Nothing does it again and launched their own set of wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2). This one picks up from the first, Ear (1) wireless headphones. It is even priced the same as the previous earbuds at MYR 599.
Right out of the gate, you can tell that this will be a better pair of earphones than before. It boasts Hi-Res Audio certification where the previous one did not. It also packs LHDC 5.0 technology for an even better near lossless audio experience with the Ear (2). There is also an app now, the Nothing X app, to even fine tune the earphones to your ears.
You still get an 11.6mm Dynamic driver inside the earphones. It is one of the bigger drivers you can find on a modern earphone. The large driver could mean that you might get punchier audio from the earphones. That driver is also housed in a new dual-chamber design that is meant to improve acoustics and airflow within the earphone’s case.
Source: Nothing
Like the Ear (1), it comes with Noise Cancelling technology. Unlike the Hybrid Noise Cancelling technology you find in the first Nothing Ear, the Ear (2) features a personalized and adaptive Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology that offers better noise isolation and cancelling than before cancelling up to 40dB of noise. The mics also pick up ambient noise better than before.
Alongside the new noise cancelling technology, the Nothing Ear (2) also now features Dual Connection for you to easily connect and switch between two devices simultaneously and quickly. Of course, it has the new Fast Pair/Swift Pair technology that most modern wireless earphones offer today. The new mic algorithm with three high-definition mics and Clear Voice Technology is meant to pick up your voice better than before for crystal clear calls.
Where the previous earphones offer up to 24 hours of continuous listening experience with ANC turned on, the Nothing Ear (2) offers up to 22.5 hours with ANC on. With each charge, the Nothing Ear (2) offers 4 hours of listening experience at a time, which is also about an hour less than its predecessor. While that might seem to be a downgrade, you do want to remember that the Nothing Ear (2) is more feature packed than ever, which might be why its batteries lasts a little shorter than before.
You get better hardware installation than before too. Where the previous earphones offer IPX4 water resistance, the new Ear (2) offers IP54 water and dust resistance. The charging case offers IP55 water and dust resistance so you can keep the Ear (2) safe in the case.
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
The Nothing Ear (2) is now available from all authorised dealers and resellers in Malaysia. There are no colour options available, just the plain white and transparent option you see. As mentioned, it will set you back MYR 599. More on the Nothing Ear (2) can be found on their website.
Let us first clarify what the title means for a second. It is really a reflection of the experience of the pair of earbuds itself, nothing to do with its build or even sound quality. It is a Sony headphone after all, one that retails for MYR 849.
This is an odd pair of kit. Sony is famous with their noise cancelling offerings. There is the very famous WH-1000XM4 and the WF-1000XM4. These are the best pair of noise cancelling headphones money can buy currently.
So, what was Sony thinking when they made the WF-L900 LinkBuds? Their marketing blurb says that it is the only headphones you will never have to take off. They also said that it is permanently on transparent mode.
On paper, you are getting a lot less than the WF-1000XM4 noise cancelling earbuds. The price tag is a little lower too for sure, but MYR 849 is not exactly cheap still. Is the asking price a fair one? Would this be a pair of headphones we never knew we needed? Would you be better off with a WF-1000XM4 instead? Let us find out
Design
The first thing that greets you, when you open your box made from the recycled paper, is not the two pairs of earbuds. It is the clamshell style case. It also looks like one.
The outer shell is made entirely out of what Sony claims to be recycled plastic. It looks the part too; most recycled plastic panels have the same texture and look. It feels grainy and smooth at the same time. It feels expectedly premium too.
Because it is made mostly of plastic, it is much lighter than what we expected. Curiously, the case can still charge the LinkBuds at least twice over. There is no wireless charging for this device though, that could explain its weight.
There are no magnets to keep the cap closed. The hinge is spring-loaded and swings open when you press the button at the front. There is a pairing button sitting beside a USB Type-C port. The case is very minimal, and very tiny.
Then you open it and find the LinkBuds with two large domes staring back at you with the chromed rings. The recess on the case for the ear loops looks oversized at first, until you rummage through the packaging to find extra ear loops. No multiple inserts for the ear tips here, there are no ear tips to begin with
The recess for the main body of the buds is quite shallow making cleaning as easy as dabbing the seats with a piece of cloth or tissue paper. The recess is also where you see the infrared sensors that senses the earbuds and two charging pins.
The earbuds are also designed with minimalism in mind. There are no additional magnets other than the ones in the ring drivers here. The LinkBuds themselves feature two recess that are made to be caught by latches on the case to secure the earbuds in the case, in case the magnets are not enough.
The earbuds, at 4g, is feather light. You can keep it in your hands, walk around, drop it and not feel a thing. You can put it into your ears, and then forget about it the entire day even when the battery runs out. Trust me, it happened to me.
Fit and Finish
Their odd shapes make for an odd fitting. Unlike regular earbuds, fitment of the LinkBuds really depends on the size of the ear loop that presses against the inner part of your ear. The ring part goes into the hole, but you cannot push it all the way in. Instead, it simply rests on your ears.
With a good fit, the LinkBuds should feel natural in your ears. It should stay in place even with heavy headbanging. After some time, you forget that it is in your ears.
Features
Of course, the most important feature of the Sony LinkBuds is its transparency mode. It allows you to keep your music on but be completely aware of your surroundings.
Always Transparent Mode
The transparency mode is a permanent feature. There is no proper way to seal the headphones. You can sort of stuff things into the middle of the ring, but we do not recommend that.
Because there is no artificial processing, you are getting clean, natural sounding ambient noise. You can have a completely normal conversation with your peers without taking off your headphones or stopping your music.
Oddly enough, there is a Speak-to-Chat function built into this pair of headphones. We never needed it and kept it off. I have tried ordering coffee with the set of headphones without any issues. I can have full conversations with my friends with the headphones on as well.
Oddly Intuitive Wide Tap Area Gesture Control
There are no touch controls on either bud. Accidentally turning down your volume, pause your music, or launch Google Assistant or Alexa by adjusting your earbuds is a thing of the past. There is a still gesture control. You need to tap right next to your ear to get it working. It does not work on a single tap too, which is another great way to prevent accidental inputs. It is either a double tap or triple tap, and it works well for us.
It is rather intuitive once you know what to do. Sure, you can only fit up to four commands in this case for the LinkBuds. Four is enough for most use cases.
The system is not perfect though. Despite the ‘wide’ moniker, you cannot tap too far away from the headphones to register an input. You want your taps to be distinct as well.
IPX4 Construction
Water resistance is important on this pair of headphones. In our minds, this is the type of headphones you wear for extended periods. There are already a few instances where we left the case in the car when we are out and about with the earphones in our ears.
