Wireless is the future, no doubt, but do these four mid-priced Bluetooth headphones sound good enough to kill off the cable?

I am quite attached to cables, cabled audio in particular, and have always found better sound via a nice quality cable than via Bluetooth. However, technology is evolving all the time and Bluetooth is no exception so let’s take a look at where we are in 2018. We’re now up to Bluetooth 5 but only top-end devices including the Samsung Galaxy S8 + S9 and Apple’s iPhone X feature it, while the rest of us are still using version 4.0, 4.1 or 4.2. I am happy to say that since 4.0 the sound quality has been pretty decent and since then new versions have primarily improved only data speeds and the power saving features of Bluetooth, but lets put the sound to the test!

I am quite attached to cables, cabled audio in particular, and have always found better sound via a nice quality cable than via Bluetooth but...
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Here we have three new Bluetooth headphones, the first, Wicked Audio Raiders are small and lightweight, the JBL Harman E55BT are over the ear and noise cancelling and the Crazybaby Air are tiny, independent earbuds, so we are looking at a range of styles and technologies here but I would classify all these as low to mid-range in price (Under $200). I will also include the reasonably priced Skullcandy Crushers I reviewed last year as a reference. I tested them all with a MacBook Air and an Honor 7X which use Bluetooth 4.0 and 4.1 respectively. I don’t know about you but I still only buy laptops and smartphones that include a 3.5mm jack, I might not always use it but it is there if I need the best sound possible so lets take a close look at these Bluetooth samples to see if I should I throw away my old school wired headphones now or wait a bit?

I only buy devices that include a 3.5mm jack but lets take a close look at these Bluetooth headphones to see if I should I throw away my wired cans now, or wait a bit
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Wicked Audio Raider

The Wicked Audio Raiders are very small and very well designed, carved from walnut for a classy look and with Neck Lock technology, a cable that, well, locks them around your neck. Minimal is the word that best describes these but despite their size they claim an 8-hour battery life, I got 6.5 hours in my test but that is still damn good and charging was very quick! They have a Mic for calls and track controls mounted on the cable and should work up to 32 feet from your device.

The Raider gets its street cred from being carved from dense walnut wood. Wood speaker chambers deliver hi-res sound, producing extremely crisp highs and rumbling lows that’ll make your whole body tremble.

Voice recordings sounded great via 7X but very tinny and scratchy via the MacBook but on both devices music sounded quite good
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The results were interesting, via the phone, there was faint static when no audio was playing which was annoying but this was not the case when connected to the MacBook. Voice recordings sounded great via 7X but very tinny and scratchy via the MacBook but on both devices, music sounded quite good. The Bass and treble were well defined but the mids were quite muddy, especially with complex tracks but they were generally a comfortable listen.

We want you to hear the music the way it’s intended to be heard; undistorted. You’ll hear the music in it’s original state. The way the artist intended it to be heard. You’re going to get Earth shattering, rock you to the core, ghetto blaster bass! Bass so kind it will put a smile on your face for days.

When inserting and removing the buds there was a crunchy plastic sound, like scrunching up cellophane in your hand, strange but this was not evident while you are wearing them
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I really liked the design and features of the Raiders but for the price the sound is only OK, however, there was another issue. When inserting and removing the buds there was a crunchy plastic sound, like scrunching up cellophane in your hand, strange but this was not evident while you are wearing them. Overall they are OK Bluetooth headphones for the money but spend a little more and you can get better results.

Buy $54.99

JBL Harman E55BT

These JBL E55BT wireless over-ear headphones feature up to 20 hours of battery life with an incredible 2 hour charge time! They offer wired or Bluetooth connections and have active noise cancellation. While comfortable, design wise they are nothing special but I found the sound to be really good. They are not bass or treble heavy as most mid-priced headphones tend to be but are very well balanced across the range.

For noisy commutes, however, they would be ideal, blocking out the passengers around you
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With a sleek appearance, various color options and the added convenience of a detachable cable with remote and microphone, you’ll never want to be seen without your E55BT headphones.

