Dodocool DA109 Bluetooth Earphones
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Unboxing
The Headphones are packaged into a stylish and compact rigid pouch, with some basic accessories: 1x Micro-USB Cable, 3x Earphone Sizes, 1x User Manual, and the Earphones (of course).
As regards the Build Quality, the cable is a flat-type with a rubberized surface (something i do not like so much), but it is pretty solid and each Earphone has a big Plastic Chassis, rubberized too.
The size of each Earphone is pretty noticeable, not so compact, but this is helpful for low frequencies.
A weight of just 14g is decent, enough for a comfortable wearing.
On the back, there is a Metal Surface, with a Magnet Hidden below.
Thanks to the extra ear support, these earphones won't be able to drop even while running.
The Controller is great, with Volume +/- Buttons together with the Power Button in the center. Also, you can notice two holes, that's for noise suppression. Two Microphones should be here. ( based on: http://www.csr.com/products/csr8645 )
Sound Quality
As regards the sound quality, as i always say i am not an audiophile so i can't provide you some professional audio tests, but based on my power-user experience, compared to my Headphones, the sound quality is great. I might have preferred a more crisp sound, but they sound just good enough for me.
The Volume is high too, and low frequencies (aka Bass, even though this isn't the correct definition) are here. The sound is similar to the Piston 3.
As regards the built-in Microphone, it seems to work just fine, and the noise suppression seems to work pretty well. Nothing to complain about.
Sound Insulation isn't perfect though, i think this is caused by the big earphone chassis introducing external sounds inside.
Controls and Connectivity
I was able to pair the headphones with my device in just one step (using BT), and after being connected i didn't experienced any issue as regards stability or such. There is APT-X support here for high-definition BT Audio.
As regards the controls area, there are just three buttons here, but they are multi-functional. The Power Button works also as an Answering Button and as a Music Control for Play/Pause, and the Volume Buttons are used to control the volume (of course), to Reject/Mute a Call and as a Music Control for Next/Previous song.
Conclusions
Considering the price target of this earphones i am impressed, especially as regards the build quality. I like the colors, i like the premium look and i am also fine with the sound quality. Also, Dodocool advertises 8 hours of Playback Time, and here it lasted more or less 9 hours at medium volume.
Summarizing all, i can definitely recommend this accessory.
For those wondering, this is the Official CSR8645 (built-in chipset) Specs List.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Balanced Sound Quality
- Solid
- Interesting Battery Life
- Acceptable Price
Cons:
- Sound Insulation could have been better
- Rubberized Surface
Rating: 9
Packaging and Accessories: 9
Design and Materials: 9
Sound Quality: 9
Price: 9 (based on Amazon price)
Official Product page: http://www.dodocool.com/headphone-2954/p-da109r.html
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4UGC4I/
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/FV4G8
Related
This is a review of Bidenuo G800 in-ear headphone with Android controls. http://dx.com/p/bidenuo-g800-in-ear...-silver-3-5mm-126cm-cable-254398#.Uyzy6rCPL3h
I'm very pleased to see that more and more companies are starting to recognize importance of fully integrated in-line remote dedicated specifically to Android smartphones. Though multi-function control even with iPhone dedicated remote usually works with Android, volume buttons don't. With this particular model of Bidenuo headphones, I was intrigued since it had "for android" indicator on the box. Plus, it looked really cool Here is what I found.
I have reviewed a number of Bidenuo headphones from dx.com in the past, and those always arrived in a nice looking package. Out of the box, I was very impressed with a level of design details and included accessories. First of all, it comes with a neat looking hard shell storage case, oval in shape instead of a typical round. Also, included was a shirt clip and a set of hybrid eartips, much better quality than a typical silicone eartips. Headphones had a flat textured rubbery cable which appeared to be tangle-free. From a distance, the cable kind of looks like a shoelace, actually very original design. 3.5mm headphone connector was straight and gold plated, and also had a decent strain relief. At the other end, you have a similar strain relief connecting cable to earphones inside of a lightweight metal housing. Now, here is something where I have love-hate comment. The diamond cut of these earphones look cool, but it can "rub" you the wrong way depending on the size of your ears. In theory, once you put it in your ear, it should stay there without moving. But if you don't have a good fitment and earbud is moving, that diamond cut finish will not feel as pleasant rubbing against you ear. I personally didn't have a problem with it, but others might do.
