Over the past few weeks I have tried out quite a few over-ear bluetooth headphones in a mad search for the ‘ultimate’ bluetooth headphone.

I have tried the Bose QC35’s, V-Moda Crossfade Wireless and now the Sennheiser PXC550’s (I wanted to also try the new Sony MDR1000x models but they appear to be sold out with a two month waiting list - and I’m the impatient type.

My usual wired headphones consist of the following (all of which are used regularly):

Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 - in ear monitor
1More Hybrid Triple Driver - in ear monitor
Sony XBA H1 - in ear monitor
Apple Earpods - fall out of ear earbud
Audio Technica ATH50X - Full Size Over-Ears (make you look a bit like a Cyberman)

Playback electronics include:

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (an excellent audio player - especially with the inclusion of Neutron).
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 - also quite nice sound quality through headphone out - even with stock ROM
AgpTEK H01 - Micro SD based lossless player with a very powerful amplifier on-board.

My music tastes are beginning to vary in my old age - Rush, Pink Floyd, Queen, Bach, Fleetwood Mac, Vivaldi, William Orbit, Hanz Zimmer - you get the idea. Most of my music is well-encoded MP3’s (either 320K rips - some of the older stuff ripped using EAC/LAME (with some cool psycho-acoustical filtering applied) and some downloaded FLAC files. In other words, perhaps not the best in the world but certainly a significant step up from entry-level.

My criteria in order of importance is:

Sound Quality
Volume
Ability to pair with two phones
Reliable Bluetooth connection
Battery Life
Facility to use wired connection
Comfort

I can tolerate some discomfort as I am frequently having to remove my headphones when working but they’ve gotta sound good and loud. I normally like a sound signature that’s neutral (with perhaps just a hint of deep bass) normally. I don’t tend to mind a slight dip in treble as I’m quite sensitive to shrieking upper mids (that’s what happens when you’re married). The ideal sound signature for me normally comes from my Ultimate Ears Triple Fi’s and 1More Triple Driver in ear monitors.

Externals and Bluetooth

The V-Moda’s feel reassuringly solid - this is helped by the metal shields which give the headphones a rather unique look. Whilst smaller than some over-ear headphones I find them reasonably comfortable. They are tight fitting but this actually helps when you’re walking around with them as they don’t shift position at all. You could use them for working out without too much problems but I personally would rather use wireless earbuds for something like that. I can bend over to stroke the cat without them slipping off.

The buttons are situated at the top of the right hand earcup and are a little mushy in operation. Whilst they may not have the technical wizardry of the touch controls found on the Sony MDR1000x’s and Sennheiser 550’s, they do have the advantage of not being accidentally activated every time you move or remove your headphones. Double and triple tapping for track switching can be a little tricky but at least it allows the volume buttons to be dedicated rather than multi-function.

The cushions are soft and comfortable and I have no problems in wearing them on and off pretty much all day without problems. I must admit I’m tempted to get the larger pads although I'm not sure what sort of difference they will offer and whether I would even like the changes that they could make to the sound quality.

The power/bluetooth pairing switch leaves a little to be desired as well - although it's not quite as flimsy as the switch found on the Bose QC35's, it's still a little loose and feels somewhat cheap. One thing I really do like about these headphones though is that they don't have a really bright bluetooth status light - this is something that really annoys me with other bluetooth headphones. The status light is nicely dim - but just as informative.

Bluetooth operation is excellent with these headphones. They connect pretty quickly to your device and tend to maintain a good solid connection as long as you don’t go too far out of range. I typically find that with the inexpensive bluetooth sports earbud type headphones, you can lose connection by simply putting your phone in your trouser pockets whilst walking - there’s no problem in this regard with the V-Moda’s. Double tapping on the MODE button to change tracks does have a small delay but it’s not really that much of a problem once you get used to it. Volume changes take fairly big steps when using the headphone controls - this is something that thankfully can be compensated used the volume controls on your playback device for fine tuning. This is something that I find with virtually all bluetooth headphones though and the V-Moda’s are no worse than many of the others.

The headphones also come supplied with a nice nylon covered heavy-duty cord for wired listening. This cable is designed to only be used one way and features a simple single button remote and microphone - a welcome addition. Unlike many bluetooth headphones which offer this feature, the sound quality differences between wired and wireless use are fairly subtle - more on this in the sound quality section. Needless to say, the differences are nowhere near as profound as the changes found on many active noise cancelling headphones - which can sound truly dreadful when used passively with a cable.

Sound Quality - Wired and Bluetooth

As mentioned in the opening paragraphs I have had the chance recently to try out a few of the top-end wireless headphones recently and have been somewhat surprised by my findings. The Bose QC35’s are a very competent headphone with a very nice, warm and comfortable sound quality and superb active noise cancellation. I must admit I was very tempted to keep these - however I found the sound a little bit boring and felt that they didn’t quite go loud enough for my tastes. Don’t get me wrong, I almost never listened to music at their full volume but found that I was usually only a couple of steps below max. I wasn’t at all impressed with the Sennheiser PXC550’s. I found the sound quality to be a little too bright, brittle and fatiguing to listen to. Their biggest failing though was their utter lack of volume. I found I was listening quite comfortably to my music literally at full volume all the time. Sorry Sennheiser but no amount of clever bells and whistles and active noise cancelling can make up for that. They went back within a couple of days.

The V-Moda Crossfade Wireless doesn’t feature active noise cancelling. And to be honest I can’t help thinking that this was a good move on their part. The Moda’s have a bass-heavy sound - but not really in a bad way. I must admit it did take a little getting used to but the sound signature of these headphones are pretty addictive.. Bass is deep and punchy. Really deep notes still maintain their pitch and make it easy to follow. The mids are slightly recessed but still show a lot of detail. Strings resonate nicely and there is a sense of depth which you don’t get with earbuds. Treble is slightly recessed but this does make for an inoffensive and non-fatiguing character.

There is a difference between wired and wireless when it comes to sound quality. When using the wire, bass is tighter and less ‘boomy’ and the sound becomes a little less congested. That’s not to say that the wireless performance is shoddy - far from it. Wireless performance is excellent - the headphones have plenty of meaty volume and they sound excellent with some of the more vintage rock albums in my collection. I have a fairly broad taste in music and every genre played well with these headphones - rock, trance, folk - even classical. Range was good - comparable with the Bose QC35’s and Sennheiser PXC550.

One thing I feel like I should point out is that i am using Android devices (and dedicated mp3 players - the excellent Agptek Hp01 and Benjie players specifically) and I don’t have a problem with the fact that the headphones don't use the aptx protocol for bluetooth - having tried the Sennheiser PXC550’s that do use aptx, I definitely prefer the sound quality of the V-moda”s. Whilst I have to accept that the V-Moda’s are likely to produce better sound quality when used wirelessly with the Apple iPhone rather than Android devices because they have compatible high speed bluetooth protocols, I’m still more than happy with the sound quality from my Android devices.

I have just purchased the XL Earpads for the V-Moda’s. To be honest I didn’t really have a problem with the earpads supplied with the headphones - I was simply curious as to how these pads would improve both the sound and comfort. Obviously something like this is a personal thing (size and shape of your head and your personal sound preferences). I noticed the bass went a little deeper and the transitions from bass to treble seem to be a little more seamless and they were slightly more comfortable. Interestingly I found that the larger pads let in a little more external sound than the default ones - only a little bit though, and I’m hoping they will soften up a little more with use as they feel a little stiff.

To sum up. In case you haven’t noticed I really like these headphones. They tick pretty much all my boxes - good sound quality, loud volume, fun sound signature, pretty comfortable, very well made, good battery life, non-fiddly controls that don’t get triggered accidentally, nice case and cable and they can pair up to two phones simultaneously - something I definitely needed. They also sound really good when used with a cable - and can be easily driven to very high levels when driven from my phone - again, something the others I tried really couldn’t do. I was planning on trying out the new Sony MDR1000X noise cancelling bluetooth headphones but Amazon didn’t have them in stock at the time and, after extensive listening to the V-Moda’s, I decided that I didn’t want the compromises to sound quality that active noise cancellation tends to bring into the mix.

They’re not perfect though. Top end is recessed, upper mid range is recessed, low mids and bass are enhanced/boosted and they’re expensive. Much of the bluetooth technology employed by V-Moda could have been improved on but the amplification section is wonderfully powerful and the drivers definitely offer a nice full sound. No buyers remorse here at all - I’m quite confident I’ve made the right choice - even if I am 250 quid down.

I hope this review helps people when trying to make a choice regarding bluetooth headphones. Remember that one man’s meat is another man’s poison - but with Amazon’s excellent returns policy why not try them out and see what you think. For rock, hip-hop (ughh - spit) and that sort of modern bass-heavy genre they’re great. For classical, string quartet and perhaps jazz - you might want to look at something else.

Dudios Tic Bluetooth Earbuds

Preamble

I've had a fair amount of experience with different Bluetooth headphones over the past couple of years - from full size, through Bluetooth buds which connect to each other with a cable to the true wireless headphones which have now become so popular. Although I do still have a few wired headphones still in my collection - the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10, Sennheiser HD598 Sr and the 1More Triple Driver IEMs, I find myself listening through Bluetooth headphones most of the time these days. I love the convenience and, for most of the time, I don't feel that there's too much reduction in sound quality when going wireless.

The Dudios Tic TWS headphones follow a slightly different form factor than many of the other TWS headphones out there. These are more like the Apple Airpods in design - except they use an In-Ear style rather than the conventional Airpod/Earpod design used by Apple. This definitely helps when it comes to improved bass response and higher volume. Unfortunately due to the shape of my ears, the stalks on these headphones tend to move around a little but whilst they're in my ears so I find I have to make small adjustments from time to time.



The Tic's come with a really small charger case which uses Micro USB rather than USB Type C. Whilst this can bother some people, I'm not one of them as I always seem to have access to this type of connector lead available. The buds fit in the case in a somewhat unusual way which I personally find every counter-intuitive as you basically have to kind of rotate the earphones in your hand before inserting them in the case - likewise when removing them from the case. That's definitely going to take some getting used to. Both the buds and the case are of typical plastic construction and so are a little slippery to handle. This, coupled with the way they fit in the case, makes it almost inevitable that I'm going to drop them sooner or later. The Tic's come with a couple of extra sets of tips in different sizes and the inevitable super-short charging cable. One thing I would like the point out is that they packing on these is super minimal - I applaud this wholeheartedly and genuinely wish that all manufacturers of these products would follow suit. After all, it's just stuff that's going to end up in the bin.

The Tic's feature the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and use the AAC code so they certainly have the potential for good sound quality. Whilst not having the best wireless range for a TWS type headphone (that honour definitely goes to the Mavin Air-X and Apple Airpods) they do just about pass the upstairs bathroom test.



Clearly one of the main selling points with these headphones is their remarkably compact size. The Tic's can be carried around with you pretty much all the time without any problems. I can see headphones like these becoming very popular with younger people due to their compact size, form factor and the cheap price. These cost considerably less than the Apple Airpods but offer a similar trendy style.

Sound Quality

I feel that it's only fair to point out a couple of things before I continue. Firstly, I'm 56 years old and have come to terms with the fact that my hearing isn't as good as it was when I was in my teens. Having said that, I do feel that my hearing is pretty good all things considered. Secondly I must confess that I'm constantly surprised at just how good sounding these inexpensive bluetooth earbuds have become. It's getting increasingly difficult to justify spending more than £100 on a set when there's so many excellent ones now on the market.



The Tic's are surprisingly nice sounding earbuds. I say surprising because of their lightweight construction they don't give the impression of being particularly powerful sounding and yet they can rock with the best of them. I can confirm that these go nice and loud - far louder than I would be comfortable listening to. What's more they remain clean sounding at higher volumes. There's not much soundstage compared to say the Sony WF1000XM3's but it's not really any worse than many others earbuds of this type that's out there.

One thing that they are though is comfortable. With the right tips these definitely feel more secure than the Apple Airpods for example. They fit in your ear in much the same way as the Airpods as well so they're a little easier to use casually than earbuds that rely on deeper insertion. One problem I always have with earphones with touch controls is continually triggering playback and other functions whilst trying to adjust the fit - I personally prefer Sony's way of operating touch controls - where there's a beep and a short delay before the function is triggered.

Bass
Slightly boosted but actually surprisingly effective given the fact that their insertion depth isn't as deep as others on the market. Bass is slightly soft and lacking detail but certainly not bad - especially given their price. These headphones have a fairly shallow insertion depth due to their fundamental design so it's important that you choose your tips carefully to ensure the best possible fit and bass response.

