Review of UE Boom wireless speaker w/pics!!! - General Accessories

This is a review of Ultimate Ears UE Boom wireless bluetooth speaker: http://www.ultimateears.com/en-us/boom
I have been around the block testing and reviewing various Android gadgets and accessories. Honestly, there is not much that makes go Wow! The concept of external compact bluetooth speaker is not new, and some of you might be familiar with another similar product which has been dominating this category. I think introduction of UE Boom is going to change this!!! I want to mention this ahead of time, we are talking about Premium Product at a Premium Price. Yes, it will not be everyone's cup of tea in terms of being able to justify $199. But if you are willing to invest money into a high quality product with sound and sex appeal of EU Boom - I guarantee you will get every penny worth.
I have to first start with a package of this speaker, something that became a trend of premium priced products. You might be looking for a minute or two at this black cylinder before you realize it opens in the middle, flips open revealing the speaker itself and accessories in the separate compartments. Just the presentation of this package by itself is super cool and makes a very nice storage box for it. So beside the speaker you get this yellowish-greenish neon color travel wall adapter (rated at 2A) and flat noodle usb to micro-usb cable. In the middle of this cylinder box is the jewel itself, the UE Boom. First impression once you pick it up is the weight of the speaker which is going to tip scale at 536g (1lb 3oz). Yes, we are talking about a cool little cylinder that fits comfortable in your hand and weight over a pound. So what does the weight means? It means quality driver components packed inside of this external speaker unit. With measurement of 180mm x 65mm, it stands 7" tall with 2.5" diameter. The speaker grill goes all the way around, interrupted by a rubber strip with two big "+" and "-" touch controls (for volume up/down). The grill itself is made of some dense interweaving material, described as acoustic skin with plasma coating for water and stain resistance. I have seen YT demo of someone pouring water over it while playing the music, and it didn't even skip the beat. The speaker is intended for indoor/outdoor use, and with water resistance keeping it close to a pool will not be a problem. The speaker itself can be positioned vertically or horizontally, whatever is your preference. The rubber control strip should prevent it from rolling.
Beside volume up/down control, which also could be used simultaneously for UE Boom to announce it's battery capacity percentage, one side of the end cap has a power and bluetooth pair button, and the other side has 3.5mm auxiliary input, micro-usb charging cable, and a detachable loop/tab that will enable your clipping Boom to your backpack or maybe hanging it down from some hook. Speaking of charging, at full charge the speaker is rated for 15 hours of use!!! Once you power it up, you have a pleasant drum tone and it goes into a pair mode (the first time use). Within seconds you are paired up and ready to use it. At that point, better sit down and hit play. This is the most impressive sound I ever heard coming out of such a small speaker system. It fills up the room or any outdoor area with full deep non-distorted sound even at highest volume level. The sound is very crisp and clear, very loud (without distortion as I mentioned), and has enough of bass tone suitable for bigger speaker. Of course, don't expect deep bass of a subwoofer, but for this size it was very impressive. The sound radiates 360 degrees, so no need to turn it or to position it in certain direction. Apparently there is a way you can use 2 EU Boom from the same paired up source to extend this sound to a wider stereo spectrum. For that, you need to use a free app downloaded from Google Play. The app itself is very simple and self explanatory. What is super impressive is when you start it - it goes through a palette of available Boom colors (the speaker comes in different skins) and picks the right one you have. In there you have an option to run double pair up, Setting, and General on-line help with "getting to know" info. In Setting you have a choice to rename your UE Boom, obtain the battery level charge (also you can do that by holding + and - together), alert language, EQ setting (currently only 3 available), enabling alert sound, and also app and fw versions.
For audio playback it supports A2DP bt audio profile, in addition to direct 3.5mm cable input, and it can also pickup calls working as a speaker phone. It's minimalistic design didn't include call pick up button, which would have been a nice feature. Also, very common to other premium bt speakers - is lack of any audio playback controls. If you want to pause the sound, you have to go back to remote use with a phone. It's not a show stopper since I was able to use my portable external bluetooth receiver unit connected to 3.5mm port of UE Boom and paired up instead of the speaker itself. That allowed me to play/pause and skip the track. Also today after playing with MetaWatch smart watch - I also discovered that I can control phone audio right from my watch without even a need for bt remote receiver. Also another comment, for such a price I was surprised they didn't include 3.5mm audio cable piece. Although not intended for most of the uses, I think it would have been a nice accessory to include.
But in general all I can say is the second you hear the full loud sound of this speaker, your jaw drops. Yes, its an expensive accessory and will not be everyone's cup of tea because of the price. I also hope that after awhile (since it was just introduced), the price will drop making it more affordable. But even at $199 - you are paying for a high quality design and premium quality top notch sound, something you would expect from Ultimate Ears! My recommendation - if you can afford it, get it! Just in time for the summer, for your outdoor party - you will not be disappointed!. And with 2 year warranty, you know UE truly believes in it's quality.
Here are some pictures:
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How does it sound compared to the Big Jambox. I love my BJB but would love something to use near the pool.

earled said:
How does it sound compared to the Big Jambox. I love my BJB but would love something to use near the pool.
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I knew this question would come up I don't have any Jawbone products, but have done a lot of search and reading on the net and watched a number of YT reviews, everybody confirms that UE Boom blows jawbone out of the water, not to mention that you can't even keep jawbone anywhere near the water This speaker definitely has Ultimate Ears sound quality.

vectron said:
I knew this question would come up I don't have any Jawbone products, but have done a lot of search and reading on the net and watched a number of YT reviews, everybody confirms that UE Boom blows jawbone out of the water, not to mention that you can't even keep jawbone anywhere near the water This speaker definitely has Ultimate Ears sound quality.
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Thanks. The lack of waterproofness(word?) is my biggest gripe with the BJB. Might have to get one cor the outside. I'mm very happy with my JamBox sound quality.

earled said:
Thanks. The lack of waterproofness(word?) is my biggest gripe with the BJB. Might have to get one cor the outside. I'mm very happy with my JamBox sound quality.
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Well, waterproof and water resistant are two different things. I'm sure if you drop Boom into a pool of water where its going to be submerged for awhile - it will damage it. But if you are outside and get splattered by water, Boom can take it like a champ. I have two little kids and outside they constantly run around with water guns or splatter in our above the ground pool. I wouldn't have to worry about speaker getting wet in this situation or of it starts raining before I get a chance to bring it inside.
I was trying to get a review sample from JB, but their replies take forever and I'm still waiting to hear back from them on confirmation. In a meantime, I can only judge the comparison by listening to other people reviews (lots of the professional reviews are on-line now with a recent introduction of Boom).
... EDIT... never mind about 40% coupon, it was just my misunderstanding

Thanks a lot for the info. I have 2 boys myself. They would almost rather run around squirting me and mom than swim in the pool. :laugh:

vectron said:
I knew this question would come up I don't have any Jawbone products, but have done a lot of search and reading on the net and watched a number of YT reviews, everybody confirms that UE Boom blows jawbone out of the water, not to mention that you can't even keep jawbone anywhere near the water This speaker definitely has Ultimate Ears sound quality.
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Click to collapse
Wow, I find it hard to believe the this UE Boom will "blow Jawbone out of the water"!! It may be very similar in sound quality and loudness to the original Jawbone Jambox, because the Boom and OG Jambox are similar in size. The Big Jambox is about twice as big as the Boom. I could be totally wrong though, and this Boom may destroy the Big Jambox. I have a Big Jambox and absolutely LOVE IT!! I am very impressed with the sound quality and how loud this speaker gets! Hopefully an XDA member who has the Big Jambox will get a Boom and let us know how the 2 compare.
Either way, OP, thanks for sharing the info with us! If Best Buy does carry these in the future then I'll probably go ahead buy one myself! Not sure that I'll keep it, but that way I can at least compare the Boom and Big Jambox side by side at my house. I'll let you all know if I get a Boom. If anyone here has them both, please let us know how the 2 compare.
SwiftKey'ed from my White Sprint Note 2 using XDA Premium

Awesome review as always Vectron. I've been looking for a bluetooth portable speaker and I was about 99% sold on the jbl flip. For the money ($99) most reviews say it blows away most other comparable devices which cost 2 and 3 times as much. Now I'll have to look into this product to see if it's worth the extra $.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium

Shoot, I might end up going to Verizon store myself just to pick up Jawbone for comparison this weekend. Now, I'm really curious myself. I read reviews from zdnet and cnet and other places and they're showing arsenal of their portable speakers in the background saying this one sounds the best.
I can only judge relative to what I hear, not as a/b comparison. I'm also thinking that UE guys had to think hard to come up with a price point to justify their advantage over the competition which cost less. Also, competition is a little dated now. This unit has 15hr battery, and water splatter protection, and covers a range of 50 feet. But I'm surprised there is no Call Button. I really wish instead of talking battery percentage they would implement a programmable feature for "+" and "-" buttons pushed together to either mute the sound if music is playing or pickup the call when it's incoming. It should be handled through BT protocol and everything is under app control to assign different functionality - so why not? I will make sure to suggest it to them with my feedback.
But other then that, I'm very impressed!!!