Labeled as "for Android", I was able to confirm it's remote working perfectly with my Note 2 where multi-function button single click performed Play/Pause/Call, double-click to Skip Next, triple-click to Skip Back, and long-press to start Google NOW. Also, Volume up/down buttons worked perfectly, which I would expect for HTC, LG, and Sony phones as well. Call sound quality was good. Regarding audio playback, don't expect high audiophile quality for something that cost $17 plus change. But for that price, it sounded pretty good. Bass was punchy (not deep and boomy), mids/treble were clear. For general audio listening and phone control these will do the job fine!
Overall, Bidenuo G800 was a nice set of in-ear headphones with a confirmed full Android controls. For that price, the sound was not bad at all, and they also had a decent build quality. My only concern was with diamond cut exterior finish which might not suite everybody, depending on your ear size and headphone fitment. But in general, they look pretty cool and represent a good value considering included premium hybrid eartips and a protective case.
Here are the pictures.
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This is a review of Anker MP141 portable wireless Bluetooth 4.0 speaker. http://www.ianker.com/product/99ANSP9901-WSA
If you look across a majority of portable wireless speakers, most of them focus on stylish looks rather than a sound quality. There are some with better drivers and perhaps a dedicated sub-woofer, but those cost a lot of money and typically heavy and less portable. It will be hard to find anything in sub $50 range that sounds and looks good. After reviewing MP141, I think Anker got very close with their new wireless speaker to accomplish that goal. Let's take a closer look at what I found.
Arrived in a traditional Anker's environmentally friendly package box, in addition to a speaker I also found a nice velour storage pouch, detailed instructions, and high quality usb charging cable and 3.5mm audio cable - both in white color to match the speaker. The speaker itself looked really cool with all white plastic sidewalls and gray metallic mesh grill over the speaker. The controls are placed neatly along the gray stripe on one side with a rounded volume +/- and multifunction play buttons. At the bottom of the right side, you have micro-usb charging port with led, AUX In port to connect directly with a cable, and a physical On/Off button. I was very pleased to see a physical power button so there is no confusion when speaker is on or off. At the bottom of the speaker, you have a non-skid pad around the perimeter to prevent speaker from sliding, something you actually have to worry about when you are packing a powerful sound!
The minute you hold this speaker in your hand, you realize a hefty weight of 285g packed inside of this 3.1"x3.1"x2.7" cube. MP141 comes packed with 2" driver pumping 4W of power along with a bass port. It was loud enough to fill in a relative big room, and I was actually surprised how I was able to raise the volume all the way to the max without any sound distortion. I gotta say, it was very impressive! Obviously, 2" speaker can't produce a very powerful bass, but you can hear it's punch pretty good. Also, the mids and the treble were clear and detailed. In addition to being used as a speaker, it also works as a speaker phone with a mic that can clearly pick up your voice from almost 2ft away. Basically, once paired up with your phone, it connects both to a phone and media audio, and supports HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP protocols. I was also very happy that during power on and pair up there was just an audible tone and no annoying voice saying "connected", etc. Also, the wireless connection worked as far as 40ft away from the phone. Another amazing feature was the battery which can last between 15-20 hours, depending on the level of volume. Played at a medium volume it could last almost the whole day!
Overall, I found this speaker to be equally stylish and having a decent audio performance. All the controls were well laid out, the wireless bluetooth pairing and range was great, the sound was loud and clear with a nice bass punch. The speaker was very compact yet with a nice hefty weight of a powerful driver. Considering introductory price of $39.99 and Anker's 18-month warranty, I think its a great deal!
