audiosplitz: NFC

Jabra Sport Coach - Integrated Fitness Solution

October 02, 2015

Copenhagen-based audio manufacturer, Jabra announced the launch of their latest sports in-ears called the Sport Coach Wireless in July 2015. At SGD 248, these are on the higher end of the pricing range of sports earphones. Let's take a look at how these fare.

Design
First things first - we check out the unboxing.

Out of the 3 colors available, we were handed the yellow unit. The earphones are also stocked in red and blue.

The box is relatively compact with a magnetic latch on the right side.

Flipping over the cover unveils the earphones beneath a layer of transparent plastic.

Peeling open the layer of plastic and opening the yellow box at the bottom will give you the protective pouch which in turn contains the whole set of accompanying accessories. After removing the cable ties that are linked to the in-ears, we took out the product proper.

At 16g, the Sport Coach Wireless is undeniably light, much like others in its range like the Jaybird X2 Wireless (13g) and Plantronics BackBeat Go 2 (14g). They are worn only in the traditional under the ears method with the in-line remote set on the right side.

There are two fit clips provided - they serve to bunch the cord together behind your neck to minimize the cable tangle (and rustle). Jabra recommends three ways to knot 'em up nicely.

Features
What makes these in-ears unique is that Jabra designed an accompanying mobile app called Jabra Sport Life that works with iOS 7.0+ and Android 4.0.3+. While originally supported for the Sport Pulse Wireless earphones, they are extended to the Sport Coach. The app allows you to 'plan, track and analyze your cross training workouts'. We go more into this in the Performance section.

The Sport Coach is built to military standards (IP55) meaning that these buds are sweat proof + weather proof + shock proof. Aye to the first two but we didn't go to the extent of throwing the Jabras on the floor to test how shock proof these were 'cos we needed to return the unit :)

Jabra includes what they market as the TrackFit Motion Sensor. During jogging, tapping the Sports button on the left earbud triggers a voice that gives information such as distance run, speed and cadence. This is an incredibly useful feature that shows off the potential of hardware and software integration. Double tapping will disable the voice updates.

You can connect the Sport Coach via Bluetooth for up to two devices. To pair, just hold the multi-function button until the right earbud's LED flashes blue. Follow the voice prompts to complete the pairing.

Multi-function button flanked by the volume buttons

The connection by near field communication (NFC) is equally easy. Just ensure your source device has activated NFC, turn on the earphones and press the in-line remote onto the player's NFC point. On that note, the button actuation of the remote is firm though the niggling point is the inability to deactivate the confirmation sounds when a button is pressed.

The in-line remote doubles as the NFC point of contact

You have a range of 3 ear wings, 4 ear gels and 2 fit clips to play around for customization. I found the small ear wings the most ideal for commuting while the medium made the most sense for jogging. For the ear gel, medium was ideal.

Performance
On to the test run!

While the haze season in Singapore is back with a vengence, I somehow managed to find some clear skies earlier in September to squeeze in a jog. Off I went for a 2km run around the Alexandra Canal.

'1' and '2' mark the hitting of the respective kilometer marks

During the run, I stopped every now and then to test the different ear wing modes. The constants were the ear gel size (M) and the fitclip style (optimal) where the two clips bind the cords as tightly together to reduce both the cord brushing against the neck and the microphonics.

A separate session to highlight the battery life displayed

1. Ear wings (S), Ear gel (M)
This was the easiest mode to insert into the ears. However, the fit wasn't there as I constantly had to readjust the earbuds to balance out the sound on the left and right sides.

2. Ear wings (M), Ear gel (M)
At roughly 600m into the jog, I swapped the small ear wings for the medium version. They provided probably the best balance of comfort and ear fit though the audio wobble was still audible with each heel strike.

3. Ear wings (L), Ear gel (M)
T'was one tight experience - When wearing the large sized ear wings, the tip pressed into my ears but the flipside is that the audio wobble reduced considerably.

