The latest headphones from Groov-e have been tested and overall a solid pair of cans which deliver the goods for the price in a very saturated market. They have a matt black finish overall with the typical industrial look but when it comes to sound they are on the bass heavy side so for fans that like bass these are ones to look at.
The build quality is average with mostly plastic which makes these light and good for long term use which will be fine for most the cups are padded nicely and fit nice and snug on the ears giving you good noise isolation straight away, you can wear these for several hours and I have done so with no issues with sweat but this might vary on humidity levels and so on..
Controls are good on these with raised rubber keys which are easy to find blindly and work well all the time. On the left is your power key slightly recessed on the outside of the cup and you have your music controls, ANC headphone jack and a mic so everything on one side which makes things less confusing. On the right is the micro USB port and a mic.
When it comes to sound these are good,when you turn them on first though you get the strange voice which makes them sound terrible but fear not they dont once you start playing your music you will be fine and availing of the ANC better again. ANC on all the time though will eat into the 10 hour battery life but having said that they last along time so for those on long commutes for example need not worry about battery life no matter..
Overall for the money here you get good sound albeit bass heavy so the bass lovers will like these I fall into that category,they are ideal for music,you tube Netflix and more with no lag latency present and being comfortable and light it is an easy win for most people. More colours though would be nice..
A new pair of cans have arrived and this time from Groov-e who make great tech affordable and having test most of their products I can stand by them easily with the feature set you get for the money you pay in comparison to more expensive brands.
The Zen wireless headphones are ideal for those who want an affordable headset packed with all the latest technology. Active Noise Cancelling reduces unwanted ambient sound to provide an immersive listening experience whilst 40mm drivers handle heavy beats well and can reproduce a full range of frequencies so music can be heard as it was intended. Featuring premium, soft foam earpads the Zen headphones also ensure a comfortable listening experience at all times. If you have any questions in the interim as always feel free to ask.
The Groov-e Zen Wireless Headphones are £54.99 available now from www.groov-e.co.uk.
Gaming headphones are kind of in a league of their own to some extent however for me who is not a huge gamer by any means I do sit down sometimes for hours on end and get stuck in mostly on weekends but lately I have had more time to do so due to the current situation going on with coronavirus and its always good to have something new to try out. I have several pairs of gaming headphones but now I have some new ones here to check out called the RED5 Orbit and these cost peanuts but are they worth it..
The look of these is what stands out first thing with their design which I like, I like things that stray away from the norm and these do just that with a pilot look to them and the are really comfortable and light, The build is plastic all round however robust and these will easily take plenty of knocks no problem at all.
The headband design on top is cool with a nice soft padded area that and they sit nicely on the head with no clamping effect at all and can be worn easily for hours on end. The cups are padded nicely too and cover the ears, there is some noise leakage however but in a home environment who cares here, There is just one wheel control for the volume that works well and overall a simplistic headset to use in general with no bluetooth connectivity, It is a divided opinion still today on a wired connection or wireless but going forward a wireless pair of these would be great. You do get a decent length cable here so you are not sitting right in front of the TV.
What I like about these more so is the options to connect to other devices, Lots are either geared at one console or another and that is it which is poor form. These can connect to Nintendo Switch, XBox Playstation and your PC also your phone too so they can be used all over the house which is nice,and why I say that is because if I am using such and want to move from games room to kitchen to sitting room I can do so leaving them on, Yes there is a wire but so what,plug out and plug in to the next device.
When it comes to sound they are great and online gaming is immersive and the mic works well too and it is clear both ends with a nice bass tone to it overall it is just right for me, Having said that I have only tried several headsets but they are great quality when it comes to sound which is what we want, I have tested on Xbox, PS4 , PC and phone, I did find sound a bit flat on my phone but bass heavy which for me is fine and better on PC but overall a better experince on consoles and more immersive. These also light up on the sides which is nice but just the one colour and looks well in a dark setting I could say more could be done here but for the price they do a great job when compared to others I have tested and you certainly cant go wrong for what you pay if you want something that looks different and gives a good performance overall.
