audiosplitz

B&O Beoplay E8 Truly Wireless Buds - First Look

September 08, 2017

Here One Truly Wireless Smart Earbuds - Review

August 16, 2017

Truly wireless buds made their entrance to the mainstream in 2016 to much fanfare thanks to offerings from big manufacturers (Apple, Samsung) and others that have established themselves in the niche (Bragi). It's an exciting space that has room for growth and Doppler Labs is a company that sees the potential in the hearables sector for bigger things than just the 'primitive' function of listening to music.

We reviewed the Here Active Listening system, their first commercially available buds exactly a year back and now, Doppler Labs' has added music playback capability. After attending Here One's Singapore launch back in June, we bring you a full review!

Doppler Labs Here One Wireless Smart Earbuds

Read -
Advent of Truly Wireless Earbuds
Here Active Listening System review

Type - Truly Wireless Earphones
Price - USD 299 / SGD 459

Pros (+): Remarkably vibrant sound quality; Pass-through listening; Highly customizable audio features; Great fit.
Cons (-): Pairing may take a while to work; Battery life.

In The Box
The Here One truly wireless buds come in 2 color combinations - Black and White. For purposes of this review, we obtained the latter.

The box is undoubtedly sturdy, something that you'd associate with a company that rhymes with 'Zappel'. Popping open the top gives you the charging case with the buds enclosed. Taking off this layer gives access to the rest of the accessories that are neatly presented.

On taking out the packaging contents, we get:

Here One Wireless Smart Earbuds
Charging Case
3 x Silicon Buds (S / M / L)
3 x Foam Buds (S / M / L)
Charging Cable (USB to micro-USB)
Quick Start Guide and Safety Information

Design
The Here One buds weigh a reasonable 12g (for both), comparable to other truly wireless buds like the Samsung Gear IconX (12g), though are slightly heavier than the Apple AirPods (8g). The overall aesthetic is almost the same as its predecessor with exception of more contact points to link with the Charging Case. The outer edge is a touch panel that allows finger taps to actuate certain functions while the inner portion has five contact points that link to the case for charging purposes.

Charging Case:
The case measures a lengthy 98 x 36 x 29mm and when the buds are stored, it doubles as a charger. On the practical side, there are four LEDs within that indicate the battery life of the buds at any time. There's absolutely no worry that the case will spill the buds out when stashed in a bag as the magnetic clasp that shuts the case is incredibly strong.

Features

Playback / Voice Commands:
While there may be no physical buttons on the Here One, you perform taps to the buds to activate certain features. A single touch takes calls or stops music playback (if already started) and allows ambient sound to pass-through. Now, this feature, while not entirely new, is interestingly one that triggered Doppler Labs to file a lawsuit against Bose. Either way, it works as it should and it's mighty useful. As for a double tap, it activates Apple Siri or Google Now depending on your smartphone, so you can give voice commands.

Layered Listening / App Support:
This feature was what made the Here Active Listening System interesting. Once you install the app (compatible with iOS 9.0+ / Android 5.0+), you can tune environmental sound to your preference and then fuse it with your music.

To give some examples, there's db adjustment, live EQ mixes and noise filters. For potential usage, you can listen to music while fully able to hear / block your surroundings, ideal for bus commuters that require a measure of safety when crossing roads while wanting to isolate noise while on a bus. If you want to amplify speech, just select this filter option and this will give increased focus on chatter directly in front which we found to be mighty useful in situations such as standing at a bus stop.

Pairing:
Doppler Labs' pairing of buds with smartphones did not appear to be extensively tested. I had some intermittent issues when trying them out with the Sony Xperia XA (running on Android 6.0) where I had to reinstall the app twice as it was stuck in the 'Connecting to buds' screen for quite a while. Once it works, you just need to open the app and Bluetooth activates once the prompt is acknowledged.

Tip - Should there be problems when pairing, there's a tiny hole on the underside that allows a full reset of the buds.

Performance

Sound Quality:
The improvement to its experimental predecessor, the Here Active Listening System, is clearly the addition of music playback. Putting it on its paces, the Here One's sound quality is remarkably vibrant, especially when using the silicon tips. A sample of Kygo & Selena Gomez's It Ain't Me gives a really good balancing act of the treble (the snapping alongside Selena's vocals) and especially when the bass from Kygo's wizardry kicks in. For slower tracks like Craig Armstrong & Elizabeth Fraser's This Love, the instrumentation and vocals sound completely natural. It's not overly bright nor muffled like you'd hear from other buds. If you are wondering about sound drop offs inherent in some truly wireless buds, there was no such problem here.