Throughout all three modes, the noise isolation was never ideal as I could make out ambient noise even while the beats from Armin van Buuren's Take Me Where I Wanna Go were pounding my ear drums during the run. I tried to tie the cable as tight as possible to reduce the microphonics but somehow, there's only so much that can be done when earphones are natively worn under the ears.

Not exactly the fastest of runs but hey, I had to swap ear wings, yea?

There are different workout functions in the Sports Life app such as Calorie Burn goal and Time goal. I chose the Cross-Training which led to a few rounds of crunches and lifting of knees. This app gives the idea that Jabra is no slouch in providing a fitness solution providing visual feedback on your performance.

Cross training!

For commuting usage, the Jabra's sound output is admirable. A listen of Brandon Flowers' Crossfire gave the impression that it is a well tuned earphone that neither emphasizes the bass nor the treble. Bass heads may be a little disappointed but on my side, the overall delivery of the music clicked for me. For added comfort, go for the small ear wings.

To charge, just pull back the ear wing and plug the cable to the micro-USB slot. After 2 hours to get a full charge, you get 5.5 hours of music playback, a fair number compared with the Jaybird X2 Wireless that gets 8 hours and Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless which gives 6.

Jabra even includes a Jabra Sound app that you can use as a substitute for your default music player. The app can only be used once you enter the unlock code provided in the box. I didn't the app too useful though the redeeming feature is the ability to activate Dolby Sound Enhancement, though I found the sound rather spaced out for my liking.

Jabra Sound app - You can turn on / off Dolby

Overall
The Jabra Sport Coach Wireless is great sports wireless unit that considers the overall jogging / workout experience. While the hardware itself could do with some upgrades, it is the integration with the software that makes for a more compelling package.

Audio Sources
Take Me Where I Wanna Go - Armin van Buuren feat. VanVelzen (Spotify 320kbps MP3) on Samsung Galaxy S4
Crossfire - Brandon Flowers (320kbps MP3) on Samsung Galaxy S4

Credit to Jabra and PRecious Communications for a review unit.

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Sony MDR-1ABT - High-Res Audio Over Wireless

August 03, 2015

High quality audio over wireless is what the MDR-1ABT (SGD 499) is all about. While similar in design to its predecessor, the MDR-10RBT, the most distinct difference are the new touch sensor controls.

There are 2 variants - MDR-1A/B Standard Headphones (SGD 399) is a wired version and the MDR-1ADAC Standard Headphones with USB DAC (SGD 499) interestingly includes an integrated digital-to-analog converter within.

Design
Massive is one simple word to describe the box at 235 x 230 x 115mm.

You have a choice of Black or Silver for colors. The review unit was the Silver edition.

Once the shrink wrap comes off, just slide out the black interior box.

An equally massive black box

Open it up like a book to reveal the imposing MDR-1ABT over-ears headphones on the right.

And here are the headphones. Plus a tiny guide for the touch sensor

The left can be flipped further to access the user guides and a black carrying case. Tucked in the case are the USB charging cable and the 3.5mm audio cable to allow a wired connection.

Accessories to the left

The 300g MDR-1ABT headphones feel like they are solidly built. The leather headband and replaceable ear cushions are plush and feel very comfortable when placed over the ears. A point to note is that the tip of my ears touched the 40mm driver housing as the space afforded is rather shallow. A single hinge allows the cups to be swivelled 90 degrees for compact storage.

8 Aug 2015:
The ear cushions are not for sale at Sony Stores. However, they can be ordered at SGD 64 a pair (SGD 32 for each side) from the Sony Store at 313@Somerset.

Very comfortable ear cushions we have!

The headphones fit inside the carrying case snugly. Within, there's a sleeve that allows you to stash the cables you want to bring with you.

Tie it all up and we're ready to go

Features
The MDR-1ABT is one of the first products supporting Sony's LDAC audio technology. LDAC's purpose is to transmit CD quality audio over a Bluetooth connection, very similar to what the aptX codec does (View this link for the technical differences). For LDAC usage, you can opt to use the Sony NW-ZX2 Walkman as the source though I did not use this as a testing device as the unit was not available.

NFC, Bluetooth, LDAC, aptX? Check to all.