Midrange
Slightly veiled so vocals are a little further back in the mix. This does however help stop the headphones from becoming 'shouty' in the higher mid frequencies which in turn helps to reduce listening fatigue.

Treble
The treble sounds a little 'brittle' but in all fairness I haven't run them in yet and I often find that the high end can be somewhat tamed after a little time. The detail is there but I would describe these as detail monsters.

The overall sound character is pleasantly boosted. At the same time there's clearly some cutoff at both frequency ends. This works well when listening to music at lower volumes and I can't help thinking that the form factor of these headphones make them an ideal candidate for bedtime use. It's a shame that there's no volume control via the touch panels - this would have been a really nice feature to have when you want to fall asleep listening to music. Another nice touch with the Tic's is that they don't leak sound too much - again very useful for bedtime listening.



Conclusion

The Dudios Tic is an honest pair of bluetooth earbuds. The sound quality is really very good, their wireless performance is perhaps slightly better than average and the battery life is comparable to others which follow a similar form factor. The case is nice and compact but I honestly don't like the way the headphones are stored in the case. Dudios should have copied Apple's way of storing buds and the touch controls are far too easy to accidentally trigger- but apart from that I'm really impressed with them. I'm going to knock off one star for the case design but if this doesn't bother you then you can buy with confidence - they're a really nice set of bluetooth 'cans'.

Linking Mart/Agptek kindly sent me their latest Lossless Media player for review.

External Features

The first thing that strikes you about this player is its sheer weight and feeling of solidity - this is one nicely built device and compared very favourably with some of the more esoteric high end players that are now coming onto the market. The H1 is made from an aluminium alloy and appears to weigh about the same as my Note 2 and Otterbox case combination. With this in mind I don’t really want to use the unit when walking out and about - I would rather either use my phone and a pair of bluetooth headphones or one of the smaller MP3 players in my collection and a pair of earbuds. I also don’t want to scratch the unit up as I think it looks rather beautiful.

One instantly noticeable feature is the neat analogue like volume control on the right hand edge of the unit. This looks remarkably similar to the Astell and Kern Model 100 with a knurled clicky action and offers 100 steps. This is one of the nicest features on the player and allows for some really fine control - ideal for when you require fine adjustment when you're using iem's. The volume control can be used whilst the display is off - with one click representing one step in volume. I have put the unit in my pocket and walked around and the volume control doesn’t appear to suffer from accidental changes.

The unit doesn’t feature a touch screen. The front of the unit features a multi-way selector and OK button for navigation and an additional three buttons offer Play/Pause, Menu and Back function. The screen is fairly clear but I personally found the font size a little too small for my tired old eyes - it would have been nice to be able to adjust this. The power switch slides down for power on and up for lock. I found that I didn’t need to use the lock function as none of the controls were accidentally activated when the unit was in my pocket. The player also features a Line Output socket next to the headphone socket so it can be used with a separate headphone amplifier - although in all fairness the amp in the unit appears to be first class and I suspect that most portable amps wouldn’t really offer that much improvement in the sound quality. On a side note, it would have been really nice if AGPtEK has included a case with the unit as I can’t help thinking that it’s going to get scratched sooner or later. I am tempted to apply some kind of screen protection at least to the unit. (Note that the unit actually does come supplied with a screen protector and a protector for the entire back of the unit which I foolishly removed on opening).

The player features a Micro SD card slot on the side which is spring loaded. The SD Card sits completely flush with the unit when inserted and there’s no danger of accidentally losing the card during normal use. I am using a 64gb card with the unit without any problems - although the manufacturers state that 64gb is the maximum size, I suspect it would take a 128gb card without any problems although I haven’t tried this myself. The headphone socket doesn’t appear to be anything special but all the headphones I tried fitted perfectly and without any issues.

All in all, the build quality of the player is absolutely first class and feels like a quality item that should last a very long time.

Sound Quality

Headphones Used:
Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10’s
Audio Technica ATH M50x
Sony XBA H1
Puro BT5200 (in wired mode)
1More Triple Driver Hybrids

One thing I noticed straight away with this player is that it doesn’t really offer any character of its own to the sound. This is a good thing and means that any additional bass or treble you experience is a result of the headphones used rather than from the player. The amplifier in the unit is easily capable of driving the full sized Audio Technica’s to very high levels. Although the ATH M50x’s are a fairly easy load, I have noticed that they really do need a bit of power to sound their best - and the H1 certainly delivers this in spades. When used with the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10’s the amplification is almost overkill but welcome nonetheless.

Part way through the listening tests I received a pair of 1More’s excellent Triple Driver IEM’s and they certainly pair very nicely with the H1. Bass is controlled and the noise floor is virtually completely absent - I would wholeheartedly recommend this combination and I think it represents superb value for money - the AGPtEK H1, a 64gb or 128gb Micro SD card and the 1More headphones would work out at around 200 UK Pounds and is a killer combination. Note that the 1More’s appear to require a little more driving than the Ultimate Ears do but this player can cope with that without any problems.

I used a combination of high-bitrate MP3’s and lossless music files and found that the player copes with pretty much any genre of music without any problems. I could hear details in the music that I have not noticed before - especially in the higher frequencies which were very nicely reproduced without introducing any harshness at all. The Ultimate Ears worked really nicely with the player and offered the best degree of transparency and accuracy in my opinion. One thing that was immediately apparent was how easy it was to be able to focus on whatever part of the music you wanted to - if bass guitar is your thing you can clearly separate the bass sound from the rest of the music without having to concentrate too much. Same goes with any other musical element. This applied pretty much with all the headphones that I tried but was most apparent with the better quality in ear monitors.

When compared to the output of the excellent Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the additional top end information the H1 can reproduce was readily apparent. This is high praise indeed as I have found the Galaxy Note 2 to be one of the best smartphones for music playback. The H1 also has more power available than the Note 2 typically has and this is very noticeable when using the ATH m50X’s.This additional power makes for a much ‘fuller’ and more detailed sound - even at lower volumes.

So from a pure sound quality perspective, this player rocks. Battery life appears to be very good and recharge times are pretty good too. Unfortunately this player doesn’t cope too well with gapless playback. On The Wall and Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd the gaps between the tracks were quite obvious and occasionally the player produced a high pitched ‘beep’ sound between tracks. I’m not sure if this is an issue with the way these albums were originally encoded or if the problem is with the player itself. Not all the albums in my collection exhibited this phenomenon so it’s perhaps my files that are to blame for this. It’s not a deal breaker for me but it would have been nice to have the silence between these tracks reduced to a split second (or better yet eliminated completely - perhaps this can be addressed with a future firmware upgrade).

On the subject of firmware, I have no idea if this is something that the end user can upgrade themselves - I strongly suspect that additional third-party software like Rockbox will not be an option with this player but time will tell. Hopefully a firmware upgrade would improve the gapless playback issues - in all fairness though that’s just about the only fault I can find with this remarkable player.

In case you haven’t guessed it, I really REALLY like this player. I feel that I have a budget priced Astell & Kern player in my pocket and to be honest I very strongly suspect that the difference in sound quality between this player and the Astell & Kern players can’t be that great, whilst admittedly there are definitely differences in features and capabilities. The A&K features 2 Micro SD card slots and can play back higher resolution bitrates/files. I feel the differences do fall into the law of diminishing returns - changing headphones would almost certainly produce a more noticable difference in sound quality than changing players for the most part in my opinion. This player has suppressed my continual need to upgrade hardware (for the time being at least). I can wholeheartedly recommend this player to anyone who’s primary interest is sound quality. A clear and definite five stars.

Linking Mart AGPtEK H1 Page
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HB1HF76

Linking Mart Amazon Storefront Page
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AGPtek®/b/ref=bl_dp_s_web_3011424031?ie=UTF8&node=3011424031&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=AGPtek®

Introduction
Carrie from Dudios kindly sent me the T8 Wireless Earbuds for review. These are comparatively inexpensive Bluetooth 5.0 TWS headphones with touch controls. There is very little to set it apart from the multitudes of other TWS headphones which are currently available on Amazon - let’s see if there’s something special about these.



Case
The case is made of plastic (no surprises there) and appears to be somewhat more rugged feeling than the lightweight case supplied with the Tronsmart Bold’s for example. The outside of the case has a soft touch which gives it a slightly more premium feel than the typical shiny cases that’s found on many others. The case charges using USB C and features one LED to display the various charge states. Both the sockets for the headphones and the case lid feature magnets and, whilst not being the strongest I’ve come across, basically do the job. One nice touch is the slight ‘bump’ at the front of the lid which helps when opening the case up. Dudios claims that the battery life on the earbuds themselves is rated at 5.5 hours and the case offers up to 35 additional charge hours.
Earbuds
The T8’s have a definite Airpod Pro look to them. Unfortunately they don’t offer the same active noise cancellation that you would find with the Airpods - but at this price it would almost certainly sound appalling. As it is, the earbuds feature touch-controls and, rather surprisingly considering their price point, they offer remote volume controls. I found the touch controls to work really well - easily as good as the Sony WF1000XM3’s. Unfortunately this type of touch sensitive control also kinda stops you being able to wear them in bed.



Although they're made of plastic, they don't feel particularly cheap. I haven't really had the chance to test out the battery life as I rarely get the chance to listen for that long. Signal appears to be pretty good and they do go loud. They're lightweight which definitely helps maintain a good fit and, most importantly, they sound good,
Sound Quality
The Dudios T8's sound surprisingly neutral. I expected them to be overly bassy (as this often seems to be the case with many of the inexpensive TWS headphones out there. The T8's have a somewhat mellow character - offering a nice non-fatiguing listening experience. I couldn't detect any significant noise floor and the headphones connected quite quickly to my phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 8). All in all, a not-bad pair of headphones.



One thing that really did surprise me when I started looking at the settings on my phone was that the T8's are SBC only - no APtX - no AAC. I have to admit that I found this really surprising when you take into account the pretty good sound quality they're capable of.
Conclusion
I like these. They're a capable, inoffensive sounding pair of well designed headphones. They are definitely an improvement on my last pair of 30 quid headphones and for their price I'm quite happy to recommend them.

Pros:
Surprisingly good sound quality.
Appear to be well made
Case seems to be sturdy
Good wireless range
Remote Volume Controls

Cons:
No high-res codec support
Magnets could be a little stronger.

I have to admit, I have far too many headphones! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one on these forums to have this problem but it's something that I'm getting used to. I embraced the concept of wireless headphones quite early on in their evolution and have definitely welcomed the improvements in performance and sound quality the last couple of years have brought.

Amongst my collection are the following:-

Sone WF1000XM3 - Sony WH1000XM2 - Tronsmart Apollo Bold - Tronsmart Apollo Air + - Mavin Air-X - Lypertek Tevi - iBasso CF01/IT00 - Tronsmart Q10 - the list goes on…..

I'm now starting to look at the new Sony WF1000XM4 IEM's - but the combination of excessive price coupled with the fact that I already have the rather excellent XM3's, I'm not rushing to buy these at this time.

As you can see from the list above, there's quite a lot of Tronsmart stuff in there. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the overall quality of Tronsmart products. The combination of nice design touches, overall build quality and sound performance make them a serious player in the wireless audio marketplace - and their pricing is extremely competitive on top of that. Whilst you might think that the gap between their cheapest product and their most expensive equivalent product is too narrow, it's always good business to offer an upgrade to their cheapest products - lots of people shop with a "Ah what the hell, it's only a tenner more and I can just about afford that!".

One thing that their products all share is the sound character. Their headphones tend to favour a fairly strong 'v' shape to their sound - with some definite emphasis on the bass frequences. Whilst this can sometimes spoil the overall sound quality, they do definitely sound great when listening at lower volumes - mostly thanks to their enhanced bass.

In recent times I have started to come to the conclusion that I'm becoming something of a 'basshead' - for a long time I tended to favour the sound characteristics of the Etymotic ER4P - detailed rather than deep bass and a ruler-flat frequency response. However the sheer number of TWS headphones that exhibit boosted bass has slowly changed the way I listen to music and I am definitely starting to enjoy the boosted bass sound character. Don't get me wrong, I still like an accurate sound but now with an added degree of oomph when appropriate. I also now listen at lower volume levels than I used to (although still too loud according to my wife).