You might take it for a quick run around your neighbourhood too. In that case, it will be exposed to the elements. It can take rain, shine, or even sweat with no issues.
Sony Headphones App
This being a premium Sony product, it gets Sony’s Headphone app. It is different from other headphones we are used to though. Obviously, The WF-L900 LinkBuds does not feature noise cancellation. You will find the ambient noise slider or toggle.
The controls for the Sony LinkBuds are more simplified than what we are used to as well. You still have control over the EQ presets, which we left to Bass Boost. You can change the gesture controls, DSEE settings, speak-to-chat function, and Sony 360 Reality Audio on the app. The ear analysis feature remains too. It works, but the difference is not night and day.
Performance
While part of the MYR 849 that you are paying is for the unique qualities of this truly wireless earphones, its main purpose is a personal listening gear. For that, it should also still perform like a Sony should. We are happy to report that it does, though with some trade off.
The Sony V1 Processor
It is the same one you can find on the more expensive and slightly older WF-1000XM4. It is missing a few key features on this model though.
You do not get to take advantage of the noise cancelling algorithm on the V1 anymore, for obvious reasons. But you also lose DSEE Extreme. In its place, it is still DSEE audio upscaling technology, which is still good, but not DSEE Extreme good.
The Calls
It is a strange experience, using the LinkBuds for calls. The person at the other end of the line sounds clear and crisp, enough at least for you to make up the words they are trying to convey. The person on the other end did not report any issues with the call quality. We did not try to use only one side of the earphone because I always seem to forget that I have the earphones on in the first place.
The strange part is that you are listening to the person on the other end, but you are also hearing the rest of the world at the same time. Sure, you can just concentrate on having a conversation with your friend, because he is in your ear. But when the environment gets noisy, it gets a little difficult to have a conversation since you are also very much receiving the noise from all around you.
In most cases, if you can hear your music, you should be able to hear into your calls very nicely.You hardly need to worry about privacy too.
Adaptive Volume
Adaptive volume is the unique feature of this pair of earphones. In effect the algorithm adjusts the volume of the audio according to your environment. If your environment gets a little louder, your audio becomes louder too.
You might not notice the volume increase and decrease too much in most cases though, since everything is done in accordance with your environment. It is rather seamless too; you hardly notice that the volume has changed at all. Then again, that is the whole point.
Much Enjoyment, Much Awareness
The experience that is offered by the LinkBuds can be more likened to the experience you get from open backed earphones. You get a rather wide, open feel to your music and audio. It feels like audio fills up the space around you. It is a different experience.
We use Tidal for most of our music listening and testing. The songs we used for the test is Freya Riding’s “Lost Without You”, Video Game Orchestra’s “Final Fantasy VII Medley”, “3 Hour Drive” by Alicia Keys Ft. Sampha, and Post Malone’s “Circles”. No, they are not necessarily what audiophiles would pick, but some of them represent some of the most popular music genres and styles today. We kept our volume to about 50% in most of our use case.
You can make out the bass lines on songs like “Circles” and “3 Hour Drive”, but they are not punchy at all. You do hear some of the details with Bass Boost turned on, but once you turn it off, it feels like the lower frequencies disappear. For Freya Riding’s “Lost Without You”, we get quite a natural reproduction of Freya Riding’s unique vocals. Her voice comes out very clear and you still can hear the depth of her voice in the song itself. On an orchestral reprisal that is the “Final Fantasy VII Medley”, you do miss some of its drama because the earphones lack that punchiness in the lower frequencies. It is far from terrible though; the music still sounds clear and crisp.
We use Spotify as our main podcast listening platform and the experience is a good one. You are still completely aware of what is happening around you, but you are also getting entertained. You lose a little bit of that radio voice, but the most important part of a podcast is usually its content.
The thing is, while we do want to give a hard time for it not having a thumping low-frequency punch, we still quite like the audio experience on the LinkBuds. Audio feels more natural thanks to the open back concept. Rather than getting as choke full of sounds pumped into your ear, music is lightly fed to your ears. It is a unique experience.
Battery Life
The Sony open back earbuds is quoted to have a battery life of up to 5.5 hours in regular listening mode. With the case, it is supposed to get up to 12 hours extra battery life. Our app says we have logged about 19 hours of listening time on the WF-L900 LinkBuds. We have only charged the device once since we got the device, which also means we have extracted more than the promised battery life.
Then again, we left the WF-L900 at half volume at most times and we hardly ever activate the wide area tap function. Adaptive volume was on, but again, volume is at 50% most of the time. We pick up calls with it too, which is supposed to drain its battery a little more. Our calls are placed with volumes above 75% most of the time just so that we can hear the other person clearly.
We believe that the batteries will last about 5 hours in a single use, especially when you leave the headphone on 70-75% volume. Our use case allows the battery life of the device to extend a little more than the quoted battery life, which is good when you do not want to take your headphones off.
You want to remember that each earbud only weighs 4g. It is one of the lightest pair of truly wireless headphones in the market, and it offers a battery life that matches some of the more premium offerings in the market. In that regard, the battery life is impressive.
The Sony WF-L900 LinkBuds – Unique is The Word, But There is a Little Bit More to It
In short, we enjoyed the Sony WF-L900 LinkBuds. It is a unique product, and it is not made for everyone. Inevitably, there will be “why do I need that?” questions. You don’t.
This is a unique product that fulfils a very specific need and solves a very specific problem. It is for the people who wants an earphone to be constantly in their ears. It is for people who wants a little more seamlessness in their day. It is for the people who are constantly on the go.
There are some compromises with this pair of headphones. It does not offer DSEE Extreme, just regular DSEE. There is Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, but we hardly notice its effects in our use time. It offers less battery life as well than the WF-1000XM4. The biggest drawback is that it lacks low-end punch.
You still get quite decent audio experience though, excellent high-end notes and crisp mid-range tones. At the same time, you are completely aware of what is happening around you while enjoying tunes or even podcasts. It is water resistant, important when you are constantly on the move. It is light and hardly noticeable in your ear once it goes in. You never have to take it off your ears until it needs a charge.
The MYR 849 goes into excellent audio while being able to go through the day completely uninterrupted. It buys a unique convenience, a sort of hybridization of lifestyles. It keeps you in the loop, while you are drifting away in a calm land. It keeps you focused, and entirely separated from everything that is happening around you simultaneously. It is weird, but it is a good kind of weird, and we like that.
