Bose introduced a whole slew of portable wireless audio products in their June product launch. One of them is called the Bose QuietControl 30 or QC30 (USD 299.95 / SGD 529) and it hit the shops in North America in Nov 2016 and Singapore just this month. These are their first pair of neckband headphones, in a product category pioneered by the LG TONE series. We check out how these fare in a full review! 

Pros (+): Controllable active noise cancelation (ANC) levels; Good fit; Intuitive voice prompts; App support.
Cons (-): Not for jogging purposes; Non retractable cable.

Unboxing
The Bose QC30 currently comes only in a black color scheme. 

The new packaging identity seen on the Bose QC35 / Bose SoundSport Wireless is yet again seen for the QC30. Sliding off the outer cover, we pop open up the inner black box to get access to the neckband headphones. Here's what's in the goodie bag:

• Bose QuietControl 30 (QC30)
• Charging cable (micro-USB)
• StayHear+ buds (S / M / L)
• Carry case
• User Guides

Design
The Bose QuietControl 30 is approximately 28 grams (1 oz), and the neckband design does feel thicker than the LG TONE Active. The key advantage of neckband headphones is you can simply slink them around your neck and voila, you're good to go. The buds have a subtle 'Bose' logo right in the centre, surrounded by the microphone input holes for ANC noise measuring purposes. Do note that when you remove the tips from your ears, the cable will dangle downwards as they are not retractable.  

The circular carry case is gigantic but needs to be given the size of the QC 30. Within lies an inner pouch to conveniently place any eartips or charging cables.

Features
The in-line remote controls lie on the right cable. The layout is similar to Bose's other buds - a multifunction button (Play / Take calls) flanked with the volume buttons. Skipping tracks is still restricted to double (or triple) tapping the centre button though it would certainly have been more intuitive for users if they implemented holding the volume buttons to do the same.

Controllable Noise Cancelation:
While its predecessor, the QC20 had a single button to power the Ambient Sound mode by fully turning on and off sounds from your surroundings, the QC30 goes one better. The side of the remote features 2 buttons that handily allow you to fluctuate the magnitude of surrounding sounds at 12 different active noise cancelation (ANC) levels. What this means is you can listen to music and hear environmental sounds to suit your comfort or safety (like when crossing a road).

Pairing:
You can pair to your device through Bluetooth or NFC. To link via NFC, you need to activate Bluetooth on your player, power on the buds and press the remote (see the 'N') to the NFC touchpoint of your device. For Bluetooth pairing, hold the power button until the LED indicator flashes blue. Select 'Bose QuietControl 30' from your device to complete the pairing and the LED will give a white glow. The Bose can connect to up to 2 devices simultaneously. You can manage it by stopping music playback on one and then start music on the second.

App Support:
Voice controls were excellent on Bose's previous products and continue to be over here. You get information on the power level, pairing status and it supports up to 11 languages, configurable either by actuating buttons or via the Bose Connect app, that supports all portable audio devices starting from the AE2 SoundLink. You can adjust the product name, power down timing, voice prompt language (out of 11 options) and the most useful is the pairing management to other devices and quick ANC level adjustment. 



Update (21 Mar 2017)
In the latest firmware version (1.2.8), the Bose QC30 now supports Music Share through the Bose Connect app. This allows music to be streamed to two Bose headphones that use the app.


Performance
I would say that the ideal usage for these buds would be when you are traveling by air. I daresay that's where it is actually better than the similar Bose ANC products like the QC35 or the QC20. Why so? Well simply put, the QC35 are headphones so when you choose to rest your head on your seat, the earcups will be the point of contact and as for the QC20, these are wired in-ears so there's always the possibility of tugging them. The QC30 just lies around your neck (ie. no tug) and if you want to figure out what the stewardess is hounding you about, just lower the ANC level. 

Fit:
The very snug StayHear+ tips are the same as the ones used on the Bose QC 20 / SoundSport Wireless and they do not disappoint. Fitting them in the ears, they are gentle on the ears and yet aren't easy to dislodge. Leaving them for hours at a stretch wasn't a problem for me.


Noise Cancelation:
The active noise cancelation (ANC) is like what you'd expect from a Bose. By default, ANC is already activated. The QC20 was astoundingly good for a pair of in-ears and while I did not have them on hand for a mano-a-mano comparison, the QC30 is almost, if not just as, good as its wired predecessor when set at the highest ANC level. When walking, the microphonics is quite negligible and I could turn my head left and right without hearing any cable rustle. However, I would not recommend this for jogging purposes as the neckband will bob up and down. 