Like the rest of the Tronsmart range of TWS headphones, the Onyx offers full control of all the functions via their rich controls - including volume. This is always a welcome feature and one that should be mandatory for all wireless headphones. It's very clear that the Onyx are aimed at potential purchasers of the Apple Airpods Pro - having tried the Airpods Pro, I think it's fair to say that these definitely offer an alternative - at a significant price saving to boot. It's a shame that the latest Sony ANC earbuds still can't offer the same level of control that you get with all of Tronsmart's products.

The charging case doesn't feature wireless charging - after all this is designed to be the basic model in their ANC range. The buds fit into the case in a similar way to their Apollo Air models and it does take a little getting used to. The case uses USB Type C and charges the headphones an additional 3 times.



Pairing is pretty foolproof thanks to the use of bluetooth 5.2 typically automatically pairing to your phone by the time you've got them out of the case and put in your ears. Touch controls work really well and remind me of the Sony WF1000XM3's regarding touch sensitivity and response time whilst actually offering more functionality.



The sound quality and character are typical Tronsmart - v shaped with some additional bass 'bloom'. Not unpleasant by any stretch. Tronsmart consider these to be their entry level TWS headphones and this is reflected in both the price and the reduced effectiveness of their ANC which is perhaps a little less effective than that found on their Apollo Bold and Apollo Air + models. It still works though and, like their others does change the character of the sound - increasing the bass. To be honest this function can be quite beneficial as when you're in a genuinely noisy environment you can lose a lot of bass frequency so there are times that this bass boost works well. Having said that, I would still prefer a flatter sound profile that could be adjusted using EQ when required. The overall sound quality is pretty good - once you get used to the enhanced bass. At moderate volumes the sound is nicely full bodied - definitely giving the impression that you're listening to something 'bigger'.



One interesting aspect I've found with their Air, Air + and Onyx models is they're extremely convenient and easy to put in your ears 'on the fly'. This is something that they share with Apple Airpods and Airpods Pro earbuds.

For the price these are definitely worth considering. They're not perfect but do bring a lot to the table for their asking price. Differences between the Onyx and the Air/Air + and Bold models are definitely noticeable but also share a common sound profile. Highly recommended.

Introduction.

I appear to now have an embarrassing amount of inexpensive (and some not so inexpensive) TWS headphones in my collection - most are good - some not so good. One thing I have done to realise though is that even the not so good ones sound significantly better than the headphones I used to use when I was a teen. In fact it has to be said that many of these inexpensive TWS headphones sound better than the most expensive first generation Bluetooth headphones.



With these thoughts in mind I tend to look for three fundamental details when comparing different headphones which share a similar price point. Sound quality and characteristics, connection strength and reliability and functions/features.


The HolyHigh G3 Externals


The Case



The case is fairly solid from a build quality perspective. It’s circular with a very difficult to open rotating top. A plastic flap covers the USB Type B port but is easy to open. A small but surprisingly bright LED sits above the USB socket which is partially covered by the aforementioned plastic flap.

The case features magnets which hold the headphones in place quite nicely. Unfortunately, I have found it very difficult to remove the headphones from the case because they're very slippery. They should have give the headphones either a rubberized or matt finish. In all fairness they're not the only set of TWS headphones which suffer from this problem.

I experienced another problem with the case - when I put the headphones back into the case they didn’t power down and disconnect from my phone - I had to disconnect manually. I can only assume that the headphones actually power down after being disconnected after a period of time. In case you haven’t realised, I’m not a big fan of the case at all.

The Headphones - Functions and Features

The G3’s feature touch controls. In many ways these are both good and bad. The good is that you don’t have to apply pressure on them when operating controls which helps minimise driver flex. The downside is that it’s far too easy to accidentally trigger the buttons when interacting with the headphones. In all fairness I have experienced this problem with other headphones like these and I have managed to minimise this with careful handling - I’m sure I could do the same with the G3’s in the fullness of time. The basics are there - one touch to pause/play, two touches on left or right for track skip forward and backward, long hold left/right for volume up/down and three taps for Google Assistant/Siri. Generally they work well but I did struggle somewhat with adjusting the volume - again, in the fullness of time I suspect I will get used to this.



Phone calls come through both earphones which is always welcome. Also, you can use just one headphone at a time if you wish - ideal if you want to use them frequently for phone calls as this would effectively double their battery life.

Sound Quality

These headphones have a smooth sound which lends itself to longer listening sessions without fatigue. Bass is slightly extended with a nice bloom to the lower registers. Whilst initially this is quite pleasant to listen to, it's also lacking in finer details. The good news is that the bass doesn't bleed to badly into the mids and they make a great headphone for listening at lower volumes.

The same really applies to the top end - whilst lacking details in the very high registers, it doesn't suffer with distortions caused by low bitrate MP3 compression (which is something that can affect a lot of Bluetooth headphones when you move too far from the transmitter). The end result is a smooth sound which can be described as non-offensive. Details are there but they're a little further back in the mix.

Stereo separation is fairly tight with these - you don't particularly get the impression of being an audience member - rather you're one of the performers. I personally like this type of presentation as I feel it's more intimate - also, let's face it, nearly all studio recordings go through a desk from multiple sources - any stereo depth effect is purely synthetic most of the time.


All of this is dependant on getting a good fit - the good news is that these headphones fit really well for me. I know it's very much a personal thing as everyone's ears are a different size and shape, but I've had great success getting a good fit with the default tips that are already fitted. Whilst I'm not a big believer in 'breaking in' headphones, I did find that they definitely opened up somewhat after a couple of days use. I used them whilst driving my truck and they did an excellent job of passively reducing (but not completely eliminating) engine noise and sounded great. The noise floor on these headphones is virtually non-existent - certainly once the music starts playing you're not going to be aware of it. Also, range appears to be slightly better than average for these types of headphones - just about passes the upstairs toilet test.

Things I Like

Form factor - they're really quite small and subtle. They fit in the ear well and weight next to nothing.

Touch controls - I have a kind of love/hate relationship with touch controls on IEM's - these are definitely better than some I've tried. Volume control takes a little getting used to but it's always a nice feature to have.

Sound quality - very good for their price. Whilst I do have better TWS type headphones in my collection, they do cost considerably more than the G3's. I also like the high volume you can get out of these things - take note Sony!

Things I don't like

Case - whilst I like the magnetic elements which hold the headphones in, I don't like the case itself. I personally find the lid very difficult to open and sometimes my fat pudgy fingers have difficulty grasping the headphones when trying to get them out.

That's about it. Whilst there are things I could wish for - aptx, LDAC, 20 hour battery life on the headphones before having to be recharged, they're not being advertised as having these features so it's not really fair to expect them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, at the price level these ate being sold at, there's not really much to complain about. It comes down to fit and sound signature. These offer a reasonably detailed yet mellow sound which lends itself to longer listening sessions. Fit is very much a personal thing - for me they offer an excellent fit but your results may vary. A comfortable 4 out of 5

These headphones can be found at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TBZGJQV

Over the last few months I have had the opportunity to try out quite a few different bluetooth headphones - both full-sized and earbud types. One definite conclusion I have come to is that there are some surprisingly good inexpensive headphones on the market now - and the UMIDIGI’s are definitely on the good side.
 
The UMIDIGI’s come supplied with the usual USB charging cable, a couple of pairs of different sized tips and ear guides in a rather attractive black tin with their logo on the top. All in all, a nice package for their asking price.
 

 
 
One thing I really liked straight away with these headphones is that they wrap around your ears rather than just hang down. This greatly helps with both the fit and helps minimise the sounds your body makes when walking, etc. This is definitely a welcome feature and something that I missed when I sold the Shure E500’s. Whilst on the subject of the Shure’s I feel that I have to point out that the UMIDIGI’s are very close in sound quality to the Shure’s - that’s quite a statement considering the hundreds of pounds difference in both price and the technology used for the drivers.
 
The insertion depth is shallower than on the Shure E500’s but even with this shallow depth the bass comes through nicely. The ear guides help to maintain an effective seal whilst you’re active - these definitely fit better than any of the other bluetooth earbuds in my collection. I tend to normally wear these types of headphones with the cable in front rather than behind - usually because it’s easier to get to the controls but I didn’t really have too much difficulty wearing the cable behind my neck and I could still fairly easily access the controls.
 
Although they are constructed out of plastic, the quality feels first-rate and there are no rough edges, the cable is good quality and the bluetooth controls are really nicely done - having sufficient space between the buttons to enable easy access whilst you’re wearing the headphones. The controls are also completely covered in a rubber sheet which should help maintain a reasonable degree of water resistance. The area of cabling that wraps around your ears has a ‘memory’ feature - only time will tell if this maintains its shape. I personally felt that it could do with being a little bit longer - I guess I have bigger ears than most people.
 
The headphones pair up quickly with voice prompts advising you on power and connection status but they don’t advise on battery status (which is a bit of a shame). Battery power appears to be good but to be honest I try to always maintain a reasonable amount of power reserve in all my electronics as this help prolong the life of the rechargeable batteries.
 
Sound Quality
 
The UMIDIGI’s make use of the APtX bluetooth protocol and this offers a fast, reliable connection and improved sound quality on my Android device. The noise floor is very low and can only be heard when there’s no music playing - even then you have to listen carefully to hear it. The headphones do go nice and loud - this is something I am always looking for in Bluetooth headphones as it allows for a more dynamic listening experience - even at lower volumes.
 

 
 
Bass
These phones have some very impressive bass which is capable of going deep. The bass is  ‘softer’ than what you would find with balanced armatures but still tuneful and allows you to follow bass notes without any problem. It’s slightly boosted but this does help - especially as they have a shallow insertion depth.
 
Mids
Clear. Female vocals come across clearly and with a reasonable degree of depth. When making calls voices come across clearly and natural sounding.
 
Treble
Recessed which makes for pleasant fatigue-free listening. Also does lack some detail in cymbals, etc. Although not a deal breaker and the overall sound signature is pleasantly mellow and preferable to having too much treble.
 
One of the full-sized headphones I have really grown to like recently are the excellent V-Moda Crossfade Wireless. I wouldn’t describe these headphones are accurate - they tend to boost the bass and subdue the treble but they have some real musical impact and the UMIDIGI’s share a similar sound character. For longer listening sessions this is something I definitely prefer.
 
They do sound good when used at lower volumes and don’t leak sound out too bad - good news for people who like to listen to music in bed without disturbing their partners. Note that at higher volumes there is a small amount of sound leakage - although nowhere near as bad as you would find with the Apple Earpods.
 
It’s important to not lose sight of the fact that these are 20 quid bluetooth headphones. I’ve mentioned the Shure E500 in ear monitors in the review which are wired, multiple balanced armatures and cost many hundreds of pounds. In my opinion, the UMIDIGI’s sound very similar. This is high praise indeed as I  did like the Shure’s when I owned a pair.
 
In case you haven’t guessed, I really like these headphones. They’re not perfect by any stretch but you have to keep in mind their low price. Unlike many of their competitors in this price range, their bass isn’t overblown, their top-end is recessed and yet remains tuneful, their fit is effective (although shallow) and the amplification in them goes nice and loud without distortion.  Well recommended at the price.

http://amzn.to/2fHok8X

http://amzn.to/2g9dkBX
U.S. Site

Introduction

In my opinion bluetooth has come a long way in the last couple of years and I really feel that we have reached a point where it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between a wired and a wireless connection.

Through a combination of review units being sent out and my own purchases I really shouldn't have, I appear to have amassed a rather embarrassing amount of wireless headphones. Here's the list (mostly based on my personal preferences from best downwards):-

Sony WH1000xm2
Without a doubt these are my favourite full sized bluetooth headphones. Now I come to think of it, it's the only full sized bluetooth headphone I have in my collection currently. I love their sound character and they can go loud, feature excellent controls and go for a long time on a single charge.

Sony WF1000XM3
Sonically to my ears they share a similar sound signature to the larger Sony counterparts. I love the active noise cancelling and I think they sound superb. It's fair to say that these are my favourite true wireless earphones at this point in time.

Lypertek Tevi
A very pure set of true wireless in-ear monitors which focus completely on sound quality and battery life. These sound great and have an excellent feel in the ears - the only thing that lets them down is the very stiff buttons.

Mavin Air-X
Another brand which definitely focusses on what’s important in a set of bluetooth earphones - sound quality, range and battery life. The Air-X definitely hits the spot for me. The only criticism I could level at them is the tips fall off too easily because the stems are too smooth.

Apple Airpods
I know, I know, I’ve just lost some cred but to be truthful I think that they sound excellent and are ideal for listening to music in bed as you can lie on your side quite comfortably with these in.