Here are the pictures.
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Archeer 25W Bluetooth Speakers with Subwoofer
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Unboxing
The Speaker's Package is huge (clearly noticeable in the Photo), eco-friendly with a good internal protection. Everything is packed with some basic accessories: 1x Micro-USB Cable, 1x 3.5mm Audio Cable, 1x User Manual, and the BT Speaker (of course).
As regards the Chassis, the whole body is made of Wood (or anything that provides the same look) and Plastic, with a Bamboo-look, and half of the body is covered by a nice soft cloth (check the Photo below). This combination provides a premium look together with the best internal sound insulation.
On the back side there is an AUX port, used for Wired Connection, a Reset Button, a Battery Charging LED and a Micro-USB port. The whole back panel has a rubberized surface, be careful with that because it isn't scratch resistant at all (a scratch is already noticeable in my Photo).
On the lower back side, there is an hole that is probably used as a breather.
Based on Archeer's specs, the Center Subwoofer has an output power of 15W, while the side drivers have 5W of Output for each one. Follow my next paragraph to know more about real output power.
Sound Quality
As regards the sound quality, well i am not an audiophile so i can't provide you some professional audio tests, but basing on my power-user experience, i notice that the Subwoofer is a bit too much powerful compared to the side drivers making the sound output a bit muffled. Low Frequencies are more noticeable than High ones, producing a sort of Warm Sound. (compared to my ancient Harman-Kardon Speakers)
The Volume is superb, i would have never expected such an high volume from a battery-powered BT Speaker, the internal amplifier is powerful, and there is no distortion even on Maximum Volume. Excellent!
This is my Loudness/Volume Test while running a Dolby Sound Test. Result: 95.5 dBA (MAX)
While this is another Test while running the famous Helicopter Sound Test. Result: 86.9 dBA (MAX)
I do not notice any microphone here, neither my smartphone shows it as a Call-Enabled device, so this is a Speaker-only unit. You won't be able to make calls without having to use your device's microphone.
Controls and Connectivity
I was able to pair the speaker with my device in just one step (using BT), and after being connected i didn't experienced any issue as regards stability or such. Unfortunately, there is no APT-X support here for high-definition BT Audio, so you have to use the Wired Connection for high-res audio.
Something i found useful is the Power LED. This isn't a simple Power LED, it supports two colors in order to show the current connection state. Blue LED means connected via BT, while Green LED means connected using Wired Cable. This is pretty useful i think, probably the first time i see this feature on a BT speaker.
It isn't possible to use the Wired Connection without turning on the device, it is required to provide some power to the internal amplifier. But, it is possible to charge the internal 5200mAh battery without having to turn off the speaker. It means that you can use it as a Completely Wired speaker.
As regards the controls area, there are some basic buttons here, a Play/Pause button and the Volume Buttons are used to control the volume (of course) and as a Music Control for Next/Previous song.
Conclusions
Being an high-grade Speaker Unit it is normal to expect an high-quality audio experience with good quality materials and so on. Except the High Frequencies issue i have described before, that might not be an issue for someone else, i am not able to find anything else negative about this accessory.
The Sound Output is definitely high for a 15W + 5W*2 Speaker, probably also higher than the rated output, and the amount of Low Frequencies provide a so immersive audio similar to what an Home Theater provides (except the surround effects of course). I have a 5.1 Home Theater at home, so i know how it sounds.
So...do I recommend this accessory? Yes, the price isn't so low though so it might seem a bit too much expensive, but it isn't possible to find something that provides the same quality (talking about sound and materials) for less, at least not for now, so i can definitely recommend it. Just remember that if prefer more High Frequencies than Low ones, this might not be for you.