LG is known for many things. They are one of the biggest names in home entertainment, especially televisions. They also make excellent home appliances like washing machines and water purifiers. That should mean they make great audio gear, right? Sure, they make sound bars and speakers. We own their XBOOM PL5s and we love them here at techENT. But they hardly make headphones, until now
Their strong partnership with Meridian, a British audio engineering house, has produced the LG TONE Free. This one we have in our hands is one of LG’s latest True Wireless earbuds. Not to be confused with other LG TONE Free earphones, this is the FP8. It will also set you back MYR 1,099 at full retail price.
Its asking price puts it next to the Sony WF-1000XM4. LG also offers Active Noise Cancelling feature here. But they are betting on another thing that Sony does not have with this headphone. The LG Free Tone FP8 is supposed to be more hygienic than any other True Wireless headphones you can find.
So, is it worth MYR 1,099? Does the “hygiene” feature alone make up the asking price? Should you even get this pair of headphones over others, if you are in the market for one? We find out.
Design
First, the LG TONE Free is not one pair of headphones. The naming scheme applies to a range of earphones from LG. Their website does not help much with clarifying the products either. We are not here to comment on websites though.
There is an entirely different problem with the hardware. It looks identical to whichever Tone Free products you pick, save for the HBS-FN7. They also look like Apple’s AirPods Pro, with a slightly tweaked stem.
LG claims that the unique “ergonomic” Concha-Shaped design is based on a design study of hundreds of ears. It is designed to conform to the shape of your ear and ensure a good and secure fit. We recommend that you try it first before making any conclusions. There is a nipple on the earbuds itself. It points out where to tap when you want to interact with the device.
Thankfully, the charging case looks nothing like an Apple Product. It looks more like a pebble you can find on a river’s bed. It is simplistic, minimal even. We must say, we quite like the look of the case itself.
Both the earbuds and the case are covered in a matte finish that repels fingerprint well. Not so well against scuffs and scratches though, the bottom of our review unit is full of scratches after a month of use. It is also a wireless charging case, which is always nice to have. The interior feels a little more durable though with a nice rough finish with LG’s logo on the cap, and Meridian logo on the base.
Hardware
Just because it looks similar to the Apple AirPods Pro does not mean that they are built the same though. They offer differing drivers and enhancements to make them what they are.
LG TONE Free FP8
Driver Unit
Dynamic 8Φ
Frequency Response
Unspecified
Headphone type
Wireless Earbuds
Battery
68mAh x 2 (earbuds) 380mAh (charging case) Max. 6 hrs (ANC On) / Max. 10 hrs (ANC Off) Up to 15 hrs (w/ charging case/ANC On) Up to 24 hrs (w/ charging case/ANC Off)
Miscellaneous
Bluetooth 5.2 Active Noise Cancelling IPX4 Wireless Charging Google Fast Pair/Swift Pair Digital MEMS Mic Meridian sound/EQ
Features
The good thing about Bluetooth earphones like the LG Tone Free are that they are feature packed. You also have to remember you are paying MYR 1,099 for it. It should come feature packed at that price.
IPX4
Water resistance is quite common with most wireless earphones today. This one comes with IPX4 certification, meaning it can take on sweat or even the rain and cold. You might want to hold off swimming with it though.
We have done some running with the earbuds and it seems to deal with sweat well. Silicone type tips are great too because they are much easier to clean. At the same time, true to what LG claims, the earphones stay in your ears without too much of a fuss even with violent head movements. This also may vary from ear to ear.
Whisper Mode
By default, this function is turned off. You can toggle it on or off from the App which we will talk about later. According to the app’s description and illustration, it is to be used in trains.
We think that Whisper Mode can be used when you require a little bit more privacy and subtlety. The public transport is one of them, yes. You do have to use both earphones for this function to work though. The primary mic for calls is also placed in the right earbud, so you want to bring it closer to the mouth.
It works to a certain extent. It works in a noisy environment, but you do want to make sure that you are keeping your voice a little lower when you put the mic right to you your mouth. Yes, you can use it in a library too; just do not annoy your librarian and other patrons.
LG Tone Free App
We appreciate companion apps for any Bluetooth device connected to your smartphone. Thankfully LG TONE Free FP8 connects with the LG TONE Free App.
Everything on the app is intuitive enough that we do not have to guess how to work the main functions. The only one we got a little lost with is in changing the touchpad function. Then again, there are not that many submenus on the app; so that was rectified quickly as well.
There is a dedicated manual section that guides users on the basic workings of the LG TONE Free FP8. It even teaches you how to get UVnano sanitisation going. This also works with other LG TONE Free products, we assume.
Of course, like many headphone apps, the app also features its own equaliser and presets to work with. We mostly toggle between Natural, 3D Sound, and Immersive modes most. For noise cancelling, you can choose between transparency mode, noise cancelling mode, or turn it off completely. You can also check the battery levels of each bud and the case of the LG Tone Free FP8.
UVnano Sanitisation
The party piece of the LG TONE Free FP8 is its UVnano function. It is technically a UV based sanitisation mechanism built into the case. It radiates UV light on to the ear tip section of both earphones.
LG claims that the UVnano technology kills up to 99.9% of bacteria and germs on the parts of the earbuds that matter. It does not clean your earphones from visible dirt and grime though. We do not have any instruments to test their claim, so we will take LG’s word for it.
LG also says that the silicone ear tips they used are made from hypoallergenic materials to ensure that you are ultimately comfortable wearing the earphones. Paired to the bacteria cleaning technology, it might be okay sharing the earbuds with someone else. At the same time, it ensures you have a healthy ear while having a good time.
Quick Pair & Fast Pair
Like any other Quick Pair and Fast Pair enabled devices, you can simply open the case, take out the earbuds, and your smartphone or Bluetooth enabled PC instantly asks you to pair with the headphones. We set up the LG Tone Free FP8 with our Android smartphone in less than 5 seconds. Even getting things going with LG TONE Free app is quick and with very little nuance.
Performance
The meat of an earphone is always its drivers and sound quality. But for a pair of Bluetooth earphones, it does more than just play music. It must be your handsfree kit. The earbuds must also be able to last an entire plane journey.
Calls
In terms of making calls, the report of using the earbuds from the other end of the line is that it sounds mighty clear. Because the connection notice on the earbuds is just a quick ping, your conversations does not get cut off. Our friends have reported that 2e sound natural, as though we are working with the smartphones built-in hardware.
While you can use either earbud for listening, the main voice mic is placed in the right earbud. That is also why Whisper Mode only works with the right earbud as the mic. This also means that it is still better for you to use the right earbud to make calls and have conversations. Using just the left earbud did not allow us to have very good conversations with the earphones.