These were a bit of a surprise and the open and crisp sound was very good for music but did make listening to speech, tinny and a bit sharp
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They excel at detail and give a very considered sound that lets you isolate and identify instruments in arrangements. I did find the noise cancellation a bit over the top and when no audio is playing the cancellation can make the world around you feel strange and I got a bit disoriented when standing up. For noisy commutes, however, they would be ideal, blocking out the passengers around you.

The ergonomic around-ear design means that your entertainment continues and your fun factor gets amped up no matter what you’re doing – working, commuting, or just making your way around town

These were a bit of a surprise and the open and crisp sound was very good for music but did make listening to speech tinny and a bit sharp. They are unremarkable to look at but somehow stylish at the same time, not over the top, however, if you want that JBL offers the E series in a variety of garish colours.

Buy: £79.99 reduced from £99.99 on Amazon in the UK

Crazybaby Air

These Air headphones from Chinese company Crazybaby are the future of wireless Bluetooth audio. They are tiny, independent, earbuds and come with a very cool portable charging and recharging capsule, they look amazing and I was relieved to find they sound as good as they look. The Air buds demand a good fit, so come with a variety of rubber buds and I easily found a pair that kept them firmly in my ears with no discomfort. They also have a speaker for calls and work with Personal Assistants including Google, Cortana & Siri.

We believe wireless is the future of music. Air is the world’s 1st carbon nanotube true wireless stereo headphones. With a companion portable charging capsule, you can experience high-fidelity wireless music anywhere

Crazybaby have used 5.2 mm customized speaker drivers and cutting-edge Carbon Nanotube diaphragms to deliver the best sound I have ever experienced from any headphones
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The tiny size means you only get three hours out of them but the charging capsule contains a battery that will top them up on the move, perfect for commuting. I tested them on trains, planes and, yes, automobiles and enjoyed great sound with excellent noise isolation. Crazybaby have used 5.2 mm customized speaker drivers and cutting-edge Carbon Nanotube diaphragms to deliver the best sound I have ever experienced from any Bluetooth headphones. It is perfectly balanced with strong bass, lush mids and crisp treble and most revealingly does not get confused or muddy on complex, driving tracks. Vocals are so detailed and human it is hard to believe the Air buds are so tiny and for the price, they deliver a wonderful experience. The Bluetooth 4.2 protocol increases the data transmission speed by 2.5 times, if you have a 4.2 capable device, meaning higher bit rate music files play better giving a rich and luscious, yet detailed sound.

In a world flooded with Bluetooth technology, Air is a cut above the rest. The latest CSR high quality decoding chip provides a consistent reliable connection that never drops out. By including the latest embedded CSR chipset, Air delivers high-performance TWS (True Wireless Stereo)

The Crazybaby Air buds are simply without peer in the mid-priced headphone category, sounding incredible and useful in all sorts of situations including travelling and VR
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The Crazybaby Air buds are simply without peer in the mid-priced headphone category, sounding incredible and useful in all sorts of situations from working to travelling, gaming and VR. Their one flaw is the bud to bud Bluetooth connection which drops quite frequently in environments with lots of electrical appliances and Wi-Fi around. Performance in my home office was not great. Sitting at my desk next to seven powered appliances the bud to bud connection was a bit patchy but out and about the dropouts happened less regularly. This is a major annoyance but the sound quality is so good that I was happy to live with an occasional connection glitch. If they fix this issue and put more capable Bluetooth chips in the next model they might just create the best wireless headphones in the world.

Buy: $169

Conclusion

The post Product Review: Bluetooth Headphones Group Test appeared first on Tech Trends.

Spring finally arrived but Tech Trends has been closeted indoors testing and reviewing all sorts of cool gadgets and thingamabobs for you lucky readers!

Sphero Mini

The Sphero Mini follows in the line of the original Sphero, Sprk+ and the popular Sphero BB-8. The new Mini takes much of what its previous models so successful and shrinks it down to a smaller – and more economical – package.

Sphero Mini packs tons of fun into a tiny, app-enabled robotic ball. drive, play games, learn to code, and more.

