Category Archives: Audio

Bose Quietcomfort 35 II vs Beats Studio 3 Wireless with Apple W1 vs Sennheiser HD 4.30

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

The big headphone shootout. Bose Quietcomfort 35 II with Google Assistant vs Beats Studio 3 Wireless with Apple W1 Chip vs Sennheiser HD 4.30 Wired headphones.

Let’s summarise again the key features –

Bose Quietcomfort 35 II

– QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II are engineered with world-class noise cancellation.
– With the Google Assistant built in, you can play music, receive texts and get answers without glancing at your phone.
– If you’re not a Google user, don’t worry. You can use the Action button to adjust your level of noise cancellation between three settings.
– You can still use Siri or Bixby via the traditional control button on the other headphone cup.
– 20 hours battery life.
– 15 min charge gives 2.5 hours use.
– Voice prompts
– Clear Calls
– Volume optimised EQ

Beats Studio 3 Wireless with Apple W1 Chip and Pure ANC

– Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling (Pure ANC) actively blocks external noise.
– Real-time audio calibration preserves a premium listening experience.
– Up to 22 hours of battery life enables fully-featured all-day wireless playback.
– Apple W1 chip for Class 1 Wireless Bluetooth® connectivity and battery efficiency.
– With Fast Fuel, a 10-minute charge gives 3 hours of play when battery is low.
– Pure ANC-off for low power mode provides up to 40 hours of battery life.
– Take calls, control music and activate Siri with multifunction on-ear controls.
– Soft over-ear cushions for extended comfort and added noise isolation.

Sennheiser HD 4.30 Wired

– Closed-back design and ergonomic earpads reduce background noise and provide immersive detail
– Integrated 3-button smart remote with in-line microphone for controlling calls and music
– Handy single-sided tangle free cable
– Soft, comfortable ear pads for enhanced comfort- you will forget that you are wearing them!
– Robust foldable headbands for easy storage on the go
– Frequency Response – 18 – 22,000 kHz
– Sound Pressure Level 120db
– Impedance – 18 ohms

The Shootout

Useful Links

More info on the Bose Quietcomfort 35 IIand latest pricing on Amazon UK – Click HERE.

More info on the Beats Studio 3 Wireless and the latest pricing – Click HERE.

More info on the Sennheiser HD 4.30 and the latest pricing from Amazon UK – Click HERE.

Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones Review – With the new Apple W1 Chip and Pure ANC

Apple, Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News, ,

Welcome to my review of the new Beats 3 Studio Wireless Headphones. These feature the new Apple W1 chip and Pure ANC.

Key Features –

– Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling (Pure ANC) actively blocks external noise.
– Real-time audio calibration preserves a premium listening experience.
– Up to 22 hours of battery life enables fully-featured all-day wireless playback.
– Apple W1 chip for Class 1 Wireless Bluetooth® connectivity and battery efficiency.
– With Fast Fuel, a 10-minute charge gives 3 hours of play when battery is low.
– Pure ANC-off for low power mode provides up to 40 hours of battery life.
– Take calls, control music and activate Siri with multifunction on-ear controls.
– Soft over-ear cushions for extended comfort and added noise isolation.
– In the box – Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones,Carrying case,3.5mm RemoteTalk cable, Universal USB charging cable (USB-A to USB Micro-B),Quick Start Guide ,Warranty Card
– Over Ear Design
– Weight 260 g
The Beats 3 Wireless are the upgraded version of the original Beats over the ear headphones. In the update, Beats have improved the headphones by including the Apple W1 chip and upgrading the active noise cancellation. I like the fact you can turn the ANC off whilst connected to your device. I tested the headphones with my Apple iPad Pro 10.5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Excellent results and superb range from both devices. I could walk around my entire house without the connection breaking. The noise cancellation is good, not as good as the Bose QC35, but these do sound better with music. They do not have lip sync issues with YouTube videos. Calls were clear too. Battery life is excellent too.

Pairing to an iPhone or iPad is a breeze, see video below, but it is as simple as turning them on. Then a pop up appears on screen with a pic of the headphones. Hit the connect button and that is it. They are now paired to all your Apple devices using iCloud.

The Beats 3 Wireless do have a slight bass focus, but nowhere as near as previous versions. Mid and treble is reasonable too. Overall the balance between music and noise cancellation is good.

