wireless – Tech Raman

ZAKK Woodstock Bluetooth Speaker with Retro design Launched in India

Lakshmi Rajan — Tue, 07 May 2019 16:51:01 +0000

There is something endearing about retro, classic designs and that is what the newly launched ZAKK Woodstock wireless speaker is betting upon. Clad in leather and wood finish it has an old-school retro vibes and can be a head turner at your living room with the convenience of wireless connectivity. Priced at Rs 4,999 the Zakk Woodstock speaker comes with two 12W speakers, a sub-woofer and a built-in mic. The built-in 2200mAh battery promises an 8 hours audio playback and takes around 3-4 hours to charge completely. The Speaker is available through Amazon, Flipkart and Paytm, and offline stores. Speaking about ZAKK Woodstock, Anuj Chokra, Founder & CEO – ZAKK, said, “The ZAKK Woodstock Bluetooth Speakers is a compact, stout-hearted hero with a well-balanced audio which boasts a clear midrange and extended highs for a sound that is both articulate and pronounced. The premium leather and hardwood finish on this speaker brings the old-school retro vibes back into modern times. So, turn on, tune in & drop out!” The ZAKK wirless speaker range also include the Lounge and Party Bluetooth speakers. These are priced at Rs 3,999 and Rs 3,799, respectively and are available through online and offline stores. ]]>

Skullcandy Push Truly Wireless Earbuds Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 23:42:26 +0000

Truly Wireless Earbuds” are the talk of the music town. Now, they come in various hues, styles and price points making it really a difficult job to narrow down the right pair for you. Skullcandy has joined the bandwagon with the Push priced at Rs 9,999 in India. So are these the buds you should lay your hands at? For that, keep reading our Skullcandy Push review where I unravel the pros and cons of the new buds in town. Out of the box, you get the:

Paid of buds
Charging case
Type C cable
Extra pair of ear tips
and user manual

The best part of the truly wireless earbuds are most of them come with a charging case – you can toss your earbuds in them and they not just rest but also gets charged up. The Skullcandy charging case is slightly bulky compared to a few other I have come across but still pocketable. It is made of plastic and frankly, I expected a bit of more premiums in terms of finish and make. The charging case and earbuds come in what the company states as Psychotropical Teal colour a sort of metallic green. Though I personally liked the Tangerine colour variant they have but it is available only on a limited number. So probably you might settle for this green colour. The case has the funky Skullcandy logo on it. There is no spring mechanism for the lid and you will have to manually pry them open. There are blue LED light indicators to give you the estimate of the charge remaining on the case. The USB Type C for charging is a good addition, but if you are still stuck with microUSB type C on your Smartphone, you might have to carry the type C cable that comes with the box while travelling. But I would suppose if you are spending 10 grands on this earbuds, you probably do have a Smartphone that uses type C port. The earbuds snuggle into the charging case and they don’t fall if you turn the case upside down with lid open. They don’t fall because of the magnetic pogo pins which held them to the case and pass on the charging juice too. While the earbuds look a bit big, they are quite flat too and lightweight. The company calls them FinFit wings, and they do keep the buds steady during exercise. There is one single large button on both the pairs. They offer good haptic feedback and are pleasant to use. About the controls? well, there are few bag full of tricks which you might have to learn to use them. The Skullcandy Push are decently well-made headphones. They are made of plastic and don’t feel like premium headphones but should still be solid enough to survive a few accidental drops. They are rated IPX3 for sweat and splashing water resistance. The fit is good and is stable enough for running and much of physical activity and in gyms. They sit upright on your ears and the fins keep it stable. In my use for the last 10 days, I didn’t face an instance of it popping out during my general use and workouts.

Skullcandy Push controls

There is one button control for all the needs. You make single or multiple tap or press for a set duration for activating different functions as listed below.

Pairing first time: Press the left button for 7 seconds
Power on/off: Press for 5 seconds
Play/Pause: Single Tap
Volume Up: Quick double tap on right button
Volume down: Quick double tap on left button
Next track: Long press for 3 sec on right bud
Previous track: Long press for 3 sec on left bud

It is quite easy once you get used to the combinations but the voice assistant failed to activate on my use for whatsoever reason.

