The UA Headphones Wireless (SGD 289) buds mark the first collaboration between audio giants JBL and sportswear heavyweights, Under Armour. The latter has clear ambitions to expand its repertoire of sporting related gear.

As Part 3 of the Wireless Sports Audio series of articles, we give you the lowdown on the UA Headphones Wireless.

Pros (+): Stylish pair of buds; MapMyFitness Premium subscription; Good battery life; Well designed pouch.
Cons (-): Somewhat loose fit; Voice prompts are minimal.

Design
The unboxing is always an experience in itself. The UA doesn't disappoint.

The only color available is the very striking black and red accented model. Flipping over the cover unveils the earphones beneath a layer of transparent plastic. 


Peeling open the layer of plastic grants you access to the buds that we practically ripped out in our eagerness to have a first look. The bottom layer is where the accessories and a very stylish carrying pouch lie.

Taking everything out, the packaging content include:
- UA Headphones Wireless
- 2 x Ear enhancers (Size 5 / Size 7)
- Charging cable
- Carrying pouch
- Quick Start / Safety Guide
- 1 year MapMyFitness (Premium) redemption card

For the buds proper, the branding is distinctly marked with a red bold Under Armour logo on the exterior and punctuated with a white JBL mark right below. First impression? I'll give them points for style and branding...that's for sure.

While I couldn't really dig out the weight of the UA Headphones on JBL's online content but I can safely say that it's very comparable to the lightest sports models I've tested like the Jaybird X2 Wireless (13g) and Jabra Sport Coach (16g).

The cable management clip is useful to tighten around your neck to reduce microphonics ie. cable rustle. Interestingly, the user guide mentions that for optimal usage, you should actually sling the cord around the front of your neck. 

The carrying pouch, emblazoned with the UA logo, is certainly well designed. It is circular with a zip that lines the top half. It has a rubberised feel and is soft enough to squeeze the air out while protecting its contents. A detailed feel reveals evenly spread textured circular protrusions...it's a nice touch. This is clearly not obvious just by looking at it and it reveals how much thought they put into its design. 

Here's a video from UA | JBL to give you more product insight.

Features
The JBL buds have an IPX5 compliance rating ie. it's sweatproof. Drizzles shouldn't be a problem but swimming is still a no no!

The in-line remote, that lies on the right side, has the standard multi-function button sitting between the volume / track switch buttons. The only difference from most buds is that the charging point sits on the remote.

For the Bluetooth pairing, it's intuitive if you're familiar with other sports wireless earphones. Just hold the multi-function button to power on and pair. Start the Bluetooth on your source device and select 'UA|JBL Wireless'. And presto, you're done once LED blinks blue.

A niggling point is the voice prompts (eg. for power on and pairing initiation) were done somewhat half heartedly. Sure they gave the info but the sound quality of the prompts were not clear. Sure you know what is said but it's not crystal smooth. Oh, and nope, you can't tell the % of the battery left either.

Instead of silicon buds that other manufacturers usually supply, the UA comes with a ear sleeve that wraps around the frame of the earpiece which combines a protruding silicon bud. This sleeve is termed by UA | JBL as an 'ear enhancer'. Two sets are provided. 

UA has been expanding its empire of mobile apps (think acquisition of Endomondo) so why not throw in a 12 month MapMyFitness Premium membership (worth USD 29.99)? For the record, the MapMyFitness app can be downloaded for free.   
So what's the diff between Free and Premium versions? There's nothing better than a side-by-side comparison.

Free Version

Premium Version

The immediate differences seen are Coaching / Live Tracking are enabled and the ads are taken away. There's more comprehensive info online on the full differences.

Performance
We tested 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. 

On to the test run! The larger ear enhancer (Size 7) provided a slightly snugger fit.

Off I went for a 3km jog around the scenic Bukit Chermin Boardwalk in Labrador Park facing Singapore's southern islands. 

I always love jogging on water!

Sound quality: The 5.8mm dynamic drivers delivered an emphasis on clarity. The result during jogging is that the balance is not quite there. Hard hitting tracks like Funabashi's The Legacy didn't give those bass thumping moments. However, it could be attributed to the what we talk about in the next section. By contrast, those who like vocal clarity will love these buds. 