The CF01 is a Bluetooth Adaptor which is designed to connect directly with your favourite set of mmcx enabled earphones. The electronics then simply wrap around the back of your ears pretty much out of sight. You might think that this would become somewhat cumbersome but in actual fact they feel great and are no more visible than a regular set of earphones.

CF-01 - Initial Impressions

The CF-01’s are made from a combination of metal and plastic which gives them a really cool futuristic - almost industrial look to them. I could easily imagine someone mistaking them for hearing aids - just really cool hearing aids that give you special powers. They feature just one multi-control button on each bud which offers the usual set of controls - nothing special there. Unfortunately you cannot control the volume from the device - that’s a shame. A short braided cable comes from the top which terminates in a really tightly fitting MMCX plug. That’s it. Just add your own favourite compatible tips and you’re good to go.



The adaptors come with a USB Type C charging case - just like you would get on many sets of TWS type earphones. The case is significantly bigger than any of those though - but for good reason - it stores your buds along with the electronics - excellent touch. To make things even better though, the lid is held in place with a button so it can resist being sprung open when attempting to hold some of the larger IEM’s out there. That’s a real nice touch. I did expect it to be somewhat fiddly getting these devices back in the case but it’s actually just as easy as any other TWS headphone out there - the magnets just help them find their place - easy peasy.



Functions and Bluetooth

There’s really not much to say about these headphone adaptors - they just work. Bluetooth range is excellent - easily coping with the upstairs bathroom test. Connection is also rock solid - I’ve yet to experience any break ups at all and the power output is very impressive indeed. The singly button controls are reasonably easy to find and what’s nice is that you don’t affect the fit when you use them. The headphones power on and off when you remove and replace them in the case.



Battery life appears good - although I’ve not really had the chance to test this out properly yet. iBasso lists the following on the rather nice packaging:-

• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.0
• Bluetooth Coding: SBC AAC aptX
• Wireless Range: 1 0 m
• Speaker Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Output Power: 9mW@32ohm
• SNR: ?98dB
• Audio decoding: 24bit 192kHz
• THD+N: <1% (20Hz-lOkHz ImW)
• Playtime: 4.5h (adapter) + 20h (charging case)
• Charging time; 1 .5h (adapter) + 2.5h (charging case)
• Waterproof level: IPX5

Sound Quality and Fit

A quick qualifier. Whilst I do consider myself to have reasonably good hearing - I’m also 57 years old and can’t kid myself that I have the ears of a 19-year old. With this in mind, I do like a flat, fairly uncoloured sound signature when critically listening (think Etymotic ER4P) but when I’m more active I do like a smidge of extra bass. I avoid using any form of EQ - not because I’m a snob or a ‘flat Earther’ - it’s just that I use both my phone and my Sony Walkman A55 MP3 player. The Sony doesn’t support eq function when using bluetooth. I tend to focus on getting the right tips - always happy to try the ones supplied with the units first but also not afraid to tip roll when necessary.



I naturally paired the CF01 with their IT00 iems and tried them out for a couple of hours. This combination sounds superb. Utterly flat and indistinguishable from a wired connection (at least from my poor, tired old ears). I then wanted to test the IT00’s using the supplied cable so I then fitted my trusty Magaosi K3 Pro IEMs to the CF01 and I haven’t looked back since. The sound quality on these adaptors is utterly remarkable. There’s no hiss, no colouration to the sound and the volume in buckets. I have to say that this pairing is like a match made in heaven - without a doubt this is one of the best sounding bluetooth headphone system I’ve ever heard.



Now don’t get me wrong. I still love my Sony’s and my Tevi’s and my Mavin’s - I suspect that I always will. The Sony’s offer much better external noise cancellation than the CF01/Magaosi Combo (from now on just referred to as the CF01). The Mavin’s and the Tevi’s are far more convenient to carry around and feature proper waterproofing and the WH1000xm2’s are just fabulous. But from a pure sound quality perspective, the CF01’s are utterly sublime. The fit is good but I wish there was a half centimeter more length to the cable which connects the electronics to the earbuds. With the IT00’s the fit is perfect but with the Magaosi’s, the cable felt just slightly too short.

I think the Magaosi K3 Pro add a slight bass ‘bloom’ to the sound - not enough to spoil the overall neutrality, just enough to give them a bit of ‘zing’. In other words, this combination isn’t ruler-flat but this is because of the buds I’m using - not the CF01’s themselves.

To be honest, there’s really nothing major to criticise with this device. There are some things I would like to have seen - for example LDAC codec support, a slightly longer cable, remote volume controls, but in many ways this is just nitpicking because they sound so damned good just as they are.



Conclusion

I would normally break the sound character down and discuss in detail the bass, mids and treble - but with this device it’s really pointless - it appears to be ruler flat, has great power output and basically will sound as good as whatever headphones you decide to connect to them. If you have a set of wired IEM’s which use the MMCX connector, don’t hesitate if you want to experience bluetooth sound at its best. Very highly recommended.

Introduction​

For various reasons I appear to have rather a lot of bluetooth headphones in my collection - in fact, nearly all of my headphones are either bluetooth or often run with additional bluetooth hardware. Amongst my collection I have the Sony WH1000XM2, WF1000 XM3, Mavin Air-X, Lypertek Tevi, iBasso CF01/IT00 combination and the Tronsmart Apollo Bold’s.



My first experience with Tronsmart products were the Bold’s - which I initially found way too bassy for my liking. However, a combination of continual use coupled with an Android application which has enabled some changes to the EQ and a discovery that they sound utterly superb at low volume has very much changed my opinion of these headphones and they’re now amongst my favourites - especially for use in bed at night. Their software application allows you to change the touch controls and this has enabled me to eliminate one of the things that really bugged me about the Apollo’s - their way to sensitive touch controls.



Subsequently, Tronsmart sent me their rather impressive bluetooth speaker which I also found very impressive for their size and price. Now I have their Q10 in my collection and I have to say that Tronsmart are producing some really impressive hardware for an excellent price. I must admit my first impressions of the Apollo Bold's were that they were too bassy. However, thanks to a combination of burn-in an alternative EQ from their Android application, their sound quality improved significantly. Interestingly their Q10's didn't exhibit the excessive bass that the Bold's had at first. This was most welcome and, to be honest, not what I expected.

Physical Description​

Right up front I have to say that the Q10's feel a little cheap. The plastic feels thinner than, say, the Sony WH1000XM2’s or even my Sennheiser HD598SR (which also does feel quite plasticy). As a result of this they are light though. The pads are pretty soft - which certainly helps with additional passive noise cancellation. Personally I would have liked the pads to be slightly firmer - I changed the pads on my WH1000XM2’s to the excellent Dekoni pads which definitely improved the feel of my Sony's - the pads on the Q10's kinda remind me of the original Sony pads. The headband also features some padding.



Fit is obviously a personal thing. I would rate the comfort level of the Q10's at about the same as the Sony's - that's a good thing. The cups do qualify for 'over ear' status rather than 'on-ear' for most people. I would say the cups are slightly smaller than the Bose QC-35's for example.They are lighter than the Sony's and feature a similar touch control layout to the Sony's. Swipe up/down for volume, left/right for track skip and double tap for play/pause. Again, this doesn't quite feel as nice as the Sony's but the feature does work - although the 'dimple' where the touch sensor is does take a little getting used to. - and let's not forget that these cost a fraction of the Sony's price. Really the only thing that’s significantly different is the palm over the earcup to listen immediately to what’s going on around you which I think is unique to Sony.

Battery life is allegedly excellent - perhaps the very best out of all the currently available full-sized Bluetooth headphones. Tronsmart claim up to 100 hours (this will almost certainly be based on using low volume and low resolution codecs. I certainly haven't had the chance to test the battery life out for myself yet but I see no reason why the Q10's wouldn't produce exceptional results.



Interestingly, there's no sound input socket - the Q10's are Bluetooth only. I don't have a problem with this as I have never really used the audio cable on my Sony's - after all, what's the point in having Bluetooth wireless headphones if you're going to use a cable.



Pairing mode is activated by double tapping on the Power button - this works great and effectively means that the headphones can very quickly be used with any bluetooth device very easily.

Sound Quality​

I must admit, being something of a headphone snob, I wasn't expecting too much but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.The Q10's use the AAC codec. It would have been nice for them to have APtX but AAC is more than acceptable. As with pretty much all other headphones which feature active noise cancelling, the Q10's to generate a small amount of noise-floor when activated but when it's switched off, it's nicely silent.

The Q10's feature three sound modes - active noise cancelling, ambient mode and noise cancelling off. These modes are activated by simply pressing and holding for a couple of seconds. Works well enough. The active noise cancelling isn't quite as good as that found on the Sony's or Bose QC models. It does work though and appears to cancel out some of the higher frequencies (more like the Sony's than the Bose's ANC). The ANC does have an effect on the sound quality - making the sound slightly thinner. Generally though, the sound exhibits the same 'fullness' that you find with their Apollo Bold ANC IEM's. It takes a little getting used to.

The overall sound character is fairly flat. Bass has some decent slam and the top-end is pretty sweet sounding. Mids are slightly recessed but still fairly detailed. The one thing I did find somewhat disappointing was the volume - the Q10's definitely don't go as loud as the Sony's. Don't get me wrong, they do go loud but I find that I'm nearly at maximum volume most of the time - especially for music listening. All in all though these really are a pair of nice-sounding headphones and represent excellent value for money in my opinion.

One thing about the Q10's which I really REALLY like is that they pair up nicely with both my Amazon Fire HD and an inexpensive Bluetooth transmitter without showing any signs of lag. This means that they make excellent wireless gaming headphones. The sound effects on Call of Duty Modern Warfare is absolutely awesome with these headphones - - lots of dynamics and bass slam - and no lag. Love it!

Conclusion​

I have to admit I'm stunned at the superb value for money these headphones represent. Tronsmart have focussed on pretty much all the things that make up a good pair of wireless, Active Noise Cancelling Headphones without sacrificing much. Perhaps Tronsmart are now at the stage as a company that they would produce a 'flagship' full-size ANC headphone which would compete with Sony, Apple, Bose, etc - with no compromise on build-quality. If the Q10's are anything to go by, they would thrash the competition. High praise indeed.

Whilst this speaker isn’t exactly state of the art being an inexpensive small bluetooth speaker, it does have a specific purpose in mind - and that is being able to listen to music, podcasts, etc, whilst taking a bath of shower.


The speaker kinda has a similar look and feel to the Google Home Mini - only a bit bigger. Obviously this is a single speaker so forget about any kind of stereo image but the sound quality isn't too bad considering. The speaker does have a good quality 'feel' to it - it certainly doesn't feel cheap. I suspect the bulk of its weight comes from the built-in battery. I haven't really had a chance to check out the battery life yet but I see no reason why it shouldn't last as long as its stated 24-hours playback time.



The speaker comes fitted with a lanyard which allows it to be hooked up pretty much anywhere you want - for obvious reasons - mine is attached to the shower. All the buttons are 'blister' type which certainly aids water resistance and they're pretty easy to press. There are buttons for Power On/Off, pairing and standard playback controls. I like the fact that the primary playback controls are on the front of the unit - useful for finding by touch when you have soap in your eyes.



Sound quality is perhaps somewhat expected for a mono speaker. In all fairness the sound is clear and there’s a reasonable amount of bass considering the size of the unit. It does go nice and loud without apparent distortion and - yup - it’s waterproof. I’ve not tried dunking it (I’m more a shower person than a bath person) but I’m sure it would stand up to it without any problems.

The Tronsmart Splash makes an an excellent poolside/beach speaker system. You can use it without worrying about water damage - I'm not sure how effective it would be in resisting sand and dirt but I suspect it would cope without problems.



I have to admit the Tronsmart Splash isn't a product I would have normally purchased as I already have the Tronsmart Force 2 bluetooth speaker serving as my bathroom speaker there (which definitely sounds better) but nonetheless the Splash 1 is currently performing sterling service attached to my shower. Enough said!

Right - first things first. I really couldn’t get these headphones to produce a reasonable seal - no matter which tips I tried - both the ones supplied with the headphones plus many from my extensive collection. With this in mind I was tempted to not review these as I felt that it wouldn’t be fair - not everyone has the same shaped ears as me. But then I thought I could at least offer a limited review. With this in mind, observations regarding sound quality are only possible by my holding the headphones in place whilst listening.

Externals.