Receiving calls is a matter of just tapping either nipple on each earbud. The audio transmitted through the earphone is also mighty clear in typical phone calls. Both earbuds transmit the caller’s voice loud and clear. This makes an excellent pair of earphones for not only regular calls, but for video conferencing as well.
Active Noise Cancelling
One of the main selling points of this pair of earphones is also its Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) feature. In the app, you can set it to high, low, off, or ambient sound mode. Ambient sound mode is separated into conversation mode and listening mode.
In ambient sound mode, you hear everything as though you suddenly have super hearing for some reason in conversation mode. Conversation mode tends to amplify the mid-frequencies, where human voice sits. That means that you tend to hear a lot of things a lot louder too unfortunately, and it can be distracting when you are not having a conversation.
In listening mode things are a bit more natural sounding to the ear though with a subtle but noticeable hiss. We would prefer to use listening mode in most situations. It is especially useful when you are strolling down busy streets.
Then there is noise cancelling. It is not quite as good as its direct competition. While it does pretty much drown out most things around you, there are plenty of noise that still escapes the noise cancelling and makes it in your ear. As I type this review on the laptop, I can hear my keyboards clacking away, mouse clicks still visible, I can even have conversations with others, albeit limited.
The ANC algorithm is acceptable enough though. You start playing a music and it will drown out the noise a bit more. It is not made to just act as an earplug.
Meridian Tuning
LG’s TONE Free sounds excellent for podcasts. We listened to F1 Nation on Spotify and the vocals sounds rich and full. It sounds like a traditional radio experience and we quite like that. The low-end of the voice is clear and apparent with the voices. There is a lack of crispiness in the voice though.
The lack of crispiness is more apparent when you are listening to music. We used Tidal to listen to most of our music because Tidal offers higher bitrate than Spotify. Listening to Lost Without You by Freya Ridings is still enjoyable do not get us wrong. There is some loss of velvetiness in her voice with the earphones though. We kept the earphones set to natural for all our tests.
We played the Final Fantasy VII Medley by Video Game Orchestra, 3 Hour Drive by Alicia Keys, Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra, and Circles by Post Malone to put the earphones through its paces. There is no lack of punch in the low frequencies. There is a good definition of the basses as well, which is impressive enough for earphones this size. The low-frequency notes feel quite full and satisfying enough that you can enjoy EDM, Hip Hop, and Pop titles.
With others, you do find that there is some lack of definition in the mid and treble frequencies. The notes in those regions sound almost muddled, suppressed. We suspect that it is also because LG and Meridian chose a punchier tuning to enhance the bass experience. That is not to say that they sound bad though, they are still quite enjoyable.
To be fair, we are a little spoiled by the Sony WF-1000XM4’s sound quality for its asking price. If you do not have that to compare to, the LG Tone Free FP8 sounds excellent enough. You can enjoy your music and podcasts with not too much of an issue.
Battery Life
LG quoted 6 hours in battery life with ANC on. You can extend it to 10 hours if you turn off Noise Cancelling, but why would you? In our use case, we have not used it for more than three hours at a time. A quick look at the app’s battery indicates that at 70% volume, the LG Tone Free FP8 has used up about 50% of battery life in just a little less than three hours. If our math is correct, you should be able to get close to six hours of battery life with ANC on.
The case is supposed to give the LG Tone Free FP8 another one and a half extra charges. A quick pop into the case and the earphones charge quickly enough that you are not going to be out of action for too long. Because we never ran the battery dry, we never had to wait for more than 30 minutes to get the earbuds to fully charge. We find that we tend to leave the case on our wireless charging pad to keep it charged.
The LG Tone Free FP8 – Good, not Great
The LG Tone Free FP8 is a good pair of earphones to work with. It sounds good all around. While the bass-heavy profile does suppress vocals and trebles a little bit, listening to any kind of music is still a pleasurable experience. Noise cancelling is good enough to filter out plenty of sounds. Podcasts sounds reasonably good as well, so there is that.
For MYR 1,099 though, it goes directly against Sony’s WF-1000XM4. The LG’s Noise Cancelling algorithm cannot be compared to the Sony’s. To be fair, Sony’s noise cancelling technology is ahead of any in the industry currently.
Where the LG sounds a little supressed, the Sony sounds excellent. LG’s offering does offer a punchy low frequency, but its direct competitor does it better too. On paper, the Sony also offers a better battery life.
There is one thing that the LG offers that even the likes of Sony does not. They offer built-in UV sanitisation technology with UVnano. It keeps your earphones free from bacteria no matter how you use it at least. It still does not eliminate the need to clean your earphones from time to time though.
Does the UVnano technology justify its full retail price of MYR 1,099? We believe it might. That said, this is not a pair of earphones for us. But it does not mean that the LG is completely horrible mismatch to the market. We think it is made for those who has sensitive skin or ears, those who tend to get irritation in their ear when they start using in-ear monitor type earphones. It is made for those that needs to obsessively clean their earphones every time they use it. It is made for them to enjoy tracks while knowing that they will not have any hygiene issues after. For them, this works, and works well.
Razer is not exactly new when it comes to producing audio accessories. Of course, their core DNA has always been gaming. They have been creating gaming-centric accessories and hardware for years. What started out as a gaming mouse maker is now a major producer in other gaming peripherals, including gaming laptops for that matter.
The trend today, at least in terms of lifestyle accessories, is to go wireless. Razer understands that too, of course. Over the years too they have been expanding their wireless gaming peripheral line-up. The latest to join that line of wireless hardware is the new Hammerhead True Wireless (TWS) earbuds.
This is not technically a new product from Razer though. They launched their first iteration of their Hammerhead TWS earbuds back in 2019. The first-generation earphones took everything that were great from their Bluetooth iteration of the Hammerhead earphones and put them in a form factor that reflects the modern craze.
The shape of the earphones, in a sense, is very different from the Hammerhead earphones that we are used to though. Its shape mimics a certain other manufacturer instead, given, it was one of the most popular designs out there in the TWS earbuds market. Its charging/carrying case was designed a little differently though. It was designed to stand out a little bit in a more pill like case, while being a little more pocketable and compact than its competitors. After all, the name of the game in TWS earphones is portability and versatility.
The new TWS Hammerhead takes a slightly different approach compared to the first generation from 2019 though. The case and earbuds design mimics Razer’s own Hammerhead TWS Pro earbuds instead. That also means the case has a larger footprint compared to its predecessor. That is good news for its battery life though, with up to 32.5 hours in total battery life (RGB and ANC Off).