That's for bringing The Boom Vectron. Your reviews have become a valuable source when making a purchase decision. Keep up the good work Mr. Gadget hero.

All - I have the Big Jambox and compared it side by side with the UE Boom.
My perspective - while for its size the UE Boom sounded very good, the BJB was clearly better sounding and larger. Obviously the amount of portability you want/need can impact your decision as on this point they are very different, but if the BJB's form factor works for you and you are basing the decision primarily on sound, I think you will find the BJB to be a better choice,

Best buy does carry this product now. Just found it there by surprise this weekend. They didn't have a display model out or anything so I almost missed it. So far the sound is great and it does get really loud for a small speaker. I can compare the sound to a Bose SoundLink and it is comparable to it IMO. I don't know about the Jawbone Big Jambox so can't give any input on that one.
stanglifemike said:
Wow, I find it hard to believe the this UE Boom will "blow Jawbone out if the water"!! It may be very similar in sound quality and loudness to the original Jawbone Jambox, because the Boom and OG Jambox are similar in size. The Big Jambox is about twice as big as the Boom. I could be totally wrong though, and this Boom may destroy the Big Jambox. I have a Big Jambox and absolutely LOVE IT!! I am very impressed with the sound quality and how loud this speaker gets! Hopefully an XDA member who has the Big Jambox will get a Boom and let us know how the 2 compare.
Either way, OP, thanks for sharing the info with us! If Best Buy does carry these in the future then I'll probably go ahead buy one myself! Not sure that I'll keep it, but that way I can at least compare the Boom and Big Jambox side by side at my house. I'll let you all know if I get a Boom. If anyone here has them both, please let us know how the 2 compare.
SwiftKey'ed from my White Sprint Note 2 using XDA Premium
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lirong said:
All - I have the Big Jambox and compared it side by side with the UE Boom.
My perspective - while for its size the UE Boom sounded very good, the BJB was clearly better sounding and larger. Obviously the amount of portability you want/need can impact your decision as on this point they are very different, but if the BJB's form factor works for you and you are basing the decision primarily on sound, I think you will find the BJB to be a better choice,
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Awesome! Thank you for your input and comparison!! That's exactly what I had expected, as I found it VERY hard to believe that the Boom was louder an sounded better (much less that it could "blow the Big Jambox out of the water", lol!). I figured that the Boom was more like the original Jawbone Jambox, and not the Jawbone Big Jambox! The original Jambox and the Boom are very similar in size and price. Now that you have compared the two, I won't have to purchase the Boom just to compare it to the Big Jambox! Again, thank you very much for your comparison!!
The Big Jambox isn't too large for me to make the portability impractical. On the contrary actually. I often take my Big Jambox outside with me in the evenings. I spend a good part of my time at home sitting outside. The weather is nice and I don't smoke inside the house, so I like to sit outside and smoke while I drink beer. I use the Big Jambox for listening to music and for playing games on my phone or tablet. I even use it for a speaker phone occasionally and love that it's capable of that! Callers in the other end never know I'm not talking directly in to the phone unless I tell them I'm using my Big Jambox, and then they are shocked at how clear the sound quality is.
Bgrover said:
Best buy does carry this product now. Just found it there by surprise this weekend. They didn't have a display model out or anything so I almost missed it. So far the sound is great and it does get really loud for a small speaker. I can compare the sound to a Bose SoundLink and it is comparable to it IMO. I don't know about the Jawbone Big Jambox so can't give any input on that one.
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Thanks for the info!! If it wasn't for LIRONG then I would definitely be purchasing one of these from Best Buy. Thanks to his comparison though, I no longer need to!
Sent from my White Sprint Note 2 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2

True, I can't comment on comparison to Big JamBox. But I absolutely love UE Boom. I had it setup this weekend: phone at home, Boom on a hook hanging of outside, and I'm in our above-the-ground pool with MetaWatch under water controlling music. Sounds is not just loud, but also very rich and deep. Started to drizzle, we got out of the pool, and only later I realized while I was bringing stuff into the house - the speaker was still hanging on the hook. I'm still hoping to get around to check out Jambox, but I'm afraid my opinion might be on a biased side For sure, Big Jambox sounds like it will be louder because of the size of the speaker/driver/amp so if that's your priority, then its a perfect choice! For something very small and compact (Boom is small round cylinder, smaller than original jambox) and rugged with splash protection when you go to the beach, I think Boom is a great choice.
BUT still, I wish either Boom or Jambox would have play/pause/skip track controls. Why wouldn't they add it to these bt speakers?!? The protocol supports it. It's just a matter of 3 extra buttons. I have no idea why it's not part of the design...

Glad it was helpful.
I agree with all of the above...The Boom was a very nice speaker, especially for its size, and if you need more portability its a great choice.
I happen to like the look and form factor of the BJB better, and for use around the yard, etc. I think its a better choice.

these sound awesome

Haven't messed with many of the bigger bt units, but I can imagine this sounds pretty good. I have the small UE boombox and it's pretty impressive for it's size/price. Super crisp and clear even when played really loud, but to be honest, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, the Beats Pill is probably the best portable bt speaker I've heard. And this is coming from a Beats headphones hater. It sounds much better than the boombox and jambox imo, and when I played with the bjb, aside from the volume, I felt like the Pill sounded better. Flame away lol
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

lhkjohn said:
Haven't messed with many of the bigger bt units, but I can imagine this sounds pretty good. I have the small UE boombox and it's pretty impressive for it's size/price. Super crisp and clear even when played really loud, but to be honest, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, the Beats Pill is probably the best portable bt speaker I've heard. And this is coming from a Beats headphones hater. It sounds much better than the boombox and jambox imo, and when I played with the bjb, aside from the volume, I felt like the Pill sounded better. Flame away lol
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
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flame? why? is beats an apple product lol... i was wondering how this stacks up vs the pill.. thanks for the input.. I think imma go w a dock over these
Note Duece

lhkjohn said:
Haven't messed with many of the bigger bt units, but I can imagine this sounds pretty good. I have the small UE boombox and it's pretty impressive for it's size/price. Super crisp and clear even when played really loud, but to be honest, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, the Beats Pill is probably the best portable bt speaker I've heard. And this is coming from a Beats headphones hater. It sounds much better than the boombox and jambox imo, and when I played with the bjb, aside from the volume, I felt like the Pill sounded better. Flame away lol
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
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Never tried the Pill. I read a bunch of mixed reviews on it, including a couple that cited frequent bluetooth connection issues, so based on all the research I knocked them off my list.
I tried the new Bose, the Big Jambox, the UE Boom and the JBL Charge. The JBL Charge and UE Boom were both nice form factors and decent sound and volume. The Bose and BJB both (in my opinion) clearly sound better. I was mixed between the two...both sound good but very different sounds. Ultimately I liked the form factor, longer battery and ability for web updates on the BJB.
In the end I think it comes down to price (although the gap isnt that big) and how much portability you need. I think Bose and BJB are very portable - certainly around the house and yard, throw in a car, throw in a suitcase. But if you want something really portable that you can put in a knapsack, briefcase, etc. and carry around all day, then you are likely to be better off with the JBL or UE.

Btw, I have been using our Boom for 2 weeks since the last charge. Not everyday or hours in a row, but I probably accumulated close to 3-4 hours. The battery is still at 90%. Probably rounded off since it reports in increments of 10, but still pretty good.
I wish I can find some time to compare it to other speakers. Thus can't chime into discussion above, but I do really appreciate all the replies!!!
Also, hope that maybe after initial introduction and considering you can pair up two Boom into a stereo config - they will offer some discount if you buy a pair of these.
Regarding last comment about traveling, Boom is very compact and heavy duty built. Definitely no worries throwing it in a packed suitcase.