The new Mini takes much of what its previous models so successful and shrinks it down to a smaller - and more economical - package
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Now the size of a snooker ball the Sphero Mini comes in a range of robust-coloured shells which open to reveal its components within (a gyroscope and accelerator). A few fun accessories are also enclosed in the package – including half a dozen colourful mini skittles and some cones so you can layout your own course and steer your Mini through it.

Initially, a little slow to charge -especially if you have children eager to play – the app intel is easy to download and boot up and once launched is quick to get going with a colourful simple interface which is very child-friendly and easy to navigate.

Packed with teeny tiny tech such as a gyroscope, accelerometer, and LED lights and almost an hour of play time, Sphero Mini is the next big thing.

The app intel is easy to download and boot up and once launched is quick to get going with a colourful simple interface which is very child-friendly and easy to navigate
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In the app you can choose between a variety of control methods: standard joystick, tilt control, slingshot and face driving – which although may prove fun for younger players is actually quite a frustrating experience. Apart from the standard tech toy drive modes, there are also a few arcade style games tucked within the app wherein you can use the Sphero as a controller. They’re a fun little distraction but compared to what kids can play on their phones nowadays they won’t amuse them for long.

Drive Mini using different modes with the Sphero Mini app, or just by using your lovely mug. This Ball is also a Video Game controller! Use Mini as a controller to shoot your way through space, race through a tunnel, or to destroy a polygon of bricks.

The app is a great introduction to the basics of programming and with a simple drag and drop approach even younger players can make their own programs or adapt provided templates
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But it’s the Sphero Edu coding app that raises this tech toy above that of your average remote control car. The app is a great introduction to the basics of programming and with a simple drag and drop approach even younger players can make their own programs or adapt provided templates. Once you’ve become familiar with the paths and blocks that represent code you can then write your own JavaScript text programs.

Program the Mini with Javascript. If you’re feeling extra clever, download the Sphero Edu app and program your robot using JavaScript. The SPRK+ robot was built for programming. What’s the difference?

Overall the Sphero Mini is a solid reasonably priced tech toy
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Overall the Sphero Mini is a solid reasonably priced tech toy. In some ways, it suffers from the general failure of many of the interactive educational bots in that you really have to encourage the child to explore its capabilities or they will just become an expensive remote control car and have a very limited replay value. Given proper guidance, however – if you have the patience – they are a great way to encourage a basic grasp of coding.

RRP: $49.00

Review by Ashley Thorpe, Animator & Filmmaker at Carrion Films and Film & Games Correspondent at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @CarrionScreamin

Dell Visor Windows MR Headset

The first thing that hit me when I popped on the Dell Visor was its weightless comfort. It is similar in design to the PS4 VR headset and puts the weight of the device on the top of your head but is just a bit easier to get used to wearing and less front-heavy.

The first thing that hit me when I popped on the Dell Visor was its weightless comfort
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After trying some VR headsets that clamp the screen onto the front of your face with straps I have been left in physical pain (especially around the nose and ears) and so have become a connoisseur of VR comfort (or lack thereof) and the Dell design gets top marks.  Read the full review here.

Carlton AR Children’s Books

Carlton Books are at the forefront of early stage, educational AR books and I can’t think of a better use for mobile AR tech. Visually exciting and interactive technology paired with real-world play and learning should draw kids into new subjects and areas of study in a new and exciting way. It is important to note how early stage this technology is but Carlton have thrown themselves behind AR with exciting results.

Carlton Books are at the forefront of early stage, educational AR books and I can’t think of a better use for mobile AR tech
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It is important to note how early stage this technology is but Carlton have thrown themselves behind AR with exciting results
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Last year I was very impressed with their more adult-focused Alien: Augmented Reality Survival Manual, it had some very engaging AR content and is still my benchmark for this hybrid publishing format, so I was keen to try out this new series of educational AR books Tech Trends picked up at the 2018 London Book Fair. I was particularly keen to see how easy they made the process of linking the technology, the AR content and the physical books as the interaction between paper and digital needs to be seamless, immersing the reader (or user?) in the content with minimal UI friction.