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
While the touch sensitive stem of the earbuds remains on the second-generation Razer Hammerhead, the tips are completely different. The new Hammerhead TWS earbuds features a proper earbud with replaceable silicon tips that should be a better and more secure fit in your ears. Its IPX4 certification means that you can take it out for your exercises and ensuring that you have a good seal and secure fit is important; you do not want to be running and losing your earbuds along the way.
On top of all of that, there are a few more reasons why you might want to ditch your first-generation Hammerhead TWS earbuds for the new one. For one, it now features Active Noise Cancelling technology. It also features Google Fast Pair, for an even quicker pairing and connection with your Android devices. At the same time, you get even more stable wireless connection with Bluetooth 5.2. The best part on the Hammerhead TWS though is its Razer Chroma customisable RGB. You can customise that from your smartphone app (available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store, of course.
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
The new Razer Hammerhead TWS earbuds is now available from Razer.com, and authorised retailers across the nation. There are no funky colour options for you to choose from here. While it is only available in black, that also means that your RGB stands out a lot more. The TWS earphones is now available for MYR 629. For more information on the new Razer Hammerhead TWS earbuds, you can head over to their website.
Update (11/03/21): The OPPO Enco X has launched globally with immediate availability. Official global pricing is EU€ 179 (MYR 879***). We are expecting the TWS earphone to arrive in Malaysia toward the end of March 2021 or early April 2021 alongside the OPPO Find X3 Pro.
Meet the OPPO Enco X, OPPO’s new True Wireless (TWS) earphones that is supposed to feature Active Noise Cancelling and all the premium things you can find on a TWS earphone. They created it with Dynaudio as well, a well known Danish HiFi audio solutions provider. This should be a good one.
Technically, it is a good one. There has been reviews out and about already and the product has been available in India since January 2021. Of course, it is available in China as well. You technically can buy the OPPO Enco X from Shopee as well, albeit not from official sources and unofficial price tags attached to them.
That is all about to change soon, according to OPPO. They have not given us a tentative date at this time, but they also say that they will announce the launch date soon. Yes, they are very vague. At least they confirmed that the new OPPO Enco X will be available in Malaysia officially.
The OPPO Enco X, if you have not known yet, is OPPO’s latest TWS earphones to enter the market after the OPPO Enco Free, Enco W31, Enco W11, and Enco W51. Most of these options can be considered budget options with prices less than MYR 300 (US$ 73*). The most expensive of these Enco earphones currently available in Malaysia is the OPPO Enco Free at MYR 499 (US$ 121*).
Source: OPPO
The OPPO Enco X though is going to be a slightly more premium product. Its official pricing in China is RMB 999 (US$ 153**) which converts to about MYR 634. But there is a good reason for the more premium pricing.
For one, it is created with Dynaudio. As per mentioned, Dynaudio is a world famous Danish HiFi gear maker. They are one of the go-to brands when it comes to high-end audio gear and even studio monitoring gear. Them lending their expertise to OPPO will really elevate the listening experience.
OPPO is not exactly new to high-end audio either. Remember they launched the OPPO PM-1 headphone, one of the highest acclaimed high-end audio gears any audiophile could get with their money. They also released something called DBEE Dynamic Audio technology back in 2007. The technology is now in its third generation available on the OPPO Enco X. The technology supposedly features new materials and new construction layout and methods to deliver better aural experiences.
Secondly, the OPPO Enco X is an Active Noice Cancelling (ANC) enabled earphone. ANC usually means premium with a price tag to match. The Sony WF-SP800N earphones for example retails at MYR 849. The Apple Airpods Pro retails at MYR 1,099.
Source: OPPO
Thirdly, OPPO’s Enco X also comes with OPPO’s brilliant Binaural Low-Latency Bluetooth Transmission technology. This should mean lower transmission latency from your connected device to the earphones. That is important for gaming and even phone calls.
Lastly, its battery life. OPPO’s Enco X is said to have up to 25 hours of music playback in total. With noise cancelling fully on though, the earphones itself can last up to 4 hours with music on a single charge. The case gives the Enco X three additional charges. While 4 hours may not sound like much, most TWS earphones have a battery life of less than 3 hours on a single charge.
The OPPO Enco X will be available in White and Black colour options. There are no solid information on its availability dates in Malaysia yet. There are no solid leads on its pricing too at this time. As per its official pricing in China of RMB 999 though, we are expecting prices to be somewhere between MYR 649, to MYR 699 in Malaysia.
* Approximate conversion based on exchange rate US$ 1 = MYR 4.13 on xe.com as of 10/03/2021
** Approximate conversion based on exchange rate US$ 1 = RMB 6.50 on xe.com as of 10/03/2021
*** Approximate value based on conversion rate EU€ 1.00 = MYR 4.91 on xe.com as of 11/03/2021
Xiaomi subsidiary, Redmi just launched the new wireless earphones in India. The new offering was initially launched in Nepal last month. Since its initial launch, the Redmi SonicBass wireless earphones have become known as the affordable true wireless earbuds.
Source: Xiaomi India
The Redmi SonicBass Wireless Earphones come with a neckband designed to give extra grip around the shoulders. The neckband is a relatively flat cable whicht you can double-tap to trigger your assistant of choice (Google Assistant, Alexa or Siri). It comes with Bluetooth 5.0 support for connectivity and is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows devices.
It has dual microphones along with ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation). ENC technology allows better call quality by suppressing any ambient noise. It is equipped with IPX4 splash and sweat resistance – an important feature for those looking to use it while exercising. In addition, it has a multifunction button to quickly access various multimedia controls. It also comes with antiwax silicone tips with magnetic earbuds.
The Redmi SonicBass Wireless Earphones are touted to last for up to 12 hours on a single charge, thanks to its 120mAh battery. The standby time is listed to be about 200 hours and it weighs only 21.2 grams. Bluetooth connectivity on the earphones ranges to about 10 metres of operating distance.
The Redmi SonicBass wireless earphones are now available in India for Rs.999 (MYR56.49/USD$13.65).
Let us be fair a little bit. The Sony WF-800n is not a completely new product. As in, it is not the first time we see noise cancelling in Sony’s sports focused earphones. It is also not the first Truly Wireless (TWS) sports focused earbuds in the market. It is however, Sony’s latest TWS sports earbuds with their award winning and proven Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology.
Sony already had the remarkable WF-SP700n earphones before this. In our tests two years ago, the device performed remarkably well in all kinds of situations. It only had a battery life of 3 hours on a single charge though (just earbuds). While that was enough for a good workout, it was pale in comparison to plenty of the TWS earbuds that was coming out at that time. Still, it had a small packaging that was attractive and easy to work with. It even has its own app, Sony’s Headphones app that we think was great.
