T3 India

Sujith Gopinath

Review: Yamaha TW-E5B

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Price: ₹14,200

Yamaha has experienced, replicated, and engineered probably every sound that can be produced by wind, string, membrane, or any other vibrating surface. A leading manufacturer of audio equipment and easily one of the most recognisable brands in musical instruments, Yamaha traces its origins to a legend surrounding reed organs. And this is the legacy and expectation that their debut line-up of true wireless earbuds tries to live up to. The TW-E5B is the mid-range model in Yamaha’s TWS line-up and joins a crowded and competitive space. 

The Yamaha TW-E5B comes in the largest charging case we have ever seen, and it is certainly not comfortable to be carried in your jeans pocket. The earbuds too are uncomfortably big. To give credits where due, both the case and the buds offer premium build quality. The device carries IPX5 ingress protection rating, making it resistant to water splashes. There is no touch interface, but the physical buttons are quite responsive and offer much better control than most touch sensitive buds. The earbuds have a twist-to-fit design. The fit depends much on the shape of your ear and the size of your ear canal. Yamaha has included four sizes of eartips. Even though I managed to get a good fit, the top-heavy design and the large protruding body made it extremely uncomfortable to wear during my walking and workout, checking the fit often. I also felt the tips were sensitive to temperature changes since the buds were coming loose often while flying onboard chilled aircraft cabins.


The E5B doe not feature active noise cancellation, and hence noise cancelling depends on the fit of the buds. The buds connect with smartphone via the Headphone Control app. Like the earbuds, the app is quite basic. It lets you activate ambient sound mode, gaming mode and Listening care mode. It also provides an equaliser with six presets along with a customisable user setting. Apart from the ambient mode, we did not find much difference in sound by toggling the other settings. The equaliser certainly helps in fine-tuning the sound profile, but with a limited range. The app shows battery status only for the buds and not the case.

Coming to sound, the earbuds offer a more or less balanced sound with emphasis on strong bass, like we Indians prefer, which is enjoyable to most people. However, we felt some overlap in certain instruments like cymbals and high-hats in addition to amplifying the uncomfortable background hum in husky male vocals. The percussion and jazz notes sounded particularly pleasing. The earbuds use 7mm drivers. The E5B does not offer a lot of volume range and hence you could find it restrictive while playing old tracks with low reproduction volume. I found myself playing music at full volume, which Apple Health app found to be around 65 dB. Overall, the experience was quite enjoyable, particularly when the earbuds could afford a proper fit.

The TW-E5B offers Qualcomm cVc (Clear Voice Capture) technology for better voice clarity during calls. The buds support SBC, AAC, and aptX codecs, making it compatible with high-res audio from a wide range of devices. It also supports Siri and Google Assistant. The earbuds provide up to 6 hours of playback time on a single charge and the case holds enough juice for three additional recharges.

<strong>Rating</strong>

WE’RE IMPRESSED Excellent sound quality, IPX5 rating, supports a wide range of codecs, battery life

WE’D IMPROVE Hefty design, the fit is more like a hit-or-miss, software needs much improvement  

THE LAST WORD As a first attempt from Yamaha, the TW-E5B is a decent release. However, it’s a highly competitive space, and others are doing much better.

Review: Sony SRS-XV900

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₹79,990, sony.co.in

Sony’s magic hat never ceases churning out goodies, and 2022 has been particularly trying for us reviewers, thanks to their never-ending series of launches. After exotic flowers and rabbits, the brand has pulled out a massive, ear-shattering party speaker, the SRS-XV900, just in time for the New Year blast.

The SRS-XV900 is a full-size party speaker 88 cm high and weighs 26.6 kg. Like all Sony sound systems, the polycarbonate exterior provides a rugged feel with a matte finish that enhances the premium look. For the ease of moving around this monster speaker, Sony has incorporated two wheels at the back along with a sturdy ring-type handle on top. With this, you can lug the speaker around like a trolley bag without much effort. The touch-responsive control panel on top allows you to control volume, activate Mega Bass, and configure lighting effects. It also includes a Bluetooth button. On the rear are the physical connectors that include a USB port, 3.5 mm audio jack, and optical port for input. The USB port also offers 5V/1.5A DC power output to charge your smartphone. It also offers two karaoke MIC input jacks with individual volume controllers, one of them doubling as a guitar input. There are two buttons, one for switching to guitar mode and the other to activate Battery Care feature. The speaker connects to Sony Music Center app, which provides more than the basic adjustments including an equaliser. Connecting with Fiestable app allows you to access more party features like lighting and karaoke. The device supports SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs.

The SRS-XV900 is designed to deliver omnidirectional sound with an X Balanced main speaker unit aided by six tweeters, making it ideal for large parties. The front tweeter is approximately 50mm in diameter, while the side and read tweeters are approximately 40 mm in diameter each. The midrange speaker is approximately 120 mm in diameter while the woofer is about 320 x 320 mm. The tweeter pairs are positioned at the front, sides, and top for optimal spread. The device offers distortion-free sound even at high volumes. The speaker’s size has been utilised to its full capacity with a jet bass booster at the base providing a large chamber and optimised horn for thumping bass. With Mega Bass feature, this offers earth-shattering lows that do not interfere with other notes or drown the vocals in its reverberation. The speaker offers a Live Sound mode for the best party experience. The XV900 offers a TV Sound Booster feature that provides louder and clearer highs. In this mode, the speaker balances the position of sound to match the TV’s position even with non-central placement. If you are living in a multi-storied apartment, you may not be able to enjoy the speakers beyond 60-70 per cent volume.

