The Soundcore Space Q45 is Anker’s latest over-ear flagship. As with its predecessors it provides a respectable feature set, but has moved up a tier in terms of pricing. Is it still able to hold up? Over the past 2 years I have been using the Soundcore Life Q30 as my main daily driver. For below 100$ it served well but had a few shortcomings that reiterate the fact you get what you pay for. Design 8.5/10 I wasn't a big fan of the previous Q30/Q35 design aesthetic which felt like it was a clash between modern and retro design. Although the basic...

Please read elsewhere if you want reviews that cover all the bells & whistles . I focus on the critical points for the purposes of this review. The 1More SonoFlow aims to bring ANC and LDAC to the masses for a reasonable price, but how well does it deliver? Stay tuned to find out. My first Bluetooth headphone was made by 1More - the MK802. This stylish headphone had great headband build quality and good sound for the price, but my main issue with it was the comfort as its small earcups rendered it more like an on-ear design for larger ears. Since...

The SoundPeats T2 is the company’s first foray into Active Noise Cancellation. For a reasonable price point they have a lot up their sleeve, but how well do these fare in real life? NOTICE: I purchased these in April 2021 when it was first released in Canada. SoundPeats has stated the unit I received is the second batch which addresses clipping distortion at louder volumes reported in the first batch. Design 8/10 Overall the design is a bit uninspiring but decent enough for me. The charging case stands tall and is slim with a soft-touch plastic...

I first heard of Earfun when they launched an Indiegogo campaign for their first True Wireless earbuds, the Earfun Free. I purchased the special edition which was tuned by Oluv's Gadgets. Though my first impressions were good, my experience quickly went downhill within the first week after one of the earbuds failed to produce sound, and Earfun could only offer a full refund for my special edition product. So with the Earfun Free Pro I was hoping to turn over a new leaf. I bought these during Black Friday/Cyber Week for approximately 50$ US or 65$...

DISCLAIMER: I no longer have this product. These were my final impressions prior to returning them. It is possible that some of these issues reflect a defect or my own hearing. Design: 7/10 The earbuds are fairly large and bulky, comparable to similar options from Anker and Sony. They don't have "stems" but the added bulk presumably acts similarly putting the microphones further out. Build quality: 7/10 The metal charging case is nicely built with an anti-slip rubber bottom. However, the bottom does collect dust and lint quite easily. The earbuds...

The Soundcore Life Q30 packs a greater punch for its price. Anker's newest ANC headphone has a very strong feature set competing with the big guns. LAST UPDATED 5/02/2021 after firmware update 2.1. DISCLAIMER: Newer units ship with firmware 2.3, which unfortunately no longer allows for wired usage with active noise cancelling. It is possible there is a hardware difference as Anker has claimed nothing can be done to revert firmware version and that the chipset manufacturer disabled the function. Older units never received this update. Design 7/10...

The TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94 is one of several recently released budget true wireless earbuds with active noise cancelling. With a complete feature set, is it a giant-killer ANC true-wireless earbud? Last updated 12/19/2020 Design - 7/10 The charging case is a little on the large size, but is fairly rounded so that it should still be quite portable.The charging port is USB Type-C and supports a C2C connection, so you can charge this off a PD charger or with your laptop. The only thing missing is Qi Wireless charging, which I consider a "nice to...

The Galaxy Buds+ represented the best that Samsung had to offer in 2020. After using these since March, here are my final impressions. Design 8/10 These look ok but are nothing to write home about considering the original Galaxy Buds already set a standard for design. The buds seem durable but the charging case feels a tad cheap, creaking a bit when the hinge is pushed around. Comfort - 6/10 Decent fit but my ears sometimes get rather itchy which is something I don't notice often with other TWS or IEMs. Large tips have the most reliable seal while...

Last year, many Bluetooth budget headphones offered active noise cancelling as well as aptX codec, but most were missing one seemingly minor feature - the lack of USB Type-C charging. With a stylish design and some improvements over the previous model, the Dyplay Urban Traveller 2.0 is one of the few available but emerging options to have this particular feature. Early reviews suggested it had very good noise cancelling and sound quality for the price, but does excel beyond its price point? I bought these off Aliexpress on Black Friday. Shipping via...

With features such as wireless charging and ambient awareness, this true wireless earbud from Jabees looks like it does it all for a very reasonable price, but does it live up to expectations? 1/19/2020 - Jabees has released a firmware update for the Firefly Pro via a mobile app. The update process is a bit confusing, the instructions say to take out the buds individually and put them back in which led them to stop playing audio. I performed the update again with the earbuds still in the case which properly updated the firmware. The review has been...

NOTE: This is the Bluetooth 4.2 version. Towards the end of February 2019 Astrotec has announced a 5.0 version but it was not yet available where I purchased this. UPDATE: This review has been updated to reflect using the BT 4.2 version on the latest update of Samsung Galaxy Note 9 as of May 2019. Connectivity has been improved considerably so I can't fault Astrotec for some of these issues. Gear tested: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (Exynos N960F) - AAC + SBC Sony Xperia Z5 - SBC only ASUS Zenbook 15 UX550GE (Intel AC 9560) - SBC This is the second TWS...

NOTE: This review is on the SHE3900   The Philips SHE3900 is a budget level IEM that represents a spiritual successor to the SHE3590, which was regarded as one of the best. The SHE3905 is a variant with an in-line remote and microphone for mobile devices. Aesthetically, it takes the 3590 to a new level, but is it an improvement in sound quality?   Build quality Let’s start out with the bad news. The main disappointment I have with the 3900 is that its cable quality is nearly identical to the 3590, and therefore just as microphonic. This time they...

In this review I will be taking a look at one of Philips newer IEMs, the SHE8100. The Philips SH3580/3590 has been regarded as one of the best budget in-ear monitors, so I will be comparing the 8100 to it. I bought these for around 18$ CAD at Best Buy. I was considering buying the SHE3900 instead, which was around 15$, but the 8100 seemed like a newer and slightly higher-end product.  Build Quality The SHE8100 is overall a level up from the 3590 in design. The housings are aluminum and quite aesthetically pleasing. The black one actually reflects a...

I bought these on Geekbuying after a considerable price drop to about $16 USD. Having missed out on the hype for the Piston 2, I decided to pick up the Piston 3 instead. The other bang-for-buck IEM I own is the Phillips SHE3590.   Design The Piston 3 has a very stylish design, but is more typical of an IEM and unfortunately don’t stand out as much as the bullet-like aluminum housings of the Piston 2. The cable is fairly well built, though from the Y-splitter up they are rubberized and a tad bit microphonic. It doesn’t bother me much, but the inline...

I bought this speaker at Target before it closed, getting a decent discount (it was on sale plus I got a coupon for it). I wanted something more convenient for listening to music while studying, as using headphones can be a bit distracting and tedious to put on and off.   Design The Charge 2 looks a bit like a giant soda can or battery (that's what it is), the build quality of the speaker itself is quite durable. Unfortunately there is no carrying case and the bass radiators appear vulnerable. The speaker is also rather prone to rolling around...

These were my first over-ear headphones, and I read a lot of good things about these headphones before buying them. I got them for 40$ (Canadian) at Future Shop as they were on clearance. I've used it for about 2 years before I upgraded to the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x.   Design Despite their looks, they are quite durable and aren't prone to breaking. The retro aesthetic is also very nice.   The downsides in the design are to be expected in a headphone at this price. The earpads and headband do wear out over time and the headband isn't...

I bought these last summer during a visit to Taiwan. I had hoped to buy a replacement Audio-Technica CKM500 (which broke) but they have been replaced with the CKR5 which are a bit of a let-down with its bloated bass and congested soundstage. After trying out various headphones, the salesperson suggested the AH-C560, a mid-range Denon IEM released in 2010. Although they have been considered "discontinued" in some areas, they are still commonly sold in headphone stores in Taiwan.   Many reviews online are on the mic'd version the AH-C560R and while...

These cans come free with HTC phones released in the past year. This version, known as the MAX300 in China, can be found online for under $15 (as far as I know, they're not sold on most of HTC's online stores except China or Taiwan). There are also Bluetooth and three-button in-line versions being sold officially on HTC's site.   Design The design is reminiscent of Beats headphones. They look good if you put Beats Logo stickers on the side. (...)   Isolation is very good, better than my CKM500, but due to the design of the driver housing...

The CK323M is a Japan-only budget IEM from Audio-Technica. There is also a version with an in-line mic and controls, the CK323i. The CK323iS appears to be a version that is compatible with Android and has a switch on the side. When my CKM500 broke during a flight to a transfer stop to Japan, I bought this IEM at the airport store for around 20$ USD. I knew it wouldn't sound as good as the CKM500 but hoped it would at least have some good sound coming from Audio-Technica.   Design and Comfort These are some of the best-looking headphones by...

These were the first IEMs I bought that were over 50$ after reading good reviews on it. Unfortunately I don't think they live up to the hype. They are definitely better than some of the other consumer-oriented brands such as Beats, Bose, etc. but they are not worth 70 or 80$.   Note: I do not have my fully functioning S4 anymore because I recently lost it. (long story) The one I mention in this review comes in the blue CNET box (no cleaning tool, straight plug).   Sound quality The sound quality is a V-shape signature with an emphasis on...