Sound Quality:
The sound quality is inclined toward the low frequencies, which to me is good especially when you are traveling ie. with high environmental noise. When listening to Sarah Brightman's Deliver Me (classical), you get relatively decent but never overly crisp vocals but the bass from the orchestration that emanates from these buds is mighty, not in a thumping manner but resoundingly inspiring. 


Battery Life:
According to the Bose website, there's up to 10 hours of power on a full charge that takes just under 3 hours. This is a relatively decent number that compares very favorably with the 9.5 hours from the LG TONE Active (which does not feature ANC) and the 6 hours of the Samsung Level U Pro ANC (with ANC activated).


Overall
With the QuietControl 30, Bose has made one very ideal noise-canceling pair of earphones to use on the airplane. For those used to the LG TONE, sure the cable is non retractable but Bose has done a great job in other areas. The QC30 juggles fit, battery life and app support  easily. And of course, the deal clincher is its ability to adjust the ANC intensity to your level of comfort.  


Where To Buy
The Bose QuietControl 30 can be purchased from bose.com (US - USD 299.95), bose.co.uk (UK - GBP 259.95) or atlas-sv.com (Singapore - SGD 529). 

Alternatively, if you liked this review, do feel free to support us by buying from  Amazon through this affiliate link. 

Credit to Bose, Atlas-SV for an evaluation unit. 

Credit - Bose

Last week saw the launch of the Erato Muse 5 truly wireless earphones in Singapore. Initially announced in late 2016, these buds differentiate from its predecessor, the Erato Apollo 7, by being a more sports-oriented product that has increased emphasis on fit. 

Trivia - Erato is a company with roots coming from the Kickstarter and Indiegogo platforms. The Muse 5 raised $824,266 from 1,840 backers from the latter.

Type - Truly wireless in-ears
Price - USD 180 / SGD 349

Background
True wireless earbuds hit the mainstream in 2016 as a new product category. Unlike so called 'wireless earphones' that still have a cord linking the left and right buds, these are completely cordless. More information over here - Advent of Truly Wireless Earbuds

So to develop the Muse 5, Erato Audio took in the feedback provided from its first cordless buds, analyzed and refined to develop its 2nd generation of buds.

What's The Big Deal?

1. FitSeal Sleeves
Erato previously used Comply Foam buds (which we found pretty reliable as is) as the point of contact with your ears. They boldly replace this with FitSeal, their own patented solution, to combine with silicon ear tips. FitSeal Sleeves are meant to fit in the outer ear (conch area) and the silicon tips will lodge in the ear canal. The end result is supposedly a customized and hence, better fit within the ear. 

2. Magnetic Charging Case
The case doubles as storage and charger. The charger itself is charged through a micro-USB cable and once full, it can power the Muse 5 for up to 3 charges. And yes, it's a magnetic cover that latches down.

3. Battery Life
There's 4 hours of playback (or 7h talktime), a 1h bump in performance from the Apollo 7. Given the limited space in true wireless buds, a 30% bump in playback time is very welcome.

4. Surround Sound
The new EratoSurround, basically a digital sound processing tech, is developed to attempt to deliver a soundstage that presents a better simulation of sound and instrumentation distances. 

5. Nanocoating
Interestingly, this feature is almost overlooked. Nanocoating is basically applying a layer to the surface of the product that allows for a basic level of repelling liquid. In Muse 5's case, this allows an IPX5 water resistance rating, which theoretically means it can withstand spray jets. Well, that remains to be seen :)



Pricing and Availability
It comes in four colors at launch - Metallic Black, Rose Gold, Pearl White and Brilliant Blue. 

From the US, they go for USD 180 and you can pre-order them with a 4-6 week lead time at the Erato website. From Singapore, they go for SGD 349 and you can order them from the TC Acoustic website. 

Wireless headphones are becoming the defacto standard for portable audio gear. There is no question about it. As cables lose their appeal, it's important to understand what kind of wireless headphone you would need. 


But first, let's look at how wireless headphones came about and how they evolved.

Background
In the past few years, wired headphones have been gradually losing their cables. Manufacturers have long been grappling with the questions on how to lose the wires while maintaining sound quality. Not just a decent sound but the sound profile that one would expect when listening through a cabled version. 

Wireless headphones - B&O BeoPlay H7

More than a decade ago, Bluetooth technology was developed. The first versions where primitive and standards were being established. Bluetooth 2.0 came about and by end-2005, the first products started supporting the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) transfer standard. This determined that high quality audio could be streamed from one Bluetooth device to another. With A2DP, it mandated that the SBC codec that supports up to a relatively decent 345 kbps data rate be used.