Noise Isolation / Fit:
You have a choice of silicon tips and foam tips that come in the box. If it's noise isolation, use the foam tips (which pretty much function like Comply tips). If you want a good fit, both the types of tips insert snugly into your ear, though if you choose to jog, foam may add that added assurance.

Charging:
A full charge of the Here One through the provided micro-USB cable will give 2 hours playback that is subpar when considering buds like Bragi The Headphone (6 hours) and Apple AirPods (5 hours) though slightly higher than the feature-packed Samsung Gear IconX (1.5 hours).

On the flipside, a quick charge of 15 minutes promises a very decent 1 hour (50% of the full charge). The buds themselves are rated at 60mAh and if the power isn't enough to last your commute, the case has a rating of 560mAh which potentially gives 3 additional full charges once you plonk the buds in to charge. They'll emit a (soothing) pulsating orange light from the front when charging takes place.

Overall
The Here One buds are remarkable in many ways. As a music playback device, it performs unexpectedly well and the ear fit is excellent. The one thing that could be improved is the consistency of the app pairing with the buds, but the layered listening feature set offered by the app provides a highly customizable listening experience that is highly unique.

The Future
The Here One highlights the potential of the hearables market and how it can evolve to cater to folks who want the flexibility to tune out certain noises to focus on other sounds like voices. That's where you see that Doppler Labs is not just an audio hardware company but one where innovation is part of its mantra. Should Doppler Labs venture into audiology, which it very well could based on the Here One feature set, perhaps future product iterations may even extend to provide the elderly an alternative hearing device for those in need.

Credit to Doppler Labs and Leader Radio Technologies for an evaluation unit.

Beats

Red Headphones for SG National Day!

August 03, 2017

Singapore's National Day that falls on 9 August is just around the corner! Folks take time to get festive by sporting the colors of red and white in the streets and this year is no different. What better way to set a patriotic tone than to sport red headphones to go with your attire? That said, here's five stylish headphones /earphones to set the mood for the occasion.

1. Beats Solo3 Wireless
Price - SGD 398 (USD 299)
The (Product) Red campaign in raising awareness for HIV has been going on strong for 11 years now. In the process, you get some great looking red colored products. The Beats Solo3 Wireless is already a great looking pair of on-ears to begin with and certainly made even more striking by the red finish.
Read - Beats Solo2 Wireless review

2. Bose SoundSport Pulse Wireless
Price - SGD 319 (USD 199)
Bose made its foray into wireless sports in-ears last year and upgraded the original SoundSport Wireless (SGD 239) with the 'Pulse' functionality. This adds a heart rate sensor and relays this information to the Bose Connect app. It looks pretty much the same as the non-Pulse version and comes in a single color variant - *drumroll* Red!
Read - Bose SoundSport Wireless review

3. Jaybird X3 Wireless
Price - SGD 215 (USD 129)
Jaybird's latest buds are generation 3 of their huge selling X-series of sports in-ears. They upgraded from the original (named Bluebuds X) with the Jaybird X2 and now the latest incarnation comes with app support. The red variant is called Road Rash and looks pretty darn striking.
Read - Jaybird X3 Wireless review

4. Plantronics BackBeat FIT
Price - SGD 129 (USD 84)
The Plantronics BackBeat FIT has been around for a while and while there are some new colors that were launched in late-2016, the original red version with a greyish hue looks great. Like the name implies, it fits great and makes for a great companion when jogging.
Read - Plantronics BackBeat FIT review

5. Sony MDR-XB950BT Extra Bass
Price - SGD 269 (USD 198)
Sony's Extra Bass series of headphones has been quite a seller for them and the sheer volume of reviews on Amazon (2000+) for the XB950BT can attest to that. They have a newer version called the XB950B1 but hey, there's nothing like the classic version, eh? They, of course, have a red variant.