Related

Wired Headphones with Mic

Anyone using an aftermarket headset with the phone? I've been using the phone as my sole music player (sorry cowon d2+) and i want to get a bit more sound quality out of them. IEM that comes with the phone is not bad but i keep reaching over for my over the ear headphones and that also means i have to use the phone for conversation instead of leaving it in the pocket
I was thinking of giving the phonak PFE 022 a try. Any suggestions?
I've been using the UE TripleFi 10vi, they work just fine.
Until I recently got my BT headphones, I was using the motorola EH20's. They're inexpensive (<20$), hit like a train ,they sound 10x better than the ones that come with the captivate, literally, I put those ones in once and after that they stayed in the box lol, and theyre really good at noise cancelling. More than I expected for what I paid. and for being headphones, if you put them in correctly, they wont come out. Ive ran with them many times and not once did they fall out.
I was using my Shure 115's ....till I lost them in my gf's messy ass room. So I got a pair of "Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's" coming in tomorrow for $60 on sale at buy.com. I'll give a review tomorrow.
mikeypopps said:
I was using my Shure 115's ....till I lost them in my gf's messy ass room. So I got a pair of "Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's" coming in tomorrow for $60 on sale at buy.com. I'll give a review tomorrow.
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I look forward to the review
mesasone said:
I've been using the UE TripleFi 10vi, they work just fine.
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I haven't personally experienced the UE TripleFI 10/10vi but from what i hear from the price point which it's in ($300+ range), i've seen a bit of mix reviews on the unit. I frequent head-fi.org and those guys are very picky.
If you don't mind, do you mind providing a bit more review on the headset? UE Triple FI 10 is definitely on the top of my list but i don't want to make too much compromises just for the mic capability
Hey Guys. I was using my old iPhone earbuds that came with my old iPhone 3G until they broke. My wife has a HTC Aria and the earbuds that came with them have 3 controls on them plus the mic. Any idea if you can get something with more than just the one control on the wire to work with the Captivate?
compared to the 115s
So the Ultimate Ears came in today - Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's
Come with two sizes of memory foam earbuds and 4 sizes of silicon.
The port on the Shure's is much smaller allowing you to compress the memory foam a good bit smaller before insertion.
As well at Shure's foam is black and slick coated allowing for easier insertion and wont get earwax colored.
Click to control works just as a pause and play button for music no track skipping.
The mic is still well placed when you use the phones in the over the ear configuration. Landing somewhere mid jaw.
Plugging them into our 3.5 port is very snug almost worrying that you might be making it to loose for other plugs. But at least you wont pull these out by accident.
The mic pick up is very good even in loud environments.
Sound clarity is great I tested them with some Lady Gaga, Simon & Garfunkel, R Kelly, Kesha, and Big Boi. All in flac format, I love that our phones can play flac. Sound were very crisp and tight. Older songs like Simon & Garfunkel sounded better with our 5.1 on but others like Big Boi Shutter Bug are muddled by it.
Bass production is good and more than suffice for my music , but then again that could be the flac helping a lot. I like clean bass its bad if it distorts the other channels. I only expect the bass to get better once they get some more time on them and open up.
Now as for as construction compared to Shure's. Nothing can top Shures they just feel solid. And their customer service is bar none. But if I never have to call Ultimate Ears about these it would be an even better testimony.
The biggest difference sound wise compared to shure 115's is the hi's sound punchier more tuned with the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's not better but different, I think better for classical music would be the best way to describe it. Better for Lady Gaga too with all the crazy sounds in the background coming out more. The choice and ears are yours. Obviously the 115's dont have an inline mic so nothing to mention there.
mikeypopps said:
So the Ultimate Ears came in today - Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's
Come with two sizes of memory foam earbuds and 4 sizes of silicon.
The port on the Shure's is much smaller allowing you to compress the memory foam a good bit smaller before insertion.
As well at Shure's foam is black and slick coated allowing for easier insertion and wont get earwax colored.
Click to control works just as a pause and play button for music no track skipping.
The mic is still well placed when you use the phones in the over the ear configuration. Landing somewhere mid jaw.
Plugging them into our 3.5 port is very snug almost worrying that you might be making it to loose for other plugs. But at least you wont pull these out by accident.
The mic pick up is very good even in loud environments.
Sound clarity is great I tested them with some Lady Gaga, Simon & Garfunkel, R Kelly, Kesha, and Big Boi. All in flac format, I love that our phones can play flac. Sound were very crisp and tight. Older songs like Simon & Garfunkel sounded better with our 5.1 on but others like Big Boi Shutter Bug are muddled by it.
Bass production is good and more than suffice for my music , but then again that could be the flac helping a lot. I like clean bass its bad if it distorts the other channels. I only expect the bass to get better once they get some more time on them and open up.
Now as for as construction compared to Shure's. Nothing can top Shures they just feel solid. And their customer service is bar none. But if I never have to call Ultimate Ears about these it would be an even better testimony.
The biggest difference sound wise compared to shure 115's is the hi's sound punchier more tuned with the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5vi's not better but different, I think better for classical music would be the best way to describe it. Better for Lady Gaga too with all the crazy sounds in the background coming out more. The choice and ears are yours. Obviously the 115's dont have an inline mic so nothing to mention there.
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How's the battery life with Flac? I tried the same buds and hated them b/c of the lack of bass reproduction, even in 320kbps variable.
Wow - finally a post I can offer some real assistance.
I'm a musician, and I have the Shure E2 and the UE Superfi.5 (the originals, which they don't sell anymore) for my wireless monitoring on stage. Both are excellent phones, although I think the quality of the UEs are better and the sound is a bit cleaner through all the frequencies.
My best advice is to replace the foam on either with Comply tips, they are tons more comfortable and mold much better to the ear. You'll notice a difference immediately, but a huge difference after an hour.
Thanks for the replies everyone.
Here is my last question. Can i buy UE TripleFi 10 and replace the wire with TripleFi 10vi? i think i've heard that they're compatible but i wasn't exactly sure
60hzrumble said:
Wow - finally a post I can offer some real assistance.
I'm a musician, and I have the Shure E2 and the UE Superfi.5 (the originals, which they don't sell anymore) for my wireless monitoring on stage. Both are excellent phones, although I think the quality of the UEs are better and the sound is a bit cleaner through all the frequencies.
My best advice is to replace the foam on either with Comply tips, they are tons more comfortable and mold much better to the ear. You'll notice a difference immediately, but a huge difference after an hour.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@60hzrumble
Thanks. I play bass and like bass in my rock music. For instance, take the song Airbag from Radiohead's OK Computer. great bass in a non-funky/r&b song. On my old Sony X Walkman this sounded awesome. The bass sounds great on the Captivate using Rock On (cubed) with my Skullcandy Heavy Metals, but there is not enough at the high-end. The 5vi's are awesome on the high-end. Any recommendations for good overall reproduction?
You might be heading to dual driver land aka $200+ phones land.
60hzrumble said:
My best advice is to replace the foam on either with Comply tips, they are tons more comfortable and mold much better to the ear. You'll notice a difference immediately, but a huge difference after an hour.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the foam on comply tips slick coated like Shure's are. I knew its brody licking them before compressing and inserting but the Shures just slide right in when you do that.

