The Vital Scout app will also allow you to export your data in CSV format so that you can archive it or share with a doctor.

Sample data:

Date Time HR RR Stress %% Recovery %% Activity %% Calories Burned Sleep?(Yes/No) Sleep Quality Notes
2018-12-12 00:00:00 65 15 0 51 0 1 No 0
2018-12-12 00:01:00 57 12 0 99 0 0 No 0
2018-12-12 00:02:00 62 13 0 90 0 1 No 0
2018-12-12 00:03:00 61 12 0 96 0 0 No 0

Battery life

A fully charged Vital Scout patch will collect data for around 72hrs or 3 days before needing to be recharged. Of course, recharging the patch involves removing it from your chest, which means you have to remove the adhesive and use a new one to apply it back to your chest after you’ve recharged.

What I like

  • Stick it and forget it continuous monitoring
  • 72 hour battery life
  • Helps you see your stress levels throughout the day so you can better manage them

What needs to be improved

  • Replacement adhesives are too expensive when they have to be replaced every 3 days
  • Would be nice to include step tracking too
  • Patch needs to be thinner

Final thoughts

I like how easy it is to use the VivaLNK Vital Scout. You basically charge it, and stick it to your chest and forget about it (sorta). No one will see that you’re wearing it unless you wear a tight-fitting thin shirt.

I also like that it is continuously recording your heart rate, activity, stress, respiration, and sleep info every minute and that you can go back and look at that data or export it into a spreadsheet that you can share with your doctor.

The only “bad” thing I can say about the Vital Scout is that you have to buy the proprietary adhesives and they are too expensive at $6 for 4 adhesives which will only last you for 12 days if you plan to wear the Vital Scout all the time. That said, I can see that this device would be fine for occasional use, but not 24/7, 365 days a year. The consumables are just too much money for continuous use.

Price: $149.00 MSRP
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by VivaLNK.

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VivaLNK Vital Scout continuous wellness monitor review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Zulu Audio Wearable Bluetooth Speakers Review

REVIEW – The days of carrying a boombox around on your shoulder have long been gone, and wearable Bluetooth speakers are here as a hands-free replacement. Zulu Audio’s Wearable Bluetooth Speakers magnetically connect to your clothes, so you can bring the party to the people.

What is it?

The Zulu Audio Wearable Bluetooth Speaker is just what you guess it is. It’s a set of Bluetooth speakers that you can wear.

Hardware specs:

  • Sweat-proof and water resistant
  • Bluetooth 4.1technology and integrated microphone
  • Quickly pairs with IOS or Android operating systems
  • 2.5 hours charging time
  • Approximately 4 hours of battery life

What’s in the box?

  • 1 Micro USB Charging Cable
  • 1 Carrying Case
  • 1 Wearable Speaker (with magnets)
  • 1 Extra magnet
  • 1 Instruction Manual
  • 1 Cable Tie (on the speaker)

Design and Features:

LED Light, Volume up (+), Volume down (-), Mic, and USB Charging

These speakers use a magnet to magnet connection for secure attachment on clothing, and they are comfortably lightweight at about 75 grams. The directions suggest you wear them around your neck and secure them around the shoulder area of your shirt, but you can essentially wear them on any body part covered in clothing. Additionally, you can simply secure them to any magnetic surface, or use them recreationally around the house or car. I found it nifty to put them on my metal shower rod, being as they are water resistant!

You can skip forward to the next track by holding down the Vol + button for 2 seconds, and go backward to the last track by holding down the Vol – button for 2 seconds.

Zulu Audio Wireless Speakers also allow the ability to answer phone calls by pressing the multifunction button (O- On/Off) during the time of an incoming call. Music plays again automatically when the call ends.

Performance

Pairing these speakers to my iPhone X was extremely easy. All I had to do was make sure my bluetooth was on, and hold down the multipurpose button (O) adjacent to the (+) and (-) buttons, for 6 seconds. When it is in pairing mode, red and blue LED lights flash alternately. I selected “Zulu Audio” from my Bluetooth selections on my phone, and I was instantly connected.

The box claims that the speakers last around 4 hours, which is true. At around 4 hours is when it starts giving warning beeps that the battery is low. I would say you have about an extra 25 minutes before they completely die after that. So really, they lasted ~4.5 hours.

These speakers are loud enough for what they are for. They get the job done.

What I like

What I enjoy the most about this product is that it allows you to be handsfree. I am a rollerblader, and these were an absolute hoot to take to the park! I also like fact that they are lightweight and have strong magnets. I thought they might annoyingly bounce around when I’d try to run, but for the most part, they don’t.

The sound quality isn’t bad. Again, gets the job done.

What needs to be improved

The only thing I’m unsure of is how stylish they aren’t.

I found it more trendy to wear them around my waist, like this, instead. I do understand that if they are on your shoulders/around your neck, you can hear them better but… meh. The difference is minute.

The only way this could be improved is to make them even smaller.

You could always wear your shirt or jacket over them. Problem solved.

Also, nobody has ever complained that their speakers’ battery life is too long… 4.5 hours is good; longer would be great.

Final thoughts:

These are high-quality speakers and I will continue to wear them in the park while I rollerblade and run, and use them in my shower! I think whether you are active in your lifestyle or not, most people can find a use for lightweight, water-resistant speakers that are magnetic. They would be a great gift for the holidays.

I think the price is steep. They are originally $100 and are currently 15% off for $84.99. Before I had these speakers, I was using a $20 Bluetooth speaker that I would carry in a lightweight backpack which also held water, phone, keys, etc. Considering the main function (wearable) of these speakers, and their competition, I believe the price is high.

Price: $84.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Zulu Audio. Please visit their site for more info.

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Zulu Audio Wearable Bluetooth Speakers Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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