UA | JBL made it a point to emphasize their 'TwistLock' technology in their marketing push where the buds need to be inserted then twisted in place 'never to hurt or fall out'. The Size 5 appeared to be a little loose where I had to reposition the buds back during the jog and this affected the noise isolation quite a bit - ambient sounds were sufficiently audible through the music. The Size 7 fared much better though the niggling point was that twisting the buds caused some discomfort in the ear after prolonged usage. It's worth noting that out of the other sports buds tested, using 'TwistLock' boldly attempts to do away with a mechanism to hold the earphones in the ear (think Jaybird X2 / Plantronics BackBeat GO 3's fin and Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless' clip). 

When sitting down, I managed to hit a few moments where I think the fit was optimal - it was tight and bass / treble balance was actually good, but the sweet spot has to be found with quite some adjustments: read twisting and then giving a slight tug of the earbud.

To charge, just flip the flap on the in-line remote and plug the cable to the micro-USB slot. The Lithium-Ion 2 x 60 mAh delivers up to 8 hours of playback on a 1.5 hour charge, very agreeable when compared with the Plantronics BackBeat GO 3 (6.5h) and the Powerbeats2 Wireless (6h).

Overall
The UA buds can easily double as a fashion accessory. They look great and so does the carrying pouch. While some work could have gone into the fit and voice prompts, it's a decent first collaboration between UA and JBL. In an increasingly app-driven world, the MapMyFitness Premium subscription sure adds some value to the product. We can't wait to see how their partnership will evolve.

Where To Buy
If you like the product, do feel free to support us by purchasing from Amazon via our affiliate link at USD 129. 

UA Headphones Wireless

USD 129

Audio Sources
Hit It - American Authors (Spotify 320kbps MP3 on Samsung Galaxy S4)
The Legacy (Stoneface & Terminal Remix) - Funabashi (Spotify 320kbps MP3 on Samsung Galaxy S4)

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 - The Verdict (TBA)

18 May - Plantronics kindly invited us to the SEA launch of their new products at the Red Dot Museum in Singapore today. We were pretty pumped up and duly obliged by popping by.

There were 2 new products:
1. BackBeat GO 3 - an affordable and stylish pair of Bluetooth buds.  

2. Voyager 5200 - a headset incorporating advanced noise / wind reduction technology.

Let's zoom in on the BackBeat GO 3. There were quite a few folks testing the unit so our first impressions are based on just a few minutes of gleeful fiddling. We'll aim to get a unit for a spin soon!

Update (15 Jun 2016)
We got our paws on a pair! Check out our full review of the BackBeat GO 3

A whole lot of folks from the media and distributors popped by.

What's the Big Deal?
1. Custom Drivers = Vivid Audio 
The successor to the BackBeat GO 2 is more fashionista inclined as opposed to purely a pair of buds for sports fanatics. That does not mean that the audio quality is compromised. The GO 3 uses a high quality custom SBC codec that on a first listen, provides a fairly detailed delivery of Sia's vocals on her rousing Chandelier.

2. Moisture Protection
The Plantronics buds come with a P2i Nano-coating, meaning that the music keeps going even in conditions such as light rain and keeps off the sweat and spills.
3. Charge Case
Playback time is 6.5 hours. While it's an improvement from the 4.5 hours of its predecessor, we feel this can still be upped :) If you get the model with the Charge Case, you can get up to an additional 13 hours of listening. There's also an LED indicator to show the power of the buds and the Charge Case.

Pricing
Plantronics will be retailing the unit for SGD 169. With the Charge Case, both will go for SGD 219. 

If you were to look at other sports wireless earbuds, this is quite agreeable if you look at the Jaybird X2 Wireless (SGD 259) or the UA Wireless Headphones (SGD 289). However, the feature set for each differs and if you're on a budget, the BackBeat GO 3 is a great option.

Availability
The unit will be available in 2 color stylings - Cobalt Black and Copper Grey. The unit will be available worldwide from May 2016.

The Sony NW-WS413 hit the shops in February 2016. These SGD 149 buds are targeted at sports users that just need an MP3 player (with 4GB) and buds to go. With that, you don't need a music device to pair (read: no Bluetooth). We hit the beach in Phuket, Thailand and checked out the unit.

As Part 2 of the Wireless Sports Audio series of articles, we give you the lowdown on the WS413.

Credit - Sony

Pros (+): Salt- and water-proof; Excellent ambient noise toggle; Affordable price point.
Cons (-): Standalone unit meaning no connectivity to other music devices.

Design
Let's kick off the unboxing with a shot of the box front.

