The Strauss & Wagner EM205 Wired Earbuds with a 3.5mm connection are designed for use with portable devices and HiFi systems, ( Albeit will connect to laptops with a suitable 3.5mm connection) The 3.5mm connection is the only feature difference from the Strauss & Wagner EM8C USB-C earbuds previously reviewed at TechBuzz in which we went into more details on the specifications on the EM8C USB-C review
Features:
Standard 3.5mm plug for use with desktop and mobile devices
Three-button remote with volume and playback adjustment, as well as a microphone for calls and voice commands
The integrated microphone allows for clearer audio quality thanks to a sensitivity of -43 dB
Includes: three sizes of silicone ear tips for personalized comfort plus a carry pouch
- Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz
- Impedance 32Ω
- Sensitivity 108dB
- Microphone -43dB
- Driver 9mm
- Cable Length 43″
- Warranty 1 year
Setup and use:
The setup for mobile devices being connected with a cable required no software updates ensuring e.g., Bluetooth turned on or the need to download a specific app for the earphones. When connected to a standard windows laptop, windows drivers picked up the device and audio worked,
Note: when connected to the laptop the audio worked as expected, with excellent quality while the Volume Up / Down etc did not work, (this may have been down to the divers on the laptop requiring updating) while this product is expected to connect, without any intervention. When connected to a mobile device the volume etc worked as expected.
Controls:
Overall.
The Strauss & Wagner EM205 Wired Earbuds differ from the EM8C as comes with a 3.5 mm connection vs the USB C on the EM8C. Both have excellent call quality while do not filter out background noises to the level of more specialised earphones when on calls. The EM8C appears geared towards laptop use with the functionally working seamlessly when used on e.g., MS teams calls vs the EM205 which did not adjust the audio by default. The wired earphones do not come with all the bells and whistles of ANC, hear through, apps tailored to specific-tailed music rather an uncomplicated approach of plug-in, listen to your audio and it works. Should the earphones be used for a work laptop, typically company security policy blocks many ports or Bluetooth devices, the use of the 3.5 mm plug can bypass this without the risks.
The wired approach removes the complications of battery life, software updates, latency, compatibility etc of Bluetooth earphones. The earphones are designed to last with the option to reasonably purchase replacement ear tips should the need be required.
As with the EM8C review, an impressive audio experience from wired earbuds that are fractionally cheaper than the EM8C but provide the same uncomplicated audio quality without breaking the bank.