Now lets take a look at the video review.

Video Review

Conclusion

Highly recommended especially for anyone using Apple devices due to the extended range and easy pairing.

More info and the latest pricing – Click HERE.

PS. Coming up soon, a 3 way comparison between the new Beats Quietcomfort 35 II and new Sennheiser headphones.

Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Wireless Headphones Review – The new headphones from Bose with Google Assistant

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

Welcome to my review of the Bose Quietcomfort 35 II headphones.

These are the new flagship headphones from Bose which feature Google Assistant.

Key Features

– QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II are engineered with world-class noise cancellation.
– With the Google Assistant built in, you can play music, receive texts and get answers without glancing at your phone.
– If you’re not a Google user, don’t worry. You can use the Action button to adjust your level of noise cancellation between three settings.
– You can still use Siri or Bixby via the traditional control button on the other headphone cup.
– 20 hours battery life.
– 15 min charge gives 2.5 hours use.
– Voice prompts
– Clear Calls
– Volume optimised EQ

The are one of the first headphones to feature Google Assistant built-in. With a dedicated action button you can literally control your phone without ever looking at the screen. I tested this extensively and it worked well. A WhatsApp message arrived. A voice inside the headphones announces a new WhatsApp message. You then have the option to hear the message read out, and then have the option to reply. Your dictated reply is read out to you. You confirm its ok to send.

Now if you are on iOS, you can change the action button to control the 3 levels of noise cancellation. High, low or off. You can also change this setting in the Bose Connect app. The Bose Connect app also updates the firmware, and gives you access to the instructions, Google Assistant setup and other options.

The noise cancellation is phenomenal. The best. I really like the easy to use controls on the headphone cups. The music quality is good too. Voices are clear in calls. Just one negative. I noticed on YouTube videos the lips were marginally out of sync with the audio. This issue didn’t impact other services I tried like Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Now TV. 

These are mega comfortable to wear too.

Video Review

Conclusion

Another quality product from Bose. Recommended.

More info and latest pricing on Amazon UK – Click HERE.

PS. I have the new Beats 3 Wireless headphones review coming next along with the new Sennheiser HD 4.30, and then a 3 way comparison.

Aftershokz Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones Review by Martyn

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

The Aftershohz Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Bluetooth Sports Headphones with Microphone review by Martyn Dix.

I have been a keen weekend cyclist for around 10 years now and for all of that time I have used BT ‘in ear’ earphones of different makes.

However this is (quite rightly) frowned upon by most as you cannot hear all that is going on around you. I had a near miss a week or so back, and although it wasn’t my fault, it wasn’t helped by the fact I wasn’t fully aware of my suroundings.

Then after a buying trip to my local Bike shop, I found they were selling ‘Bone Conductive Headphones’. The make they had in stock was the Aftershokx Trekz Titanium although there are a few other brands available too.

Key Features

– Bone conduction technology delivers music through your cheekbones, ensuring ears remain completely open to hear ambient sounds
– Titanium wraparound headband is lightweight and flexible for durability and portability
– OpenFit™ design ensures maximum situational awareness and comfort during long-term wear
– PremiumPitch+™ guarantees a premium audio experience, including wide dynamic range and rich bass
– Wireless Bluetooth® 4.1 connectivity and convenient multipoint pairing
– LeakSlayer™ technology significantly reduces natural sound leakage
– IP55 certified to repel sweat, dust and moisture, from workouts to wicked weather
– Enjoy six hours of continuous music + calls on a single charge
– EQ presets boost bass and reduce vibration on the go
– Dual noise canceling microphones exclude surrounding noise, effectively enhancing speech
– Audrey Says™ voice prompts guide users through power, pair, play and talk
– Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
– Sensitivity: 100 ± 3dB
– Microphone: -40dB ± 3dB
– Bluetooth version: v4.1
– Compatible profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
– Wireless range: 33 ft (10m)
– Battery: rechargeable lithium ion, Continuous play: 6 hours,Standby time: 10 days
– Charge in: 1.5 hours
– Weight: 1.27 oz (36g)

Research seemed to say that this make was the best, so I paid the £110 which seems to be the average price.

One week on and the odd feeling of being able to hear Podcasts AND the normal sounds around me has become normal. It did take me a few hours to get used to the feeling of the headset being worn as it sort of clamps around the back of the head with the bone condutive speaker part sitting just forward of the ear.