Wireless headphones - Bose Soundsport Wireless

Nokia came up with the HS-12W in 2006 and it really took a while (like about 5 years) for everyone to warm up. The audio manufacturers while initially slow, began to embrace A2DP. If you look at the top manufacturers by dollar sales in 2016, Bose joined in 2010, Beats in 2011 while Jaybird already embraced Bluetooth with its first product (JB100 Freedom) in 2007. And in mid-2016, we have now come to a point where Bluetooth headphones accounted for 54% of US sales in the category, beating non-Bluetooth for the first time.

Wireless headphones - Jaybird X2 Wireless

Why Buy Wireless Headphones?
Probably the most significant injection to boost the need for wireless headphones is Apple's landmark decision to remove the headphone jack from its iPhone. Yes, the iPhone 7 did away with the 3.5mm jack in 2016. And since Apple commands the biggest global smartphone marketshare of Q4 2016 (17.8%), we have come to a point where probably all major headphone manufacturers acknowledge that it is absolutely vital to churn out wireless headphones lest they stare at an abyss of sales in the coming years. Apple has the tendency to set trends (for example, removal of the floppy drive / CD drive) where the industry has grudgingly followed and the 3.5mm jack is no different.

Do you miss that 3.5mm jack?

How to Buy Wireless Headphones
And now we come to the point of the article. This is where we look at how to buy a pair of wireless headphones. After reviewing a ton of headphones over the past years, it is not so simplistic to say X headphone is the best, Y headphone is the worst. Such a frivolous assessment would be an insult to manufacturers who have put in effort to develop and position their headphones.

When every manufacturer floods you with different products and concepts, it complicates the buying process a little bit. With that, we look at certain considerations when assessing what pair of wireless headphones to get.

1. Types
There are loads of wireless headphone categories. Let's break them down:

i. Over-ear headphones:
Characteristics - Ear cushions fit around your ear
Example(s) - Master & Dynamic MW60, Sony MDR-1ABT

Over-ear headphones - Master & Dynamic MW60

ii. On-ear headphones 
Characteristics - Ear cushions sit on your ear
Example(s) - B&O BeoPlay H8, Beats Solo2 Wireless

On-ear headphones - B&O BeoPlay H8

iii. Neckband headphones 
Characteristics - Buds that sit around your neck collar
Example(s) - LG TONE series

iv. Sports in-ears 
Characteristics - Buds that are tuned for workouts and usually sweat-proof
Example(s) - UA Headphones, Jaybird Freedom

Sports wireless - UA Headphones, Sony NW413, LG TONE Active, Jaybird X2, Beats Powerbeats2

v. In-ears 
Characteristics - Buds for everyday use
Example(s) - Plantronics BackBeat GO 3, Klipsch R6 In-Ear Bluetooth

In-ear headphones - Plantronics BackBeat GO 3

vi. Truly wireless 
Characteristics - Just two buds. Absolutely cord-free
Example(s) - Samsung Gear IconX, Erato Apollo 7 

Truly wireless headphones - Samsung Gear IconX

2. Sound Quality
You want headphones that sound good. And yet, it may not be a primary consideration if you are a fashionista. If you are an audiophile, you may swear by cables but the truth is that top manufacturers are now pushing quality wireless headphone products consistently. Take a look at Sony or Klipsch. Sony even created their own LDAC codec that supposedly ups the ante on sound quality. Outside of Sony, the most common high quality codec used is aptX that promises CD-quality type audio. Manufacturers like Jaybird and Beats are quite content without aptX as they contend that users audio needs are sufficiently met for different reasons. For example, Jaybird is usually used for workouts so pristine sound quality is obviously not the priority when there are already so many environmental sounds. 

LDAC headphones - Sony MDR-1ABT

3. Fit
This is absolutely crucial if you want earphones for working out. You really don't want them slipping out of your ears while you're in the zone, sweating it out in the gym. It may surprise you but just because a manufacturer shows pictures of people jogging in the earphones, it does not necessarily mean they have a good fit. We reviewed quite a few wireless sports audio products. My experience is that Bose and certain Jaybirds have got this spot on. For those that don't, consider adding Comply Foam tips which can help greatly. Even with headphones that you put over-ear or on-ear, you will need to consider - how much clamping force is there on your ears (even more so if you wear glasses)? 