There are 4 available colors - Lime Green, Ivory, Black and Blue of which we were provided the 4th.

Flip open the top lid to unsheath the plastic blister. There are 2 graphics that show how to take the loot out of the packaging. 

Upon popping open the blister, flipping off the transparent plastic sheet will give you access to the buds. On the other side lie the rest of the neatly bundled items.

In typical Sony style, the packaging content comprises a very comprehensive set of accessories:
- Sony NW-WS413 (4GB)
- 4 x Earbuds (S / M / L / LL )
- 4 x Swimming earbuds (S / M / L / LL )
- Adjustment band
- USB cradle
- Charging cable (micro-USB)
- Water Usage Guide
- Quick Start Guide and Instruction Manual

Onto the buds proper - the WS413 has a practical design - one with rounded rubberized sides that feels and looks built to withstand the elements with ease. I didn't go to the extent of deliberately grinding the Sonys into the sand to test this though :)

These buds tip the scales at 32g, heftier than the other sports earphones in our lineup like the Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless (24g) or the Jaybird X2 Wireless (13g).

The adjustment band may be useful to tighten around your neck to potentially reduce the drag when swimming, though I never had to use it given as the default fit around my head worked for me.

Features
There are a few IPX ratings tagged to this unit. Let's break 'em down - 
IPX5 - protection against water jets.
IPX8 - protection against continual water submersion for up to 2m depth for 30 min.
IP6X - protection against dust.
In addition, the buds have water resistance to fresh, tap, sweat, pool and salt water. 


The right side include 3 sets of buttons lining the edge - Power, Play / Pause / Track change. Switch it on by holding the power button for 3s. Ah, and there's an LED usage indicator.

On the left side are the controls for Mode / Ambient Sound / Volume. Mode serves to switch between normal, repeat and shuffle of playback. 

One of the highlights of this unit is the Ambient Sound button. The default is Ambient Sound Off where we check the performance later. Pressing again gives you Ambient Sound On where the outside sound is actually intertwined with the music. You can hold this button for 3s to toggle between 3 different levels of ambient sound intensity. This is fantastic as you have 4 levels of customization (including 'Off) for your preference.

Performance
By sheer coincidence, I was heading to Phuket, Thailand with lots of sun, sand and sea. Now what better time to test the buds?

The waterproof feature was the first thing on my mind and this was swiftly put to the test. I spent a day at the beach / sea with the buds and dang, I did not bring the camera, but yes, they functioned just fine. I got back to my suite and dunked the Sonys into the jacuzzi and whipped out the camera. Et voila:

Out of the 4 eartip sizes, M suited best so this was a constant. Sony provides 8 sets - 4 swimming buds (the lightly tinted ones) and 4 conventional buds (the black opaque ones).  

The swimming buds sport a thin layer of silicon that runs right across where the music is channeled. This results in somewhat muffled sound which requires you to increase the sound considerably during usage. The good thing is it does keep water out. The regular buds actually do quite alright for me even in the water, as long as you fit them on before the swim. If you drop these in water, you'll have to literally blow the water out from within else you can't hear much.
  
Noise isolation - 
On the default Ambient Sound Off, the noise isolation is indeed impressive. Try this in a bus and you'll be all the more amazed at the ease of keeping the bus revs down. Among all the buds I've tested, I'd definitely rate this way above the average. Once you try the NW-WS413 on this mode, you'll understand why activating the Ambient Sound is so important when you jog or swim.

Sound quality -
Dutch DJ, Armin van Buuren is fantastic to listen to when working out. The sound isn't exaggerated which I emphasize is a great thing. On a sample of Pulsar, you get absorbed into the pleasant balance of treble and intense bass. 

Charging the unit necessitates usage of the grey USB cradle and the charging cable. The USB cradle was a bit of an annoyance as you have to bring it around in the event that the battery flats out. 

Note the 5 contact points where the Sony slides into the cradle

A really quick charge of 3 min gives an impressive 1 hour of usage whereas a full 90 min charge gives 8 to 12 hours for MP3 playback (128kbps) on Ambient Sound Mode ON and OFF respectively.


Overall
Frankly put, I grew to like these buds. I was not sold on it when I first got it, but it grew. Granted, there ain't no Bluetooth to link to the music on your iPhone, but hey, this is one helluva rugged pair of earphones. Sony's build quality and attention to detail are evident with the WS413. If you do jog / swim and you don't need the extra weight of your phone to lug you down, this is an excellent unit to get. 