BT pairing was as easy as any other headphone I have used, and so far I have not had any drop outs or disconnections in one weeks heavy use.

Battery life is well up to what is claimed of 6 hours Music + Calls.
There is the usual BT controls for taking calls and skipping music etc via the button on the left speaker.

Volume controls are by two buttons on the underside of the right battery case. They too have extra control functions if pressed in different ways.

Comfort is fine. They do take some getting used to but after the 1st few hours I had a job to remember they were on my head esspecialy as you dont loose all sounds around you.

Sound quality is obviously not HiFi but for voice calls and listening to podcasts they are fine. I spend long hours taking and making voice calls and no one said they knoticed a great difference in hearing me.

Music is ‘okay’ not fantasic but fine for back ground listening while out and about. If they are at full volume there is a thump thump on the bones in your head that they sit on. This is rather annoying and a discomfort. There are two equalising settings which are there to allow for adjusting the sound should you wish to use them in an area such as a plane or train and earplugs are supplied for you to use. This effectivly turns them into ‘in ear’ type listening headphones. This is not something I would personaly use them for but the option is offered.

The box comes with a usb to mini usb charge lead and full easy to understand instructions. So if you work in an office, run, cycle or require to be able to hear whats going on around you then these are great.

They are not a gimic and need to be tried out properly before dismissing them. Helpfully most stockists have a purpose demo display where you can try wearing them out.

I would definitely recommend them and at £110 they are a bit pricey for some, but they are very well made with a serious quality feel to them. They come in two sizes Adult and Child. As the unit is flexable it should always fit.

Go and try them out. I found them for sale at a Motorway services phone accesories shop for the same price which I guess is because you are no longer allowed to use ‘in ear’ phones while driving.If anyone wishes to ask me any questions then contact Gavin to pass on.

——————

My thanks to Martyn Dix for his review on the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones.

For more information and the latest pricing on Amazon – click HERE.

Source -Images

Optoma NuForce BE2 Wireless Earphones Review – IPX5 and with patented SpinFit Eartips

Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News

Optoma NuForce BE2 Wireless Earphones Review. These are the latest earphones from Optoma that feature patented SpinFit eartips and are IPX5.

Key Features

– 10 hour continuous playback
– Charge time 2.5 hours
– IPX5 – weather resistant, ensuring protection from rain and sweat
– Bluetooth magnetic headphones
– Patented Spinfit Twin Blade ear pads for better support and quality
– AAC support for iPhone, iPad and Mac
– Built in mic – for calls, Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant

The Optoma NuForce BE2 is everything you would want in a wireless earphone. Lightweight, comfortable and ideal for using whilst working out. The cable is great as it is slightly weighted to stop it bouncing all over the place during workouts. The SpinFit eartips stay in your ears. I even tried shaking my head and they stayed in place.

The biggest surprise was the sound quality. The BE2’s are not bass heavy, in fact they are slightly bass light but in a good way as the midrange and treble shine with these. They had good clarity in the mid and treble range and with a reasonable amount of separation. The BE2’s are really enjoyable to listen to your music.

All the other controls worked as expected and being IPX5 adds to the attraction and usefulness.

Video Review

Conclusion

The Optoma NuForce BE2 is a great sounding, IPX5 wireless earphone that are highly recommended. Available from Amazon

Audio-GD NFB 11.28 TXCO Amanero USB DAC & Headphone AMP – Review – Connect your MAC, iPhone or LG V30

Audio, Reviews, Tech News

Welcome to my review of the Audio-GD NFB 11.28 TXCO Amanero USB DAC & Headphone AMP.

This is no ordinary headphone amp. This is handmade meticulously in China. Audio-GD is considered one of the best manufacturers are high end audio. The Audio-GD NFB 11.28 is their cheapest offering coming in at under £400.

Single Ended Headphone & pre- amplifier equipted with hyper-modern Sabre ES9028Pro dac chip. All parts and components are selected based on excellent sonic and measurements performance. Components are e.g. from WIMA capacitors (Germany) and NOVER parts (UK) . The used components but also the technical design (e.g. discrete analogue section) of this system were being selected after many years of experience and practices and are considered to perform and provide very good sonic results. Up to date with the latest technology, and ensuring peak performance.