Pros:
- Superb Output Power
- Premium Materials
- Easy-to-use
- 5200mAh Battery Inside
- Rechargeable without powering-off the unit
Cons:
- High Frequencies are a bit too much limited
- A bit expensive
Rating: 9.1
Packaging and Accessories: 9.5
Design and Materials: 10
Sound Quality: 9
Price: 8 (based on Amazon price)
Official Product page: http://www.archeer.com/Bluetooth-Sp...Audio-System-for-Bedroom-Livingroom-p-40.html
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2a0kpSM
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/yGyak
This is the TaoTronics Sound Bar Wired and Wireless
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Unboxing
NOTE: I'm really sorry for the bad quality about some photos, but this product is soo huge that i wasn't able to obtain decent shots almost 99% of the time.
This is the first time ever i was not able to take pictures of this in my room. As you can notice, the package is huge just like the sound bar. It is well-protected inside, but the amount of accessories isn't satisfying at all, with 1x RCA Audio Cable (not optical), 1x Power Cord (EU for me), 1x Remote Control (with no batteries included), 1x User Manual, and the Sound Bar (of course). That's it. I would have expected to get at least an Optical and Coaxial Cable included, luckily i had one to do all testing with my TV.
As regards the Chassis, it is made of Plastic with two Glossy Sides and the classical fabric used to cover where the speakers are located: there are 2x 20W speakers with 2x Passive Radiators for low frequencies.
On the back side there is the Audio Input (RCA White/Red lines) input, used for Wired Connection, 1x Optical Input for Digital High-Quality Connection, 1x Coaxial Input, and the Power Input.
On the lower side, there isn't anything at all except two rubber stands to not let the Sound Bar to slip.
The right side (if you are looking it from the front) features an old-style 3.5mm input jack to connect any kind of audio source. Cable not included though.
In the center there is a nice aluminum band that hides the Volume +/- and Power touch buttons, together with the Source button on the front and 3x LEDs used to indicate the Volume and Source.
Sound Quality
Compared to my TV's Speaker (10Wx2, with a really unbalanced sound), everything is better, but, i have tested many speakers for daily usage, and this one seems to produce the best sound. The amount is low-frequencies isn't too high reducing the amount of other frequencies, producing a more balanced sound that really makes the difference while watching some videos.
The Volume is as high as you would expect from a 20Wx2 Sound Bar, nothing too crazy, nothing too shabby, i don't like the volume steps though, sometimes causing to increase the volume too much just by pressing one time the Volume + button.
This is my Loudness/Volume Test while running a Dolby Sound Test (Connected via BT to my Smartphone). Result: 91.4 dBA (MAX)
I do not notice any microphone here, neither my smartphone shows it as a Call-Enabled device, so this is a Speaker-only unit. You won't be able to make calls without having to use your device's microphone.
Controls and Connectivity
While using the Sound Bar using the Bluetooth Connection, it is possible to control the volume using the smartphone (or any other bt device), the remote control and the touch-keys. Nothing to complain about it.
Unfortunately while using the Sound Bar with the Optical Cable, you won't be able to use your TV's Volume Control, forcing to have two remote controls. I guess this is a technical limit, correct me if i am wrong.
I really like the front LEDs that show which source is in use, and also the Volume by using all LEDs in the same time. Also, LEDs are not super bright so they do not disturb during the night.
The Bluetooth Connection is rocking stable, at least with my smartphone, and the quality is just slightly lower compared to the Wired Connection (as expected).
Conclusions
This TaoTronics Sound Bar seems to have covered almost all issues i was facing with my TV's audio, together with offering BT connectivity so that i can save space by using one single speaker for two usages.
The sound output is decent, high-quality for sure, but the company should really work on the accessories included in the package because, currently, they are simply not enough, especially for the price of the product. This is the only serious complain i have for this sound bar, everything else is great.
So...do I recommend this accessory? Yes, be sure to have all accessories required to get the maximum from the product, and i think you won't regret it, at least not for the price-performance ratio.
