Cabled earbuds for gamers and music lovers alike.
Info//
Edifier Ltd https://www.edifier.com £34.99, $39.99, 39.99 €
These cabled earbuds are made with mobile gaming in mind. They feature vibration effects, a removable mic that plugs into the left earbud and an optional extension with two 3.5mm jacks so you can use them with devices that require dual inputs. Although primarily intended for mobile games with voice chat facilities, you can use them with your computer or home console too.Despite the size of the earbud units, they feel very comfortable in the ears.
They look good too. There’s onboard controls for volume, pause, taking calls, skipping tracks and Siri, and a second mic in the control unit is used for phone calls when the main boom mic is not connected.
When listening to music, the sound stage is crisp and lively, but not quite as expansive as we’d like. Bass is solid and intense, and vocals are sharp. They could use a little more volume too. One or two niggles, but overall, their performance belies the price. Where they really come into their own is in voice chat. Using the boom mic, your voice is carried with awesome clarity; it’s like you were chatting to someone in the same room. And that’s what gaming headsets are all about. IO
Verdict//
PROS AND CONS:
+ Comfortable to wear
+ Lively sound + Clear voice chat
- Sound stage a little narrow
LAST WORD
A very capable headset that’s excellent value for money. Mobile gamers take note.
RATING: 4/5
Shure SE215 Earbuds
A decent set of earbuds? They Shure are!
Info//
Shure Incorporated https://www.shure.com £149, $149, 169 €
Instead of fitting directly into your ear while the cables dangle underneath, Shure’s SE215 earbuds loop the cable over the ear and let the body of the buds rest in it. The body of the device clips neatly onto your shirt, and it has controls on the right-hand cable. It’s a little awkward at first, but when in place, it makes for a comfortable fit and a decent degree of sound isolation.
The sound quality is excellent, as you’d expect from Shure. The balance is just right, with a rich bass underpinning a detailed mid-section and well realised vocals. A common criticism of Shure audio devices is they can be a little clinical and lacking in warmth. This is certainly not the case here. Your music loses none of its drive and passion as it makes the leap from your Mac or mobile device to the earbuds.
An interesting feature is that you can remove the buds from the Bluetooth unit and connect them to a 3.5mm cable (sold separately), though as the supplied BT2 cable has its on in-built headphone amplifier instead of relying on the integrated amp that forms pa
