TECH Review ...............SPECIAL HEADPHONES

TECH Review SPECIAL  HEADPHONES

Striking The Cord 

If your phone doesn’t need any wires, why should your headphones? We cut the cord and checked out a few cool Bluetooth stereo headsets with built-in microphones.

Sennheiser MM 100
Style: On-the-ear. Behind-the-neck. Rigid band. Looks sleek and expensive. Comfort: Super light and comfortable. Can wear it for hours without complaint. Sound: Well-balanced. Good bass. Suffers at loud volumes. Too much ambient noise. Voice: Crystal clear. Microphone even picked up whispers. Battery: 7 hours continuous playback. Charge once in 3 days on average use. BUY IT IF YOU
    Want a comfortable, well-rounded listening experience.
    Want fantastic hands-free voice quality for phone calls.
DON’T BUY IT IF YOU
    Want to use it in noisy environments, like trains or buses.
    Are not an audiophile; the price isn’t worth it then.
Price: Rs. 10,990 RATING  7/10

MEElectronics Air-Fi Runaway AF32
Style: Over-the-ear. Headband. Foldable. Stylish, geek-chic, cool. Comfort: No issues even for 3-4 hours of continuous listening. Buttons are unintuitive.
Sound: Great quality. Fantastic range, especially good on ambient tunes. Voice: Decent quality, no major complaints. Picks up a bit of background noise. Battery: 12 hours of continuous playback. Charge once in 4 days on average use.
BUY IT IF YOU
Want a high-performance headset without spending a bomb. Want really long battery life and foldable design.
DON’T BUY IT IF YOU
Want to use the headphone controls. Aren’t an audiophile – that’s a high price to pay.
Price: Rs. 6,990
RATING 7.5 /10

Nokia BH-503
Style: On-the-ear. Behind-the-neck. Rigid band. Looks don’t betray its price. Comfort: Not comfortable to use for long durations. Heavy. Pinches ears Sound: High volume. Very good bass. Sounds flat and artificial – one-dimensional Voice: Poor. Picks up too much background noise. Have to speak loudly to be heard. Battery: Over 10 hours continuous playback. Charge once in 4 days on average usage.
BUY IT IF YOU
    Want the most value-for-money budget headset.
    Want a stereo Bluetooth headset with good bass.
DON’T BUY IT IF YOU
    Listen to Western classical or other music with layers.
    Want to listen to music for hours; it’s not comfortable.
Price: Rs. 990
 RATING   6 /10

Creative WP-250
Style: In-ear. Behind-the-neck. Rigid band. Looks funky. Comfort: Initially very uncomfortable, hurts ears. Better when you get used to it Sound: Strong bass. Decent noise cancellation. Poor balance for classical and folk songs. Voice: Have to speak a little loudly for other person to hear clearly. Battery: 8 hours continuous playback. Charge once in 3 days on average use.
BUY IT IF YOU
Listen to bass-heavy music, like hard rock or metal. Want easy controls. The jog dial for playback is fantastic.
DON’T BUY IT IF YOU
Listen to a variety of genres, especially folk. Want a comfortable fit from the start it really hurts your ears initially.
Price: Rs. 4,999
RATING  6 /10

SoundLogic Bluetooth Earbuds
Style: In-ear. Standard cord. Wrappable. Nondescript, ‘just another earphone’ looks. Comfort: Great for long hours. Stays firm even while jogging. Buttons are very hard to press. Sound: Middling performance. Poor bass. For casual listeners only. Voice: Not great quality. Doesn’t pick up noise, but also have to speak a bit loudly. Battery: Little over 3 hours of continuous playback. Charge once in 2 days on average use.
BUY IT IF YOU
Want a comfortable, portable headset. Want a value-for-money all-rounder.
DON’T BUY IT IF YOU
Want to use its controls – those buttons are a nightmare and a deal-breaker. Want long battery life
Price: Rs. 2,199
RATING 7 /10

MM130829