audiosplitz: Beats

Wireless Sports Audio Series

April 16, 2016

Sports wireless earphones are in such massive demand now. To put things in perspective, Jaybird specializes in this niche and its success in this category allows it to rank among the top five brands in the premium headphone segment by revenue in 2014, according to The NPD Group. How about that?

We had the opportunity to test some 5 really astounding sports earphones these past few months.

In a 4-part series, we will review 3 models we recently laid our paws on. We'd already checked out 2 of 'em, namely the LG TONE Active and the Jaybird X2 Wireless. To make it sweet, we'll round them all up in a verdict.

Update (14 Jul 2016)
Initially, the Wireless Sports Audio Series was supposed to be a 4-part series of articles. We had the opportunity to try even more buds. After all, why limit it? We'll not even call it 5- or 6-part. We'll make it modular to accomodate more articles :)
Bose SoundSport Wireless - added 14 Jul 2016
Jaybird Freedom Wireless F5 - added 13 Sep 2016

1. Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless
After 2 years in the market, this is still the defacto wireless sports earbuds that Beats provides in a multitude of colors. Beats / Apple's getting all the big names like LeBron James and Taylor Swift in to promote the SGD 310 clip-on model.
Price: SGD 310
Type: Clip-on
Battery life: 6h
Full review

2. Jaybird X2 Wireless
Just acquired by Logitech, the lightweight 13g Jaybird X2 Wireless is their current flagship model for good reason.
Price: SGD 259
Type: Over-the-ears / Under-ears
Battery life: 8h
Full review

3. LG TONE Active (HBS-850)
LG's surprise hit, the TONE series of space age neck-styled earphones have clearly captured the imagination of the masses, with a whopping 10 million units sold thus far (and counting). The HBS-850 is their first sports-inclined model to hit to shops.
Price: SGD 189
Type: Around neck
Battery life: 9.5h
First look / Full review

4. Sony NW-WS413
We took a first look when Sony launched this SGD 149 unit a month back. The biggie about it is that it's waterproof and not just splashproof. You can actually go for a swim with it!
Price: SGD 149
Type: Over-the-ears / Inbuilt storage
Battery life: 12h
First look / Full review

5. UA Headphones Wireless - Engineered by JBL
First announced at CES 2016, UA and JBL's collaboration produced their first pair of Bluetooth earbuds sporting the distinct UA logo. Just released last month in Singapore, we'll check out how they fare.
Price: SGD 289
Type: Under-ears
Battery life: 8h
Full review

6. Bose SoundSport Wireless
First announced in June, we found it timely to include Bose into the wireless sports audio ecosystem.
Price: SGD 239
Type: Under-ears
Battery life: 6h
Launch / First impressions

Stay tuned for the reviews!

Wireless Sports Audio Series
Part 1 - Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless (24 Apr 2016)
Part 2 - Sony NW-WS413 (3 May 2016)
Part 3 - UA Headphones Wireless - By JBL (29 May 2016)
Part 4 - Bose SoundSport Wireless (14 Jul 2016)
Part 5 - Jaybird Freedom Wireless F5 (13 Sep 2016)
Comply Foam - Sport, Isolation and Comfort Tips
The Verdict (TBA)

Apple

Taylor Swift's Viral Apple Music Video

April 04, 2016

Beats

2015 Holiday Gift Guide - Portable Audio

December 20, 2015

As Christmas beckons and 2015 comes to an end, let's take a look at some great portable audio gear you can gift for your loved ones. Not sure what to get? Fret not! We break down a few choices for each persona.

Merry X'mas folks!

Fashionistas
1. Beats Solo 2 Wireless (SGD 490)
This model is a head turner with the variants like the Active Collection (for sports lovers), and Luxe Editions (for a more premium look) being recently released.

2. Sennheiser MOMENTUM On Ear (M2) (SGD 319)
The MOMENTUM series is helluva looker and why change a proven formula? And they haven't, given its design has been around since 2013.

3. Master & Dynamic MH30 (SGD 549)
This New York company is certainly going places with its premium design. Want something novel? It ain't seen very much in Singapore (yet).

No Cables Please (Wireless)
1. Bose SoundLink on-ear Bluetooth (SGD 379)
The OE SoundLink is one of the best in the wireless on-ears category for sound delivery. The price is very decent too.

2. Sennheiser URBANITE XL Wireless (SGD 419)
They are great headphones for street wear and high quality sound over Bluetooth makes for good icing on the cake.

3. Sony MDR-1ABT (SGD 499)
A good choice for a multitude of reasons - It's comfortable, it supports aptX and LDAC codecs and it's a Sony.

Sports Lovers
1. Jaybird X2 Wireless (SGD 259)
These rank right up there for sports earbuds. They are highly customizable and the Comply foam tips offer great noise isolation and fit.

2. LG Tone Active (SGD 189)
The space-age looking TONE series has been a killer product for LG. What better way to improve it than to make a sports variant?

3. Jabra Sport Coach (SGD 248)
It's pretty hard to find an effective product that gives an integrated software and hardware fitness solution.

Users On-The-Go (Noise Canceling)
1. Bose QuietComfort 25 (SGD 529)
The QC25 blocks off sound to the extent that you feel you're in a world of your own.

2. Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H8 (SGD 699)
This is a premium looking pair to be seen with. Oh, and it's great to use on an airplane where the engine hum is just taken away.

3. Sony h.ear in NC (MDR-EX750NA)
This really light pair of in-ears works wonders on the train. Once you flick the switch on, the train grinding sounds are magically reduced.