Read - Wireless Sports Audio series

Wireless sports headphones - Jaybird X3 Wireless

4. Battery Life
All headphones last for different durations. Headphones generally have a bigger profile and can accommodate bigger batteries and hence last longer. The average is about 20 hours. For sports earphones, we're looking at a range of 4 to 10 hours where the average is around 8 hours. Neckband headphones are around 10 hours. Our recommendation? Well, the obvious is to get one that lasts as long as possible.

Wireless headphones - Klipsch R6 In-Ear Bluetooth

5. Style
The priority of someone who may want a headphone as an accessory and why not? Beats in itself is single handedly eating up the headphone marketshare with its branding and making sure that it sells truckloads of it 'cos they/ are used by top tier athletes. Even celebrities lap them up, likely 'cos Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine are passing truckloads to them. Superficial factor? Maybe. A factor to consider? Certainly.

Wireless headphones - Beats Solo3 Wireless

6. Weight
You don't want a pair of headphones to weigh you down. On the contrary. When you listen for extended durations, you want comfort for your ears (and head). How much pressure is there exerted by the headband on your head? You may not notice straight away so you will likely need to try headphones for periods of 10 minutes or more to fully appreciate if there be some discomfort. If you can't wait, do check the specs. Headphones in excess of 300 grams may cause discomfort but again, it depends on how a manufacturer handles the weight distribution.

Wireless headphones - Sennheiser PXC 550

7. Noise Canceling
If you travel loads, active noise canceling (ANC) headphones are they way to go. We previously reviewed and compared 3 noise-canceling in-ears. Common questions arose. Was there a switch to power the ANC? What about the noise canceling intensity? It can differ quite a bit depending on the tuning of each ANC headphone so it's recommended to try each of them in a noisy environment. If you want to go a step further, you can even control how much ambient sound you want to let into your listening experience. This is great for safety reasons eg. crossing the road. 

Read - Noise Canceling Immersion series

Active noise canceling (ANC) headphones - Bose QC35

Summary
To cut the long story short, let's recap the 7 points that determine what you would look at when buying a wireless pair of headphones:

1. Headphone type
2. Sound quality
3. Fit
4. Battery life
5. Style
6. Weight
7. Noise canceling

All that said, it's actually recommended you assess what are your priorities when purchasing a pair of headphones / earphones. It may be one or two of the above factors but it certainly cannot be all of them. And there some really good choices at your disposal.

Everyone's considerations are different and knowing what you want will really make a big difference in your headphone experience.

Feel free to drop me a note should you need any help!

Santa Cruz-based Plantronics have vast experience in headset development so it's good to see them come up with more consumer-centric products in 2016. Right now, we look at the Plantronics BackBeat FIT (USD 129.99 / SGD 219), a pair of sports wireless earphones that were released some 2 years back and just refreshed in October 2016. Let's review the FIT and also check how different is the BackBeat FIT New Series from the original.

BackBeat FIT New Series (2016) - Power Blue

BackBeat FIT New Series (2016) vs BackBeat FIT (2014)
The key difference is that the FIT New Series is now waterproof (IP57 rated) meaning you can dunk the buds up to 1 meter in the water and they'll still function whereas the original was P2i sweatproof coated. Apart from that, the FIT New Series comes in 5 refreshed colors - Power Blue, Sport Grey, Stealth Green, Fit Fuchsia and Black Core.  Oh, and there's a new design for the Call icon on the right bud. If you look at a specs comparison on their website, all else is roughly the same. 

BackBeat FIT New Series (2016)

Now that we've done the comparisons, let's look at the BackBeat FIT (original) in detail. 

Pros (+): Excellent fit; Decent sound; Ambient sound clearly heard with music; Very useful carry pouch / armband; App support.
Cons (-): Miniscule power knob; No dedicated volume down button; Head strap bobbing.

Design
In the initial launch, there were 2 colors intuitively named Blue and Green. A red variant called Lava was added sometime after. 

Plantronics BackBeat FIT - Blue

You can pop open the lid like a book where you can see the buds through a transparent blister.  

The packaging contents contain:

• Plantronics BackBeat FIT buds
• Charging Cable (micro-USB)
• Carry Pouch / Armband
• Quick Start Guide

The BackBeat FIT tips the scales at 24g, not the lightest out there but much on par with the Bose SoundSport Wireless and Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless. They have a unique design where you need to hook the buds over-the-ears and drape the cord around the back of your head where it dangles freely in mid-air. There are no other bud or fin sizes included though the default sizing worked just fine for me. You can actually swivel the bud and fin within a 20 degree range for added ear fit flexibility.