Performance of Skullcandy Push

TECH SPECS

Connection Type: Bluetooth® 4.2
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Driver Diameter: 9.2mm
THD: <3% at 1KHz
Sound Pressure Level: 100 +/-3dB (1mW/500Hz)
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz
Weight: 54.2g

If you are a bass lover, the Push should impress you. It is slightly bass heavy and in my experience, I find many people prefer this than a pure audiophile would love. They have a powerful, thumpy and consistent bass, a decently well-balanced mid-range, and a good treble. Since they emphasise more on the bass, you might feel the mids and vocals slightly taking a back seat but overall the earphones are great for bass-heavy music and general populace might like this. The passive noise activation is not very effective though it’s not bad either. You might have to find the right ear tips and figure the best match for your ears. The audio leakage is minimal which means you might not be disturbing the person sitting next to you even when listening on high volume. Call quality is decent enough to manage your calls. Though it was disappointing to note that the microphone and call audio are only available on the left earbud. If you want to know if you can use only one earbud for listening to music, yes you can but only on the left bud while the right can rest on the case. I tried resting the left bud on the case and listen on the right one and it doesn’t work that way. It is not water resistant and I guess it might be IPX3 which means a slight splash should be ok but not beyond that.

Battery life of Skullcandy Push

Skullcandy states a battery life of 6 hours and another backup of 6 hours the charging case offers. 6 hours is good for a truly wireless earphone and most of you would not be draining the charge in one stretch. The case though has only one additional charge so totalling 12 hours. The additional capacity/cycle is a bit less than many of the earphones I have tried. Still, you should not be worrying much of the battery life and 12 hours is still a decent duration even if you are travelling.

Connectivity

It is strange to know Skullcandy have opted for Bluetooth 4.2 when we have Bluetooth 5 around which offers a better range and power efficiency. These Bluetooth headphones can only connect to one device at a time, and they also don’t support NFC. In spite of the BT 4.2, I was happy with the range these pairs offered. While watching movies on Netflix or Youtube, I didn’t notice any significant latency worth mentioning.

Verdict

If you are a bass lover and you want a truly wireless experience, Skullcandy Push would please you. A lack of proper IP certification for water resistance, the absence of Bluetooth 5 and microphone and calling ability restricted to left earbud leave a sour note but on a positive side, it offers a great fit, a decent battery life and bass-heavy audio which most of you might prefer. Skullcandy Push is no pushover.

]]>

1MORE Stylish Dual-Dynamic Driver Bluetooth Earphone Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:32:29 +0000

1MORE Stylish Box Contents Once you open the box, you are treated to a cool sketch on the inside cover that elevates the brand premium quotient. Everything is perfectly packed inside with utmost care.

1MORE Stylish in-ear headphone
A carry case
3 pair extra ear-tips
microUSB cable
documents

1MORE Stylish in-ear headphone design

Personally, I don’t like neckband designs. I find them either thick, stiff, heavy or weighing on the neck like a leash. But they also happen to be good design for running and workouts. But it came as a pleasant surprise that the 1MORE stylish had a thin design that doesn’t feel heavy. At 23 grams its barely there around your neck. Even the band is thin and is flexible. It comes in two colors – a midnight black and Rose pink color that I have here. There are two modules at either side, with the left housing all the controls. There is a power button that is also used for first time pairing with your phone. The button also combines as play/pause and to attend calls. Next to that is the volume controls but there is no track change option. 1MORE has used ABS material. The earbuds are slightly angled and are comfortable. You could choose your own fitting ear-tips for perfect comfort. The wires connecting both the earbuts are not braided but looks like it would last longer.

1MORE Stylish in-ear headphone performance

They have used dual-dynamic drivers in the headphone. The audio is clear. The instrument separation is fairly good and the vocals are very clear. The mids are above average and does a good job, the highs are good too. The bass is not overpowering but well balanced. So this is not for the bass heads but for those who love a well rounded audio. Call quality is good too. The bluetooth range is good.

1MORE Stylish battery life

One of the highlight of the headphone is the quick charge feature. It takes 50 minutes for full charge but gives 6 hours battery life but if you are in a hurry a mere 10 minutes gives you 3 hours of playback time, which is a life saver in our face paced life. I did get close to 6 hours in my tests.

Verdict

1MORE Stylish dual-driver BT in-ear headphone is available at a pre-order price of Rs 4,500. If you are looking at a balanced audio, a light weight, thin and flexible neckband design this should satisfy you. The quick charge feature is a big bonus. ]]>

Mivi Collar Neckband Bluetooth Earphone Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 23:24:21 +0000

You hate that long wire hooking up to your Smartphone while listening to music, else you won’t be here reading this. And probably you also want to listen music while doing an workout? If answer is yes to both, then you should keep reading this Mivi Collar bluetooth earphone review till the end. Mivi is an Indian company with a portfolio containing headphones and other accessories like cables, chargers for Smartphones. They recently launched this Mivi Collar bluetooth earphone targeted at both music buffs and health freaks and is available for Rs 2,699 in Amazon India while the MRP is stated at Rs 4,999.