The new model, the WF-SP800N is not technically a follow up or a replacement model. It was not meant to be a successor to the WF-SP700n, although the naming moniker. It is also more expensive than the older WF-SP700n at MYR 849. At that price though, it is cheaper than the coveted WF-1000XM3, the true great Noise Cancelling earbuds.
In this case, is this a better buy than Sony’s holy grail in TWS noise cancelling, the WF-1000XM3? Is it a better buy compared to the WF-SP700n at an MYR 100 premium? Most importantly , is it worth your hard earned MYR 849? Let us face it, that is just MYR 151 shy of MYR 1,000 (yes, I can count). In that case, this is still worth a lot of money compared to some of its competition. Let us find out then, if this is worth every penny, or if you should be looking elsewhere.
Design
To begin with, the one we have here is a very neon Orange colour option. It has four colour options including this one – Blue, White, Black, and Orange. That is the same amount of colour options you get with the less expensive and more compact Sony WF-SP700n. You are choosing between different colours though. There are two more colour choices compared to the higher-end WF-1000XM3 too. So that is one point to the Sony WF-SP800N.
We cannot help it; the WF-SP800N’s orange reminds us of traffic cones. It is exactly the same colour, both the case and the headphones compared to a regular traffic cone in Malaysia. That makes it seem like we have pieces of traffic cones in our ears and our bags. There is some good in this though.
Being this bright and neon means that you are sort of visible, albeit a small dot in your ear might not make that much of a difference in visibility. But still, it makes you a little more visible in whatever conditions that Malaysia can throw at you, except for torrential rain that is. You would not want to be caught running in the rain though, why would you run in the rain in the first place?
Still the extra visibility means you are a little safer when you do your runs on the street. You want to be a little more visible since you are going to be using the Noise Cancelling feature to block out the world. We do advise that you turn on the ambient noise feature when you run on a busy route though, just so that you are aware of what is coming at you and your surroundings.
The buds themselves are about the same size as the WF-1000XM3 earphones. To be fair, even the charging case looks nearly as big with the bottom third of the case cut off. The case cap is also a little concaved from the inside to create a sort of dome cocooning the earbuds inside.
The wingtips (they call it the arc supporter) that is additional to the regular silicon eartips makes the SP800N look a little larger than the WF-1000XM3 though. This is a stark difference compared to the WF-SP700n too. The WF-SP800N is way larger and look a little more cumbersome compared to the WF-SP700n. The wingtips do make it more secure to work with than the WF-1000XM3 though.
Like any modern device with a battery, the Sony WF-SP800N charges via a USB Type-C port at the back bottom of the device. Because of its odd shape though, the case only stands on its cap. That exposes the USB Type-C port to the top. We still do not understand this design choice.
As with most modern TWS cases these days, the WF-SP800N’s case cap is magnetic and the buds starts charging the moment you fit the buds back in. That is magnetic too, as with the WF-1000XM3. All you need to do is drop the earbuds into the case and the buds will simply snap in its place to start charging.
On the WF-800N’s left bud, there is a very tiny notch that indicates that the left earbud is the master earbud. It is technical a small instruction or reminder that you are supposed to put in the left side first. The rest of the earbuds’ design language mimics the WF-1000XM3 though, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
The case is made entirely of plastic though. While that makes it light, some might say it feels cheaper and less significant. The matte finish makes it feel a little nicer and softer to the touch, but there is no soft touch or rubbery coating here. You might want to be a little more careful with handling the case too though, or maybe buy a protective case, because the case does tend to scuff a little.
Performance
Of course, an earphone is nothing without its driver and sound quality. Of course, coming from Sony, you expect something special. Sony, after all, is one of the best in the business of audio. The Sony WF-SP800N packs a relatively powerful 6mm Neodymium drivers encased in very Orange (our test unit) IP55 rated package. Mind you, the case is not water resistant rated, so do not put the case in the water with the earphones.
Sound Quality
This section has always been Sony’s party piece. In a sense, Sony is a trusted name in audio, so there is never a doubt that it would sound good. That is if you do not compare it to the WF-1000XM3.
If you compared it to the older Sony WF-SP700n, the WF-SP800N does win out a little bit in the area. It is not night and day with the sound quality between the WF-SP700n and the WF-SP800N though. There is still a difference, comparatively.
On its own, the WF-SP800N TWS earphones is a capable performer. The low frequencies are great, for an earphone with tiny 6mm driver. The bass line is punchy and full. This is mostly thanks to Sony’s acclaimed EXTRA BASS technology.
Because of EXTRA BASS though, the mid-range and high-end frequencies take a little bit of a back seat. It does not mean that the Sony WF-SP800N sounds like a muddled piece of kit though. Contrary to that, while the bass line sounds punchy and powerful, mid and low frequencies are still present and available. The low-frequency is still full of details though, not just a punch for punching sake.
We used Spotify in most of our audio tests. The simple justification of us using Spotify, even if TIDAL can offer Lossless and FLAC quality audio, is that it is the most widely used ‘Premium’ music streaming app in Malaysia. It is also one of the most affordable, so we will stick to Spotify Premium for now.
We listened to music like ‘Lost Without You’ by Freya Ridings, for that full mid-range frequency pull of the vocals. We are happy to report that vocals still sound crisp and meaty in this case. Even ‘La Vie En Rose’ covered by Daniela Andrade sounds great on the WF-SP800N. This is if you are more concerned with vocals than anything. Then there is the concern of a terrible high-frequency with bassy earphones. For that high frequency reach, we tested the WF-SP800N with a symphony of Final Fantasy VII’s Medley done by Video Game Orchestra. In the symphony also we could properly tell the balance of the earphones. Of course, thanks to EXTRA BASS, you would expect all the low frequency instruments to shine. But it does not mean that the Violins and the windpipes do not get their shine, they still really do.
Of course, the sound staging is a little less dynamic than the WF-1000XM3. In this sense, the WF-1000XM3 does win out in a significant margin. It is also not the most accurate earphone to work with, so if you are working with audio plenty and require natural and neutral sounding earphones, this is not for you. Then again, if you do not put them side by side, like us, the WF-SP800N is a formidable earphone on its own.
Compare it to its competition though, and it will blow them away. The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ for example has nothing compared to the Sony. The Sony WF-SP800N sounds clearer with better sound staging compared to the Samsung Galaxy Buds+. There is one thing that the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ do better than the Sony though, and that is a better and cleaner vocals and mid-range frequencies. You notice them too, but overall, the Sony WF-SP800N is still a much better sounding earphone with better overall detail in all frequencies. That superiority in sound quality alone may not be enough to justify its heftier price tag though. Its other features might just make up those few extra hundred difference.