First up was iExplore Bugs, off the bat this should be good as who doesn’t love creepy crawlies! The first page had clear instructions showing you how to download the app and use it. The App icon and the printed AR activation symbols were the same, making it really clear how it worked but there was no printed QR code to take you straight to the app in the iOS or Android app stores, why not? I had to open the app store and search for the app, luckily the printed instruction had the correct app name so this was not too hard but it should have been much easier.

Flying the Dragons around the room was serious fun and the quality or the AR was excellent
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After activating the AR there was a clear prompt on what to do next, look through the phone's camera and point it at the app symbol on each page to bring the bug to life
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The app is pretty large and took a while to download and install but when opened offered a taste of what was to come with a friendly animated cricket, instructions and links to other apps in the publisher series. After activating the AR there was a clear prompt on what to do next, look through the phone’s camera and point it at the app symbol on each page to bring the bug to life. My Galaxy S8 would not focus the camera inside the app and so detecting the symbol was a bit tricky, everything was permanently out of focus so the camera was not quick to activate the AR. However when it popped up the AR quality was great and the in-app bug controller, information and mini test were well designed and fun to use. The only niggle was the juddery bugs, when they were standing on the page they juddered constantly as the app calculated the ground level. This was a bit distracting but when the bugs took off and flew around the room under my control it improved a lot. This was serious fun and the quality or the AR Dragons was excellent.

The flying creatures got even better in Dragons Come to Life (so cool) where the Dragons from Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon leap off the page and let you fly them around the room. The book’s instructions and app were just as clear and the AR dragons and little human characters were really very cool. You could also swat up on the Dragon’s special powers and its Top Trumps style, abilities followed by a little knowledge test. Again the S8 camera would not focus in the app so it failed completely to activate some of the dragons, even in very bright light, quite annoying.

Carlton Books have done a really good job here and the books and apps are fun to use and very reasonably priced considering the background work this AR tech requires
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All in all Carlton Books have done a really good job here and the books and apps are fun to use and very reasonably priced considering the background work this AR tech requires. The books absolutely must have printed QR codes to take you to the right app or Carlton need to issue one app that works across all their books in a series. The friction of looking for the right app to go with the right book is simply unnecessary and easily fixed. The in-app camera failing to focus was a big issue but an app update should fix this and my only other minor niggle is the visuals and text in the books, particularly the covers. They are overselling the concept with too many images and too many mixed up fonts and bold graphics, it all looks too busy and hectic on the page. However, with publishers like Carlton pushing the Print & AR format I can see other publishers getting onboard but for now, none match the quality on show here from Carlton.

RRP: Individual books £9.99 and the Carlton AR range is here.

Aukey Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

If asked to sum up Aukey’s products I would have to say ‘best bang for your buck’ is the phrase that comes to mind. They are invariably much better quality than the price suggests, solidly built, practical and reliable. In the case of this 16W, SK-S1 wireless Bluetooth speaker I can also add, attractive.

The SK-S1 is surprisingly solid for its size. When you first pick it up gives off a feeling of quality and confidence, and the sound is very good
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There are some wacky and expensive looking portable speakers out there but this one just looks smart and modern, blending into my office, kitchen and garden. It is also surprisingly solid for its small size and when you first pick it up gives off a feeling of quality and confidence. The curved metal grills and the brushed steel top ooze a stylish simplicity and the silicone base promises to keep it clinging to any surface. Read the full review here.

ZeroWater Filter and TDS Meter

This 12-cup water filter jug from ZeroWater looks much like every other water filter out there but what makes it a more high-tech drinking solution is its patented, 5-stage Ion Exchange Filtration system, which removes virtually all dissolved solids from your water. These solids may include minerals, salts, metals, chemicals and runoff. Mmmm runoff, my favourite non-specific dissolved solid!

It removes virtually all dissolved solids from your water. These solids may include minerals, salts, metals, chemicals and runoff. Mmmm runoff, my favourite non-specific dissolved solid!
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The ZeroWater filter is also the first in its class to benefit from a sealed lid and reservoir, which allows filtered water to be poured while water, which hasn’t yet been, filtered remains in the reservoir. This adds a further 2 cups of capacity to the 10 cups of filtered water in the jug. It also features a very cool one-handed, pull and pour button spout for easy pouring from the fridge or for filling bottles. Four additional stages of water filtration ensure larger particles and other impurities are removed.