(Q) recommendations on a very discreet headset

Hi all! I apologize if there is another thread like this, did a search and didn't turn up anything useful.
I'm looking for a headset that you can't tell that is being worn. I'm talking like spy style, in the ear, no flashing lights, etc. Idealy able to play music through and use voice dialing. I have seen a few out there which appear to plug into the headphone jack with a wired mic that slips under the collar of a shirt and uses bluetooth to the in the ear, ear buds. These have all been in online spy shops, and the like. Does anyone have any recommendations on something like this? I'd hate to drop $150+ on junk.
Thanks!
Jayson
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
You've watched too many spy movies.
I'm sure there are Headphones like that but they will definitely cost more than $150 and they probably won't be available on Amazon or the likes.
Batterylife will be dismal on a headphone that is small enough to fit into your earchannel and have a BT receiver aswell as good sound for music. You have to fit the battery the receiver and a large enough good quality loudspeaker into a very small room. One of the components will have to stand back.
Information about such things probably is hard to find but you can search the internet for inear hearing aids. There are several that are small enough to vanish in your earchannel and barely can be seen from outside. You'll see the prices and you will find tests about batterylife. The custommold of your earchannel will almost eat up your $150, no tech included.
Edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid
If you get one of the itc or cic ones with bluetooth you only have to find a bt mic that can be used with a smartphone. I'm pretty sure those exist but again, the cost will by far exceed your expectations.
Yeah I know it's not gonna be cheap lol. About $150 is the cheapest I have seen, but have seen in excess of $500. I'd just hate to spend the money for something that isn't going function the way I would like was my main concern.
Just stumbled upon this. http://www.spycheatstuff.com/index....l&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=55&lang=
This appears to be like your suggestions of the cic hearing aid, modified bluetooth headset with an external mic all wrapped up in a clunky box lol. Might not be too terribly difficult to fabricate something similar, but cost to purchase or make might wind up being close to the same. ... Uh oh... The wheel is turning now, but the hamster is dead lol.
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That's a weird device. The earpieces don't have a battery. That neckloop probably is a induction coil. I wonder if and how that works.
Even if it does, I can't believe the sound will be anything else than tinny. For that price they just can't use a balanced armature driver which would fit the earpieces size and is also used in hearing aids an high end in-ear monitors.
If they use a cheaper moving coil driver, the diaphragm has to be really small and therefore sound probably won't be good enough to listen to music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphones#Ear-fitting_headphones
Getting them in and out of your ear canal most likely will be a real *****. Keeping them in for longer periods of time will lead to all kinds of problems, like sweating, itching, increased production of ear wax. And they act as hearing protection, blocking sound from your environment which may be dangerous.
Granted, all in ear headsets do that to some extent but you can easily flip them out when you don't use them and put them back in in a heartbeat.
Do you actually need a device like that or is it just something geeky you would like to have?
Do you mainly want to listen to music or to make phone calls?
For really good sound I'd suggest custom molded in-ear monitors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-ear_monitors
You can get them in any color, different tones of skin color included. The wire is worn over the ear, and usually behind your back aswell. So no cables dangling around. They are not invisible but way less visible than ordinary ear buds.
They deliver amazing sound quality and the fit just can't be beat.
I have custom molded ear protection and custom molded headsets although not with the more expensive balanced armature drivers of the high end models. Once you get used to putting them in your ear you can do it very fast. There is only one position for them and that is sitting perfectly in you ear. They won't ever come loose accidentally, they won't fall out, they won't break the seal to you ear, so they will never have diminished sound. You can barely feel they are there. You have to try it before you can appreciate how much better they are compared to non-custom in-ears.
If that's too expensive for you, you could get something like that and give it a new paint job.
Cheap, sound not bad at all.
I have a pair of those, too and although they are not custom molded they fit very well. They don't stick out of the concha, giving them a very low profile. Because of the wire worn over the ear they won't come loose or even fall out at the slightest tuck at the cable, like many other in-ears. They aren't as comfortable as my custom molded earphones but I have no problem wearing them over longer periods of time.
Combined with a wired microphone that offers a 3.5mm headphone jack, you'll have a wired headset that offers good sound is not very visible and doesn't use up battery for bluetooth.
Or you get something like this.
That is similar to what you can often see agents and security details use in movies. They usually have those coiled wires/tubes that are quite visible and always make me wonder why they would compromise the low visibility of their headsets with them. Maybe because the tubes without coils aren't good for headmovement. I don't know.
Maybe the absolute invisibility part is important to you. Then my alternatives won't be of much use. But if you want good sound, which is more important to me, those alternatives are the better solution. Still kind of geek devices not many people have but at a more affordable price as long as you don't get professional IEMs.
I'm really more concerned with the voice aspect and the invisibility than the music quality. The music would be nice but not a necessary thing. I see 100% how more likely than not the sound would be very tinny. Thank you, I greatly appreciate the education and help with all of this.
Upon searching ebay I turned up tons of similar items priced from $35 on up, (mostly made in China ) , but if nothing else I think I'm going to pick up a set and if the quality is too crappy I can attempt to modify them to suit my liking. Or possibly ideas for another project. And at the prices they are offered at I'm not out much if I trash it in the process.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Let me know how it turns out.
I'd find the neck loop annoying but it's a rather ingenious idea when it comes to battery life. You can wear a battery pack of any size anywhere on your body.
I'm pretty sure you won't get stereo sound with that setup, only mono but that's ok for voice only use.
That neck loop creates a magnetic field and your wearing it close to your head. I'd have slight concerns about that and I wouldn't be surprised if that thing would interfere with other technical devices like TVs and radios.
But it's hard to say for sure without ever having seen one of those kits in the wild and not much to be found on the internet. Maybe I'm completely wrong and they offer great sound and are absolutely harmless.
Covert acoustic tube earphones
Hi. I am interested in the same exact thing, just for recreational purposes.
i own the iphone version and can attest to it's clarity and comfort.. but i posted a samsung version i'm getting soon too.
hope this helps
i am so sorry, i am not able to post links as yet.
but if you search google for
Covert Acoustic Tube Earpiece / Headset for Samsung Phone: Galaxy S2, S3 etc
and also for
FBI Style Covert Acoustic Tube Headphone / Earpiece For Apple iPhone 3G 3GS 4 4S
i'm sure the first ebay links will lead you right to them. Both are under $20.
And finally, this one is absolutely tiny and hidden in your ear with no exposed wires. Here you go
wireless invisible gsm earpiece for test
you will find that on amazon. But if you do choose to try it please let me know how it goes