Where To Buy
If you like the product, do support me by buying either the Blue / Black / Lime Green versions from Amazon at USD 120 via our affiliate link.

Audio Sources
Pulsar - Armin van Buuren (320kbps MP3) 

Credit to Sony for an evaluation unit.

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 - The Verdict (TBA)

21 Apr - Bang & Olufsen released their smallest speaker to date with the BeoPlay A1 (SGD 399) that can fit in your palm and with a sound delivery that amazes for its size. We swiftly got our paws on a unit and give you our first impressions off the bat.

Credit - B&O

Pros (+): Excellent sound quality to weight ratio; A compact and sturdy build; 24 hour playback.
Cons (-): Carrying string appears a little frail.

Credit - B&O

Availability
From 9 May 2016, the Natural and Moss Green colors will be available in Singapore at Airport Duty Free, Apple Premium Resellers, the Hyatt Bang & Olufsen store, Challenger and Newstead. 

Credit - B&O

Design
Unboxing:
The box design is pretty much aligned with the branding of its peers - a solid grey square shaped box. 

Ripping aside the shrink wrap, we opened the box and lo, the speaker imposingly laid smack in the center.



Taking off the top layer, we uncovered the following.

Packaging Content:
Spilling out the box contents unveils a minimalist 3 items -
- BeoPlay A1 speaker
- Charging cable (USB-C)
- User guide

The 600g BeoPlay A1 is designed by one of Bang & Olufsen's regular industrial designers, Cecilie Manz. On first glimpse, it appears like a fun and solidly built product, given the accompanying string to hang where you please and the aluminum grill.

It comes in 2 color variants - Natural and Moss Green.

Credit - B&O

The double-moulded polymer base has a rubberized texture that grips well. There are some markings on the bottom to indicate where to plug in the charging cable and the 3.5mm audio cable input (provided separately). 

Features
USB-C charging:
This is one of the first (if not, the first) B&O products to incorporate USB-C charging, likely providing a glimpse of the direction of what will be their default jack of choice. All their products were previously using micro-USB. The benefit of USB-C is that it's reversible.

Bluetooth:
Connecting was a relative breeze. Upon the power on, you need to hold the Bluetooth button for 2 seconds after which the LED, next to the power button, flashes blue. Find 'BeoPlay A1' on your source device and boom, you're good to go. Just hit the Connect button, indicated by a circle icon, to play from the last connected source device. 

Update (10 May 2016)
Microphone / Calls:
Once calls come in, all 3 LED indicators flanking the left, right and bottom will start flashing green. You can pick the call either with your phone or pressing the microphone button. Another press will mute the call and is clearly reflected in the 3 LEDs turning red. At a 30 cm radius from BeoPlay A1, I had no problems conversing with folks on the other end and on my side, the caller's voice came through just fine. 

BeoPlay App:
There's even an accompanying BeoPlay App that can be used. While the Android version will only be released in Spring 2016 (ie. we couldn't test it as yet), the available version (iOS) has some nifty features such as wireless stereo pairing, to link with another compatible speaker, and ToneTouch which gives personalization of the staging settings and tonality.  

Credit - B&O

Performance
Sound:
We swiftly linked the Bluetooth to a MacBook Air and streamed Markus Schultz's First Time over Spotify. Boy was it good. For a very compact 600 gram unit of 13.3 (diameter) x 4.8 cm (height), the sound is incredibly punchy and surprisingly was able to fill the room with its strong basslines with considerable vocal clarity.

24 hour playback:
Charging gives your 24 hours of playback on a full charge of 3 hours, a sufficiently agreeable duration to last day trips to the beach. The battery indicator flashes orange during the charging process.

Update (10 May 2016)
Overall
The Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A1 is one great speaker to take with you to the great outdoors. Its punchy sound delivery is impactful given its size. Combined with a very agreeable 24 hour playback and desirable aesthetic, this makes for a good sound companion at outdoor parties with friends.

Where To Buy
You can purchase the BeoPlay A1 in various retail outlets in Singapore at SGD 399. Alternatively, if you like what you have read, do support me by buying either the Natural Silver or Moss Green versions from Amazon at USD 249 via this affiliate link. 

B&O BeoPlay A1

USD 249

Credit - B&O

Credit to B&O PLAY for a review unit.