Tag Archives: Buds

Mobile, News

AKG Releases the N400 Wireless Earphones! Galaxy Buds+ Plus?

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Having in-ear type earphones is one of the best ways to block out the outside world with music. It helps you isolate in a noise world. This is especially useful in these trying times when you are stuck at home trying to tolerate your family or roommates. It is also useful in your work-from-home condition when you just need to isolate yourself in a tight space shared with your significant other, or other members of your household. What makes the earphones even better is when you get one with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). That isolates you even further and immerses you in the music and your workspace even more.

Source: Samsung South Korea

Samsung sort of started this craze of True wireless (TWS) earbuds with their first ever Samsung IconX. That was a small earphone thing that got my attention when it was launched. We said small, compared to what we get today though, the IconX was quite behemoth in size. That is not to take away from what it can do though.

Samsung continued with their fresh line of TWS earphones a year ago when they launched their brand-new Samsung Galaxy Buds. A big bump over the IconX with smaller footprints. I have one with me and I do like it a lot, especially for exercises. It does not hurt that the Galaxy Buds was also made in collaboration with AKG, Samsung’s sub-company.

There was one thing lacking from the Buds though; it did not have ANC. The next iteration of it, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+, was rumoured to have ANC too. It did not come with ANC, and now we are left wanting.

Enter the AKG N400. AKG has been known to make studio quality audio equipment. The part they played in the development of the Samsung Galaxy Buds series is not small either. They are a reputable brand in the world of audiophiles.

The AKG N400 is a little bit of surprise to us. When we saw the Samsung Galaxy Buds, and later the Buds+, we though that this is it; this is AKG’s TWS earphones in your hands. AKG, with the N400 says; “not quite”.

Source: Samsung South Korea

The AKG N400 is actually more expensive than the outgoing Samsung Galaxy Buds+. It is a more premium item though. Why? It has ANC, that is why.

Why did we tout this as the Galaxy Buds+ Plus? Because of this AKG’s similarity to its distant cousin, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+. The buds design is quite similar to the other. Even the case is quite similar with a little more heft here at the bottom. The case also charges the N400 once over giving the AKG TWS earbuds up to 12 hours of battery life without ANC on. With ANC on, it gets 10 hours of battery life in total.

It even has a touch button with IPX7 rating. The similarities also extend to the wingtip design of the buds. The only difference here is that Samsung does not ship their Buds or Buds+ with extra ear wing tips; this does.

Source: Samsung South Korea

For now, the AKG N400 ANC TWS earbuds is available only in South Korea. It is priced at KRW 230,000. That is approximately MYR 812 by today’s conversion rate. That price tag brings it a little closer to the price tag of the Sony WF-1000XM3 ANC TWS earbuds which we dearly love. Would it be as good or better? We will only find out if the AKG N400 makes it to Malaysia.

Accessories, Mobile, News

Samsung Unpacks the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ (Plus) – The Samsung TWS Reloaded

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There were two very big things that was launched in the Samsung Unpacked 2020 that just happened a few hours ago. Both of them very interesting devices to grace the market as well. The Samsung Galaxy S20 flagship has just refreshed the Samsung Galaxy S line-up. The Samsung Z Flip is certainly a new direction for Samsung and the smartphone industry.

There is another smaller star that was launched in the Unpacked event just now too. It is also literally smaller in size. The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ (Plus) they call it. The name is not new though, there is just an additional ‘+’ (plus) there. So this is kind of a revolution of an existing product more than anything else.

Source: Samsung

Previous rumours mentions that the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ will come with Active Noise Cancelling. In the reveal though, this is not the case. There are some new things packed within the earphones though.

Within the same package is a bigger battery that should allow it to last a few more hours per charge. That gives it a total of 11 hours of use. With a single extra charge from the case, you get up to 22 hours of listening time, about 4 hours more than the old Samsung Galaxy Buds. We suspect that the Buds+ might work with the old case as well. They look similar.

There are more drivers within the earphones as well. There is two dedicated drivers now; one for treble or mid to high frequencies, one for bass or low frequencies. This should address some of the low frequency weakness we find on the old Samsung Galaxy Buds.

There are 2 more mics to find on the Galaxy Buds+ too. One of them is placed inside your ear to ensure better sounding calls from your end at least. We suspect that the mic inside is more to capture the sound vibrations from your jaw to reproduce clearer sounding voices for calls.

Samsung has also worked with Spotify to make the Galaxy Buds more app friendly. A long press on the right side of the Samsung Galaxy Buds while on Spotify will give you recommended playlist based on Spotify’s profile of you. Quite brilliant for discovering new songs without looking at the app itself.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds should be available in two colours as usual. The one we saw was the white colour variant. There is a black variant with that too. If you saw our previous article on the Samsung Z Flip already, you should also know that there is a Thom Browne edition to the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ too. We suspect that the Thom Browne edition only comes bundled with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne edition. The Galaxy Buds+ will retail for US$ 149 (MYR 616*) when it is available. You can find more information on their website.

* Approximate conversion based on US$ 1 = MYR 4,13 on 12/02/2020

UPDATE: Samsung Galaxy Buds+ will be available in Malaysia for MYR 599. You can expect the earphones in stores on the 4th of March 2020 onward, same as the Samsung Galaxy S20 series. You can also get it as a bundle when you purchase the Samsung Galaxy S20+ and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra through the pre-order program. Of course, pre-order units are quite limited too.

News

Realme 5i and Buds Air Launched For MYR 599 and MYR 299!

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The Realme brand has always been a brand that has dedicated itself to releasing great devices at even greater prices. The Realme 5 series is their latest line-up that continues this philosophy of great devices at great prices. The stables has two already great value devices with the Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro.

Then there is the Realme 5S, a small update for the Realme 5 device. Now, there is the Realme 5i to add to the Realme 5 series family. The Realme 5i continues with the wallet friendly scheme at MYR 599. For that kind of money you will get the innovative Quad Camera set-up with an Ultra-Wide lens equipped with Nightscape 2.0 mode and smart video stabilisation. It packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 System on a Chip (SoC) for maximum attack as well. With 5,000mAh, you will not be wanting to find a charging point anytime during the day. Oh yes, you can reverse charge your other devices with the Realme 5i if you need to. All these goodness pushes the Android 9.0 with ColorOS 6.1 on to a 6.5-inch display with a Mini-Drop notch for its front-facing camera.

The Realme 5i did not come to Malaysia alone though. It came with a product that has been the rage since 2019. It is a True Wireless earphone. It is the Realme Buds Air. It comes in three colours; white, black, and yellow. It sets you back MYR 299.

The Realme Buds Air is a Apple AirPods-esque looking earbuds that comes with a slightly more compact battery pack/charging case. The earbuds themselves boasts three hours in playback time. The case charges about four times to give the earbuds a total of 17-hours in playback time. It packs touch controls for convenient music and volume controls. Its custom designed R1 chip inside not only powers and boosts bass for the 12mm drivers, but also improves Bluetooth latency and stability.

The Realme 5i will be available in stores across the nation from the 18th on January 2020 onward. Online sales starts ont he 28th of January 2020 onward. If you do get yours from Lazada on that day, you are entitled to an exclusive Chinese New Year gift box.

The Realme Buds Air will be available 21st January 2020 onward exclusively on Shopee. For now, it will be only available in white colour. The yellow and black variant will come at a later date. If you do get it on the 21st of January 2020, you can get your hands on one for MYR 100 less than its actual price at MYR 199.