This version includes the low jitter TCXO clocks & Amanero USB options. Amanero is currently the best compatible USB interface and sound in world according to Audio-GD.

Key Features

– Discrete DAC single ended headphone- and preamplifier
– DSD , DXD support from USB
– Sabre ES9028 – 32bit / 384K
– Low jitter precision 100MHz TCXO upgrade
– USB Amanero
– Volume controlled ALPS 27
– Upgraded the digital power supplies to double stages PSUs with ultra high speed ultra low noise parts, for remove the power interrupt and made the back stage darker, better transparency .
– The DSD and PCM switch upgrade to MCU control, remove the switch noise.
– Digital filter settings can selectable the different sound flavors for better suite different sound headphones and user’s personal taste.

Inputs

– USB input.
– Toslink optical SPDIF
– RCA coaxial SPDIF

Outputs

– RCA single ended (Output is configurable: fixed or variable)
– Headphone 6,3mm jack

Key Specifications

– Weight: 2.5 kg
– Width: 180 mm x Length: 220 mm x Height: 55 mm
– DAC Type Sabre ES9028Pro
– Signal to Noise Ratio – SNR (dB) 118dB
– Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) 0.002% (0dBV output level )
– Output Level (V) 2.5V (RCA)
– Output impedance (Ω) 2 ohm / Headphone output 2 ohm / DAC output
– Coaxial Input Sensitivity 0.5 Vp-p
– Optical Input Sensitivity 19 dBm
– Sample Rate USB: 44.1 – 384kHz | Coax: 44.1 – 192kHz | Optical: 44.1 – 96kHz
– Frequency Response (kHz) 20Hz – 20KHz （-0.2dB) | 3Hz – 350KHz (Analogue)
– USB Audio Class 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 & 3.0
– USB Operating Systems Windows, iOS, Linux
– Preamp Variable Output (V) 5.0V Max
– Preamp Fixed Output (V) 2.5V Max
– Headphone Output Level (V) 10V RMS
– Headphone Output Power (Watt) 3500mW/25 ohm 1800mW/50 ohm 900mW/100 ohm 300mW/300 ohm 150mW/600 ohm
– Power Consumption (Watt) 12
– Accessories -USB Cable, IEC Power Cord

Review

The Audio-GD 11.28 is something you won’t find on Amazon Prime for next day delivery. This particular model is popular and often has a wait time of over 30 days. There is a reason for that. You get an extreme amount of bang for your buck.

Lifting the top off the device reveals a work of art. It also gives you access to the digital filters which allows you to tweak the sound marginally. See more info on the options at Magna HiFi. Adjusting the digital filters can warm the sound up a fraction.

You will also notice from the specifications the amp section delivers oodles of power. I have tested the device using Sennheiser HD598, Beyer Dynamic DT770 Pro 250 ohm, Beyer Dynamic DT990 Pro 250 ohm, Sony MDR-100AAP, Optoma NuForce NE8’s and Sennhesier In Ear Momentums. I connected a MacBook Pro, LG V20 and iPhone 7 Plus to the Audio-GD as well. Irrespective of headphone used, the Audio-GD pushed the headphone to its maximum abilities and they all sounded superb through it.

Describing the sound – its fairly dark and neutral but with reserves of energy that scales as the music demands. The sound does warm up slightly after the device has been left on for a good hour. The amp does get slightly warm, but this is normal.So don’t cover up the vents.

Vocals and instruments have excellent clarity. Soundstage is excellent too. Going back to the digital filters. I did try the warmer option but at the moment cannot decide whether I prefer the default setting or the warmer one. I imagine in the end I will opt for the warmer setting.

Video Review

Conclusion

A cracking piece of kit that delivers exactly what it set out to be. Recommended.

Available from Magna HiFi

Aukey Outdoor Bluetooth Water Resistant Speaker Review 

accessories, Audio, Reviews, Tech News,


Welcome to my review of the Aukey Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker that costs less than £30. Before I get to the meat of the review, let’s highlight the key features – 

– Rugged & water resistant. 

– 24 hour playtime/talk time, enhanced bass mode. 6 hour recharge time. 

– Dual 5W drivers produce deep lows, textured mids, and clear highs

– Bluetooth 4.1 which automatically reconnects to the last device used, 33ft wireless range

– A2DP Bluetooth or use the AUX input with included 3.5mm audio cable.