The speaker offers a playback time of up to 25 hours on a single charge. It features quick charging feature that provides three hours of playback time with 10 minutes of charging. The device offers a Battery Care mode that prevents overcharging and optimises the charging cycle. The speaker supports Party Connect via Bluetooth pairing, which enhances the possibility of expanding the size of the party even further by connecting with up to 100 compatible Sony Bluetooth speakers.

Rating

WE’RE IMPRESSED Balanced distortion-free sound, high volume with fine control, deep and optimal bass, battery life, castor wheels for transport

WE’D IMPROVE Looks complete from our side

THE LAST WORD This speaker can serve any size of party you can think of and function as your personal TV or multimedia speaker when you are not partying.

Review: Sony WH-1000XM5

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Price: ₹ 34,990

While the whole world was locked up in their homes, Sony audio labs seem to have been quite busy. This is the fourth headphone from Sony in 2022, and the fifth of their audio devices we are testing this year. Looking at the lineage and the quality of the previous 1000-series headbands, the WH-1000XM5 certainly carries much expectation.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 has a clean, plain, and somewhat ‘suppressed’ design. Each earcup pivots on a single hinge, and Sony has done away with the fully foldable, lay-flat design of the XM4. For the same reason, the case is larger and less compact than the old case, though it now has a collapsible design. The headband is thinner, and the adjustable part of the stem seamlessly hides into the headband. The headphone shell is made of carbon composites.

The headphone uses Bluetooth 5.2 and offers support for SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs. The device offers wired connectivity with a 3.5mm stereo mini jack. The earcups have a flat back design and the back surface of the right earcup offers touch control. The left earcups house the ANC/Transparency and Power/Bluetooth buttons. The earpads have ‘soft fit leather’ cushioning. The pads are extremely comfortable to wear over a long period.

The headphones use newly developed 30mm drivers in place of the 40mm drivers of the XM4. However, the device offers a deep and wide sound stage with lots of details. The XM5 may not be the best headphones for bass or volume, but it offers a wide range of audio that can cover most genres of music. What has differentiated the latest line-up of Sony headphones is the Headphones Connect app, which is quite feature-rich. The app allows you to customise the settings and play around with the equaliser. The equaliser allows you to fine-tune the audio to suit your tastes since the device offers enough bandwidth to bring out finer details. The device offers 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos.

The main feature of the XM5 is the improvement in Active Noise Cancellation. It uses eight microphones and two high-performance processors, Integrated Processor V1 and HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1, to achieve superior, real-time noise cancellation and two beamforming mics each on either side help in picking up your speech with precision and improve call quality. The device offers Speak to Chat feature that pauses playback when you start to talk. You can set the sensitivity and waiting time in the app. To effect temporary transparency, you only need to cup your hand over the right ear cup. The Auto NC Optimiser helps in optimising atmospheric pressure. The result is efficient noise cancellation without causing any discomfort due to pressure differences. The XM5 also offers advanced features like DSEE Extreme and Adaptive Sound Control. The headphones also offer Alexa and Google Assistant support. It can be paired with two devices at a time. The Quick Access feature lets you resume Spotify playback with two or three taps. The Sony WH-1000XM5 offers up to 30 hours of battery life with ANC, and we have no reason not to believe it. Though we never used the device continuously for 30 hours, it went on for a really long time without charging. It takes 3.5 hours to charge the battery fully, but a 3-minute charge will provide 30 minutes of listening.

Rating

WE’RE IMPRESSED Excellent sound quality, superior noise cancellation, Speak to Chat, equaliser

WE’D IMPROVE Expensive, No water resistance

THE LAST WORD The Sony WH-1000XM5 is so far the best headphones we have tested, offering superior ANC sans any discomfort. These are surely expensive, but we wouldn’t consider that a deal-breaker for such premium headphones.

Review: Sony LinkBuds WF-L900

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Price: ₹ 19,990

The buds with the hole, to let the world through—would be an apt catchline for the LinkBuds if we could borrow it from Nestle’s popular mint brand. The WF-L900 is unlike any true wireless earbuds we have seen, with a ring-shaped driver and a hollow at the centre.

The WF-L900 comes in a small case made of recycled plastic. The case has a mechanical closure and can be opened by pressing a button. The earbuds are also quite small compared to the usual TWS. Even the buds are held in place with plastic pegs inside the case. Wearing the device is quite a task initially. The ring stays in your ear canal, while the rubber supporter has to be fitted inside the upper cavity and twisted a bit till it is secured firmly. Sony provides five pairs of supporting rings in the box, and it is very important to select the appropriate one. After the initial fiddling around, it is quite comfortable to wear and use. The buds weigh approximately four grams. The light construction and non-protruding design ensure that the device does not slip out even during your runs. The buds hold an IPX4 rating for protection against splashes and sweat.