The Ai’s come supplied with a rather nice zippered carrying case which can easily fit in a pocket. They also come supplied with a couple of different sized ear-guides and three pairs of eartips.

The headphones use conventional drivers and feature a micro USB socket on the control section which is covered with a dust flap - luckily this is easier to open than those found on some headphones. The shells and cable are a brilliant red which is actually quite eye-catching.

These headphones are very light. This is a good thing with regard to fit (if you’re lucky enough to actually be able to keep these in and maintain a good seal) but unfortunately they also feel somewhat flimsy - this is especially apparent with the control module which feels cheap and rattles with loose buttons. In all fairness, this has no effect on the sound quality but to be honest I get the impression that they wouldn’t survive a lot of abuse unlike some of the other headphones Bluedio make.

The Ai’s actually arrived with the battery so depleted that it wouldn’t even power up. It worked fine after charging though so no worries there. They took a good three hours to charge up - which I suppose is about right for completely depleted batteries.

Connection to my phone was very fast - significantly faster than any of the other bluetooth headphones in my collection. Range appears to be good as well but to be honest I would expect this on an all-plastic construction.

Sound Quality

Again, just to be clear, I couldn’t get a fit at all with these. The basic shape of the headphones coupled with the shallow insertion depth just makes them completely and utterly incompatible with me and my ears. With this in mind, be mindful that your experience with these headphones could easily be completely different to mine.

The good news is that they’re pretty flat with regard to frequency extremes. I found the bass to be detailed, reasonably deep but not boomy. Likewise the upper frequencies appeared to be controlled, detailed and no fatiguing. Both these elements are always very welcome in headphones in my opinion. The other good news is that they go pretty loud.

Conclusion

I feel that if you can get these headphones to fit, you won’t be disappointed with regard to the sound quality. Although the headphones don’t use the APTx protocol, they’re still capable of reproducing small details without background hiss. With the fit issues in mind, I cautiously recommend them. If you’re lucky enough to get a good fit I think they’re pretty good for the price. Three stars for sound quality.

I love listening to music. Unfortunately personal circumstances (i.e. being married with 3 adult children - and a dog) means that I seldom get the chance to rock out with loudspeakers any more. So it’s headphones all the way for me.


I have a fairly extensive collection now - including the following (for reference purposes):


Sennheiser HD598se - Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 - V-Moda Crossfade Wireless - 1More Triple Driver - needless to say the list goes on with a significant amount of inexpensive bluetooth in-ear headphones). Generally I don’t consider myself a basshead - I prefer a fairly dynamic, flat response - with smooth, detailed but not too edgy treble.



Whilst I accept that it’s not fair to compare the Q29 Pros with some of these more expensive wired headphones, I always want my headphones to sound good - I’m really not that bothered what they look like, what colour they are or which company makes them.




Over the last couple of years I have become very interested in wireless technology and feel that, to a certain extent, has become good enough to be taken seriously. I find that at times, even when I’m at home and not planning on moving around I often find myself wearing the V-Moda Crossfade Wireless rather than a conventional wired set of headphones.


The Q29 Pro’s are definitely different internally to the original Q29. There’s a different (and even more annoying) sound effect when you power them up and their ability to connect to both your playback device and each other is definitely considerably faster. Externally though their fit is the same. Unfortunately you really are limited to the tips supplied with the headphones if you want to be able to fit them in the charger case. This is a shame because the supplied tips take a fair bit of jiggling about before I could get a really good seal.



The good news is that once in, they tend to stay in. They’re also extremely light and as long as you don’t go headbanging to heavy metal they should pretty much stay put. The controls are the same as on previous models when it comes to basic playback but there are some slight differences with the way you now initially pair the two headphones together.



As with the original version, the Q29 Pro’s don’t offer remote volume control - you still have to turn the volume up and down using the controls on your phone. One neat solution to this is if you have an Android Wear Smartwatch as you can control pretty much everything from that.


Sound Quality


OK - I know these are not an expensive pair of headphones. Whilst they won’t win over the big boys with their fancy cables, balanced armatures and ultra-wide frequency response, they’re actually not too bad at all. I did experience some minor dropouts whilst walking the dog with them in but this pretty much stopped when I got back indoors.


Bass is definitely more pronounced on the Pro model. They are significantly ‘bassier’ than the original. Definitely a little more ‘fun’ but also quite welcome when the fit is less than ideal. Mids are fairly recessed and so is the top end. Whilst these are not detail monsters - they’re quite clear and not too ‘wooly’ sounding - all in all, an acceptable sound quality when you take into account their form factor. This additional bass really comes into its own when you’re using the headphones outside as the bass can sometimes be sapped by external noise.


They do have a small amount of electronic noise floor which can potentially spoil low level listening in bed for example. There's also a danger of accidentally pressing the button when you lay on your side. With this in mind I don't think these will make ideal headphones for sleeping with (although I have done it with these without too many problems). The biggest problem for me is dropouts - in all fairness I strongly suspect that this is as much to do with my phone as it is the headphones as they hardly produce any dropouts when used with my Asus Chromebook but do with my LG V20 phone.


For their price, and taking into account their form factor, the Q29 Pro represents a good buy. They're not really designed for primary listening in my opinion but are ideal for things like walking the dog or mowing the lawn. With a sufficient insertion depth they offer an acceptable amount of sound isolation from the outside world and can go sufficiently loud enough to be genuinely enjoyable. In all fairness, if they cost more I would only give them four stars but because of their excellent price I’m comfortable giving them a five star rating.

****UPDATE****

The last couple of times I have used these I haven't experienced any drop-outs at all - even over a couple of hours listening. I still suspect some compatibility problems with my new phone but I thought I would update the review to keep things fair.

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Tronsmart have a really impressive array of inexpensive wireless audio products in their catalogue right now. I'm very grateful to them for supplying a range of products to me for review - with absolutely no pressure on me to post a good review. In all honesty I rate their products very highly - especially regarding their performance/value for money.





The Studio feature set includes:-

• Rubberised buttons on top of the unit that offer full controls.
• Line input.
• Micro Sd Card slot.
• Tronsmart App control which offers alternative EQ settings and the ability to power off the unit remotely.
• A full loudspeaker set - single bass driver, dual Mid/HF drivers and four passive radiators.
• Excellent battery life.
• USB C charging.
• Comes supplied with both a USB C charging cable and a stereo to stereo cable.

Tronsmart's packaging is first rate. Whilst I’m not overly interested in the packaging (after all, they all end up either in the bin or the back of the cupboard once the goodies are unpacked).



Once paired to your phone, the speaker connects very quickly thereafter. All the controls are responsive but, obviously once you're connected, you can control all the speakers functions using your connected device. The buttons are rubberised - I suppose this gives the speaker an additional degree of environmental protection but it does also result in them being slightly more difficult to press. I also struggle to find the correct buttons as the symbols on the buttons can be a little hard to see.



Sound Quality

My first reaction on hearing this speaker was "Wow! This is from the future!". The sound is very full sounding and detailed. What really surprised me though was how effortlessly loud it could get without distortion or rattling. Whilst the stereo effect was pretty minimal, it certainly sounds like a much bigger speaker and I felt there was a definite 'front to back' effect. Tronsmart offers a sound enhancement technology called SoundPulse which definitely offers a 'fuller' and more pleasing sound quality - perhaps at the expense of a little clarity.

The Studio's sound quality is not just down to the electronics though - the rigid structure of the case plays an important part in my opinion. You can definitely push this speaker a lot harder than you would think when you take its size into account. I watched a 'tear down' video of the Studios' on YouTube and was impressed to see that it's properly assembled using screws - not just hot-glued together. This really is a high quality product which can comfortably compete with the likes of Sony, JBL, Bose, etc when it comes to both sound quality and features - but at a fraction of their prices.

I haven’t had the chance to check out the battery life of the unit yet but if their previous portable speakers are anything to go by, battery life really shouldn’t be an issue. The Tronsmart Studio also features USB Type C for charging, a line input (short cable supplied in the box - nice touch Tronsmart) and, interestingly, a micro SD slot. Whilst I can’t see me using this function much (can’t see the point with the other connections so easily available) but I suppose it does allow you to use it completely stand alone.



Conclusion

I’m not really a big fan of single speaker systems. I personally prefer a definite stereo sound when listening to music. However, in recent years I have favoured headphones over loudspeakers so I am getting more used to a narrower sound field (I'm not keen on the kind of 'artificial wide stereo effect' which to me sounds too 'phasey' and muddled sounding. The Tronsmart Studio doesn’t suffer with this phenomenon - the sound is fairly well focussed and direct. The Tronsmart Studios offer an extremely impressive sound quality which definitely exceeds its size. This remarkable little speaker will definitely annoy lots more people when you take to the beach or on a picnic. Highly recommended.

Background
 
I’ve been a bit of a fan for wireless bluetooth headphones for some time now and have had the opportunity to try out quite a few different models over the last year or so - both full-sized and Earbud/IEM types. In getting the chance to try all these different models out I have realised that there’s some truly excellent bargains to be had out there.
 
To offer some background, I have an embarrassing amount of headphones in my collection - ranging from inexpensive wires such as the Apple Earpods to the lofty heights of Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10’s, 1More 1001 Triple Driver in ear monitors and the rather excellent V-Moda Crossfade Wireless - all of them having their own strengths and weaknesses.
 
The Soundpeats Q16 Wireless Earbuds are the first I have tried which can be described as truly wireless - each earpiece is completely self contained - loudspeaker, amplification and bluetooth electronics - all in one. The basic operating principle behind these types of headphones is that one master unit pairs to your music device whilst the other slave unit pairs to the master. Whilst obviously this creates a whole new set of problems potentially - Soundpeats seems to have pulled this feat off quite nicely - quite nicely indeed.
 

 
 
Physical Description
 
Whilst the headphones are fairly large, they have been designed to fit tight in your ears and not move when you are. They certainly offer a nice solid and stable fit. Controls are easy to get at and the buttons themselves are easy to tell apart. One really nice feature is that the buttons operate the same for both headphones when they’re paired correctly so you can use either left or right hands to access the controls. The controls themselves are nicely positive and are a lot easier to find than with other bluetooth headphones I have come across. Another really nice touch is that both sets of headphones switch off with a single keypress. Both have to be powered up independently however. Pairing is done by pairing the right hand earbud to your music player and then, once connected the left hand bud pairs automatically with the right hand one when powered up.
 

 
 
The Q16’s come supplied with a special dual USB charger cable so both can be charged simultaneously, small, medium and large eartips and a rather nice zipped carry case to keep the headphones and all the bits in. All in all, a very nicely thought out package.
 
Sound Quality
 
As is the case with pretty much all in-ear monitor type headphones, care needs to be taken to make sure you are using the right tips in order to get the best sound quality out of them. The included buds worked OK but I found them to be a little stiff and didn’t quite ‘feel’ right - a quick dive into my extensive collection of spare buds came up with a more suitable pair. Note that the bore of the buds is somewhere between the Etymotic ER4P and Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10’s so you can pretty much get away with using most spare tips. I went for the larger size as the Q16’s have a fairly shallow insertion depth and I wanted to get the best seal possible.  Once in correctly these little beasties can actually shine quite nicely.
 
Bass.
With a good seal the bass is fairly heavy but not totally over the top. There’s a nice solidity to the sound and generally instruments have an accurate timbre to them. Details are good and the bass definitely doesn’t override the mids - which is a good thing.
 
Mids.
Ever so slightly forward. Vocals come across very clearly - especially female vocals but strident guitars can sometimes be a little overwhelming. I did notice that they settled down a bit after a few hours use - this could be a degree of burn in - either from the headphones themselves or from my ears/head/brain.
 
Highs.
Surprisingly sweet. This is especially welcome when you consider that there’s no mention of APTx in the specifications of these headphones. Assuming that when connected to an Android device they’re not using the same high quality codec that would be found on Apple kit, I really didn’t expect such high quality detail in the treble area.
 
The amplifiers in the Q16’s offers far more volume than I’m comfortable with - which is nice because I do like to listen to my music loud from time to time. The volume controls are somewhat course - this is sometime which I find to be the case with a lot of bluetooth headphones though and the Q16’s aren’t any different in that respect. The voice feedback for power on, etc could do with being a little quieter - these are great headphones for listening to music in bed at lower volume settings thanks to their nice bass but the voice prompts can be a little jarring when you go to switch these off after a listening session but that’s nitpicking to be honest.
 