Well, I used the laboratory-grade Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter provided on our unfiltered tap water and got a reading of 078. I then filled up the jug and measured the filtered water and… dum dum duuuum! Got a reading of 000. So this seems to do a fine job of removing those unpleasant impurities from your water, and that can only be a good thing. Our water normally tastes fine if a little chloriney and after filtering through the ZeroWater tasted very different. It’s difficult to describe the taste but it is not unpleasant and definitely better than straight out of the tap.

I used the laboratory-grade Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter provided on our unfiltered tap water and got a reading of 078. I then filled up the jug and measured the filtered water and got a reading of 000
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• Certified* to reduce Lead, Chromium, & Mercury
• Premium 5-Stage Dual-Ion Exchange filtration system
• Ion-Exchange system that removes virtually all dissolved solids in your water
• The FDA requires the TDS level in PURIFIED bottled water to reach 000-010ppm. ZeroWater is the only filter in its class to achieve this level.

RRP: £39.99

Dell Precision 7720 VR-Ready Mobile Workstation

It was love at first sight when I unpacked the top spec Dell Precision 7720 VR-Ready Mobile Workstation last week. Cupid’s bow twanged and his poison arrow thudded deep into the meat of my heart, I was a gonna. She was over £7k of laptop and I was a drooling geek, palms sweaty at the prospect of an Intel Xeon E3-1535M v6 server processor, Nvidia Quadro P5000 and a Samsung SM961 M.2 SSD. My shaking hands slowly peeled off her cardboard clothes, plugged her straight into the mains and turned myself on So how was it? Well, it was sweet while it lasted but she soon left me and drove away with the same cheeky UPS driver! Read the full review here.

Aukey Powered USB 3.0 Hub

Like Apple, PC motherboard makers seem to be on a crusade to limit external connections. I suspect this might be due to the variety of new superspeed connections users expect every board to have pushing out the more practical and proven connections such as USB 3. I have never had the need for an expansion card or hub like this one from Aukey before but with only six USB 3 ports on my PC (four on the rear and two on the front) and a wealth of USB dongles and devices I was struggling. Sure I tried a few small two or three port extenders that did the job but a mains powered, six-port hub like this provided a much-needed connectivity boost.

I have never had the need for an expansion card or hub like this one from Aukey before but with only six USB 3 ports on my PC and a wealth of USB dongles and devices I was struggling
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The hub adds six SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports to your laptop or desktop computer, plus Aukey threw in one Smart Quick-Charging Aipower port and a Gigabit Ethernet port capable of accessing superfast network speeds of up to 1000Mbps. With the palm-size and lightweight design the CB-H17 Powered USB hub retains high-speed access to all of your devices without overloading your pocket or desktop. With USB data transfer rates of up to 5Gbps, you’ll be able to sync files and interact with your Mac or PC more efficiently than ever.

This hub adds six SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports to your computer, plus one Smart Quick-Charging Aipower port and a Gigabit Ethernet port capable of accessing superfast network speeds
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This is a very robust little hub from Aukey and is a worthy addition to your home computer, you won't know how you survived without one
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Powered by a 12V/3A mains adapter you can use your all external USB hard drives and even charge your smartphone or tablet when your computer is turned off (except for the iOS system), that could come in pretty handy! This is a very robust little hub and is a worthy addition to your home computer, you won’t know how you survived without one.

• Compact and slim design effectively saves your desk space and expands your connectivity
• One 2.4A output smart charging port provides full-speed and sufficient powers to charge all Apple and Android Smartphone, tablets and other USB charged devices
• The Ethernet port supports 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet. Support WinXP/ 7/ 8/ 10, Linux, Mac OS
• Package Contents: AUKEY CB-H17 Powered USB Hub, 3.3ft USB Cable, 12V/3A Power Adapter, User Manual, 24 Month Warranty Card

RRP: £19.99 reduced from £24.99 on Amazon UK

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post April 2018 Tech Trends Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.