The open-ring design facilitates full-time audio transparency. Though loyal ANC-lovers could have a hard time liking this, the open design makes it extremely comfortable, without any pressure difference felt in the ears. The Headphones Connect app allows you to update firmware and activate, set up, and customise Speak to Chat, Equaliser, 360 Reality and other features. With adaptive volume control, the device ensures that the background sounds do not overpower the audio. Sony has designed the LinkBuds to facilitate all-day wearing without discomfort, and features like Speak to Chat combined with transparency makes this possible. Speech detection sensitivity and pause duration can be adjusted from the app. If this is not done properly, you will find the music pausing even without speaking a word.

With a 12mm ring driver, the L900 delivers competent audio similar to other Sony TWS devices, though with a more natural feel closer to open-back headphones than the restrictive sound you get from usual headphones. In fact, you don’t feel that you are wearing a pair of headphones. Call quality is excellent with clear pick-up and providing a great listening experience with a clear voice. You can control the device by tapping on the buds or the front portion of your ears. The buds are not too loud, and even at the maximum volume, you don’t feel any discomfort. It features DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) to enhance audio using Sony’s integrated processor V1 that powers their flagship. The headphones support Google and Alexa voice assistants. Fast and Swift Pair offer quick Bluetooth pairing.

Sony claims a playback time of up to 5.5 hours on a single charge and up to 17.5 hours with the charging case, but a realistic figure would be somewhere around three hours and 10 hours respectively, at least with our experience with initial charging cycles and with 50 per cent volume. It also offers 90 minutes of playback with 10 minutes of quick charging. On the negative side, though the charging indicator lights up while charging, it doesn’t indicate once the device has been fully charged.

Rating

WE’RE IMPRESSED Lightweight and compact design, balanced sound profile, extremely comfortable for continuous listening, speak-to-chat function


WE’D IMPROVE No ‘charge full’ indicator


THE LAST WORD The Sony LinkBuds is a refreshingly new device that is made for all-day listening and provides an audio experience that is close to the natural.

Review: Beyerdynamic Phonum

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Price: ₹24,999

Handsfree calling devices are often a great blessing especially when you need to discuss something and access another device at the same time in addition to facilitating group calls. Beyerdynamic is a German audio brand with almost a 100-year history behind it, and the Phonum is a Bluetooth speakerphone for conference calls.

The Phonum is beautifully designed, with a cylindrical cross-section, flat base and a mesh speaker dome on top. The flat base is metal with soft anti-slip padding, while the main unit has a polycarbonate exterior. The speaker dome is surrounded by a ring-shaped touch-responsive control panel that gives access to Bluetooth connection, Volume control, Microphone mute/unmute and Microphone mode control, which are permanently marked, in addition to Accept Call and Reject Call buttons that light up when you receive a call on your connected device. There are also eight LEDs indicating the microphone pick-up direction. The power button and USB-C port are at the side. Contrary to the most likely perception, the upward-facing speaker dome houses a 360-degree downward-firing speaker, which allows all participants to hear clearly. The speaker is designed for clear vocals and offers distortion-free output with optimal volume. The speakers feature echo cancellation for speech legibility. The Phonum can be connected with a smartphone or laptop via Bluetooth or with a non-Bluetooth device via USB.

Apart from the regular features of a speakerphone, what makes the Beyerdynamic Phonum special is the Gecko 360-degree technology and the intelligent microphone system. This system lets you customise the microphone pick-up pattern to suit the conferencing setup. The Microphone Mode Control button cycles between three modes of voice tracking. The Gecko Fix mode switches the microphone to single direction pick-up, which is ideal when there is only one speaker participating in the call. This filters out disturbances from other directions. In Gecko Follow mode, the microphone follows the speaker even if the person moves around, making it perfect for situations where one person has the floor. In Gecko 360-degree mode, the microphone assumes omnidirectional pick-up so that all people gathered around a table can freely participate in the conversation and is clearly audible. In each of these modes, the LEDs around the touch panel illuminate, indicating the microphone’s active pick-up direction. The strongest pick-up direction is indicated by the brightest LED, while the peripheral LEDs are dimmed, and those in the direction of least pick-up remain off. In omnidirectional mode, all LEDs remain switched off.

We found the Beyerdynamic Phonum to be extremely portable and quite responsive to touch input. Connection proved quick and seamless, facilitating quick set-up. In Follow mode, the microphone quickly changes direction according to the speaker’s position, making it a versatile conference device. If you plan to use this as a music player, you will be disappointed simply because the device is not designed for that purpose, and the volume is quite low for music playback. The device offers 12 hours of operating time on a single charge and features quick charging via the USB-C port. The Phonum is sold in India via headphonezone.in .

RATING

WE’RE IMPRESSED Light, portable and sturdy design, responsive touch panel, Gecko 360-degree system, good battery life, sturdy case

WE’D IMPROVE Speaker volume

THE LAST WORD Beyerdynamic Phonum is an extremely versatile speakerphone for any type of conferencing situation with a highly functional intelligent microphone system