Box contents:

Mivi Collar
Eartips (two pairs)
microUSB cable
User manual

Design and build

The neckband design is unique with an around the neck wearing style, while it might not be appealing to all, it is a niche product with a specific use case and targeted at certain user groups. The build quality of Mivi is quiet good and the band is flexible. While the band itself is made of plastic, the earbuds has metal construction. The mix of plastic and metal also helps to maintain the weight overall. While it weighs 30 grams, it does not weigh down on your neck. The earbuds have magnetic base and they clasp together (like in the pic below) and also snugs inside their respective placements within the neckband. When you are not listening to music, the magnetic earbuds secures themselves in its place. The right part of the neckband has the power button which is also a multi function button and a microUSB port. The left side has the volume buttons which also doubles up as track change buttons. Overall the Mivi Collar has an interesting if not a curious design. Bluetooth earphones unlike the bigger over-the-ear headphones are easy to loose or tend to fall while using them. The usual Bluetooth earphone type includes a thin wire connecting both the earbuds which are prone to fall easily, the neckband is much more secured piece of earphone. It wraps around your neck neatly and stands a less chance of loosing it even when you are not listening and just hanging around your neck, one reason why people like the neckband design.

Mivi Collar Specifications:

Impedance –16 ohms
Sensitivity – 104 db+/-3
Frequency range – 20Hz~20KHz
Battery Life – 10 Hours (at 70% Volume)
Battery – 150 mAh
Bluetooth VER4.1
Bluetooth range – 30 feet
Aptx Support – Yes
Bluetooth ICCSR 8645

Performance

Mivi Collar deliver and sound pretty decent audio but if you are keen on thumbing bass, this produces only reasonable amount of bass and it distorts at higher volume. The vocals are clear but the mid tones are bit cloudy. Suffice to say this neckband like most in this price segment is not for those avid listeners but works well for casual listening and it works decently as a headset. No one reported any call quality issues the time I took calls on this headset. Bluetooth connectivity was good and stable, I had no drops or hiccups while walking around my home with phone in the pocket. Even at times when I placed the phone in the table, the range was pretty good. The buttons are easy to reach and use while changing tracks, controlling volume or to play/pause or answer incoming calls. Battery life is decent; it’s rated for 10 hours of music playback and you get vibrating prompts telling you that the headphone is on and in pairing mode. The ends of the neckband also vibrates, alerting you to incoming calls, an interesting take.

Conclusion

Mivi Collar definitely sounds better than the Samsung Level U in case you are comparing both. The design might not be very refined or solid like the Level U but the Collar is functional and practical to use. At the price you could pick on Amazon, it sounds a good deal.]]>

Astrum ST 150 SoundBox Bluetooth Speaker Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 14:00:58 +0000

While Bluetooth speakers offer mobility and wireless advantages, a big reason I love checking out various Bluetooth speaker models are for the sheer quirky designs the manufacturers come out with. The speakers are available in various colors, shapes and designs and that attracts me a lot. Astrum is a Hongkong based company that manufacturers a range of computer accessories and speakers, what I got here is a pocket sized speaker and let’s see in this Astrum ST150 Soundbox Bluetooth speaker review how it fares in terms of design and performance.

Specifications:

Dimension: 124 x 47 x 20mm (L x W x H)
Weight: 115 gms
Bluetooth 4.0
Range upto 10m
Output: 5W x 2
Frequency response: 180Hz – 18kHz
Speakers: 32mm diaphragm (2 speaker)
Battery: 700mAh Li-Ion
Charging time: upto 2.5 hours
Play time: up to 4 hours

Box contents:

Speaker
Manual
microUSB cable
Lanyard cable

Design

Mouth organ musical instrument. That’s the first thought that came in mind when I opened the box and took a look at the device. The Astrum ST 150 is very compact and can be slid into trouser pocket. The build quality is top notch, the side has a metallic finish with chamfered edges giving it a neat, clean look. The oxidised color of the side panel makes it visually appealing. Even the power button on the right side has a quality build and sports a concentric patterned design, adding more marks to the design. Next to the power button is the microUSB port. To make carrying easier, there is an lanyard eye and the box includes a cable in case you want to use it. Sitting behind the front speaker grille are two 5 watts speakers.

Performance

Astrum ST 150 is a pint sized speaker and understandably I kept my expectations compact too. The speaker output is loud enough for the small size. The bass is weak though, if you are fond of it. The trebles are Ok but there is distortion if you crank up the volume to max. It should be noted the frequency response starts at 180Hz , so low frequency notes suffers but being a small speaker, it is ideally not for audiophile indulgence rather for better portability and sneaking it on your small bag or pocket and music on the go. There is a mic, so you can use it as a handsfree speaker phone to attend calls. The call quality is average. The Astrum ST 150 does not offer extra features like FM or SD card support. There is no aux input too.

