T3 India

earphones

The all-new Cruise Neckband Series from U&i

by

U&i, an Indian gadget accessories brand started in 2015, has launched the all-new Cruise Neckband series which delivers a rich-quality sound at a competitive price. Designed to be worn for extended periods of time, the U&i Cruise neckband is also fit to be worn for workouts and other outdoor activities.

The Cruise neckband features a 200mAh battery and can be connected through Bluetooth v5.0 on both, Android and iOS devices. The neckband is equipped with multi-functional and volume/track control buttons for ease of operation as well. The rich bass HD stereo sound is accentuated through passive noise cancellation. Additionally, the neckband is also compatible with voice assistants and lets the users manage music, calls, in a very intuitive manner.

“We are happy to announce the launch of our new product. Being an innovative brand, we understand the requirements of our customers. And thus, with the increased demand for audio accessories in the Indian market, we are continuously working to bring premium and affordable smart digital products for our users”, said Paresh Vij, Founder and Director, U&i.  

The U&i Cruise neckband has a charging time of 2 hours and comes in Red, Blue, and Yellow colour variants. The Cruise neckband is priced at Rs. 2,499 and it comes with a 12-month warranty. The Cruise neckband can be purchased from all leading online and offline retail stores across India. For more information, please visit this page.

Boult Audio launches its ProBass range of in-ear earphones

by

Boult Audio’s new ProBass range of in-ear earphones are designed to deliver high-quality bass through aerospace-grade alloy micro-woofers. The new ‘Probass QCharge’ are a highly ergonomic pair of earphones which are designed for those on-the-go also feature and extra-long battery life integrated with the fast-charging technology.

The Probass QCharge are sweat-resistant, flexible, and feature a lightweight soft rubber design through which the neckband fosters grip and boasts of style too. The soft silicone ear tips and ear fins ensure a good fit and comfort for extended periods of time. The device is IPX5 rated which means that it is water and sweat resistant, enabling users to wear them during intense workouts and outdoor runs.

Boult Audio Probass QCharge’s rich audio signature is sustained for longer durations through the 24-hour long battery life. The Type-C port of the earphones in combination with the fast-charging technology allows the battery to charge from 0 to 100% in just 30 minutes. With only 15 minutes of charging, users can expect a good 15-hours of playback time from the Probass QCharge.

Hands-free features are just a simple tap away and the Probass QCharge is compatible with the latest voice assistants of Google and Apple as well. Users can ‘simply ask for directs, change music tracks or dial back home’ with their voice.

The Probass QCharge is priced ar Rs. 1,199 and is available in Black, Blue, and Green with a 1-year standard industry warranty. For more information, please visit this page.

Sennheiser brings two affordable audio products to India

by

If you are looking for an affordable Bluetooth headphones or earphones, you can take a look at Sennheiser’s recently announced HD 250BT and CX 120BT. The HD 250BT headphones is tuned to please bass lovers out-of-the-box but you can tune it to your liking with the free Smart Control app. The device is equipped with Sennheiser’s transducer technology, promises up to 25-hours of battery life and supports Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity for better power efficiency and stable connectivity. It also supports codecs like AAC and aptX along with a low latency profile that syncs perfectly while watching videos on the device.

The Sennheiser CX 120BT are neckband-style earphones that is geared towards balanced sound with SBC and aptX codec support. It also supports low-latency for audio-video sync and features up to 6 hours of battery life.

The Sennheiser HD 250BT and CX 120BT are now available in India for Rs. 5,490 and Rs. 3,490 respectively.

Xiaomi announces its first true wireless earphones in India

by

It did take some time but Xiaomi’s first-ever truly wireless earphones are announced for the Indian market.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 design is inspired from Apple AirPods but it’s distinct enough with its wide stem. Besides, Xiaomi claims the earphones are tuned for audio, thanks to the 14.2mm dynamic driver, making it one of the biggest in its class.

Moreover, the TWS supports LHDC Hi-res codec that delivers better quality audio compared to SBC. However, LHDC-compatible devices are few at the moment, which also includes Xiaomi’s own Mi 10.

Other features include Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, one-step pairing with MIUI 11, smart in-ear detection with gesture control, noise cancellation for calls, voice assistant support and up to 14 hours of battery life.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 will be available on Mi.com, Amazon India, Mi Homes and offline stores for Rs. 4,499 from May 12 but can be availed at a special price of Rs. 3,999 till May 17.

Review: Sennheiser CX 150BT

by

A recent trend with most audio accessory and smartphone makers is to launch an affordable truly wireless earphones and while Sennheiser does have it in its portfolio, the award-winning truly wireless device is not exactly cheap. However, that’s not the case with their recently introduced wireless in-ear earphones. Today, we take a look at the CX 150BT.

The CX 150BT has a minimalistic design and despite the glossy black finish, the earphones look good. However, the wire that connects both ends of the earbuds is underwhelming. Nevertheless, the CX 150BT comes with in-line controls that consist of a power/action button and volume +/- keys. The keys are well-spaced out and are big enough to avoid accidental presses. The same three buttons can also be used to skip or fast forward a song, accept/reject or mute a call and so on. Adjacent to the controls is the USB Type-C port that can be used for charging. While the CX 150BT has a decent build quality, it doesn’t come with an IP rating to know its actual water and dust resistance but it’s safe to assume the CX 150BT can last your sweaty workout! In terms of fit, the buds are small that fit in nicely and offer good sound isolation. Sennheiser also offers XS/S/M/L ear tips for a perfect fit. That said, considering CX 150BT’s travel-friendly design and weight, we dislike the fact that it does not come with a travel pouch. Also, there’s no magnetic clasp at the rear-end of the buds that can automatically turn off the device when not in use, thus saving battery life.

Sennheiser CX 150BT
In-line remote control

Connecting the CX 150BT is a fairly standard affair just like any other Bluetooth device but this Sennheiser offering is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 that helps with the connected range and multi-connection support for up to two devices. During our use, we found the Bluetooth range to be exceptionally better when connected with a Bluetooth 5.0-enabled Android phone. We also connected an Android phone and iPhone and used simultaneously without any issues. The battery life is also a plus that gives up to 10 hours of playback on a single charge.

As far as audio quality is concerned, CX 150BT delivers good audio playback and while you will notice the bass, it’s not overpowering, which is a good thing. However, we did notice some distortion in some songs at full volume. The soundstage, noise isolation are also pretty good and so is the mic performance during calls. The device supports Sennheiser’s Smart Control but it’s worthless considering you can’t personalise EQ or do anything else when connected with the CX 150BT.

CX 150BT is an interesting addition to an already-wide Sennheiser portfolio. The build quality could have been better but CX 150BT delivers good audio quality at the price.

RATING 4/5
PRICE Rs. 4,990
URL en-in.sennheiser.com
WE’RE IMPRESSED Audio
WE’D IMPROVE Build quality
THE LAST WORD A decent option if you are looking for a good sub-5k wireless in-ear earphones