Review of SMS Audio SYNC by 50 on-ear wireless headphones (2013) w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of a new model of SMS Audio SYNC by 50 on-ear wireless headphones. http://smsby50.com/products/sync-by-50-on-ear-wireless
Before anyone makes a judgment of "uh, another pair of status headphones by a rapper", I want you to open up your mind and your ears because this is one of the BEST pairs of wireless headphones I have tested and reviewed so far. Period. And since it offers a hybrid option of being used either wireless or wired - the sound quality is almost the same when comparing it. To be honest, I didn't have a high expectation when I received these for review. But after charging it up and running through 4+ burn in (white/pink noise loop to condition drivers), I couldn't believe my ears how sweet these sounds and even took a trip to a nearest Best Buy for a/b comparison with the latest Beats Studio. By far the clear winner was SYNC by 50. Now let's go more into review details.
First, let's start with packaging. This sets a tone of the product quality even before you get to the headphones itself. Opening it up definitely felt like x-mas time going through your presents. You slide off the outside sleeve to reveal a big blue box, a common color scheme of black'n'blue with these headphones. Under the cover you are greeted with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson picture pointing at you like Uncle Sam "I want you" to join him. Another flipped cover and you get to the middle where you see a well crafted hard shell carrying case with a same black'n'blue design. Also in a side pocket you have owners manual, product catalog brochure, soft touch cleaning cloth (blue), and SMS Audio stickers (nice touch!). Yes, presentation is very impressive but it means absolutely nothing without a golden egg inside of that football shaped hard shell case. That's where we are headed next.
Once you take headphones out of the case you notice how light they are, at only 190g and with a neatly foldable design they fit snugly in the case which makes it easy for traveling. With a precise click action of the hinges, after unfolding these you can adjust the headband to your liking. The design and construction felt very sturdy, and plastic parts had a nice shiny piano finish where use of cleaning cloth will come very handy. The inner side of headband top has a foam cushioning wrapped in black leather with blue stitching. Earpads are marshmallow soft made out of ultra plush memory foam OVALFIT. Here is something a lot of people get confused, a difference between on-ear versus over-ear headphones. These are on-ear headphones which mean earpads will be smaller pressing against your ears creating an air pocket between drivers and your ear canal. Over-ear are typically bigger and go "over" your ear. I actually prefer on-ear design since it improves sound quality and doesn't "sweat" as much. One side of earphones has micro-usb charging port and opening for charging led, and I assume that's where battery is housed. Full charging from empty takes less then 4hr and battery should last 10-12hr which also depends on level of your listening volume. The other side has 3.5mm port to use a cable for wired application, built in mic, power on/off switch, and VERY WELL laid out playback and volume controls. The large round button in the middle, discretely hidden by S logo, is your play/pause/pickup/hangup call button. Volume up and down positioned logically at the top and the bottom, and track skip next/prev positioned at the front and the back. There is no second guessing or fumbling to locate these buttons, the layout makes perfect sense without looking at it, in daylight or at night.
I was happy to see physical on/off switch which also has dual functionality with a spring loaded push for Bluetooth pair up that was very fast and painless. These headphones support the latest Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX codec, and backward compatible with BT2.1, 3.0+EDR, and support HFP, HSP, A2DP, and AVRCP protocols. If you are out of battery juice or want to listen to a device without bluetooth connection, it's just as simple as plugging included cable and going wired. As a matter of fact, while paired up with my Note 2, I was going back'n'forth wired and wireless by connecting and disconnecting the cable. And speaking of cables, both usb to micro-usb and audio cables were included and neatly stored inside of the inner pocket of hard shell case. Both of the cables are crafted with black'n'blue theme, felt very heavy duty with a nice shielding and overall cool design details. I tested and found included usb cable to be ONLY for charging, not for data transfer. The audio cable has in-line remote with a single multi-function button and built-in mic. Multi-function button worked perfectly with Android devices with single click play/pause/call controls, double-click to skip next and triple-click to skip prev to control playback of music tracks. I also thought it was a great idea for the side of the connector going to your phone/tablet to be angled for a better strain relief.
With design and built quality covered, here comes the most important part - the sound quality. According to their website, these are professionally tuned 40mm drivers, and from my personal experience you always have to burn in these before starting to judge the sound. I did give it initial 4+ hours of burn in connected wired to my laptop while running white/pink noise loop. That really made a sound delivery shine and brought up a lot of details and clarity. That is normal and expected from true high quality drivers. Once I had them on, I couldn't put it down going through my collection of music. Another important point to note, I switched to using Neutron media player (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neutroncode.mp) and would HIGHLY recommend only to use that player for your audio if you want to unlock true potential of your multimedia phone or tablet. Don't get discouraged with enormous array of settings and control options. Take your time and you will really appreciate quality of it's 32/64-bit audio processing engine and audiophile controls. But audio player can only bring up the best of the source and in order to hear that you need drivers that can translate it into analog sound delivered to your ears. SYNC by 50 truly DELIVERED it with a perfectly balanced sound across entire frequency range with an extra bump in powerful bass delivery, yet without overpowering or distorting it, a vibrant mids and crisp highs sounding clear and natural, bringing vocals right in your face surrounded by details of other instruments around them. I'm not going to lie and tell you these sound better than my audiophile $400 UE900, but for wireless headphones these sound truly incredible, thanks to BT4.0 + aptX. I was also pleased with a soundstage of these and how clearly I was able to hear position of every sound. The dynamics and clarify also held very well over the whole volume range. While doing a/b comparison between wireless and wired, I can only mention a slight improvement in sound width and a few more sparkling details of high frequencies with wires on. Also I should mention while taking/making calls, sound was great and people on the other side had no complains except while connected wireless they felt my voice was a bit distant verses wired using in-line remote/mic.
Overall, I was VERY impressed with SYNC by 50 on-ear wireless headphones. Everything from the design details to controls and sound quality was executed perfectly. I have seen and read before about their previous over-ear wireless model with KLEER technology, but was put off by a need to use separate wireless transmitter. Looks like SMS Audio done their homework and put a lot of thought into improving the design while also following the latest technology trend of BT4.0+aptX, and that really paid off! If I have to think of some negatives, I would say not being able to know how much charge is left in the battery since there is no led or voice prompt indicator (unless I missed it), and also assuming some people with big size heads might find these headphones to be a bit tight on their nugget, judging this by my average size head where I felt fitment to be very comfortable but perhaps closer to it's limit in terms of tightness. Currently, you can only get these directly from www.smsaudio.com website and they retail for $229 and come in shadow black or cool silver. It is pricey, but considering design and sound quality, as well as factor of brand name recognition, these are a much better value then Beats. Plus keep in mind, once it becomes available on Amazon, you probably will be able to get a better discount deal. Definitely gets my recommendation!
Here are the pictures.
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Hi
First, thanks for your long review! I just want to ask you a question. Do the controls work with Android? Will it work with CM10.2 on a HTC One with PowerAMP?
And do you probably have pictures with you having the headphones on? I ask, because i recently bought the Soul by Ludacris SL150, but afterwards because they were too big i selled them again. Now i'm using the Beats by Dre Solo (Wired), which have about the perfect size for me.
zotac1907 said:
Hi
First, thanks for your long review! I just want to ask you a question. Do the controls work with Android? Will it work with CM10.2 on a HTC One with PowerAMP?
And do you probably have pictures with you having the headphones on? I ask, because i recently bought the Soul by Ludacris SL150, but afterwards because they were too big i selled them again. Now i'm using the Beats by Dre Solo (Wired), which have about the perfect size for me.
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Click to collapse
Absolutely, both wireless and wired controls work perfectly with Android. Wireless Bluetooth protocol supports volume, playback, transport, and call controls. Wired doesn't support volume, but multifunction button works perfectly as I mentioned in my review.
Sorry, I don't usually take pictures with headphone on my head. It definitely sounds like you need on-ear headphones NOT over-ear since those are bigger. SL150 is on-ear as well but do look more wrapped around and bigger, just from the pictures I'm seeing. I think new SYNC by 50 on-ear will have a lot better fit. I don't know if they sell them in the store like Best Buy to try it out, but if you order from Amazon and find fit to be not perfect - can't you just return it back? Your other option is V-Moda M-80, check into my signature link for detailed review. It's probably the smallest on-ear portable headphones you can find, wired only. But there might be some comfort issues, although their sound it out of this world, the best out of everything I have tested. SYNC by 50 are very comfortable, marshmallow-comfortable and earpieces tilt relative to headband which I see SL150 doesn't have. You definitely get convenience of wired/wireless with SYNC, good bass response, excellent wireless sound quality, and comfort. A matter of comfort is something you will need to test it yourself since ymmv.
Thanks for the review.
Do the controls on the headphones work when the headphones are wired, like forwards and backwards playback, and also does the volume control lower the volume of the system or the headphones, when wired and wireless?
also can you use these at the gym ?
faddys123 said:
Thanks for the review.
Do the controls on the headphones work when the headphones are wired, like forwards and backwards playback, and also does the volume control lower the volume of the system or the headphones, when wired and wireless?
also can you use these at the gym ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you use them wired you need to use remote built into the cable; that will control playback and call, but but not the volume. The controls on earcup are only for wireless operation. And of course it will be perfect for the gym to use wireless so you don't pull any wires when exercising. Or if you are next to treadmill and want to plug in your headphones, just use the wire.
Or and the volume lowers headphones volume, while you can adjust system volume separately. It's typical with all bluetooth headphones.
Hey, thank you for your review. Do you have any comparison to serious headphone brand like Sennheiser, AKG, Grado? Comparing to beats audio which is toy brand, not headphone brand is not really satisfying. If by UE900 you mean logitech it is not good recommendation to these SMS.
corckie said:
Hey, thank you for your review. Do you have any comparison to serious headphone brand like Sennheiser, AKG, Grado? Comparing to beats audio which is toy brand, not headphone brand is not really satisfying. If by UE900 you mean logitech it is not good recommendation that these SMS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are looking for a good audio quality and considering your references above, these will not satisfy you. Keep in mind, I got heavier into audio reviews later last year, so got a chance to run more comparison for the reference Old gen Beats are junk, though I heard new Beats might be better, but I can't comment on that since I didn't have a chance to test it (and have no plans for it). Contrary to that, Monster DNA Pro are serious audiophile quality. Back when I tested UE900, those were the best IEMs at the moment I had, while now I would not recommend them since you can have Westone W40 (or upcoming W30 which I hopefully get a chance to review) or Audio Technica's latest ATH-IM03 with a much better sound and build quality. So, my impression of SMS was based on my earlier impressions.
Yes, comparing them to Senns or AKG or Grado - they will not stand up. But considering their are in $200 price range and wireless, it adds a lot of value to them. I know Monster DNA Pro Wireless is about to be released, but they will be priced around $400+. I'm sure they will sound awesome, but that's double the price. Actually, I think you might want to look into UE9000 over-ear wireless (though battery powered for ANC): www.amazon.com/Logitech-UE-9000-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B0094S37GS/ - I heard a lot of good things about these. Considering UE just discontinued all of their in-/on-/over-ear headphones (only UE900s is left), you can get UE9000 on amazon for under $300.
vectron said:
Yes, comparing them to Senns or AKG or Grado - they will not stand up. But considering their are in $200 price range and wireless, it adds a lot of value to them. I know Monster DNA Pro Wireless is about to be released, but they will be priced around $400+. I'm sure they will sound awesome, but that's double the price. Actually, I think you might want to look into UE9000 over-ear wireless (though battery powered for ANC): www.amazon.com/Logitech-UE-9000-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B0094S37GS/ - I heard a lot of good things about these. Considering UE just discontinued all of their in-/on-/over-ear headphones (only UE900s is left), you can get UE9000 on amazon for under $300.
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I already own pair of Sennheiser MM 550-X which I chose after lots of hearing and research. I compared them to beats audio (which generally are not worth even 1/10th of their price), AKG, Sony MDR-1RBT, Parrot ZIK and many more. By far 550's have the best sound quality and virtually no lag, I couldn't say if they are wired or not. But I am always open to something better and I thought that these SMS could compete. By price tag I would expect they sound at least as good as 550's, but unfortunatelly they seem to be as overpriced as Beats Audio. However I thought I would give them a shot and tomorrow I will hopefully have an oportunity to listen to them.
I'm surprised you mentioned $200 price of these SMS, because where I live 550-X are priced $500 and Audio Sync by 50 are priced $550. Maybe that's why I expected a lot from them. Now I see that this comparison is a little pointless, so I think that by now I should stick to 550-X. They are really badass wireless headphones, but I think that there still is room for improvement.
$500?!? Is that UK price or something? They definitely not worth that much.
vectron said:
$500?!? Is that UK price or something? They definitely not worth that much.
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Poland. SMS brand just entered the market so probably they try to position themselves as premium brand and we have so called "being new tax" when sellers raise prices to the skies for first few weeks to get higher profit from people who are unpatient and will buy no matter the price. So after all these headphones are not really worth considering.
They look very good
Sent from my g2 using Tapatalk
I have wired Beats Studio v2, and I want to buy a wireless headphones, so my choice was Beats Studio v2 wireless, beacause is the same model as the wired one but without wire (obviously), so I already know everything about this headphones. But I always wanted to buy SMS Audio and now that I read your review I'm really undecided. Beats got an incredible ANC system and I love it, because when I travel by train or bus I'm completely isolated from other people's noise, are the SMS isolated so well? Thanks for your response
Curtis7990 said:
I have wired Beats Studio v2, and I want to buy a wireless headphones, so my choice was Beats Studio v2 wireless, beacause is the same model as the wired one but without wire (obviously), so I already know everything about this headphones. But I always wanted to buy SMS Audio and now that I read your review I'm really undecided. Beats got an incredible ANC system and I love it, because when I travel by train or bus I'm completely isolated from other people's noise, are the SMS isolated so well? Thanks for your response
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Click to collapse
Beats have active noise isolation, it's more effective because it samples outside noise and cancels it out by adding a flipped waveform of that noise. But as a result you get a humming noise which affects background noise floor thus making a sound not as crystal clear. Other headphones like SMS do passive noise isolation (if I remember correctly since I don't have it anymore), which just blocks outside noise by providing a good earpad seal, though sound quality improves because you have black background. I can't speak for the latest Beats headphones since I didn't have a chance to review them. Never had luck getting Beats review samples since they favor more social medial channels with lots of subscribers or Apple crowd, and do NOT care about XDA-Developers Android community Now with Apple acquisition they definitely don't care about review on XDA-Dev lol!!!
vectron said:
Beats have active noise isolation, it's more effective because it samples outside noise and cancels it out by adding a flipped waveform of that noise. But as a result you get a humming noise which affects background noise floor thus making a sound not as crystal clear. Other headphones like SMS do passive noise isolation (if I remember correctly since I don't have it anymore), which just blocks outside noise by providing a good earpad seal, though sound quality improves because you have black background. I can't speak for the latest Beats headphones since I didn't have a chance to review them. Never had luck getting Beats review samples since they favor more social medial channels with lots of subscribers or Apple crowd, and do NOT care about XDA-Developers Android community Now with Apple acquisition they definitely don't care about review on XDA-Dev lol!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answer. All I want to know is, can I hear other people talk while wearing SMS Sync? I travel a lot and is important to me to just listen music, without background noise like people or street noise. This happen with Beats, but as you said sound is not properly clear. Thanks
I tried to hook it open on my Samsung galaxy s6 edge but it didn't work? Can u tell me why?