360 Reality Audio
If you have apps that takes advantage of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, even better. Sony’s new 360 Reality Audio technology technically is Sony’s audio enhancer that completely changes your experience with music. It takes Sony’s object based spatial audio technology and allows artists and musicians to record music in a completely new way. It allows musicians to place different instruments within a spherical sound field. Like the ‘360’ naming moniker then, it gives you a true spatial music experience.
Sadly, 360 Reality Audio is only available on select music streaming platforms though. It is currently only available on Deezer, nugs.net, and TIDAL. To be fair, you can get higher resolution music via those apps compared to Spotify. A little bit of technical talk here, TIDAL HiFi accounts allows users to stream 44.1kHz/16bit files at about 1411kbps. That is in the region of Lossless and FLAC audio file quality. Spotify Premium, on the other hand only streams at 320kbps. That is no where close to CD-quality or Lossless. Of course, there is a cost to all this. TIDAL’s HiFi subscription is worth MYR 29.80 a month while Spotify Premium works out to MYR 14.90 a month.
That extra cost, if you listen to 360 Reality Audio produced music on TIDAL (our app of choice for 360 Reality Audio), the TIDAL HiFi subscription is quite worth it. But we are reviewing the earbuds here, not the app. Of course, with 360 Reality Audio, the Sony WF-SP800N shines. Suddenly your sound stage changes from a two-dimensional experience to an immersive three-dimensional phenomenon. Close your eyes, and you will feel like you are in the concert hall or recording studio itself.
The thing is, you have to be on TIDAL HiFi subscription plan to fully take advantage of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology. That, or you have to pay for a Deezer subscription. They do not have as many music in their library as far as we know. There are no plans yet on Spotify’s side to support higher streaming quality or even have 360 Reality Audio support. Also, subscriptions with 360 Reality Audio availability is a little more premium in pricing compared to the usual subscriptions we are used to.
Active Noise Cancelling
This is something that Sony does better than almost everyone else in the field. Sony’s Active Noise Cancelling technology is considered by many to be one of the best, if not the best, in the market. Their highly acclaimed WF-1000XM3 and WH-1000XM4 are the very products that is hailed as the best in-class currently.
That same know how in Active Noise Cancelling they used on the WF-1000XM3 is present on the WF-SP800N. This could be worth that few extra hundred bucks on top of superior audio quality over other earphones made for an active lifestyle. This is also because ANC can make plenty of difference in your music experience.
Again, we do suggest that you keep ambient noise up anywhere from 50% to 100% when you wear this for a run. You can never be too safe, and you do not want to completely isolate yourself from the world in the case that you are sharing paths with the public. If you are in the gym and are trying to block out the world though, this will do it mighty well. Even if it is just to shut out the gym music, this will do that job well enough that you are in your own world completely. You can even swim with it cranked up in your ear. Other than acting as a water seal, it keeps you entertained and pumped up for your training.
Of course, it does not just do well in the active environment. Thanks to ANC and great audio quality, it is a headphone that you can enjoy in normal commuting conditions too. It is still a perfect earphone to own and use in the train, or even in the bus. It does really block out the world and isolate you out a little bit, which is always nice and somewhat relaxing. Of course, podcasts work great too. On that note, do check out our Tech & Tonic Podcast on Spotify, or Google Podcast, or Apple Podcast.
When you get home, and need some alone time away from everyone at home or everything else that is happening around you, the ANC is good enough that you can isolate yourself virtually. Of course, if there are really loud noise like a wall banging from the construction next door, you are going to hear it a little bit. If you get a good seal from the silicon tips though (choose the correct size for your ears), you might not even hear a glass breaking two feet away from you. It is that isolating.
In that case, you might want to think twice about wearing it in the office sometimes. Sure, the noise cancellation also means that you get to focus better on your own tasks and jobs. It allows better concentration and less distractions while not biothering any of your colleagues. As we have found though, it may not be too advisable to turn your back to the world as you might not be too aware of your surroundings. Your colleague might get annoyed too for not being able to get your attention. Although, you might be able to get more work done. That, or you might just start dancing on your own like a crazy person.
Fit and Comfort
The Sony WF-SP800N some similarities to the WF-1000XM3 in terms of earbud design. For one, they do share the same silicon tip fitting. The only difference between the two earphones is the WF-SP800N having an extra wingtip to ensure that the earphones stay in your ears and not fall out in an intense work out.
Fitting and comfort for everyone is a little different though. In that sense, I would not be able to say that I speak for everyone in this matter too. I had to change the silicon tips to the largest available from Sony to get a good seal in my ear. They provided three different sizes within the packaging, which also means that you get to either pick between a large, medium, or a small ear tip. The wingtips come in two sizes, medium, or small. The one attached to the earbuds out-of-the-box is the medium sized one, which is perfect enough for me. If it gets uncomfortable, you might want to switch to the smaller one.
Yes, there is a case for foam eartips for plenty of earphones. The WF-1000XM3 comes with foam eartips in-the-box as well. Foam eartips can be a little more forgiving to your ears and also means a longer period use case will not be uncomfortable or painful. Foam tips are a little more prone to tearing and may not work too well with water though. In that case, silicon is a little more reliable. Still, if you want to get a better seal, you can opt for aftermarket foam tips.
As we said earlier, it is important to find a good fit and seal for your earphones. It helps with the entire aural experience when your ears are properly sealed. It is especially important for noise cancelling earphones. Without a good seal, noise cancellation might not work as well. Therefore, take your time to choose the right eartips sizes for each of your ear.
Once you get a good fit and seal, the earphone can sit in your ears for hours and hours on end. It is made for a good workout, so if you are using the right sized eartips and wingtips, you are going to be mighty fine on long workout sessions. Even if you are just using it to relax and settle down on your commute home, or even reading a good book, you should be fine.
The only issue is that there is a little bit of heft to it. While in most cases you may not notice it that much, if you come from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Buds or even the Buds live, you are going to feel it on your ears a little more. It is not a major issue though. It is not like the earphones weigh more than 1kg each to weight down your ears. Each earbud weighs only about 10g anyway.
Thanks to the extra wingtips, the Sony WF-SP800N is extra secure. We took it to the gym, we took it swimming, we took it for evening runs, and we did our circuit training with this too. In those sessions which lasts anywhere between 15 minutes to 45 minutes, the Sony WF-SP800N has never needed any readjustments or a refitting. The whole experience was quite uninterrupted and seamless as long as your smartphone is within stable Bluetooth connection range.
