Pearls of the sound ocean: TOP 5 true wireless headphones

The Elari brand produces excellent accessories that are an integral part of the lifestyle of a modern person. NanoPods headphones are a strong competitor to the famous Apple AirPods, which beat them not only in price, but also in sound quality.

The in-ear design of the headphones gives rich sound and good sound isolation, which AirPods cannot boast of. NanoPods delight with a detailed stage, tight bass and clear highs. In a noisy metro, even an instrumental composition will be heard well.

It is noteworthy that the well-known blues musician Yevgeny Margulis speaks flatteringly about the model: “It’s like at home in the ears, and the sound is high”, and you can trust him in terms of sound.

The ergonomics of the model is also on top. The fit is snug with three pairs of silicone tips of different sizes to choose from, and thanks to the hooks that cling to the ear, it is also reliable. Each earphone weighs only 6 g, so you can hardly feel it. NanoPods are a great option for athletes because they don't fall out of your ears even when you're running or exercising.

2 batteries with a capacity of 50 mAh in each earphone provide battery life of 4.5 hours of talk time, and 3.5 hours of music playback. At the same time, the plastic magnetic case has its own battery with a capacity of 250 mAh, which means that every time the headphones are in it, they can also be recharged.

Before you can connect NanoPods to your smartphone or other Bluetooth device, you need to pair them with each other. This may not be done if you plan to use only one earpiece as a headset, and stereo sound is not required. Pairing occurs almost instantly, while the headphones greet you in Russian. A trifle, but nice.

For all this pleasure in black or white, you will have to pay only $ 70, which makes Elari NanoPods a real find, both for fans of true wireless headphones, and for those who just want to get to know them.

Apple has always been famous not only for fashionable and advanced, but also for convenient and easy-to-use gadgets. AirPods — outwardly actually a clone Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic Price from 353 up to 1 799 ₴, only without wires.

In appearance, these are ordinary earbuds in a glossy white plastic case. Miracles begin as soon as you take them out of the case. And in many ways, thanks to the built-in "apple" processor W1. First, AirPods are equipped with the Multipoint feature. They connect to any Apple device via iCloud and pair instantly via Bluetooth. Moreover, the communication range reaches 50 metres, even through one or two walls.

Management is implemented very conveniently. Double tap on the earpiece launches the pause, answer the call, Siri function. Also, the music will stop playing if you just take one earpiece out of your ear. The accelerometer sensor will work. However he only does this with Apple devices, but this is the only difference in control from Android. Otherwise, the functionality is identical.

Separately, we note the excellent battery life of AirPods. They work up to 5 hours in active mode and are recharged in the case. Moreover, the advanced case supports up to 4 charges, and it charges itself in just 40 minutes. That is, it is almost impossible to stay with discharged headphones.

This is where the advantages of AirPods end and the disadvantages begin.

Sound. He… is. As a headset, AirPods fully justify themselves. Good noise isolation of the microphone, the audibility of the interlocutor by you and you by the interlocutor. But the musical possibilities are very mediocre. As, however, in EarPods. Although, the "air" model plays even quieter, by 10 percent. Support for the AAC codec does not count. Without it, Apple is nowhere.

In general, if you are a lover of apple gadgets and everything connected with them, do not make great demands on sound, are ready to spend 230 USD for a pair of wireless earbuds, try on AirPods and if they sit firmly in your ears (there are no interchangeable ear pads for them , or they will fall out or not), take it boldly and enjoy.

Sports headphones from Bose SoundSport Wireless Free belong to the premium segment. At first, this makes clear their price (300 USD), and upon closer examination, everything else.

At first, the size of the headphones confuses. They look rather bulky, but they sit very tightly and securely in the ear, thanks to replaceable silicone wings and ear pads. In general, there is no discomfort from them, even after prolonged use. The model is claimed waterproof IPX4 and it's nice. You can train and run without fear.

For adherents of a brighter design, in addition to classic black, orange and blue models are offered.

In terms of functionality, everything is also on top, as befits a premium product. Voice prompts are implemented in 13 languages, including Russian. The control is intuitive, simple, the buttons, however, are pressed tightly, but there will be no accidental clicks. The model remembers up to 7 connections, so pairing is quick and hassle-free.

You can learn how to operate using the manual or the Bose Connect app. By the way, from it you can also use the headphone search function. If they are lost somewhere and you cannot find them, just press the search button and both headphones will immediately start emitting a loud signal.