In my case, my source (Samsung Galaxy S4) and receiver (MDR-1ABT) are aptX compatible. When I wrote in to Samsung, it appears the usage of the codec is enabled by default as long as the file is hi-res (we're looking at 1400kbps). As for iPhones, these units are conspicuously absent from the list of compatible products.

3 flashes of blue show you that Bluetooth is functional.

You can connect to your phone either by Near Field Communications (NFC) or Bluetooth. To get NFC to work, your phone needs to support it. Sony has a great user guide that talks about the 1001 permutations to connect to different phones.

Pairing on the NFC Easy Connect app (found on Google Play).

For the Samsung Galaxy S4, I switched this setting on, turned on the headphone power and pressed the 'N' logo on the Sonys onto the phone's NFC point. Et voila, they are linked. Sony has an NFC Easy Connect app which Android v2.3.3 - v4.0.4 users will need. Just for kicks, I installed the app even though I'm on v4.4.2 and the NFC connection works just fine.

I decided to pair with a second device (an iPad Air) via Bluetooth. I held the button until there were alternating blue and red flashing LEDs to indicate the pairing mode. I then activated the Bluetooth on the iPad and then linked them.

Double tap to start / stop tracks. A horizontal motion changes tracks.

The touch sensor for playback / call controls takes up the entire smooth flat backing of the right side. Sony took pains to put a tiny user guide, talking about the sensor, smack on the headphones and rightfully so. It took some time to get used to changing tracks and personally, button actuation worked better for me. When a call is incoming, a pleasant chime greets you. You just double finger tap the right side to pick it up.

Vertical motion increases / decreases the volume.

While the experience was a bit of a hit and miss, one cannot deny that this is an innovative presentation and is a function that will increasingly be explored by headphone manufacturers.

The straight jack to the headphones and the L-shaped one to your player.

A 3.5mm audio cable allows you to have a 1.2m wired connection to your player. When you plug the straight end to the left side, the headphones power (and Bluetooth) turns off automatically.

Plug the wire to the left side.

The good part is that the sound quality stays practically at the same level and you save the power. The flip side is if you are connected to your phone, it's perplexing to note that you can't use the touch sensor to pick up calls nor can you use the microphone on the MDR-1ABT.

Performance
The sound quality over Bluetooth is well balanced and gives the impression that there's a very wide soundstage. These headphones are not for bass-heads and I say that in a good way. The bass doesn't overwhelm when listening to trance tracks such as Gouryella's Anahera. On the high frequencies, All Saints' vocals on Pure Shores came through William Orbit's dreamy soundscape with a decent level of clarity.

What comes in the package.

On the other hand, noise isolation was poor. This was tested on a bus and many environmental sounds like engine revs and bus chatter could be easily heard.

The Bluetooth range is about 10m. When I walked beyond this radius, I started to get the expected intermittent sound.

To charge the Sony, open the dust flap and plug the provided micro USB cable. You won't be able to use the headphones wirelessly during the charging.

A red LED indicates the headphones are charging.

For a 1 hour charge, Sony claims that they can be used for 8 hours. On a full charge of 4 hours, music playback time ranges from a very agreeable 28 hours (hi-res formats like aptX / LDAC) to 30 hours (low-res formats like SBC).

Overall
The MDR-1A Standard Headphones with Bluetooth is a good choice of an over-ear unit for indoor users. If you change tracks often, you may want to test if the touch sensor controls are to your liking. That said, do give these pair of Sony headphones a go if you are in search of comfort combined with a well balanced audio quality boasting a wide soundstage.

Audio Sources
Pure Shores - All Saints (ALAC) on Samsung Galaxy S4
Anahera - Ferry Corsten presents Gouryella (Spotify 320kbps MP3) on iPad Air

Credit to Sony, Waggener Edstrom Communications for a review unit.

Update (8 Aug 2015):
- Ear cushion pricing information

Where To Buy
If you like what you have read, do feel free to support me by buying either the Silver or Black Sony MDR-1ABT from Amazon via this affiliate link. Prices start from USD 310.

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