 
 
I haven’t really had them long enough to put them through too many charge/discharge cycles yet but their battery life is reasonable given their size - they do recharge fairly quickly though so you shouldn’t have any problems in that respect. I made a voice call to my Father in law (who’s my usual guinea pig when it comes to testing headsets out and he reported that my voice was clear but quiet - after taking for a few minutes though I think he forget I was using a headset - so no problems there.
 
For the price I think the Q16’s are a great wireless earbud. They definitely offer some advantages over their competitors thanks to their completely wire-free design. Sound quality is surprisingly good - more than acceptable for the price and the way they fit is nicely thought through.
 
Improvements.
 
I would be nice to have the following improvements for their next wireless models:-
 
APTx bluetooth protocol
Narrower ear tubes that allow a deeper more snug fit
Wireless Charging capability
Lightweight metal construction.
 
If I am going to be honest, even the suggestions above don’t really take away from the fact that these are an excellent set of headphones with a nice non-offensive sound quality and present excellent value for money when compared to their more expensive counterparts from companies such as Bluebird and Jabra.  A comfortable 5-star recommendation.
 
 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N6S5VP9

You can add the code: XHYCHWJK (30% OFF, ends: June.30.2017)

This is going to be a very difficult review for me to do.The reason why is that the IT00 has very little ‘character’ of its own. To my ears they’re ruler flat, detailed throughout the frequency range, fit really well, are pretty efficient and appear to be very well made. Perhaps you can see why I’m struggling. What I have basically described is the perfect in ear monitor.



Obviously there are better IEM’s out there - it would be foolish to describe these as the best you can possibly get as this simply isn’t the case. However, once you take their price into account, it’s not hard to see just why the iBasso IT00 is such a good headphone and, in my opinion, you would have to spend considerably more money before you would see any appreciable return on your investment.

Physical Description

Slick packaging seems to be all the rage at the moment. I think that iBasso is definitely one of the up and coming brands who are desperately trying to compete with the likes of Sony and Apple - and they're succeeding. The IT00’s come in a nicely printed box and also comes supplied with a large array of replacement tips, a rather nice branded round zippered carry case and a couple of replacement filters (really nice touch iBasso). The IEM's are supplied with a rather nice black coated, braided cable that's just the right length for portable use. The jack is high quality and right angled for strain relief. This is a really nice overall package and certainly wouldn't be out of place for headphones costing several times the price of the IT00's. After a bit of tip rolling, I found the right size to ensure a nice seal and was good to go.



Whilst I’m not overly keen on white earphones although I have to say that these do look good. If they were made by Samsung the colour would be described as something like Pacific Pearl White or perhaps Arctic Wind Grey - basically they’re white. They feel very solid and look like they could survive a fair amount of abuse. The MMCX connection is nice and tight - I haven’t had the cables accidentally disconnect on me yet. The stem goes a little deeper into the ear canal than some (which for me is always a welcome feature and definitely helps ensure you get a good seal) and the IEM’s feature a replaceable filter (also supplied with a spare set). The glossy finish will help with keeping the IEM’s clean. With most of my IEM’s I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time faffing around trying to get the perfect seal - I kinda got used to the triple flanges used with the Etymotics - and they go deeeeeep! My experience with the IT00’s is very positive and I have no problems pretty much just ‘plopping’ them into my ears, a quick wiggle and I’m sorted. Nice touch iBasso. The cable is nice and flexible and doesn’t appear to easily get tangled.

Sound Quality

I have to say it. These remind me of the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10’s. This is one hell of a compliment because I rate those headphones very highly indeed. To my ears, the IT00's are essentially flat - perhaps a slight bass ‘bloom’ over the UE’s but not enough to describe them as ‘bassy’. I’ve been driving them from my Sony NW-A55 Walkman (uncapped) and there’s no problems driving these headphones to very high levels with this player. They actually make a really good combination although you shouldn’t have any problems driving these from most portable devices.



I suppose if compared to the Etymotic ER4P, the sound character of these could be described as ‘V’ shaped although this certainly doesn’t come across as exaggerated. Mids come through clearly - perhaps not quite in your face mids. The sound stage is perhaps ‘medium-sized’, but there’s nothing in that sound stage that appears overly artificial - it stays nicely focussed. There’s a wonderful amount of micro detail to the sound and the imagery remains nicely rock solid - I feel that this is always the sign of good quality headphone/earphones as it shows that their drivers are well matched. Whilst I have been listening to the IT00’s for a good few days now, I very much doubt that they have ‘broken in’ yet. To be honest I wasn’t much of a believer until I tried the Tronsmart Apollo Bold’s - they really changed their character over the first couple of days usage. So now, I’m a semi-believer - I’m certainly willing to be receptive to the concept - let’s put it that way.



I’m very sensitive to harsh highs and I’m very pleased to say that you won’t find any of that here. The highs on the IT00’s are perhaps what reminds me the most of the UE TF10’s. Super impressive when you consider that these are using a single dynamic driver rather than multiple driver balanced armatures. Cymbals have a nice ‘shimmer’ to their sound but the top end isn’t overly bright and doesn't fatigue you after long listening sessions. There’s could perhaps be just a tad more detail on the highs - but I personally really like their fatigue free sound character.

I did notice some significant ‘driver flex’ in both of these earphones but it only shows itself when you’re pushing the headphones into your ears - the rest of the time it’s fine. Many in-ear monitors in my collection suffer this phenomenon - especially the bluetooth ones however this has never appeared to have a negative effect on the sound quality.

Conclusion

What the IT00’s clearly show to me is just how far high-quality IEM’s have come. The original retail price for the Triple Fi 10’s was significantly more than the IT00's but both sound remarkably close to each other in my opinion. In comparing the IT00's to perhaps their closest rival, the Fiio FD1's I think they're very close. For me, the Fiio's sounded very slightly more mellow with slightly more forward mids and slightly recessed treble whereas the IT00's sound more engaging and appear to offer a deeper bass as well as slightly more detail in the top end. Both can be highly recommended as their differences really boil down to your own personal preferences. I personally would choose the ibasso IT00's but I still do enjoy the FD1’s (how’s that for sitting on the fence). Great sound. Great Fit. Great value. Very highly recommended.

There's no doubt about it, the Bluetooth TWS headphone market is exploding - just about every company that's even slightly involved with audio is now selling at least one set of true wireless headphones. Axloie have several different models on the market. The AXLOIE Goin are designed for sports use thanks to their water resistance and the soft ear hooks which help keep the headphones in place whilst you're wallowing around like an epileptic doing your keep fit stuff.



These types of headphones do offer a number of advantages over conventional ones though. Firstly, they're not too expensive - this is ideal for use during activities which could potentially destroy your headphones. Secondly, the additional bass boost can be very useful when using them in noisy environments. Lastly, the water resistance is definitely useful if your a bit of a sweaty person. I can't help thinking that the more expensive wireless sports earbuds such as the PowerBeats Pro are simply too expensive for this type of use.

Design

The soft earhooks really do help maintain a secure connection. Putting them on is easy - for reasons of ergonomics and practicability, the earbuds are actually mirrored when stored in the charging case - left does to the right and the right goes to the left. You quickly get used to it though and it's not a problem. The buds fit quite nicely in the case with a magnetic snap and indicator lights clearly show you when the earbuds are charging. There shouldn't be any danger of them working loose whilst in the case and failing to charge Axloie headphones are apparently designed by an Industrial Design Master who has won multiple awards including the Red Dot Design Award and the Japan Good Design Award.



The case is somewhat larger than those used on other true wireless headphones however this has to be this way in order to accommodate the earhooks. Whilst the case is still pocketable, it does feel slightly flimsy - ideally Axloie could have used slightly thicker plastics here. The case is designed to recharge the buds up to 4 times which should easily give you more than 20 hours overall usage before you have to think about charging them up again. Unfortunately the connector on the case is USB Type B but I've personally never really found that to be a problem. I suspect it's going to be many years before all my items that charge are USB Type C.

The Axloie Goin come supplied with an additional two pairs of tips - small and large so you shouldn't have any problems getting the right fit and the perfect seal. The nozzles are fairly narrow so you can get a fairly deep insertion depth - this is something I always welcome in true wireless earbuds as you tend to move around a lot more when wearing them. One really nice touch is that you have access to all necessary controls from the earbuds themselves - including volume. There's no audible indication of volume change (apart from the obvious change in volume) which can make you make them louder than you meant to - this isn't too bad though and it's always a welcome feature anyway. The buttons require a degree of pressure but I would still prefer them to touch sensitive controls myself. I think the only touch-sensitive wireless headphones that work really well for this are the Sony WF1000XM3's, the Apple Airpods Pro (which did take some getting used to) and Axloie's own Magic TWS.




Bluetooth/Phone Performance

Callers reported 8 out of 10 for call quality. I certainly could hear them without any problems and the callers came through both ears (which is always welcome). Range wasn't too bad - the Goin's just about passed the upstairs toilet test (just a couple of dropouts) and you certainly shouldn't experience any problems during normal usage. Although they couldn't match the Airpods for wireless performance, in all fairness they only cost a fraction of the price of the Airpods.




Using the Galaxy Note 8, the headphones connected using the AAC bluetooth codec - whilst I would have preferred APTX it's certainly better than plain old SBC. Like with many of the TWS headphones out there now, the Goin's went into pairing mode automatically when first powered on and paired very quickly to the phone afterwards.

Audio Performance

At all points in this review you have to keep in mind their price - these are not expensive headphones and it's certainly not fair to compare them with models which cost considerably more.

Do they sound better than Apple's Airpods? Well….. Yes! In all fairness, Apple's Airpods do sound great in my opinion. The Axloie's definitely offer a deeper bass and better isolation. Whilst they might not be quite as 'clever' as the Airpods, the controls are certainly more positive - Apple's touch controls only work if you don't put foam on them and tend to work best with IOS devices.

Bass

Bass is definitely boosted. Whilst I don't particularly like this sound characteristic when I'm listening at home, it's advantageous when out and about as bass tends to suffer when subjected to loud ambient noise. The bass works out really quite nicely when it comes to listening at lower volumes though.

Mids

Recessed slightly. Not the most detailed but also not fatiguing. Unfortunately this lack of detail does hinder the listening experience when it comes to listening at lower volumes.

Highs

Again, slightly recessed but not tiring. Again, like with the mids, the top end tends to lack detail. Again, as with the mids, this lack of fine detail effects the music when listening at lower volumes.

Conclusion

I personally found that when listening at lower volumes, the enhanced bass works more appropriately and, as an added bonus, these headphones don't stick out and you can easily wear them whilst lying on your side in bed. With this in mind I think these make excellent bedtime headphones. Not the finest sounding headphones on the market but a solid set nonetheless. The ear hooks definitely help maintain a nice stable fit when moving around and I had no problems getting them in and out of the case - this isn't something I can say about the new Apple Airpod Pros.


Although lacking in fine detail I personally found these headphones to be quite enjoyable. They have a couple of things which I really to see in a portable headphone. Stable fit, acceptable battery life, nice positive controls - including remote volume which is always welcome and a sound characteristic which is utterly non-fatiguing. For their price you could certainly do worse.

For more information, please visit:
Official website: https://www.axloie.com/
AXLOIE Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/axloie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Axloie/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axloie/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AxloieOfficial
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHNXPsMV16pXGr-1zwYaF2A

1) AXLOIE Goin Earhook headphones: https://www.axloie.com/GoinSeries/index.html
2) AXLOIE Goin Earhook headphones Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7SPHLB/
3) AXLOIE Goin Earhook headphones Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Y7SPHLB/
4) AXLOIE Goin Earhook headphones Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07Y7SPHLB/

There are now perhaps hundreds of inexpensive bluetooth headphones now coming onto the market - the technology has now reached a point where differences between models comes down to features and subtle changes in sound character and quality.



Features
The Holy High BE1018 are a pair of TWS earphones which feature earhooks (which actually fit in the charger case) and this greatly helps maintain a good fit - even when you’re actively throwing yourself around the gym or going on a 10k run. According to the specifications listed on the box the headphones operate for around four and a half hours before needing recharging and the recharging process only takes around an hour and a half. The case can recharge the earbuds about 4 times. The package features two different types of earhooks - the default ones designed to go around the outside of your ears and two different sized earhooks which fit inside the shell of your ears. They also come supplied with 3 different pairs of tips so you shouldn’t have a problem getting the right fit.

The case is quite large - about the size of a bar of soap. The plastic used feels fairly thin but it does the job. It uses Micro USB for the charging - this appears to still be commonplace for most of the inexpensive TWS headphones out there. These headphones are designed to be used with the earhooks and the case is designed to accommodate them without any problems. The case relies on the lid to maintain contact with the electrical contacts rather than magnets - as the lid clicks shut it maintains an electrical contact - this appears to work quite well.



The headphones themselves do offer an excellent fit (for me) thanks to the wings. Although the quality of the fit does offer a nice consistent sound quality, unfortunately there are a couple of issues with the headphones which makes them not my first choice for me.

Firstly, the buttons are really hard to press - really hard! Whilst I don’t always get on with some of the touch-sensitive bluetooth IEM’s out there - the amount of times I accidentally trigger Play when I’m putting them in my ears beggars belief. There’s certainly no danger of this happening with these. In all fairness, the button is easy to find when they’re in your ears and the rubber-coating over the buttons almost certainly helps with the waterproofing.

The other thing that lets them down somewhat is the lack of support for the higher-resolution codecs such as AAC/APTX. In all fairness the sound quality is reasonably good all said and done.

Sound Quality

Firstly, it’s important to make sure you have a good seal with these headphones. They’re not overly bassy - so proper insertion ensures you get the best bass response. The really great thing about these headphones is the fit though and I think I can get a better fit with these than just about any other IEM-type headphone I have tried. The great fit really helps not only with bass response but also imagery.

Midrange on there is also surprisingly clean, they can go surprisingly loud - this is always a welcome feature on bluetooth headphones and greatly helps with midrange performance.

Treble performance is slightly laid back. This is actually quite welcome as the lack of high res codec support can have an adverse effect on the treble. I personally don't get on with piercing treble, I tend to prefer a more laid back sound. Detail is there though.



Where these headphones really did surprise me though is in their imagery. Close your eyes and you feel that you can actually point to the performers on stage - that's quite a feat - given their cost.

Whilst being essentially flat with regard to the overall frequency range of the headphones, I personally didn't really like the sound character as it sounds somewhat thin - almost like the bass, mid and treble controls on your amp are turned all the way down. Obviously this can be somewhat overcome with the judicious use of eq, I personally don't like using eq as I always seem to forget to reset it when I change to different headphones - which I'm afraid is something I do with alarming regularity.

Conclusion

I'm conclusion - there are things I like about these headphones and some things I don't like. If you're looking for headphones capable of surviving extreme sports activity then these could be for you. From a sound quality perspective I can’t help thinking that there are potentially better choices out there. It’s only really the lack of higher-resolution codec support which lets these headphones down. With this in mind I give these headphones a 4 Star rating.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HolyHigh-Headphones-Bluetooth-Earphones-Waterproof-Original/dp/B07T5L2XSN

Over the past few weeks I have tried out quite a few over-ear bluetooth headphones in a mad search for the ‘ultimate’ bluetooth headphone.

I have tried the Bose QC35’s, V-Moda Crossfade Wireless and now the Sennheiser PXC550’s (I wanted to also try the new Sony MDR1000x models but they appear to be sold out with a two month waiting list - and I’m the impatient type.

My usual wired headphones consist of the following (all of which are used regularly):

Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 - in ear monitor
1More Hybrid Triple Driver - in ear monitor
Sony XBA H1 - in ear monitor
Apple Earpods - fall out of ear earbud
Audio Technica ATH50X - Full Size Over-Ears (make you look a bit like a Cyberman)

Playback electronics include:

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (an excellent audio player - especially with the inclusion of Neutron).
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 - also quite nice sound quality through headphone out - even with stock ROM
AgpTEK H01 - Micro SD based lossless player with a very powerful amplifier on-board.

My music tastes are beginning to vary in my old age - Rush, Pink Floyd, Queen, Bach, Fleetwood Mac, Vivaldi, William Orbit, Hanz Zimmer - you get the idea. Most of my music is well-encoded MP3’s (either 320K rips - some of the older stuff ripped using EAC/LAME (with some cool psycho-acoustical filtering applied) and some downloaded FLAC files. In other words, perhaps not the best in the world but certainly a significant step up from entry-level.

My criteria in order of importance is:

Sound Quality
Volume
Ability to pair with two phones
Reliable Bluetooth connection
Battery Life
Facility to use wired connection
Comfort

I can tolerate some discomfort as I am frequently having to remove my headphones when working but they’ve gotta sound good and loud. I normally like a sound signature that’s neutral (with perhaps just a hint of deep bass) normally. I don’t tend to mind a slight dip in treble as I’m quite sensitive to shrieking upper mids (that’s what happens when you’re married). The ideal sound signature for me normally comes from my Ultimate Ears Triple Fi’s and 1More Triple Driver in ear monitors.

Externals and Bluetooth

The V-Moda’s feel reassuringly solid - this is helped by the metal shields which give the headphones a rather unique look. Whilst smaller than some over-ear headphones I find them reasonably comfortable. They are tight fitting but this actually helps when you’re walking around with them as they don’t shift position at all. You could use them for working out without too much problems but I personally would rather use wireless earbuds for something like that. I can bend over to stroke the cat without them slipping off.

The buttons are situated at the top of the right hand earcup and are a little mushy in operation. Whilst they may not have the technical wizardry of the touch controls found on the Sony MDR1000x’s and Sennheiser 550’s, they do have the advantage of not being accidentally activated every time you move or remove your headphones. Double and triple tapping for track switching can be a little tricky but at least it allows the volume buttons to be dedicated rather than multi-function.

The cushions are soft and comfortable and I have no problems in wearing them on and off pretty much all day without problems. I must admit I’m tempted to get the larger pads although I'm not sure what sort of difference they will offer and whether I would even like the changes that they could make to the sound quality.

The power/bluetooth pairing switch leaves a little to be desired as well - although it's not quite as flimsy as the switch found on the Bose QC35's, it's still a little loose and feels somewhat cheap. One thing I really do like about these headphones though is that they don't have a really bright bluetooth status light - this is something that really annoys me with other bluetooth headphones. The status light is nicely dim - but just as informative.

Bluetooth operation is excellent with these headphones. They connect pretty quickly to your device and tend to maintain a good solid connection as long as you don’t go too far out of range. I typically find that with the inexpensive bluetooth sports earbud type headphones, you can lose connection by simply putting your phone in your trouser pockets whilst walking - there’s no problem in this regard with the V-Moda’s. Double tapping on the MODE button to change tracks does have a small delay but it’s not really that much of a problem once you get used to it. Volume changes take fairly big steps when using the headphone controls - this is something that thankfully can be compensated used the volume controls on your playback device for fine tuning. This is something that I find with virtually all bluetooth headphones though and the V-Moda’s are no worse than many of the others.

The headphones also come supplied with a nice nylon covered heavy-duty cord for wired listening. This cable is designed to only be used one way and features a simple single button remote and microphone - a welcome addition. Unlike many bluetooth headphones which offer this feature, the sound quality differences between wired and wireless use are fairly subtle - more on this in the sound quality section. Needless to say, the differences are nowhere near as profound as the changes found on many active noise cancelling headphones - which can sound truly dreadful when used passively with a cable.

Sound Quality - Wired and Bluetooth

As mentioned in the opening paragraphs I have had the chance recently to try out a few of the top-end wireless headphones recently and have been somewhat surprised by my findings. The Bose QC35’s are a very competent headphone with a very nice, warm and comfortable sound quality and superb active noise cancellation. I must admit I was very tempted to keep these - however I found the sound a little bit boring and felt that they didn’t quite go loud enough for my tastes. Don’t get me wrong, I almost never listened to music at their full volume but found that I was usually only a couple of steps below max. I wasn’t at all impressed with the Sennheiser PXC550’s. I found the sound quality to be a little too bright, brittle and fatiguing to listen to. Their biggest failing though was their utter lack of volume. I found I was listening quite comfortably to my music literally at full volume all the time. Sorry Sennheiser but no amount of clever bells and whistles and active noise cancelling can make up for that. They went back within a couple of days.

The V-Moda Crossfade Wireless doesn’t feature active noise cancelling. And to be honest I can’t help thinking that this was a good move on their part. The Moda’s have a bass-heavy sound - but not really in a bad way. I must admit it did take a little getting used to but the sound signature of these headphones are pretty addictive.. Bass is deep and punchy. Really deep notes still maintain their pitch and make it easy to follow. The mids are slightly recessed but still show a lot of detail. Strings resonate nicely and there is a sense of depth which you don’t get with earbuds. Treble is slightly recessed but this does make for an inoffensive and non-fatiguing character.

There is a difference between wired and wireless when it comes to sound quality. When using the wire, bass is tighter and less ‘boomy’ and the sound becomes a little less congested. That’s not to say that the wireless performance is shoddy - far from it. Wireless performance is excellent - the headphones have plenty of meaty volume and they sound excellent with some of the more vintage rock albums in my collection. I have a fairly broad taste in music and every genre played well with these headphones - rock, trance, folk - even classical. Range was good - comparable with the Bose QC35’s and Sennheiser PXC550.

One thing I feel like I should point out is that i am using Android devices (and dedicated mp3 players - the excellent Agptek H01 and Benjie players specifically) and I don’t have a problem with the fact that the headphones don't use the aptx protocol for bluetooth - having tried the Sennheiser PXC550’s that do use aptx, I definitely prefer the sound quality of the V-moda”s. Whilst I have to accept that the V-Moda’s are likely to produce better sound quality when used wirelessly with the Apple iPhone rather than Android devices because they have compatible high speed bluetooth protocols, I’m still more than happy with the sound quality from my Android devices.

I have just purchased the XL Earpads for the V-Moda’s. To be honest I didn’t really have a problem with the earpads supplied with the headphones - I was simply curious as to how these pads would improve both the sound and comfort. Obviously something like this is a personal thing (size and shape of your head and your personal sound preferences). I noticed the bass went a little deeper and the transitions from bass to treble seem to be a little more seamless and they were slightly more comfortable. Interestingly I found that the larger pads let in a little more external sound than the default ones - only a little bit though, and I’m hoping they will soften up a little more with use as they feel a little stiff.

To sum up. In case you haven’t noticed I really like these headphones. They tick pretty much all my boxes - good sound quality, loud volume, fun sound signature, pretty comfortable, very well made, good battery life, non-fiddly controls that don’t get triggered accidentally, nice case and cable and they can pair up to two phones simultaneously - something I definitely needed. They also sound really good when used with a cable - and can be easily driven to very high levels when driven from my phone - again, something the others I tried really couldn’t do. I was planning on trying out the new Sony MDR1000X noise cancelling bluetooth headphones but Amazon didn’t have them in stock at the time and, after extensive listening to the V-Moda’s, I decided that I didn’t want the compromises to sound quality that active noise cancellation tends to bring into the mix.

They’re not perfect though. Top end is recessed, upper mid range is recessed, low mids and bass are enhanced/boosted and they’re expensive. Much of the bluetooth technology employed by V-Moda could have been improved on but the amplification section is wonderfully powerful and the drivers definitely offer a nice full sound. No buyers remorse here at all - I’m quite confident I’ve made the right choice - even if I am 250 quid down.

I hope this review helps people when trying to make a choice regarding bluetooth headphones. Remember that one man’s meat is another man’s poison - but with Amazon’s excellent returns policy why not try them out and see what you think. For rock, hip-hop (ughh - spit) and that sort of modern bass-heavy genre they’re great. For classical, string quartet and perhaps jazz - you might want to look at something else.

Over the past few weeks I have tried out quite a few over-ear bluetooth headphones in a mad search for the ‘ultimate’ bluetooth headphone.
 
I have tried the Bose QC35’s, V-Moda Crossfade Wireless, Sennheiser PXC550’s (I wanted to also try the new Sony MDR1000x models but they appear to be sold out with a two month waiting list - and I’m the impatient type. Having tried some of the best noise cancelling headphones I feel that perhaps that’s not the direction I really want to go in.
 
My usual wired headphones consist of the following (all of which are used regularly):
 
Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 - IEM
1More Hybrid Triple Driver - IEM
Sony XBA H1 - IEM
Apple Earpods
Audio Technica ATH50X - Full Size Over-Ears
 
Playback electronics include:
 
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (an excellent audio player - especially with the inclusion of the Neutron player).
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
AgpTEK H01 - Micro SD based lossless player with a very powerful amplifier on-board.
 
My music tastes are beginning to vary in my old age - Rush, Pink Floyd, Queen, Bach, Fleetwood Mac, Vivaldi, William Orbit, Hanz Zimmer - you get the idea. Most of my music is well-encoded MP3’s (either 320K rips - some of the older stuff ripped using EAC/LAME (with some cool psycho-acoustical filtering applied) and some downloaded FLAC files. In other words, perhaps not the best in the world but certainly a significant step up from entry-level.
 