Pros:
- Balanced Audio Output
- Multiple Audio Sources
- Great Price-Performance Ratio
Cons:
- Disappointing amount of included Accessories
- Glossy Sides are easy to scratch
Rating: 9.1
Packaging and Accessories: 7
Design and Materials: 10
Sound Quality: 9.5
Price: 9 (based on Amazon price)
Official Product page: https://www.taotronics.com/tt-sk15-sound-bar.html
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/XZS82
This is the Tronsmart Encore S4 Headset.
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Unboxing
The packaging feels pretty premium from the outside, but the inside might not look that great. When it comes to accessories, Tronsmart is a bit strict, with only some Earbuds (L/S size, M pre-installed), a little plastic thing (unknown usage), an User Manual, a Micro-USB Cable and the Headset (of course). A pair of sport supports for the earbuds might have been appreciated.
As regards the Chassis, it is made of Plastic, with some glossy parts (slightly fingerprint magnet) and overall solid build quality. For daily usage it is perfectly fine.
On the upper side there is the neckband made of soft-plastic (similar to TPU) that makes its usage comfortable and without major issues when it comes to hot temperatures.
On the left end (where the Tronsmart logo is located) there isn't anything at all, i guess this is where the battery is located.
On the right side instead is where all the magic happens, with the ANC ON/OFF switch, Power/Volume buttons, Microphone and Power/Activity LED.
The ANC switch unfortunately features a serious design flaw, at least in my opinion. You can turn ON/OFF the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) even if the Headset is turned off. It is useful when you only want to isolate yourself without listing to any music, but it is also slightly annoying because you need to turn on/off two things separately.
Sound Quality
Well...the sound quality is decent, nothing superb, neither terrible. The equalizer seems to be set in order to increase low frequencies too much, so in order to get more clarity i had to tune it via software (depending on your smartphone, i use AudioFX on LineageOS 14.1).
The volume is extremely high though, probably the most loud BT earphones i have ever tried.
As regards the most important feature, ANC or Active Noise Cancellation, it works pretty well actually. Of course you can't expect superb isolation because we are dealing with earphones not headphones, but you can definitely feel the difference with and without this feature. Again though, as already said before, there is a design flaw.
The Microphone is decent too, luckily there are no equalizer issues with it but, due to its slighly weird position, your voice might sound a bit muffled. Just be sure to keep the Microphone open and not completely attached to the neck.
Something the goes between sound quality and controls is the built-in Vibration motor, that alerts in case of incoming calls. Pretty useful considering that with the ANC turned on it might be difficult to hear the Ringtone. (if not router to the BT headset of course)
Controls and Connectivity
Controls are just the same as on all Bluetooth Earphones you can find, with the exception of the ANC on/off switch that is indipendent. Power/Volume keys seems to be well-sealed so that you can use the product also in extreme conditions, and the LED located just under the Microphone is pretty bright and noticeable.
The Bluetooth Connection is stable, nothing to complain about. I don't know if my device is cheating me or not, but Bluetooth LE doesn't seem to be supported.
Conclusions
This is the first time ever i get an ANC Headset, and i must say that this feature is impressive especially considering that it was something "exclusive" to Bose Headphones. OK, it isn't as good as on high-end products, but for the price and the overall quality, it is perfectly fine and still better than not having it.
The product is good actually, not perfect due to the design flaw, but still perfectly usable in daily life and for almost all kinds of usage. If with the next model Tronsmart manages to tune the equalizer better and implement the ANC switch properly, then i can declare it a best-buy with no doubts.
Battery Life is great, almost 6 days of usage, 3 hours x day, listening to music at medium volume.
Pros:
- Battery Life
- ANC - Active Noise Cancellation
- Build Quality
Cons:
- Design Flaw for the ANC switch
- Badly set default equalizer
- Glossy Plastic Parts (PERSONAL)
Rating: 8.1
Packaging and Accessories: 7
Design and Materials: 8.5
Sound Quality: 8
Price: 9 (based on Amazon price)
Official Product page: http://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-encore-s4-active-noise-cancelling-bluetooth-headphones
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/BWnBE