Audio Quality

Klipsch Reference X12i - Review

July 24, 2017

The current Klipsch Reference X-series was launched sometime in late 2015. We had tried the top of the line Reference X20i previously (and it was pretty darn good) and now given the chance to try the X12i. If the X20i did not exist, chances are the X12i would've been Klipsch's creme de la creme since it is after all, the successor of the X11i. Nuff said. Let's check out the Reference X12i in this full review!

Type - Wired In-Ears
Price - USD 349 / SGD 509 (Usual: SGD 599)

Pros (+): Great balance in bass and treble; High noise isolation; Good ear fit.
Cons (-): Befuddling wallet case design; Unboxing process could be improved.

In The Box
The box is marked by a striking transparent plastic, at the top, that showcases the buds in its full glory while the lower half is a traditional box that details its contents. Tearing the seal on the bottom allows you to slide the plastic casing out.

Pop open the plastic casing and there's the buds pedestal at the top and the accessories packed in a thin cardboard box. Admittedly, the cardboard is a little flimsy and some effort could have gone to explaining how to actually open it.

By contrast, the brown plastic holding the earphone cord is sturdy and simple to open / close.

So taking everything out, the packaging contents include -

Klipsch Reference X12i earphones
5 x Silicon Eartips ( Single Flange - S, M, L / Double Flange - M, L )
Carrying Pouch
Cord Clip
Quick Start Guide + Warranty, Safety Guides

Klipsch Reference X12i packaging contents

Design
The Klipsch Reference X12i weighs a decent 15g, understandably lighter than the Reference X20i (22g) that comes with screw type connectors. The X12i buds are aluminum-milled though the connection points (the 3.5mm straight jack and Y-connector) are made of lightweight plastic. The convenient tangle-free 1.2m cord looks great with its translucent nature that reveals the copper wires within.

Carrying Case:
Included is a miniature wallet case where both sides are linked with a Klipsch-branded elastic band. The interior has two thin sleeves within though on first glance, it's a little tricky to figure how to slot the buds within for safekeeping.

Features
In-Line Remote:
If you're familiar with Klipsch remotes that come with their earphones, this looks very much in line with its brethren like the R6 In-Ear Bluetooth. The volume controls marked with '+' and '-' flank the bronze-colored multi-function button that serves to play (single press) and skip tracks (double or triple press).

Earbuds:
You get a flurry of 5 pairs of silicon buds within of which there are 3 single- and 2 double-flange options and chances are you just need to lock down on one set for day to day usage. The single-flange M-size that's fitted by default suited just nice.

Performance
Sound Quality:
A sample of Calvin Harris' How Deep Is Your Love is intense in its pounding beats yet Ina Wroldsen's vocals are able to come through clearly without overwhelming the senses. Trying out Clean Bandit's melodic Symphony served to reinforce the notion with its clear instrumentation being expressed gently through the buds yet never sounding overly bright. This is a stark contrast to many a earbud out there where the emphasis is purely on the bass and not much else.

Fit and Noise Isolation:
Insertion into the ears is really comfortable, no doubt helped by the elliptical design of the tips. The proper method to wear 'em is to slot them in and tilt the buds downward. This results in a snug fit that provides a better than average noise isolation from ambient sounds. If there are issues with cable rustle (microphonics), you can use the provided plastic cord clip to prevent the cable from swishing around when you're walking.

Overall
The Klipsch Reference X-series serves as a timely reminder that there is life in wired earphones. Some improvements could be made in the design of the wallet case and unboxing process but if you're talking about the buds proper, there's very little to fault. Sure most companies are veering toward a wireless future but if you were to link your music device to the X12i vis a vis a pair of default buds bundled with your phone, you may well rediscover the joy of listening to music.

Where To Buy
Klipsch is currently holding a Klipsch x Logan promotion until mid-August in Singapore. Do check out more details here!

The Klipsch Reference X12i goes for USD 349.

Credit to Klipsch and TC Acoustic for a review unit.

Bang & Olufsen

B&O Beoplay P2 - Review

July 17, 2017

B&O Play released their newest portable speaker sometime in April which we duly covered with a first take. They are churning out loads of speakers and this is its lightest weight iteration yet. I had the chance to bring this travel-friendly unit on my trip to Penang, Malaysia where I put it on its paces at a swanky place called Le Dream Boutique Hotel. That done, here's a thorough review.