Audiophiles
1. Klipsch Reference X20i (SGD 999)
These are certainly pricey but the sound delivery will certainly appeal to purists.

2. Grado SR60e
The SR60e is their entry level headphones and despite that, the quality of the music is simply amazing for its price.

Apple

Beats Pill+ Bluetooth speaker - First Look

November 01, 2015

Apple

Beats Solo 2 Wireless - Top Notch Design

August 23, 2015

Beats' latest wireless on-ears is called the Beats Solo 2 Wireless (SGD 490). This is their first product since the Apple 2014 merger and blends in nicely with its wired sibling, the Solo 2.

With 70 percent market share, Beats look set to dominate the premium headphone market segment for a while and hence, they simply cannot be ignored when considering a pair of headphones for purchase.

Design
They are masters of packaging (and marketing), just like Apple, and hence, is probably a huge factor why Apple took such a big interest in Beats. Let's guide you through the unboxing process.

Sliding out the top layer will reveal a solid black box.

Taking out the cover unveils a black cardboard with these words that proclaim:

Lift up the tab and voila - behold the carrying pouch containing the Solo 2 Wireless.

Before taking out the headphones, we first take out the supporting layer. Beneath is a black sleeve containing the user guide, safety info and a Beats sticker.

Smack at the bottom of the box is a carabiner, to allow you to attach the carrying case to a bag, the USB charging cable and an audio cable to give you the flexibility of a wired connection.

Back to the headphones. Upon unzipping the pouch, the first impression of the 215g Solo 2 Wireless is that it looks undeniably suited for street wear. From the 7 colors available, I was passed the gloss black unit which sports punctuations of red.

At the midway point of the headband, a hinge on each side allows the Beats to be folded inwards for compact storage. The interior of the headband is made of a soft felt material colored grey while the non-replaceable ear cushions are a solid black.

Features
Wireless Bluetooth pairing is a very straightforward process. On powering on the unit, a white LED on the left cup will pulsate to indicate pairing is in progress. Once your source device is visible, tap to select the Beats Solo 2 Wireless and you're good to go.

One nice touch is their battery power meter (or what they coin as Fuel Gauge) which consists of 5 small LEDs lining the bottom of the right cup. This is very similar to what used to be a default feature on MacBook Pros. Just press the power button to have an idea how much charge there is.

The design of the playback controls on wireless gave the impression that the products team thought this out very well. They evolved the in-your-face controls of the original Beats Wireless to very discrete tactile controls. You simply don't see them at all as they are hidden into the left ear cup. Brilliant.

2011 Beats Wireless - Very blatant playback controls

Beats Solo 2 Wireless - Discrete controls
The Beats logo is the Call / Play button.
The top / bottom of the surrounding circle are the volume controls.

To get the wired mode, just plug in the red 1.36m cable (marketed as RemoteTalk Audio Cable). At this point, the Bluetooth turns off. The in-line remote becomes the primary mode to control the volume. While the button actuation is first class for responsiveness, the flipside is that it caters to iOS/Mac users.

These cans do not come with aptX, which allows for CD-quality audio over wireless. A number of studies have been conducted to assess if people could identify aptX sound. Apparently, the result is that the difference is negligible. Before the audiophiles scream bloody murder, this really isn't a showstopper especially with the way the Beats is tuned.

You can rename the headphones. First, just visit www.namemybeats.com where you download an installer. You then run the software and link up the headphones by USB to your computer. This feature basically allows you to update the firmware on your headphones to the latest version in addition to the personalization. Is this really needed? If they are working perfectly fine, probably not, but allowing allowing room for improvement is always a good thing.

Performance
The Solo 2 Wireless is a decent on-ears headphones when it comes to sound. I took a listen to Tom Chaplin's haunting vocals with the accompanying bass on Keane's Russian Farmer's Song. There is an obvious inclination towards a deeper bass and less emphasis on the treble clarity. To a certain extent, vocals and instrumentation aren't too distinct; they kinda blend together.

On the other hand, these headphones are clearly made for bass heads. The Solo 2 Wireless is in its element when listening to trance. Solarstone's Seven Cities is at its inspiring best when the beats start pounding your eardrums. My overall take is that the sound is warm and the listening experience is very much an engaging one when listening to the right type of music. The best is to try out the headphones yourself to see if the sound suits you.

One pleasant surprise is that wired mode sounds almost exactly the same as wireless, a standard that manufacturers these days are trying to attain.

Prolonged usage can be a little uncomfortable, especially if you wear glasses, as the clamping effect is quite strong. If you get the chance, do try these out for comfort first.

The battery lasts 12 hours, a rather underwhelming number when compared to other Bluetooth headphones in the market. Once the power meter pulsates red to indicate low battery, just plug in the supplied micro-USB cable to the right side for 2 hours to get a full charge.

Overall
If a stylish wireless pair of headphones with a deep bass is what you seek, look no further. Indeed the price is steep but the Solo 2 Wireless' design is well thought out in a practical way and will surely appeal to fashionistas.

Where To Buy
If you like what you have read, do feel free to support me by buying from Amazon via this affiliate link.

Gold
Rose Gold
Space Grey
Silver
Active Collection - Yellow / Blue / Red

Prices start from USD 195.

Audio Sources
Russian Farmer's Song - Keane (Spotify Premium 320kbps MP3) on Samsung Galaxy S4
Seven Cities (Original Atlantis Mix) - Solarstone (Spotify Premium 320kbps MP3) on iPad Air

Credit to Apple and Beats teams for providing a review unit.

Update (21 Nov 2015)
Beats introduced new color variants in the past two months: