Ausdom M05 Bluetooth 4.0 Over-ear Headphones

Sound quality persist as all reviews say, I dont regret of buying this pair of headphones, sadly band joints were the first part in getting broken (I'm a bighead) so I fixed it with plastic belts (black could be better). Aux cable is not durable as you can see in the photo the rubber cover is broken due to the position of regular use. Something that really anoyed me was the blue light so I covered it with a little piece of paper.



I used them traveling and on street just once. They are so comfortable that are easy to fall specially if you're in a hurry, the sealing is not good but blocks enough to be unable to hear normal sounds on street. Not enjoyable, besides, for home/gaming/office use they are perfect

My bluetooth setup (when I used them in bluetooth mode) was a Xperia xz5 compact with aptx and Pebble Time steel for the tracks control, never had issues, never run out of battery too.

Acknowledgement

I’m very happy that I was chosen to receive a review sample from @Ausdom Audio. Whilst I didn’t pay for this unit, it doesn’t influence my thoughts on these headphones. These thoughts are mine. I own them.
 

What’s in the tin

I’ve been slow as molasses getting this review out, but trust me, these headphones are as tasty as blackstrap organic. The cookies are worth the wait. If you don’t know how good molasses cookies are, ask some Americans, somebody will set you straight. We’ll get to that in a moment.
 
The packaging for the Ausdom M05 is simple. It doesn’t scream premium, it frankly states functionality, like a pocket protector circa Revenge of the Nerds 3. Nerds rule the world now, a bit of functionality is good, but this headphone deserves a bit better advertisement of how good it is for the money. I little more swagger on the box wouldn’t be a bad thing. Inside the box is a manual in as many languages as on the tin—refreshing after getting a review sample that spoke and wrote in Mandarin—and a plush mesh bag and thin 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable.
 
I was told by Ausdom that they were the OEM for the Meelectronics Matrix 2, it’s a pity they didn’t include the awesome case that comes with the Matrix 2. Sound comparisons of the two will come later.
 
 

Form & Function

I found these very comfortable. I like the rubberised feel of the surface of the headphones, their light, they fit my head nicely, and the pads are very comfortable. The flat folding worked well, with an appropriate tightness to the cup rotation mechanism. These aren’t going to rotate unless you want them to rotate.
 
With the positives on fit, there are some negatives. They leak like a sieve, and they don’t isolate. My office mates sent me an email telling me I was playing my music too loud. I wore these on the 1.5 hour walk to work and then back and could hear all the street noise. If you want to wear these outside wear them somewhere zen—not that you’ll be inclined to meditate with what I listen to. These headphones have “Amused [me] to Death,” (Roger Water's album sounds great on these) but you’ll have little chance of not noticing that car coming turning into you. Roger Waters has been a lovely companion with the MO5.
 
I didn’t have any trouble pairing these with my Dell Vostro, Note 2, Avantree BTTC200X, or Aukey BT-C1. I can’t report the kind of range that others have gotten, but trust their judgments. I got about 20-25 feet maximum and it only comfortably dealt with one wall at a time. Maybe with a better transmitter it will perform how others have reported. I also found that different transmitters affected the sound quality and character, so your source really matters with this.
 
I found the interface easy and intuitive, and the instructions Luddite-proof. If you can hold down a button, you can use these marvels.
My battery life test found that it lasted for about 23 hours, so right around what the manual claims. Good on ya’, Ausdom.
 

 

The really big show: SOUND

I listened to these with many tracks and really enjoyed these. I found the sound lush, 3-dimensional, and a beautiful listen. My first remark when I listened to these was that I was hoping for good Bluetooth headphones, these are good headphones, period. There is no need for a caveat on them being Bluetooth.
 
Most of my listening was done using the Aukey BT-C1 Bluetooth transmitter hooked up to my DX50, but I'd already nailed down the sound in my notes with the Geek Out 1000/Avantree BTTC200X pairing. Most of my notes were written with the Avantree BTTC200X (Saturn) in transmitter mode hooked up with a Monoprice 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable. I found that the Avantree had a fuller sound in spite of not being able to confirm whether it has AptX or not whilst the Aukey BT-C1 was thinner sounding with more treble emphasis (has AptX low latency), but more convenient (it can transmit while charging, and the cable folds into the unit).
 
I listened to a variety of genres from classical to rock to rap and places between on the spectrum. I compared the M05 to the Havit I8, and to its elder twin the Meelectronics Matrix 2. If the Matrix 2 is considered a game changer, consider Matrix’s game over. The Ausdom M05 reset the clock and started it over.
 
I will now take you through the musical journey to fratricide. Before starting the journey I left the M05 overnight cooking with Neapolitan noise—that’s  pink, white, and brown noise—interspersed with digital silence off of Ayre Acoustics – Irrational But Efficacious and Binkster Audio – Test CD.
 
I started my journey listening at work with the Geek Out 1000. The Geek Out 1000 is pretty neutral with a bit of a metallic sheen on some of the treble presentation, it worked well with the M05 and the Avantree BTTC200X. I started out with some 2Pac in 16/44.1 to get me some bass on. Keep Ya Head Up was clean, with good sounding bass that was a little loose. 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted  had nice airiness and separation with the ethereal tones weaved into the track making their heavenly presence known. Backup vocals on the track were a touch forward but pleasant.
 
Shifting to some female vocals I threw on 9Bach to get my daily dose of Welsh. If you didn’t know that you needed a daily dose of Welsh, you haven’t listened to 9Bach. I discovered 9Bach through Bowers & Wilkins’ Society of Sound—worth every penny, go get it.  The Tincian album won BBC 2’s best folk album award—it deserves it. Listening to 9Bach – Lliwiau.  Lisa Jên Brown’s vocals are heavenly with a little bit of added weight from the M05, but never heavy or thick. The sound from the M05 is smooth but still maintains some texture. There is lots of air around the percussion (sticks) and they sound very distinct. On 9Bach – Llwnog (a fantastic test track) the bass is really grooving, the percussion is 3-dimensional with nice clean separated hand drums, triangle, wind chimes, and cabasa. I still note some looseness in the bass.
 
In general, the instrument separation is really good on these. These don’t sound like $50 headphones (amazon.com rough price at time of receipt). The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd sounded as they should, with a tiny bit of thickness on Roger Waters’ vocals. When listening to Father John Misty and Anamanaguchi I notice that the mids are bit forward, which is good because I dig that sound. I threw on Art Brut and reveled in the forward ‘vocals’ of Eddie Argos ‘talking to the kids.’ The vocals were engaging and the drums sounded very natural on My Little Brother. The layering and separation were excellent on Brand New Girlfriend. Maternity Ward had superb 3d imaging.
 
At this point in listening I wanted to see how a different source sounded. I dropped my Note 2 down on the desk and paired the old battered white phablet up to the M05. One of the reasons I got the Note 2 was because I’d heard good things about the Wolfson DAC hanging out inside it here on HeadFi. It doesn’t sound like it has a good DAC through the Bluetooth connection. It was touch muffled sounding and I had my signal drop frequently where it hadn’t with the Avantree BTTC200X.
 
I found that the Aukey BT-C1 gave me similar performance to the Avantree, but with a bit thinner, more fragile sound. Listening with the Aukey BT-C1 gave me a little bit of listener fatigue. I think the BT-C1 has a little bit of treble emphasis, or makes the treble stand out more on the M05. With the Aukey BT-C1, I noticed that there was a touch of static in silent parts, especially at the end of tracks. It sounded like there was a shadow of music playing with a bit of transmission lag. This transmission lag was observable when I watched KUNIKO perform Xenakis – Peaux. Her movements were not even close to in time with the sound I was receiving, even using the low latency Apt X transmitter, the BT-C1.

 

Ausdom M05 vs. other headphones

Here are a couple brief comparisons of the M05 to other headphones:
 
Vs. V-Moda XS The XS is darker with a more closed in presentation. The bass is less focused even though the emphasis is on the low end. The XS can really slap the bass.
 
Vs. Havit I8 The I8 is warm and smooth. Comparitively the bass is turned way down vs. the M05.
 
Vs. MeElectronics Matrix 2 The headphones are far more similar than different, which is expected since they are both made by Ausdom, share the same features, and the same appearance. The Matrix 2 is a bit more forward sounding with a brighter character. The Meelectronics was $40 more at time of listening, and unless you really love the case and would pay $40 for it, you’d be crazy to pick the Matrix 2 over the Ausdom. I found the Ausdom a touch closer to neutral, though it does have a slight v-shape to my ears. Though I like the case that comes with the MeElectronics Matrix 2, I don’t $40 love it. At time of writing, I've heard that the Matrix 2 will be phased out (there was a deal on Massdrop at time of writing). Tyll Herstens put the Matrix 2 on Inner Fidelity's Wall of Fame, and the Ausdom M05 is equal but slightly different to the Matrix 2.

 

Ausdom and mid-bass bleed, EQ

There have been other reviews on Head-Fi for these. I think I’m the last of the selected reviewers to post a review. I’ve read other reviewers and digested comments about the midbass bleed on these. This is what I think. I heard some looseness in the bass, but I didn’t like what I got when I turned down the levels on the midbass to recommended levels, it felt like the soul had been sucked out of the music. It was more dry and clinical, and not really my thing. I advise that people try them stock and try them with the EQ recommended in Brooko’s review. I preferred them stock but appear to be in the minority.
 

Conclusions

For its price, this headphone is stacked with features, good form and function, has a 3-dimensional engaging sound, gets good battery life, can be ran in cabled mode, and has good Bluetooth functionality. I found that the quality of my source mattered quite a bit, and that different transmitters affected the sound signature. If you are in the States and can get the ridiculous bargain price on Amazon, go do it. Buy some as gifts while you’re at it. Bluetooth doesn’t just sound passable with these, it sounds genuinely great and it should be shared. As Love-a-lot Bear says, “Sharing is caring.”

INTRODUCTION:
On any given day, I am asked what headphones someone should buy. The answer always starts the same; “Depends”. Because the answer is never the same for any one person. Some people are ready to throw their wallets at the purchase to get the best of the best. But often times this isn’t the best choice. Sometimes a great pair of headphones is hiding just under our nose, like a restaurant that only locals know about.
This is where the Ausdom M05 fills a gap for me. Is it the best pair I have ever listened to? No. But for the low cost and high versatility, it is one of the best value headphones you can buy. Bluetooth, long battery life, and a great sound signature out of the box makes the Ausdom M05 a contender for many people’s cash. Let’s take a deeper look into just what this hidden gem has to offer.
PACKAGING AND IN THE BOX:
Like many inexpensive headphones out there, the box is not particularly noteworthy. It comes in a black cardboard box. The box shows some detailed specs of the headphones on the back in several languages. On the front it clearly labels the key features which are as follows:

1. Hands-Free
2. Deep Bass
3. High Sensitivity
4. Stereo Wireless

Although there are many more features to the headphones, these do hit some key points. The headphones are set in a molded plastic tray with the accessories underneath. You will find the manual, a mesh carrying bag, the USB cable, and finally the 3.5mm aux cable used for wired connections.
BUILD QUALITY/DESIGN:
The majority of the M05 body is a soft matte black plastic, however the size adjustments seem to be metal with plastic teeth to hold position. The adjustments seem very tight, and despite adjusting them quite often they still maintain the same tightness, which is pleasing. The cups also rotate and pivot to match the heads curve. Pivoting freely moves without issue, but the rotation can be a bit tough to adjust making it sometimes difficult to get a perfect seal without fidgeting with the rotation.
The padding on both the cups and the band are incredibly nice and soft. They give no particular pressure points that cause me to get sore while listening. My ears only just brush the inner walls of the cups, definitely not enough to cause a soreness. On both sides of the headphones you have symmetrical 3 button layout on the bottom of the cups. On the left you have Power, Volume down, and Volume Up. On the right, you have skip track, play/pause, and previous track. You also have the mic and 3.5mm jack on the left side and the charging port on the right under a weathercap.
After spending a few weeks putting these headphones through their paces, I only have a few complaints. The markings for left vs right side are only shown in the black plastic exterior which is not the easiest to spot. I am also not a fan of the button placement on the device as I still haven’t been able to remember all button locations by memory.
The ports of the headphones (Aux jack for 3.5mm or power port) are not the most high quality in the world. But seem sturdy enough that I’m not worried about the future of the product. Overall I am very happy with the quality of the build, especially considering the low price tag. But the important thing is, how does it sound?
THE SOUND:
While the sound is of course my opinion based on my experiences, I find that my findings seem to mirror that of others reports. I don’t pretend to be an expert, nor do I have the level of knowledge to provide or explain graphs to you. Instead, I will explain just what I have found using the headphones through various tracks and sources.
The sound in general is a V-shape, warm, with a strong bass. If you are not much for a deep bass, the standard sound may not be for you. The sound signature lends itself well to punchy rock and R&B quite well (Such as Bruno Mars’ Runaway and Gorilla).  But it did seem to hurt other genres where the bass would mud up other portions of the recording.(See Blake Shelton – Nobody but me)
Toning down the Bass and lows with a bit of EQing really brought this pair to life for me. This will fix any bleed over into other parts of the track and really make the mids come back into play. While I was happy enough with the default signature, the slight EQ really made me enjoy these headphones quite a bit.
What I do find abnormal is usually when a set of headphones have a powerful low end it seems to sacrifice the sparkle and extension of the high end. While it is not exactly perfect. The sound signature lends itself to giving that high end even with the un-EQ’d sound.
In general, I was happy with the un-EQ’d sound. But once a bit of tinkering was done, the sound had me entranced. After a bit of testing I found that unlike many Bluetooth headphones, using the 3.5mm headphone jack provides a seemingly identical sound signature, making tuning the audio very easy for both options. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the headphones, especially with the price.
OTHER THINGS:
Microphone works as advertised, nothing special here. It is a handy feature to have for calls and such. Pairing the device is very simple. Turning on the device and holding the power button will have it enter the pairing mode. During which, the headphones will speak to you (I.E. “Power On, Power Off, Entering Pairing Mode”). This makes the process of pairing the device very simple.
Bluetooth audio can sometimes have a lag between video and audio due to the compression and de-compression of the audio. However, with the M05 and the AptX technology, this does not seem to be the issue. The audio is synced perfectly to videos without issue.
Range is listed as 10 meters, which I find seems to be a very conservative number. In real life I am able to get closer to 15-20 meters. But your mileage may vary. What was particularly amazing to me was the battery life on these, reaching between 18-22 hours of real playtime before re-charging, with standby time peppered in there as well. This was fairly consistent throughout the several weeks of testing. While I did not test charge time, most report about 2.5-3 hours, Which seems very acceptable for the length of charge you get.
Isolation on the M05 is not exactly perfect, but with music playing background noise is either indistinguishable or very low at best. I even had to use these to go to the gym for some rowing/elliptical time when I forgot my IEM’s. I was surprised that in the noisy cardio room I could really only hear my music. Granted, the volume was set to a decently high level.
CONCLUSION:
So does the M05 make the cut? Ausdom has created an underdog. A high quality Bluetooth headset for very little cost that outshines brand name headphones without a second thought. Is it a perfect headset? No. There are some small gripes I have, such as the button layout, or the need to EQ them a bit to get the best sound. But overall, the sound is fantastic, the build quality is durable and still stylish. I believe Ausdom has found a way into my heart and into my inventory, as this will be my new goto Bluetooth!
Equipment used:
DAP – FiiO X1(wired connections), Lumia 1520, Asus Zenfone 2
AMP/DAC – FiiO Q1 (Wired)
Songs – Bruno Mars – Gorilla, Bruno Mars – Runaway, Blake Shelton – Nobody but me, Panic! At The Disco – Hallelujah, Noah Guthrie – Death of Me