Battery Life
The Sony WF-SP800N quotes about 9 hours of continuous music play time with ANC on. The charging case charges the WF-SP800N once over, which gives the earphones a total listening time of 18 hours. On paper, that is not as good as the WF-1000XM3’s total battery life. The SP800N offers a slightly longer battery life on a single charge though over the WF-1000XM3 – nine hours over eight hours.
In real life, we never could leave music playing for nine hours in our ears. We do not have any long flights lined-up for us too. Well, flights are still limited. We will take their words on the battery life, in this case.
Still, we have only charged the Sony WF-800N with the case once in a week. Of course, exercising is not in our daily activity schedule. We not only use the WF-SP800N as our workout companion of course. You can expect this kind of battery life too even if you head to the gym daily.
Whatever it is though, the battery life is perfect for long flights. If you are heading to Europe, you are going to appreciate the nine hours of battery life, especially when you have two seven-hour stints to complete. No travelling at this time though, so short domestic flights will have to do.
Sony Headphones App
We have said before that we always appreciate an accompanying app when it comes to wireless earphones. That said, Sony has always been shipping their audio devices with their accompanying app, the Sony Headphones and Music apps available on iOS and Android for free. We can happily report that the app is nothing short of amazing.
The app is designed to ensure that experiences with all Sony audio products are at least similar or unified. In that sense, even if you have multiple Sony audio products with you, you only need to work with a single app. Well, two in Sony’s case.
The Sony WF-SP800N works nicely with Sony’s Headphones app. Even if you access it through Sony’s Music app, the app will direct you to the Headphones app anyway, do not waste your time downloading the Music app first. The Headphones app is also one of the most comprehensive earphone controller apps we have ever come across so far though.
Samsung’s Wearables app has gone the route of simplification and minimalization in the past few years. You see less and less on the menu and settings screen. Sony has gone a little more of the opposite recently. On the Sony Headphones app, you still have the usual noise cancelling level and ambient noise balance control.
You now also have a separate section and page just for action detections, and location detection. You can tune and location detection. You can tune your WF-SP800N to different locations now too, you can have slightly different settings for when you are at home or even in the office. It can be as simple as tuning your earphones to tune out noise and sound a certain way at home, or in the office. When you are at the gym, it can automatically turn on ambient noise or turn up the low frequencies to get a better kick for your workout sessions.
But there are more than just ambient noise controls. You might have noticed that we said something about low frequency tuning in the previous paragraph. That is because you can really tune the earphones to your liking. There is a general equaliser control for you to work with, and there are even preset settings you can work with too in that.
Within the app is also Sony’s new clever optimisation algorithm to tailor listening experiences for individuals. Each of us has very slightly different ears and therefore experience headphones differently. That is also why high-end earphone makers scan your ears and create a mould for your ears to tailor their earphones for your ears and for your ears only. Sony does that virtually with their clever software by just taking a picture of your ears, with your smartphone’s selfie camera.
If you have Tidal, the app will have an optimisation option for 360 Reality Audio. You do want to optimise it for the sake of your Sony earphones though, not just the WF-SP800N. As we mentioned, it really transforms your audio experience. You can hear the difference if you pay attention.
The WF-SP800N – The Better Sports Earphone
For the longest time, the most proper TWS earphones that could stand up to sweat and pool water is the Sony’s WF-SP700n. Before that, it was the Samsung IconX, which we thought was a very good idea too. The TWS earphones idea was built for that purpose too, technically. It frees you from tangling wires or being tethered to a smartphone when you jog, when you work out.
It became plenty more than that later on though. We have super high-end TWS earphones made by the likes of Sennheiser, Klipsch, and even Shure now. Sony was the first to break out their high-end TWS earbuds with the WF-1000X though. With the introduction of the WF-1000XM3, TWS earphones does not have to be rubbish sounding even with Active Noise Cancelling. With the WF-1000XM3 too, great sounding earphones do not have to last only three hours before needing a quick recharge.
The culmination of that knowledge and Sony’s industry leading water resistance knowledge birthed the WF-SP800N, a follow up from the WF-SP700n. The new TWS earphone is a step up from the older WF-SP700n in every way, including weight and size. We think that the only drawback, compared to the old hardware, is just its heft. But that is justified by a longer battery life on both its case and the earpieces.
It may not sound as good as the WF-1000XM3. If you compare it to something like a Samsung Galaxy Buds+ though, it sounds quite a little bit better. It lasts quite a little bit longer too, in terms of battery life. It also fits better than the Samsung earbuds, and way more secure than the Sony WF-1000XM3 thanks to the extended wings.
It holds an advantage over the WF-1000XM3 though. It is water resistant rated at IP55. That also means you can use it for all your workout sessions. They say you can even swim in it if you want. Of course, you get to do that at your own risk.
At MYR 849, it is not exactly cheap. As we mentioned, it is just MYR 100 shy of the WF-1000XM3. It is difficult to justify that purchase based on sound quality alone. In fact, if that is all you are looking for, the WF-1000XM3 is a better buy. The WF-SP800N is in a completely different class of product though. It is made for the active people. It is made for those who exercises regularly and has a regularly active lifestyle; it is made to take a beating. But because Sony knows their way around an audio device, the WF-SP800N still sounds good enough for you to be enjoying music in any other situations. It is a perfect earphone to have for any situation, an all-rounder.
This is an excellent all-rounder earphone with Sony’s ANC technology. Some considers Sony’s ANC to be the best in the industry too. The MYR 849 premium price is also justified by that. There are no sports earbuds currently that has ANC currently, if you think about it.
So, for MYR 849, you are getting something that is quite out of this world. For MYR 849, you are getting something unique in the market. For MYR 849 too, you are paying for Sony’s quality, knowhow in audio, and excellent ANC technology, in a body that could handle your active lifestyle and stick to your ears even when it gets tough. What more could you want from a sports earphone?
We unboxed the OPPO Enco Free True Wireless Earbuds. The OPPO Enco Free is another True Wireless earbuds that carries that Apple Airpods-esque design. There is a few small difference between the Enco Free and the Airpods though.
The OPPO Enco Free, while carrying the same design, has a silicon tip to ensure a better fit on the ears. In the box comes three extra silicon tips with different size to ensure that the OPPO Enco Free will properly fit any ear. The stems from the Enco Free are also touch panels for you to control your music and volume with.
The OPPO Enco Free is now available via OPPO’s authorised retailers and official stores across the nation. The new Enco Free True Wireless earbuds is available in two colours, Black or White. There is a pink colour variant on the way, but there is yet to be available information on that yet. The OPPO Enco Free could be yours today for MYR 499.