The sound of SoundSport Wireless Free is just the case when you understand what you are paying a lot of money for. The sound is really good. The basses are not deaf, not blurry, velvety, the middle sticks out a little, but not critically, even pleasantly, I would like the top a little sharper, but this is subjective. Someone, on the contrary, will like their softness. In general, for wireless sports "plugs" the sound is simply excellent and, importantly, loud.

Headphones work in active mode up to 5 hours, and can be charged from the case twice. The case itself takes about 2 hours to charge. By the way, we didn't like it. Too bulky, uncomfortable, 100mm long and almost 50mm high. You can't really hide it in your pocket.

Bose SoundSport Wireless Free is not cheap, but a quality and solid product for lovers of branded items.

Even opponents of the Korean brand will not be able to argue that Samsung knows how to work on its own mistakes and correct them in the next models.

If the first true wireless "ears" Samsung Gear IconX worked on a single charge for only an hour and a half, then in Gear IconX 2018 the battery life indicator was almost tripled. However due to the increased battery life, the headphones have slightly acquired in size, but due to more streamlined shapes, this is almost imperceptible.

The new model is offered in three colour options: black, grey and pink. Interchangeable wings and ear pads in different sizes also come in colour. The earphones sit tight in the ears, but do not press. An unpleasant surprise was the absence of any sane water protection (splash does not count), and this is for a sports model ...

IconX 2018 removed the heart rate monitor, but left the running assistant, controlled through the S Health fitness application, which helps to count calories and steps using the accelerometer. For the convenience of “communication”, voice prompts are implemented in 9 languages, including Russian.

A cool feature of Icon X is the presence of built-in memory in the amount of 4 GB, of which 3.4 GB is available. That is, you can download a lot of music and listen without connecting to your phone for 7 hours.

I was pleased with the dense, loud enough sound with good detail, as well as support for the AAC format for the built-in player.

The new case has become smaller and more ergonomic. And you can charge it both from a standard USB cable and USB type C.

Well, of course, Samsung would not be Samsung if it had not implemented touch controls in the wireless headphone model. It is quite advanced here and requires prior familiarization. But, having mastered, you get a wide range of control functionality for the player and headset.

Gear IconX 2018 is a great headphone model for fans of the brand and all lovers of high-quality true wireless at an adequate price. As much as $40 cheaper than Apple AirPods, but they sound better and win in terms of functionality.

The Japanese always try to do everything honestly. Therefore, they often make good products. We decided to find out if the WF-1000X headphones belong to them.

The design of the "plugs" resembled a beetle. In general , they are made quite neatly and sit deep in the ears. 3 sets of interchangeable ear pads allow you to choose the most comfortable. With colours, however, not a lot, there are only two of them: black and golden.

The model focuses on the active noise reduction system Smart Listening. She has 2 modes: NC (Noise Cancelling), which cuts off street noise, and Ambient Sound (surround sound), which, on the contrary, focuses your hearing on the surrounding sounds. In fact, sound isolation, as such, is felt only passive, due to the tight and deep fit of the ear cushions, active, frankly, looks more like a marketing ploy.

If everything is fine with the quality of workmanship of Japanese masters, then with the concept of ergonomics, not so much. The case for the headphones is angular, frankly not pretty and not very convenient to carry in your pocket. The capacity of the built-in battery is enough for two charges of the headphones, and it will charge for about two hours.

With battery life, everything is debatable. The manufacturer claims 3 hours of operation in active mode. But not everyone knows that this duration was measured at a volume of 50%. That is, in fact, at a normal volume of 70 – 80% on a single charge, the WF-1000X will not last even two hours. And this is not at all happy. Especially in headphones costing almost $250.

Observing such a weak battery life, we expected that the sound quality compensates for these shortcomings, because we are talking about Sony.

Our hopes were dashed against the flat reefs of an ocean of mediocre sound. Fortunately, at least compatibility with "apple" devices was taken care of by including AAC in the list of supported codecs. However, as a headset, the model will serve with a bang. This is where active noise cancellation comes in handy.

And the headphones boast the presence of NFC and the ability to fine-tune using the Sony Connect application. In it, you can wind yourself up with a more or less decent sound and deal with NC modes.

In general, we will not groan at the WF-1000X, but we will also gasp. Fortunately, the Japanese once again confirmed that they know how to work on bugs, as evidenced by the release of a new model of true wireless headphones Sony WF-SP700 , which promises to blow away all competitors. Well. We hope and wait!

And we recommend the WF-1000X for phone calls and short musical performances without any complaints about the quality of the sound stage.