Type - Wireless Portable Speaker
Price - USD 169 / SGD 259

Pros (+): Loud sound delivery; Light weight makes it very travel-friendly; Good use of speaker surface as touch panel.
Cons (-): Lack of buttons a little disconcerting to use; No carrying pouch; No auxiliary input.

In The Box
There are 3 colors available, namely Royal Blue, Sand Stone and Black. For our review unit, we obtained Black and it looks pretty darn classy.

The box is tuned to the same outer packaging styling as the Beoplay H4 and A2 Active that we'd covered previously. The inside is incredibly sparse - you flip the box open and you access the speaker and the USB cable tucked under a thin layer of foam.

The packaging contents include nothing but the bare essentials:

Beoplay P2 speaker
USB cable (Type C)
User Guide

Design
Incredibly, the Beoplay P2 has no visible buttons. There is actually one and it's hidden under the B&O logo at the underside. The Cecilie Manz-designed speaker measures a really compact 140 x 80 x 28mm and weighs a really light 275g. It is fashioned of solid anodized aluminum on the top while the base is made of polymer for practical reasons.
One drawback is the lack of a carrying pouch, though there is a string that allows you hang the speaker somewhere safe.

Features
So the biggie on the Beoplay P2 is its very sparse use of hardware controls and ports. In other words, there is a single button and a single USB-C port ie. once again, the bare essentials. There's no space for an auxiliary-in so if you're using a non-Bluetooth music player, the P2 ain't recommended. To play music, you need to double tap the surface of the speaker which we felt was a nice implementation.

Bluetooth pairing:
There is a grand total of one button (darn right!) at the base. Pressing it once will turn it on and holding it will activate the pairing so you turn on your music device's Bluetooth concurrently, select Beoplay P2 and you're good to go.

App Support:
The Beoplay app, that is almost universally being extended to all new wireless B&O Play products, is compatible with the P2. B&O Play claims that there's a shake function that can be customized to skip tracks. Using the app on my Sony Xperia XA, I found it frustrating as I could not get this to work somehow. Thankfully, there was a notification to request a software upgrade (it's probably firmware though) to v6.0.5 which I promptly downloaded.

Once done, you just need to select which function (see others from the pic below) you want to activate with a shake though obviously the shake to skip tracks was the most practical of the lot. The app includes Tonetouch which allows equalizer customization which is actually well needed if you want a little more power in the bass.

One thing of note - Unlike the A1 or A2 Active, you cannot link two P2 units via the Beoplay app for a stereo effect.

Performance

Sound Quality:
I had oodles of time to sample the sound quality in different areas of the hotel I was staying at. Playing T2 Trainspotting in the room sounded surprisingly loud for a unit of this size, though understandably you can't get the same full fledged dose of power that emanates from a full sized speaker. Even when tested in the gym, a sample of NEIKED's infectious Sexual is able to easily fill the area with a decent dose of bass.

Splash Resistance:
No problems here as I was flicking some water from the jacuzzi on the Beoplay P2 and it worked just fine. Just don't dunk it inside as it is not water resistant.

Battery Life / Charging:
According to B&O Play, the battery life lasts a decent 10 hours on its inbuilt 2200 mAh battery with a 2 hour full charge. It kinda pales in comparison to the A1 and A2 Active that are rated at 24 hours each though they are admittedly much heavier (and hence can accommodate larger battery packs). It could last one movie and 2 hours of music playback but I felt I had to keep using the charging cable to charge pretty often during my trip. Oh, and it uses a USB-C cable to charge so do remember to take it with you as most phones are still fit with micro-USB / Lightning ports.

Overall
The B&O Beoplay P2 is undoubtedly a compact speaker to bring on your travels. Folks not used to the lack of buttons will find the P2 to be a little tricky to use. The flipside is if you want a straightforward speaker that's lightweight and gives a loud dose of music to stash in your luggage, the P2 would be an ideal companion.

Where To Buy
The Beoplay P2 is available world wide at USD 169 / EUR 169 / SGD 259. You can also visit the B&O Play online store or if you are in Singapore, you can visit Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt Showroom.

One of Singapore's telco's (Starhub) actually has a promotion where you can get the Beoplay P2 for free if you signup with a TV package.

Credit to B&O Play for an evaluation unit.