Review of Jabra ROX wireless bluetooth stereo earbuds w/lots of pics!!!

This is a Review of Jabra ROX wireless bluetooth stereo earbuds. http://www.jabra.com/Products/Bluetooth/JABRA_ROX/Jabra_ROX
Are you ready to ROX? I hope you are because I'm going to tell you about the latest set of wireless bluetooth earbuds from Jabra that going to ROX your world! I typically don't start my review with comparison to other products in the same category, and rather reserve that for a follow up comments. In case of this new Jabra product I'm going to make an exception. For awhile this specific category of wireless active lifestyle earbuds was dominated by Jaybird BlueBuds X (BBX) until Plantronics released BackBeat Go 2 (BBG2) which if you remember I declared a winner in a detailed comparison against BBX and also short-lived Anker 4.0 earbuds. There are a lot of factors that make wireless headset stand out, but often a sound quality is where they fall short. Unfortunately, as part of bluetooth wireless transmission the sound gets compressed and the quality goes down, even beyond repair with your smartphone EQ. Some manufacturers use aptX codec which suppose to reduce compression artifacts and improve the sound quality, others use proprietary DSP to process the sound. And of course, the quality of earbud drivers play a significant role in being able to cover wide frequency range of the sound. On their packaging box, Jabra states "Massive Wireless Sound", and that's exactly what I found and why I consider them to take the crown over BBX and BBG2 or any other wireless headset I have tested so far. Let's take a closer look at what I have found.
Starting with a packaging box, Jabra put these earbuds on a display pedestal showcasing them like a real rock star. Also, a lot of the info was provided to describe it's features and accessory content to give you an overview of the product even before you take it out of the box. Once out of the box, you can't help but notice the quality of the material crafted with premium metal finish covering the back of earbuds and in-line remote while still weighting only 19g. One thing that stood out for me was a relatively slim profile of the earbuds body which doesn't stick out too much outside of your ear. The flat rubberized wire was attached to earbuds with a very secure strain relief, which is longer on the left side perhaps due to additional wiring in lieu of the charging port. The in-line remote is on the right side, closer to the right earbud and has a distinct profile with a recessed space for multi-function button in the middle which is very easy to find between volume/track up/down controls. In addition to that, in-line remote also hosts NFC zone for an easy pair up with your smartphone or tablet device supporting it. The overall construction is very durable and actually IP52 certified which suggests protection against dust and water. The ROX is build solid and would be a perfect companies for any indoor or outdoor activities.
In addition to earbuds, Jabra also included a very generous amount of accessories. You get a premium quality usb to micro-usb charging cable (yes, no need for any proprietary connectors, it uses a standard micro-usb port under the magnetic cover of left earbud), a protective drawstring storage pouch, a removable FitClip which can adjust the length of the cable in the back, a set of 3 pairs of EarWing stabilizers for ultra-secure fit in your ear (these are among the best I have tried with any wired or wireless sports headphones), a quick start guide, and 4 pairs of premium EarGel eartips, including one double-flange pair. I'm talking about hybrid type with a ColorCore rather than some cheap generic silicone tips. That right away triggered a thought: Jabra mean serious business about the sound quality. As you well aware, I review a lot of premium in-ear headphones, and any company which includes quality eartips is serious about their sound quality. Unfortunately, for my own personal fitment I had to use my own eartips (another set of large hybrid eartips), but I have to bring to everyones attention - the selection of eartips for the best fitment with ROX earbuds is VERY important. You have to treat it like any premium wired headphones, also considering these headphone have a short in-ear stem thus you want to seal your ear canal for the best sound isolation no matter how secure EarWings will hold them in your ear.
Once you get the best seal - hold on to your seat because you will get hit with a deep bass that will make your jaw drop. By default, they are tuned to produce a strong thick v-shaped fun sound dominated by bass and roll off in upper mids/treble. Now here comes the beauty. Remember I said early on that once your headset receives a compressed sound, it's impossible to correct it because of the missing audio content? Here, using my Note 2 and a stock audio player I was able to select "Classic" EQ preset (which tunes down mid-bass hump and tunes upper mids/treble to brighten the sound with more clarity and overall balance) and I couldn't believe my ears I was listening to a music through a wireless connection. Yeah, it was that good, thanks to BT 4.0 and dedicated DSP sound processing. I'm not hyping it up, it just needs a selection of the right size eartips and some EQ tweaking, unless you prefer the default sound signature. The in-line remote worked perfectly to play/pause/call and volume controls were adjusting the level up/down as well as skipping tracks next/prev. Though sound quality while listening to the music or watching movies, etc. was fantastic, during making the calls the people on the other end heard me really good while on my end a experience a little tunnel sound. It was still acceptable, but not the best. Furthermore, I tested wireless connection to work up to 40 ft in the open area.
Battery life always a sore subject when it comes to wireless headsets, and was a subject of a number of discussion with BBX and BBG2. ROX actually occupies a happy medium with 6 hours of music streaming and 5.5 hours of talk time. As I mentioned before, charging port is a common micro-usb connector so you can charge ROX from your laptop or wall charger or car charger used for any of your smartphones or tablets. The standby time is very impressive 18 days. Now to take it to the next level, Jabra introduced a clever power-saving functionality which gets activated once you attach earbuds back-to-back using it's built-in magnets. That actually serves a dual purpose since when not in use, you turn your headset into a secure necklace preventing ROX from slipping down, and at the same time going into power-saving sleep mode disconnecting from your phone. Once you disengage the magnets, it pairs up back instantaneously with your phone. I also found when ROX is unpaired, you can simply attach earbuds magnetically to each other and take them apart to pair up with a phone. I was very impressed with this original functionality. Also, Jabra talks a lot about Dolby Digital Plus implementation which can be activated by downloading their free app. I found this app to be a substitute to a stock media player with different EQ setting, and ability to enable Dolby Digital surround sound which actually added an artificial depth to a sound - not my cup of tea.
In a brief summary I would like to explain why I found ROX to be superior to BBX and BBG2. First of all, ROX has the most "regular" in-ear fitment without sticking out too much out of your ears. Of course, these are not a tiny earbuds considering how much electronics they host, but they were on-par with some multi-driver premium IEM wired headphones I tested in the past. In comparison, BBX and BBG2 were sticking out too much, and BBG2 stabilizers were useless. Also, the sound quality was by far superior due to a full body detailed warm sound (comparing apple-to-apples with a same Classic EQ setting and the best eartip fitment) and great low end with deep sub-bass and a fast punch of mid-bass. BBX sound is more bloated and BBG2 is on a thin side in comparison to ROX. One thing I found with ROX that was inferior to others, the in-line remote was too close to the right earbud and as a result on a few occasions while reaching out to control playback or volume I actually pulled the earbud out of my ear.
Overall, I was VERY pleased with a design, build, and performance of ROX wireless earbuds. Everything from high quality material, to a rugged performance backed by IP52 certification, ability to pair up via Bluetooth or using NFC, magnetic stand-by mode which also allows to securely keep earbuds around your neck, a decent battery like and the MOST important - a truly massive sound quality, elevated these wireless headphones to the top of my list in comparison to other headphones in this category. Though priced a bit on a high side, they are still comparable to BBX and not too far away from BBG2, while having an advantage in both design and performance in comparison to either of those. In my opinion, I highly recommend these!
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Hi!
This thread is just what I was looking for! I own a LG HBS-700 and I am more than happy with it. I have no complains about the fit, the sound, calls or battery life. But although it sounds good, I can't help but think that there may be other headsets with better sound quality. I see that you have both HBS-730 and HBS-800, so that is my first question, does the 800 sound better than the 730, and in case you tried the 700, do the 730 and 800 sound better than the 700?
And now, since I am happy with the LG HBS form factor, the only thing I am looking for is better sound quality. I do not need a lighter earbud, or longer battery life. But I do want earbuds, and I need track and calls control.
So taking that into account, how do the Bluebuds, the Backbeat Go 2 and the Jabra Rox compare sound wise to the HBS?
Thanks!
I assume you read my HBS-800 review, right? Yes, 800 sounds better than 730 and thus better than 700 (though I never heard 700, it's inevitable since it was their original release ). In 800 they actually used JBL drivers, and you get a more detailed sound and deeper bass.
BBX/BBG2/Rox have a different design and form factor in comparison to HBS. So, it's not only the sound but how you wear it. HBS sits around your neck which is convenient when not in use, and it also has dedicated playback and call controls. The sports design of BBX/BBG2/ROX has maximum integration with 2 earbuds connected by wire and in-line remote with multi-function assignment of buttons. Those are more for exercising, running around, being on the move. Though HBS800 has a better sound quality over 730/700, it's not as good as ROX. It could be on par with BBX/BBG2, although its a relative term where some might have better bass while others might have more detailed mids or treble. So far, I'm very impressed with ROX, especially when you match it up with a right pair of eartips and use a bit of EQ tweaking to brighten the sound. I also like how I can hang it around my neck using magnets on the back of earbuds which put these to sleep conserving battery.
But at the end, I still think the deciding factor should be their ergonomics and how it fits your everyday routine. If you want the best sound, there are plenty of audiophile headphones or in-ear headphones that will blow you away (though all wired). Bottom line, if you like HBS form factor and want improvement in sound, HBS-800 will be the answer.
Well, the things I want are: bluetooth, call/track controls, sound quality.
I am happy with HBS design, but I think I would be happy with BBX or ROX design as well.
I guess that upgrading my 700 to a 800 would improve sound quality, if only because of aptx compatibility. But since I am thinking about upgrading, I wanted to look other options as well, and that's when I found this thread, and your other reviews, and decided to take advantage of your extensive knowledge.
By your last messages, I get the idea that, everything else being equal (good reception, perfect fit, equal quality of the source), the best sounding earbuds would be the Jabra Rox, right?
apertotes said:
Well, the things I want are: bluetooth, call/track controls, sound quality.
I am happy with HBS design, but I think I would be happy with BBX or ROX design as well.
