Ameya DalviDec 07, 2019 15:57:00 IST
We have been flooded with wireless audio products lately and there’s simply not enough time to review all of them. But some of the products are interesting indeed, and we thought of letting you know what we think about them in a bit more detail. Again, I am strapped for time to write the usual 1200+ words review on each of them. Instead, how about I simply touch upon the key aspects of the products in these review snapshots. And you get three products (to read about) for the price of one. So let’s see what we got.
Pebble Duo.
PlayGo N23 Wireless Neckband Review Snapshot
PlayGo N23 is an affordable wireless neckband with Bluetooth 5.0 support. Its claim-to-fame is the use of dual drivers for better frequency response along with high battery life while keeping the weight of the product down to 28 grams. While it succeeds on the battery front, the implementation of dual drivers is far from optimal. The N23 claims up to 20 hours of battery life under test conditions, and in reality can manage close to 15 hours on a single charge, which is still an impressive number.
The company has opted for dual 6mm drivers that do improve the high and midrange frequency reproduction to an extent as compared to other earphones in this budget, but the low-frequency response is quite poor. There is barely any bass, making the sound signature a bit too bright and a tad harsh on the ear. This is definitely not for bassheads, and even those looking for a more balanced audio output may not like the sound it produces.
PlayGo N23 dual drivers.
If you are looking for a pair of wireless earphones with excellent battery life to listen to something that’s high on vocals or watch some dialogue-heavy content on the go, the PlayGo N23 is a decent option. But if you are looking for something with a balanced sound or lot more bass, there are better options available in this price bracket like the PTron Zap. It looks similar too and has an even better battery backup.
Pros
- Close to 15 hours battery life
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear
- Dual 6mm drivers provide good highs and midrange frequency response
- Bluetooth 5.0
Cons
- Extremely low bass
- Overall sound output feels a bit harsh on the ear
- There are better alternatives available in this budget
Rating: 3/5
Price: Rs 1,299
Pebble Duo Wireless Earpods Review Snapshot
Pebble Duo is one of the most affordable pair of truly wireless earbuds in the Indian market. And they sound pretty decent for the price. Of course, one cannot compare the sound quality to wired earphones or neckbands priced under Rs 2,000 but it is more than acceptable for a truly wireless pair in that budget. The high and midrange reproduction is average but there’s ample amount of bass. So if bass is your thing, you will find the sound output pretty decent. If you are looking for much better sound quality, then you shouldn’t be looking for wireless earpods in this budget; a wired pair or wireless neckbands would serve you better.
Pebble Duo.
The Pebble Duo earpods are on the bulkier side and one starts to feel a bit of ear fatigue within an hour of usage. Despite the larger size, the noise isolation isn’t all that great and a lot of ambient noise seeps through when you wear them outdoors. They do fit well in the ear though and do not pop out even if you wear them on a jog. They are IPX5 rated sweat-resistant too. The battery lasts for a shade over 3 hours of audio playback, and the bundled charging dock manages to charge them thrice before having to charge the dock again. Thus you get an overall battery backup of around 12 hours, which is on par for the course in this segment.
Another good part about this product is that they are fairly easy to pair, unlike some of their budget competitors that struggle to sync the left and right buds. I faced no such issues here during the course of my testing. So if you are looking for an inexpensive pair of true wireless earpods with decent sound output, the Pebble Duo is a good option to consider.
Pros
- Extremely affordable truly wireless earbuds
- Good amount of bass
- Fits well in the ears and does not pop out during a jog
- Quick and easy to pair, no syncing issues between the two buds
- IPX5 sweat resistant
Cons
- Slightly bulky design, not comfortable to wear for long hours
- Below par noise isolation
- Average overall sound output
Rating: 3.5/5
Price: Rs 1,699
Zebronics Zeb-Soul Wireless Neckband Review Snapshot
Zeb-Soul from Zebronics is another wireless neckband that I would like to talk about. It is one of the rare wireless earphones in this price range that supports AAC HD codec. The sound output is quite crisp and by far the better of the three audio products we are talking about in this article. Of course, its price is also close to the sum of that of the other two. I felt it could have been priced a few hundred Rupees lower given the competition in this segment.
Coming back to the audio output, it does a good job of reproducing the three frequency ranges well. The highs are sharp, the midrange response is pretty neat and there is ample bass that’s fairly tight too. One complaint I do have is the design, which I found unappealing, especially that of the red (almost pink) variant that I got for review. There’s a combination of matte and lustrous finish; the matte part looks rubbery while the lustrous ends look too plasticky for my liking. Even the driver enclosures of the earbuds seem bigger than normal and stick out of the ears.
Zebronics Zeb Soul.
Another issue with the construction is that it feels a tad heavy when you wear it. Despite a listed weight of just 38 grams, you can feel its presence around the neck. It’s probably an issue with weight distribution. Other than these points, there’s very little to complain about and the impressive sound output more than makes up for some of its shortcomings.
Pros
- Well-balanced sound output
- Support for AAC
- Good battery life (10 hours)
- Sweat-resistant
- Good call quality
Cons
- A bit heavy and can feel its presence around the neck
- Unappealing design
- Pricing could have been more competitive
Rating: 3.5/5
Price: Rs 2,799
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