Verdict

Astrum ST 150 retails around Rs 2700 in India which is quiet a hefty price undoubtedly. If you are looking for a pocket fitting Bluetooth speaker, Astrum ST 150 works well. Its handy and has a good build quality and you can listen on the go and is compact to drop in your pocket and move around.]]>

Ambrane BT-2000 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 16:16:42 +0000

Speaker

User manual

Warranty card and

USB to micro USB data cable.

Design:

The Ambrane BT 2000 is a tiny cube measuring 5cm x 5cm x 5cm and has a plastic construction. It weighs around 95 grams. There is no controls on the speaker itself except for the power on/off toggle. Alongside the power button, you also have a microUSB port and an aux port. One side has the Ambrane branding and a mic. The top side has the speaker grille with a metallic chrome frame around it.

Performance:

5W speaker
Bluetooth 4.2 HD DAC
400mAh battery

Inside the tiny speaker is a single 5W acoustic driver. It pairs with a bluetooth 4.2 and has a 10 meter range. I faced no issue pairing the speaker with my phone and the range was satisfactory. The sound output is satisfactory considering the tiny size. While the bass is not heavy as expected of the small dimension, the audio is clear. Surprisingly, it is also loud enough for a small room. You can also use the BT-2000 as a hands-free speaker and the mic quality is decent enough. The battery life is around 6 hours on a full charge.

Verdict:

The Ambrane BT-2000 is a no-frills simple compact speaker. I didn’t had much expectation when I started with the review but the audio quality is decent for an entry-level budget wireless speaker. At 999, it might be a tad little pricier but if you are looking at a really small bluetooth speaker with a fairly loud and clear audio, the BT-2000 could be one of the choice. ]]>

Bluedio T4 Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 00:17:10 +0000

Box contents: The Bluedio T4 comes in a neat looking black box complete with a magnetic flap. The box contents include:

T4 headphone
A soft carry pouch
USB Type-C charging cable
Audio cable with 3.5mm jack at both the ends
User manual

Design and Build quality

The T4 is available in three color choices – black , white and red. Being someone who adores bright colors, I picked up the bold red color. The design of the T4 Turbine is quiet premium and has a sturdy build quality complete with metal frame and faux-leather padding. The protruding hinges might look a bit odd, but it worked well for me in terms of design. A bit different looking yet no complaints. The T4 is not entirely foldable, so while you can fit it into the pouch it does take a bit more space than some other headphones that offer more foldable designs. The Bluedio T4 is a bit on the heavy side but it is still comfortable, though they are not very stable but only if you are running around with them. The headband is well padded and is adjustable, it even has marks with 1-10 to know the level of adjustments. The ear cans are also padded well and are satisfyingly soft and comfortable on ears. The ear cups rotate in only one direction. Its on-ear design.

Controls:

All the controls are laid on the left can and has the metallic finish. There is the power on/off buttons and a bit above that is the multi-purpose button for play/pause, talk through. There is a single long button also that acts as the volume up/down button and also track skipping , though it took me couple of minutes to figure out how the track skip works on this single button. Also, the volume button is a bit behind and not easy to access intuitively. The surface of the can has the ANC switch which is a bit stiff to use. In short, the Bluedio T4 has a durable design and is clearly made to withstand a decent amount of rough use and handling.

Performance

The Bluedio T4 is an average-sounding pair of closed-back headphones but fares positively better considering its price point. The T4 Turbing has a deep and extended Bass, an average Mid and a decent Treble reproduction. The bass is bit full and to the liking of many of the average users. The bass though is relatively flat. The treble range is covered well. Sound stage is not very roomier and is bit tight. The T4 has a decent noise cancellation performance but the small opening and the on the ear design does not seal the ears entirely, leaving some vents for ambient noise. The audio leak is there too , though not very much but its there. Now coming to the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) , I ended up using most times without enabling it, ANC works in theory by smoothening the low frequency of noises by picking them with the mics on the cans but in T4 I found them shredding the low bass rumbles of the music too and make it less thin, so I preferred listening without ANC on. Battery life is pretty good. The stated hours is 19 hours and I got pretty close to it. Even charging time is pretty fast and took me around 1 hours 40 minutes for a full charge from zero. Plus, even if the battery dies, you can use the audio cable to continue listening music. In short, for the price bracket again T4 Turbing doesn’t give me much scope for complaints.