The neoprene carry pouch is very handy. There's a sleeve on the back and it can be opened up. What makes it special is that you can flip it inside out to make it transform into an armband so you can store your phone on your arm while jogging. Its reflective exterior makes it psychologically a little more assuring when jogging at night. 

Features
The Plantronics has a P2i nano-coating that makes the unit sweat-proof. Jogging under light drizzle is also not a problem as I found out given that the unit is still fully functional.

There are 4 playback controls that come integrated on the left and right earbud exterior. Some controls may prove to be an issue with users with huge digits. The power (right side) and volume (left) functions are just a small protruding buttons above the much bigger circular call and play / pause buttons respectively. Another point is there is no dedicated volume down button so you have to press the volume button twice and hold, not exactly a simple task when you are jogging with gusto. 

Pairing over Bluetooth (3.0) is a straightforward process. Just hold the center button until the LED flashes red/blue, select 'PLT_BBFIT' from your mobile device and you're good to go. Alternatively, you can use the app to simplify the (already intuitive) pairing process. 

The voice and audio prompts do their job. You can check out the battery level and hear / view the LED if pairing is in progress.

Plantronics is indeed forward thinking. Manufacturers like Bose and Jaybird only started on apps in 2016 while the BackBeat had such support way back in 2014. The BackBeat FIT Companion is the app (iOS 8.2+ / Android 4.4.4+) that gives value added functionality. The current version (3.0) allows toggling between 8 languages and Bluetooth switching between your devices. Thankfully, the unit allows for firmware updates. All you need is to open the app and plug the charging cable to the FIT. The update will initiate and the LED indicator will flash purple. One example of an improvement? The voice prompt announcement was updated from 'Battery Level: High' to 'Listen Time: 8 hours', clearly more useful in evaluating whether to charge the unit. 

Performance
We test these sports earbuds in three areas when jogging:
1. Fit - Did it fit into the ears snugly? Did the weight of the cord tug on ears causing it to fall out?

2. Noise Isolation - We checked out the degree to which external noise is blocked. This is what you'd deem as 'passive noise cancelation'.

3. Microphonics - This is basically the sound of the cable rustle when there's any kind of friction, be it wind friction or the cord swishing when running.

Fit-wise, it takes a little while to get the buds around your head and ears due to the design of the fins and ear hooks. Once on, they are feel great. You can jump / jog and they don't come off and it gives a really assuring feeling that they won't fall off. The lengthy head strap allows flexibility with different head sizes but if there is excess, like in my case where I've smaller head (Asian sized :), you may feel the cord bobbing up and down though there is otherwise no microphonics.

The BackBeat FIT has an open eartip design that deliberately allows ambient sound to pass through quite clearly. That is their intention and with that, noise isolation is obviously minimal. 

The sound quality is pretty darn decent. I took these buds for a spin blasting Mansun's Wide Open Space (Perfecto Mix) and Chicane vs Keane's Wake Up. Bass and treble are pretty well balanced, sounding good in theory but if you're a basshead, the sound leakage due to the open sound design may leave you longing for more.

The Plantronics deliver an 8 hour battery life on a full charge of 2.5 hours, comparable with sports wireless buds like the UA Headphones Wireless (8 hours) and the Jaybird X2 Wireless (8 hours).  Alternatively, you can get 1 hour of playback on a 15 minute quick charge by connecting the charging cable to the micro-USB point, neatly hidden on the right earbud. There's even a DeepSleep mode where the unit hibernates when it's out of range of your music devices. 

Overall
The Plantronics BackBeat FIT is a great choice for joggers. The button actuation may take a while to get used to but it's a product that lives up to its namesake. The fit on a jog is outstanding and you get a good sound profile that allows loads of ambient sound through making you well aware of your surroundings. While the pricing was initially steep, it is now at a level that is much more agreeable.

Availability
The BackBeat FIT New Series is available on Amazon at USD 129.99 and it is coming soon to Singapore. 

The BackBeat FIT is available on Amazon from USD 82.95 and at Lazada.SG from SGD 108.90.

Wireless Sports Audio Series
Part 1 - Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless
Part 2 - Sony NW-WS413
Part 3 - UA Headphones Wireless - By JBL
Part 4 - Bose SoundSport Wireless
Part 5 - Jaybird Freedom Wireless F5
Part 6 - Plantronics BackBeat Fit 
Part 7 - The Verdict (TBA)