I guess that upgrading my 700 to a 800 would improve sound quality, if only because of aptx compatibility. But since I am thinking about upgrading, I wanted to look other options as well, and that's when I found this thread, and your other reviews, and decided to take advantage of your extensive knowledge.
By your last messages, I get the idea that, everything else being equal (good reception, perfect fit, equal quality of the source), the best sounding earbuds would be the Jabra Rox, right?
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Click to collapse
That is correct, the quality of ROX sound is by far superior. Plus, you get an excellent build quality, BT4.0 and NFC support, and that magnetic sleep mode is sick! Look at it this way, it never hurts to get it from Amazon and test it out. If you hate it, you can always return it back. But to save you time from buying all 3 , in my opinion the sound and build quality of ROX is the best.
Well, I am almost convinced. But I decided to check a few reviews before. Most professional reviews agree with you. But user reviews (most of them in the apple store) are not that kind. Many people complain about the fit. They say that the magnets are not very strong, and the earbuds are easily separated, turning them on, and even pairing with your phone if they are close. Also, they say that the wings fall down very easily.
I do not plan on working out with them, or at least not too much, but I do plan on wearing them for prolonged periods of time, so I would really like them to be comfortable to wear, and easy to fit. I think that I will go to an Apple Store to see if I can try them out before purchashing them.
In any case, thank you very much for your help!
Thank you for the review! I think I'll buy them
@vectron First of all thanks for the review!
I myself am looking for wireless bluetooth earbuds I can use for sporting but also around the house (while connected to my phone which is in my pocket). Accidentally I came across the Jabra ROX earbuds, which seem to be new and contain some quite features. However, I'm not yet sure I should buy them compared to some others I found:
Jabra ROX: looks to be a good product however on the iTunes store the reviews state that the call (microphone) quality is bad, the magnets are not strong enough to keep them together while muffled away or around your neck while running, and the bluetooth connection sometimes goes down while your phone is in your pocket. Is this also how you see it?
Plantronics BackBeat Go 2: seems to be a good choice as well but is older than the ROX (maybe in this case newer is better )
Denon AH-W200: should have a great audio quality and also one of the best picks according to toptenreviews. However, again some reviews state a bad bluetooth reception..
Could you give your personal opinion on whether the ROX is the best choice in my case? I will use them for running so the bluetooth connection can't go down often. Also, while walking I'll might use them for a call and when home I'll use them for listening to music (hopefully good quality?)
Thanks!
I would not recommend Denon. Awful reviews everywhere, on amazon it has more 1-/2-star reviews than positive reviews. In general, Denon has not been a strong audio player for awhile.
In a past I highly recommended BBG2 in comparison to BBX and Anker 4.0 because of it's sound quality. But as you can see, they do stick out a bit, and the only way it was usable for me with Comply foam eartips.
I also really like LG Tone series, HBS-730 and 800. But those are good for all around application but not heavy duty exercising especially in a bad weather or if you are doing too much moving up/down.
ROX is currently my favorite because I like the sound quality and magnetic sleep feature and fitment. Yes, the microphone is not the best. If you are spending 10hr a day on the phone and want to use wireless headset - LG Tone will be your best solution. For occasional phone calls while you are running outside or around the house, ROX will work. People on the other side will hear you well, but you will hear them in a slightly tunnel sound. Fitment could be a matter of personal taste, but in my opinion with a right selection of silicone tips and using included stabilizer it was better than BBX and BBG2 where I had to use foam tips with both to keep them in my ears. In comparison, BBG2 sounds thinner and less bass, while BBX a bit bloated and darker. ROX has the best bass quality, and even so it sounds as dark as BBX - it can be corrected with EQ setting (if you use Samsung phone, their built in audio player Classic eq preset turns ROX into audiophil quality sound). BBX sound could be corrected with EQ to sound as good as ROX, but for my use it didn't have as good ear fitment and was inconvenient when not in use hanging unsecurely around my neck. With ROX connected magnetically around your neck, it's not an earth-strong magnet so don't expect it to stay attached if you are running around or doing jumping. The intent is to have your earpieces in your ears while exercising, and around your neck during walking or other basic activities.
To be honest, with headphones it could be hit or miss because we all have a different perception of sound and different ear anatomy. Often, you just have to narrow it down to a few and try them all. Maybe your local Apple store in the mall carries them all to try it out? Otherwise, Amazon is your friend with hassle free returns
Thanks for the info! So last question, how is the bluetooth reception? If I have a phone in my pockets and the earbuds on my head and move/run does it work ok?
Themuzz said:
Thanks for the info! So last question, how is the bluetooth reception? If I have a phone in my pockets and the earbuds on my head and move/run does it work ok?
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Click to collapse
No issues. I just did a test run around our kitchen and living room; my kids found it extremely funny I had my Note 2 inside of my jeans front pocket, wireless reception was solid.
@vectron Thanks for letting me know, I'll probably buy the rox on monday
Did more testing today. Though music sounds great, I was using it a lot outside while making calls, and it was windy. It works, but the sound quality on both sides of the line wasn't the greatest. So, I'm still sticking to my final assessment that if you are planning to use it indoor for music and phone calls - LG Tone HBS is the way to go. For outdoor exercising and other activities where sound quality has a higher priority while it also nice to be able to make a call, ROX is still my choice.
@vectron Thanks for all the info!
I got the Jabra Rox on Monday evening and took it Tuesday out for a run. Beforehand I tested it out at home and was impressed with the comfort, sound quality and cool magnetic click functionality. Unfortunately when I started running it started coming out of my ears every minute (I did change to the good fitting ear piece parts).
But, today I finally found out that the extra in ear attachments for the Rox keep it perfectly in place while running. Didn't fall out once
So I'm pretty happy with the purchase! Thanks @vectron for helping me make my decision.
Looks like a great device. I know its a very different form factor, but what do you think of sound between this one and SMS Sync by 50?
Sent from my GT-P6800 using Tapatalk
Hi,
Could anyone comment on the audio/video sync when watching movies or youtube videos?
I've seen a review claiming there's a delay, but I'm not sore whether it's due to the Dolby sound (which I don't care about) or if it's inherent to these earbuds?
http://coolmomtech.com/2014/04/jabra-rox-wireless-review-jabra-sound-app/
The Dolby sound and virtual surround sound are admittedly pretty amazing; you should hear the difference right away. Which is why you might consider using the Jawbone app for your owned music (nothing streaming…yet) instead of listening right through iTunes. Bonus: there’s a terrific equalizer with precision presets for all kinds of music and audio, or the ability to program your own settings.
On the downside, no streaming, as I said, which is so much of how I listen to music these days. And my biggest complaint is that for some reason, the Bluetooth creates an audio time delay between the YouTube video you’re watching and the sound, which makes me nuts. It means there’s no way I can watch video using these headphones; so for now I’d definitely stick with these for phone calls and music.
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Click to collapse
Thanks!
Hi,
I bought them before I have seen your review. I thougt about using JBL J46BT but didn't ordered them because something deep in me said "wait till they are cheaper". My luck because as I saw the ROX I didn't cared about the price and ordered them right away. And I've done the right thing, the ROX are awesome. I've got them today.
I didn't had the WOW-Feeling right after unboxing. I use Poweramp on my Note 3 and I think I'll have to search for the right EQ setting because first time hearing wasn't different to my very old creative wp250. I also thought they're a little bit quiet, but that could be my ears
Then I installed the jabra app and, unlike you, I was blasted away by the difference I was listening to the metal opera "epicloud" by dewin townsend and I heard sounds I've never heard before.
Like you said I can't believe that this is bluetooth/wireless. But the jabra app doesn't has widgets or something like that so the music control sucks in that way. Hopefully I will find the right EQ preset für Poweramp, does somebody has a trick or a hint?
I use the double ear buds and the extra ear wings and they feel like they are glued to the ear even after 5 minutes headbanging so I think the're sportsproof too.
The in-line remote works like wanted and I don't do calls with my headphones so this feature isn't critical.
I will test them over the next few days but I don't think they will disappoint me.
At the end I have to ask could somebody implement the jabra app features into an other player? Or give me a hint how i get the perfect EQ preset?
I had no issues with audio/video sync, though I don't use Jabra app and dolby surround. That could add some echo effect to the sound which could contribute to some delay.
Regarding EQ setting, this is one of those YMMV type of questions I listen purely to commercial EDM and Dub, but found a Classical EQ setting in my Note 2 default media player to give me an audiophile quality sound while using $0.99 hybrid eartips from ebay (Sony look alike style). I wish I would have known the exact setting behind that EQ present so I can duplicate it in other medial players with their own built-in EQs. In my opinion, you can lift a veil off the default ROX sound by playing with some upper frequencies boost. I think they tried to have a default bassy sound, typical V-shaped signature with recessed mids, so leveling it off helps to bring up clarity.
After using ROX for awhile, I still confirm their sound and fitment is the best among other similar headphones (BBX, BBG2, Anker 4.0). The phone call quality is not that great, so don't count on it if you are planning to use it for long calls (Tone's HBS series is better for that). And the magnetic sleep function is both Good and Bad. I really like how you can just take these out of your ears and place it around your neck with attached magnets to form a necklace. It also great how it goes to sleep to save the battery. BUT once you try to store these in a headphone case or a pouch, magnet is not strong enough to stay together under a pressure of small storage space, so these come apart and it automatically pairs up with your phone. Even when you hold the multi-function button down to turn these off, as soon as magnets attach and come apart, it turns back on and pairs up with your phone. I have them stored in a small headphone hard case, and very careful when zipping it up to make sure magnets stay intact.
you were absolutely right I am trying the samsung stock player right now and it sounds very good indeed now I don't need the jabra app anymore. sadly I have to say goodbye to poweramp but hey thats the price for an audiophile
audio/video sync is okay, no problem with that
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Great, thanks to both of you!