– Audio playback/calls and volume controls, and built-in microphone. 

– Choose your sound signature with the Mode switch. Built-in 1/4″-20 standard tripod screw mount for outdoor use. 

– Package Contents: AUKEY SK-M12 Bluetooth 4.1 Speaker, Micro-USB Cable, 3.5mm Audio Cable, User Manual, 24 Month Warranty

– Weight 650g. 

– Dimensions 20.9 x 8.3 x 7.3cm. 

Video Review and Unboxing 

Conclusion 

The Aukey Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker is recommended as is my speaker of choice when walking on Dartmoor National Park. Available from Amazon UK.

HTC U11 – Audio Review + Best Headphones To Use + vs LG V20, DFR & more

Android, Audio, Reviews, Tech News, , , ,

HTC U11 in Solar Red with 6gb ram and 128gb storage. The best version of the HTC U11. It is also dual sim.

But for this review, I am going to look at the following –

– HTC U11 Audio Review including the HTC uSonic Noise Cancellation Headset

– The Best Headphones to use with the HTC U11

– Bluetooth Quality

– HTC U11 vs LG V20

– HTC U11 vs Dragonfly Red and other DACS

– And my overall conclusion.

The Audio Review


I also have two additional posts on the HTC U11 –

HTC U11 solar red vs iPhone 7 Plus Product Red

HTC U11 Review incl Camera Review
If you’re buying anything on Amazon UK please head over by this LINK . It won’t cost you anything extra either but will helps towards the running costs of Gavin’s Gadgets.

LG V20 vs ZTE Axon 7 – Audio Comparison – With guest Steve Litchfield 

Android, Audio, Headphone, Reviews, Tech News


Earlier today, Steve Litchfield from The Phones Show compared the audio quality from the ZTE Axon 7 and LG V20. 

So without further ado, see what we both had to say about the audio centric phones. 

Video Review

You can find links to all of Steve’s websites and , podcasts and YouTube channel, by clicking HERE.

Audio-GD NFB 11.28 TXCO Amanero USB DAC & Headphone AMP Unboxing – Epic Pro Audio – Great with a MacBook Pro or Windows 10 PC

Audio, Reviews, Tech News


Audio-GD NFB 11.28 TXCO Single ended Pre & Headphones Amp Amanero USB DAC. 

The gold standard of audio from China. Hand built. Incredible components for the price. 

Just look at the unit with the top removed and the key features!



The Key Features 

– S/N Ratio 118db 

– Output Level Headphone output : 10V RMS  / Variable output : 5V Max /Fixed output: 2.5V RMS

– Output power (Only for headphone) 

     3500mW/25 ohm
     1800mW/50 ohm

      900mW/100 ohm

      300mW/300 ohm
      150mW/600 ohm

The specifications noted above are pretty epic!! In terms of sound quality and performance this device only reaches its full potential after using it for 150 hours. Now that may sound crazy but for this type of product it does make a difference. 

So I literally unboxed the Audio-gd, connected it and had an immediate listen. Since the unboxing the next change up in sound quality came at around 10 hours usage. Before I write my final review, I will have used it for 150 hours and tested it with as many varieties of headphones as feasibly possible, across as many different genres. 

For now I’m nicknaming mine “The Beast”. And I’m sure I’m going to get asked this, so let’s kill this question off now. “Is this better than the LG V20 or LG G6 Quad DAC?”  ANSWER. Do pigs fly! Output power with a pair of 25 ohm headphones is 3,500mW. 1,800 mW at 50 ohms. So most portable headphones are either 16 ohms or 32 ohms which equates to around 4,000 mW and 3,000 mW respectively. 

As a comparison, the gorgeous Oppo HA-2 SE portable headphone amp dac that I reviewed knocks out 300 mW at 16 ohms, 220 mW at 32 ohms and 30 mW at 300 ohms. If you happen to have a LG V20 you can connect it to the Audio-gd via USB and use the V20 as a digital transport device. You can also use the digital out options on the iPhone.  Connecting the Audio-gd to your mac or windows pc will provide the best experience.  In my final review I will report back on the pros and cons of each option. 

The Beast will set you back  around £400. 

Unboxing & First Impressions

Available from Magna HiFi.