My criteria in order of importance is:
 
Sound Quality and Volume
Ability to pair with two phones
Reliable Bluetooth connection
Battery Life
Facility to use wired connection
Comfort
 
I can tolerate some discomfort as I am frequently having to remove my headphones when working but they’ve gotta sound good and loud.  I normally like a sound signature that’s neutral (with perhaps just a hint of deep bass) normally. I don’t tend to mind a slight dip in treble as I’m quite sensitive to shrieking  (that’s what happens when you’re married).
 

 
 
Externals and Extras
 
The 1More 802’s are a smallish bluetooth headphone and I would have to say that for most people I think they should be thought of as ‘on the ear’ rather than ‘over the ear’. They’re very nicely constructed out of a kind of ‘artificial aluminium’ - I’m not sure exactly what that it but they feel like they could take a reasonable beating - this is certainly something worth having with bluetooth headphones. The earpads are pretty thin but do form a reasonably effective seal which helps with bass response. They are fairly comfortable for about a CD’s worth of listening but any longer and I had to re-adjust them to keep them comfortable. To be honest I don’t mind doing this and it only requires the slightest re-adjustment on the ears to get them comfortable again. I was sent the metallic red ones - they look really nice.
 
I wear these at work and they are getting more comfortable as time goes on - I’m not sure if this is the headphones adjusting to me or me adjusting to the headphones. They clamp pretty tightly on the head but, again, this is ideal on a portable headphone. The buttons are a little mushy but I find them to be easy to operate though - the PLAY/VOLUME controls are easy to find - easier than the V-Moda’s anyway. They offer a reasonable degree of isolation from the outside world but do leak some sound when you listen to music at higher volume levels - not really more than others though.
 
There are five controls on the 802’s. Four on the right hand side which are used for the usual playback, volume and call controls and on the left is a 3-way switch for low/neutral/high bass controls. This is actually a nice touch - can’t really see a use for low bass but the neutral and high definitely is welcome. One button can be configured with their Android app to perform different tasks - there’s not many applications supported by this function yet though - it would be nice to be able to access Viper for Android’s EQ settings with this but that’s currently not an option.
 
Battery life is really good. I haven’t yet run the battery down completely though but I suspect you could get pretty much three full working days listening out of them. That is active listening with music or spoken word rather than simply just powered on and waiting for incoming calls. The standby time can run for many days or even weeks apparently. One really nice touch is that their Android app will show you the current battery level - nice touch 1More as this feature is normally only found on Apple stuff.  The 802’s can be used as a wired headphone thanks to the excellent included cable - this is a nice touch and the cable features a proper remote control that controls volume as well as play/pause - and it works on my Android devices. Nice touch 1More.
 
Bluetooth Operation
 
The 802’s can connect to two devices simultaneously so this definitely ticks one of my boxes. The connection appears to have a reasonable range but I did notice some stuttering when I connected to both the Galaxy Note 2 and a cheap nasty Nokia (work phone). To be honest I would be inclined to blame the Nokia rather than the headphones themselves. The 802’s feature voice prompts to advise you of connection status and so on. One thing I do find somewhat annoying is that the volume controls beep with each keypress - it would be nice if this feature could be switched off. The 802’s use Bluetooth 4.2 and the aptx protocol so they work well with my Android devices.  
 

 
 
Sound Quality
 
These sound good.  Really good. Far better than their price would indicate. The sound characteristic is very flat when compared with other bluetooth headphones (which mostly tend to emphasise the bass a little too much) and definitely share the same character as their excellent Triple Driver IEM’s. They also go fairly loud (which ticks another one of my boxes) and offer a nice stable soundstage.
 
Bass
 
The 802’s accurately reproduce bass notes and work very well with both classical and drum & bass. I must admit I am starting to really like the bass switch set to full-on but this is perhaps because I got used to the bass-heavy sound of the V-Moda Crossfade Wireless - which has some pretty extreme bass (but also very addictive). There’s no way you could describe the bass as ‘flabby’ or ‘soft’ - a really nice balanced bass response - again, very reminiscent of their triple driver iem’s.
 
Mids
 
Very slightly recessed. And I mean slightly. This helps reduce any harshness that can be present with certain types of music. Very detailed. Listening to The Wall by Pink Floyd, I could hear more details in the background sound effects ‘Oh my god - what a fabulous room - are all these your guitars?’.
 
Treble
 
Having come from the V-Moda Crossfade Wireless to these I found the top end a little much to start with. The Crossfade’s don’t use the APTX protocol and tend to veer more towards the bass than the treble - something I kinda got used to - so the 802’s were a bit of a shock to my ears to start with. However the treble detail is excellent - not harsh, not brittle - but very detailed. These are not headphones for listening to poorly encoded MP3’s as their treble characteristics will definitely show these up rather than mask them.
 
Overall Sound Characteristics
 
Flat.  Flat as a ruler as far as my ears can tell. These headphones are the closest I’ve yet come to producing the same sound character that you find in a good pair of in ear monitors. More than adequate amplification when used in bluetooth mode and there’s not any noticeable difference when used wired.  That’s definitely a plus point in my books as there’s no compromise no matter which way you use them.
 
The MK802’s sound brighter and more detailed than my Audio Technica ATH M50’s in my opinion. They share a similar sound characteristic with my excellent Ultimate Ears Triple Fi’s and 1More’s own superb Triple Driver Hybrids. You could describe these as On-Ear IEM”s from their analytical sound character. This is a good thing.
 
Conclusion
 
For the price - there’s really no decision needed - just buy them. You won’t be disappointed. They are definitely a step up from the cheaper (and some of the more expensive) bluetooth headphones out there. I recently tried the Sennheiser PXC550 Bluetooth headphones (very expensive noise cancelling model) and in my opinion these go much louder and sound significantly better.  I recently tried the Bose QC35’s (another expensive noise cancelling model) and these sound more detailed and go louder. If you like a high quality sound with a flat frequency response, they really are a no-brainer.  Highly recommended.
 
RRP for the 1More 802 Bluetooth Headphones is £149.99
1More’s UK Website
http://uk.1more.com/
 
UK Retailer
http://www.pocketrocketuk.com/

Bluedio kindly sent me their 8-driver UFO bluetooth headphones in red for review - and boy I’m glad they did.
 
Packaging
 
Like all of their higher priced bluetooth models, the UFO’s come supplied in some excellent packaging - the outer sleeve has illustrations and information on four sides showing the specifications and a blow-up dissection of the headphones showing the different drivers.
 
Opening up the impressively stiff magnetically held cardboard box reveals a rigid zippered headphone case and the instruction manuals are contained in a sleeve inside the lid. This is a really nice touch and something that other headphone manufacturers should consider offering by default.
 
Opening up the case reveals the headphones. Bluedio supplied me with the red versions and I think they look stunning. Bluedio also supplies a conventional headphone cable for wired use and a USB charging cable. These are held in a net bag inside the headphone case.
 
Build
 
The red version looks stunning. Easily as well made as Sony or Sennheiser in my opinion - and at a fraction of the price. They are constructed mostly of a titanium alloy which gives them significant solidity and weight. The earcups and headband have a nice amount of padding to them and the fit isn’t too tight. On the metal parts of the headphones the red has a glossy metallic look like you might find on a car - the vinyl/pleather parts have a more matte-like finish. I haven’t tried scratching them to see what would happen but no-doubt time will tell.
 

 
 
The earpads are removable and you can see how the multiple drivers have been configured. I don’t think they have used memory foam for the padding but it’s quite soft and you can wear the headphones for several hours without fatigue. One earpad features the Micro USB connector whilst the other side has the 3.5mm socket for wired use. Five way controls are on the right and are push button rather than touch button. I personally prefer this because there is less chance of accidentally activating the controls when simply adjusting the headphones or picking them up. Luckily the buttons don’t rattle when moving around.
 

 
 
For many headphones the weak points are the hinges where the headphones fold. Good news here is that they have used all metal and I’m confident that they will survive a lot of abuse. I shall be wearing these at work so time will tell on this as well.
 

 
 
These are an extremely solid looking and great feeling pair of headphones and should last for a very long time, even under demanding conditions. I shall be wearing these at work.
 
Sound Quality
 
This is what it’s all about as far as I’m concerned. I can tolerate a slight level of discomfort if the sound quality is up to scratch but I really cannot tolerate poor sound quality - even if the headphones are the most comfortable in the world. The good news is that these sound pretty good - very very good in fact.  I’ve been reviewing several bluetooth headphones over the past few weeks - both in ear monitor types and on/over ear models. One thing they appear to have in common is that they are all orientated towards bass. The bass on these headphones is also solid and punchy but not to the point of overpowering the other frequencies.
 
The 50mm driver pushes the bass out hard and deep. At first listening there’s a bit of culture shock with these. I tend to listen to music at high-ish volumes and, without some EQ being applied. With many of the bluetooth headphones I have tried I have had to apply some EQ in order to tame the bass down somewhat, but with these the sound balance is just about right. The bass is still dominant but that’s kinda nice in moderation. The mids offer detail and the upper frequencies are not intense at all - no worries about listening fatigue with these.
 
One thing I did notice was details in recordings I thought I was familiar with - especially some of the older rock recordings from the likes of Yes, Supertramp, Pink Floyd and Queen. In fact, using these headphones to listen to the older stuff is an absolute joy. It’s almost like hearing them for the first time. I’ve just listened to ‘Time’ by Pink Floyd - when all the bells go off I didn’t feel I needed to pull the headphones off my head like I do with some of the others in my collection.
 
The bluetooth and amplification side of things is also superb. There’s no significant noise floor - it’s fair to say that any hiss you hear in your music will have been on the original recording. Bluetooth pairs well and offers a pretty good range (far better than what you typically experience when using bluetooth earbuds anyway) and the connection remains solid and skip-free right up to the point where you go out of range.
 
The wired connection works well and these headphones are nice and efficient. Even connected to my iPod Nano I could get very loud, quite satisfying volume levels. I couldn’t particularly hear any differences in quality between wired and wireless connections and it’s a nice touch to have this feature for use on non-bluetooth electronics or when your battery runs down.
 

 
 
Conclusion
 
In case you haven’t guessed it, I absolutely love these headphones. Had I have purchased them I wouldn’t have been disappointed at all. They are comfortable, extremely well made and look good to boot. I think they represent excellent value for money and give the big boys like Sony, Sennheiser and Bose a definite run for their money. Whilst they don’t feature active noise cancelling, NFC or touch controls, they do definitely have what matters - good quality sound, good build quality and excellent value for money.  A clear and definite 5 stars.
 
I would like to thank Bluedio - especially Jasmine for their customer service. They are the perfect example of a company who puts the needs of their customers first.
 
Additional Observations after a few days solid usage.
 
Firstly the headphones appear to respond well to 'burn in'. I've noticed the bass has become slightly less dominant and the top end coming through a little clearer. These are not 'audiophile' headphones but rather designed for portable convenience but I have to say that I suspect that many 'audiophiles' would actually enjoy the experience of using these - especially will a little subtle eq changes here and there. They are fun but definitely show some details in the music. They are definitely not a bright headphone but I personally like a slightly 'darker' tone to my music. 
 
In the past when I have tended to focus on just one headphone for a while, I've noticed that when I go back to my Triple Fi's the shift in tone takes a little getting used to again. Strangely whilst the Bluedio's sound absolutely nothing like the Triple Fi's in tone, changing from one to the other isn't as much of a shock to my ears as it should be. I can't particularly explain it but one thing for sure, these headphones really do have a quality to them and shine with the right settings.  
 
One last observation. I've always found that 'portable' full sized headphones normally have a somewhat 'fragile' feel to them a I tend to not push them as hard as ones used for home listening but with these I'm happy to 'turn the wick up' and rock out with them. They can push a refreshing amount of volume out. Far more than you would normally get using a wired connection to a portable player.
 
Normally when I'm sent a free pair of headphones I tend to offer a favourable review - or at least try to highlight their positives out of a sense of duty but with these I am totally comfortable in recommending them to experienced headphone freaks like myself - can't really say fairer than that.
 
I only knocked half a star off because it would have been nice to have slightly larger earpads.


Bluedio Amazon Page

http://www.amazon.co.uk/shops/A1VFP8YF5XT3U8

Bluedio UFO Amazon Page

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UZ3LGHS