Loud headphones, buds, or BT

I am kind of hard of hearing.
I am looking for suggestions on the following for headphones/buds. I would prefer buds but over the ear is okay.
1. Loud. (Loud enough to use while I am mowing the lawn and weed eating) I listen to both music and podcasts.
2. Clear/Good sound.
3. Not too expensive.
First one that says "Beats" gets my AR-15 pulled on them. Though no one should make that suggestion since two of my requirements are that they sound good and are inexpensive.
I use the ones that came with my M8 for everyday use and I had a certain set that I used while mowing. (They were earbuds and came with one of my MOTO phones I think) I broke them the other day mowing when they caught on the handle of the pull start and ripped apart.
Anyway, is anyone in a similar situation that has suggestions for me?
Also, down the road, I would like to find some BT earbuds or headphones that fit the same criteria.
If you have seen a sticky with all my reviews (also the link in my signature), I reviewed a ton of headphones. When it comes to wired ones and on a budget, Xiaomi Pistons might be a good choice for you but wires will get in the way. Speaking from a personal experience when I'm working in my backyard, you need to go with a wireless headset. I absolutely enjoy using my LG HBS-730 because of all the controls under my fingers. HBS-800 has a better sound, but some of the controls are not as easy to access and 800 cost $90 while 730 is on sale for $43 now. Both were reviewed and in my list. 730 is a great choice under $50, you can get it loud enough, and all the controls are easy to access.
It really depends on what you want to use them for.. Yes obviously listen to music but is that all?. Do you want a pair for watching movies with big sound or are they just for your way to work on the bus..
Perso, I bought the cheapest pair of sony buds and they work like a charm.
On a side note, if your hard at hearing why would the sound quality be a priority since your probably going to phase out the deeper hrz you would find on more expensive gear.....
If somewhat hard of hearing, I think sound isolating headphones (either closed back ones that just keep sound out, or active noise cancellation ones) would be the way to go. In my experience, managing the signal-to-noise ratio is as important as total volume. Knock out the background noise, and the signal that you want to hear will be easier to hear at moderate volume.
Xiaomi Piston 2 have very good sound from what I have read. If you use Comply tips they will also isolate very well.
Xiaomi Piston IF Commemorative Edition (With more tips)
Xiaomi Piston Design 2.0 Earphones
They are both the same
vectron said:
If you have seen a sticky with all my reviews (also the link in my signature), I reviewed a ton of headphones. When it comes to wired ones and on a budget, Xiaomi Pistons might be a good choice for you but wires will get in the way. Speaking from a personal experience when I'm working in my backyard, you need to go with a wireless headset. I absolutely enjoy using my LG HBS-730 because of all the controls under my fingers. HBS-800 has a better sound, but some of the controls are not as easy to access and 800 cost $90 while 730 is on sale for $43 now. Both were reviewed and in my list. 730 is a great choice under $50, you can get it loud enough, and all the controls are easy to access.
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Sorry for just now getting back here but I have been busy. Thanks for the replies. As recommended both by you and note10 I will check out the Pistons.
As for the LG BT buds, I picked up a pair a few months ago at the Verizon store. A lot of the employees in the stores had them on so I specifically asked about quality and volume. I was told they were great. So I bought them. They were the LG Pro. On sale for $59.
Well they sounded like crap. no volume and it was like I was listening through a tin can. So I took them back. Someone I know was working theat day and I told him my problem. And he was wearing a pair. So this guy leveled with me. The ones they are carrying are the second gen and they have been getting them all back. Just about everybody in the store that was wearing them had the first gens. Huge difference.
obtuce said:
It really depends on what you want to use them for.. Yes obviously listen to music but is that all?. Do you want a pair for watching movies with big sound or are they just for your way to work on the bus..
Perso, I bought the cheapest pair of sony buds and they work like a charm.
On a side note, if your hard at hearing why would the sound quality be a priority since your probably going to phase out the deeper hrz you would find on more expensive gear.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will mostly use them around the house and yard work for both music and podcasts of talk shows.
As for wanting sound quality, I am hard of hearing, not deaf. I have losses in some upper ranges. And I also have tinnitus which is mainly why I need the louder volume. I still like deep rich bases and clear highs (at least the ones I can hear)
Skullcandy
I don't like buying headphones that are too expensive. That's why I bough the Skullcandy Ink'd 2.0. They seem to be really solid headphones and even after 5 times in the washing machine were working for me. :good:
They can go pretty loud and they're really clear audio quality. That is my recommendation
If volume is the biggest problem, something like a Fiio E11 ask amp, or even an E6, would help.
However, I fully agree you should first focus on isolation and clarity, thus salvaging whatever hearing you can. Foam tips are your friend.
Bluetooth will likely never be as loud or as clear as plugging directly in, also.
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For me it is BT headphones.

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