Verdict

Bluedio T4 is a decent pair of headphones which are bit bass-heavy. They are good for use while commuting also and a good battery life means it makes a good companion while on travel. If you like the Bluedio T4 check it on the Banggood website by clicking HERE. You can also try this code ad7b11 to avail 20% discount. ]]>

Rapoo T120P Touch wheel mouse launched in India, available in 5 colors

Lakshmi Rajan — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 06:02:59 +0000

Key features of Rapoo T120P touch mouse:

5GHz Super anti-interference wireless connection
10meter of working range
4 direction touch scroll wheel with vibration response sense
Specially designed for Windows8
Left/Right Tilt
Exquisite and Fashionable
1000DPI high-precision invisible optical tracing engine
Supports MAC/XP/Vista/Win7/Win8 system
Plug-and-play nano receiver
Available in black, white, red, yellow, green

]]>

Rapoo 9020 wireless keyboard and mouse combo – review

Lakshmi Rajan — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:33:54 +0000

Back to back we are having a Rapoo wireless peripherals review. In our previous review we covered Rapoo 7800p wireless mouse that works on 5GHz frequency and we had good words to talk about the wireless rodent. In this review, we have Rapoo 9020 combo, a generic wireless combination of keyboard and mouse that works on 2.4GHz wireless connection. The 9020 combo comes in a sleek packaging and the box includes:

The keyboard
mouse
2.4 GHz nano USB receiver
a documentation
2 AAA alkaline batteries
2 AA alkaline batteries

Lets talk about the keyboard first. Rapoo 9020 keyboard strikes a familiar chord and the design DNA is very similar to the Rapoo E6500 keyboard we reviewed sometimes back. Featuring a very sleek and ultra thin profile, the small and compact 9020 keyboard has a 288mm x 110mm x 5.8mm dimension. The keyboard uses a scissor key structure. Due to the structural design, you have the keys closely placed and also requires less force to tap.The rear features a steel base plate which not just adds to the premium value but also adds the desired weight to the keyboard and keeps it sturdy. The battery compartment and logic board is fused to the steel plate giving it a wedge shape which also give the slight elevation for ease of typing. The rear packs a two AAA alkaline batteries to power up the wireless device. There is also a power on/off button to increase the battery life when not in use. The function keys makes the 9020 keyboard media friendly by giving quick access to Home, Play/Pause, Fast Forward, Mute, Decrease Volume, Increase Volume etc. The other standard keys one expect in a keyboard finds their respective places too. Pairing the combo is straightforward and is a plug and play affair. Plug the nano receive to the USB port and the keyboard and the mouse comes alive. [gallery link="file" ids="5585,5583,5584"] There is nothing much to talk about the included mouse in the 9020 combo. Not a full blown sized mouse, its compact and measures 62mm x 98mm. I am not a big fan of compact mouses, so I found the 7800p mouse which we previously reviewed better. But the 9020 mouse goes with the small nature of the keyboard. So it compliments well the included keyboard. You have to open the top compartment of the mouse to fit in the two AA batteries. The mouse has an invisible tracking engine and has a 1000 DPI which gives a good balance of accuracy and movement. [gallery link="file" ids="5589,5588,5587"]

What I liked

Compact and sturdy keyboard with a base steel plate
One USB nano receiver for both the keyboard and mouse, it frees an additional USB port for other uses
10 meter working range
Portable

What I did not like

lack of Bluetooth connectivity

]]>

Rapoo 3920P laser mouse with customizable button now available in India

Lakshmi Rajan — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:46:44 +0000

In yet another product announcement for India, Rapoo, the company focused on making wireless peripherals announced the availability of its Rapoo 3920P laser mouse. The mouse has a 800/1600 DPI button setting allowing to control the sensitivity and precision. Working on laser engine also makes it nearly work on any surface including glass. To make your regular working easy, the mouse also allows to customize the buttons for Forward,Back,Tilt-wheel,Zoom-in,Zoom-out etc for quicker access. The scroll wheel also can be navigated sideways for lateral movement. Rapoo 3920P works on 5GHz wireless transmission giving it an extra edge over the 2.4GHz wireless,bluetooth and WIFI device. RAPOO 3920P wireless mouse comes with a MRP of Rs 3,349 along with 2 years replacement warranty.

Key features of Rapoo 3920P mouse

5 GHz anti-interference wireless transmission
Customized Functions like Forward, Back, Tilt-wheel, among others
18 month long battery life with power on/off button
A laser engine that can work on any surface
800/1600 DPI button for precision and sensitivity control
Compact body with metal texture and fashionable look

]]>