Urbanista, the Swedish lifestyle audio brand, revealed today that 2019 was a record year for the company. Last year, Urbanista’s revenues grew 70% on those of 2018, bolstered by more than 500,000 sales of its true wireless headphones, and online sales with annual growth in excess of 1,000%. Urbanista finished 2019 with revenues of 241 million SEK, compared to 145 million SEK in 2018, corresponding to a growth of 70 percent, year-on-year.
Urbanista’s Scandinavian design and quality audio engineering inspired by urban life resonate strongly with an ever-growing audience that values the freedom of a mobile lifestyle. As such, the company’s true wireless headphones – named Stockholm, Paris and Athens – have all proven popular with consumers and made Urbanista a strong presence in this growing category*. Since the product launched in May 2019, Urbanista has sold approximately 2,000 Stockholm units per day, while Paris and Athens (both first available in late 2019) have also been in high demand.
2019 was a period of global expansion for Urbanista, primarily in Germany, UK and US, as well as through e-commerce channels including Urbanista’s own online store. In addition to the company’s revenues growing 70% year-on-year from 2018 to 2019, Urbanista is proud to reveal that its total revenues have increased 1,000% during the past five years – from 20.8 million SEK in 2014 to 241 million SEK in 2019 (representing growth of 1,072%).
Anders Andréen, CEO of Urbanista, commented: “We are proud to be able to maintain good organic growth year after year. We will continue to develop in everything we do and are excited for the years to come.”
Urbanista has also grown in headcount at its Stockholm headquarters. In February, Tuomas Lonka was appointed Brand & Marketing Director – a newly-created role for this growing business. The perfect match for Urbanista’s next phase and promising growth trajectory, Tuomas has gained extensive experience in growth companies such as Happy Socks and Rovio (Angry Birds), as well as larger organisations like Telia and Nokia. Tuomas confirmed: “I’m thrilled about joining the team at Urbanista.Our brand has been growing across all our key markets and we have many new and exciting projects coming in 2020 and beyond.”
Jabra today announces its Evolve2 range, the next generation of the Evolve range, its best-selling and market leading UC headset to enhance productivity in the office. The range consists of the Evolve2 85, Evolve2 65, and Evolve2 40 and is engineered to transform concentration, collaboration and flexibility in the workplace. By blocking out more noise, providing better voice clarity, bringing distributed teams together, giving people the power to work from anywhere, and monitoring data to enable intelligent decision-making, the Evolve2 is the new standard to elevate office productivity to new heights. The headsets work with all leading UC platforms as well as pending certification for Microsoft Teams.
Since Jabra’s Evolve range first hit the market in 2014, office work has changed significantly. Tasks are increasing in complexity and are creating a higher need for collaboration which makes people spend more time in collaboration mode compared to concentration mode. This causes an increase of distractions and noise in the office. As a result workplace productivity remains a constant battle for businesses globally.
But not only our office environment has changed. In today’s society where our work and private lives overlap regularly, it is important that tech solutions can support every scenario. Jabra’s no-compromise Evolve2 headset range offers features that suit every element of life – whether at work, at home or on-the-go.
Future-proofing with monitoring and analytics
Besides elevating concentration, flexibility and collaboration, the Evolve2 range tackles another key reason for the continued productivity problem: the need for monitoring and analysing the entire UC ecosystem in the company to secure stable and high UC call quality. Evolve2 will integrate with leading software/monitoring vendors to allow IT Directors and other decision-makers to analyse the performance of every Jabra headset and quickly identify the root cause of poor call quality, whether it’s due to Wi-Fi router, UC infrastructure, or the individual user’s headset settings. Moreover, the Jabra Xpress software enables easy and secure management of headsets, allowing for firmware updates and the implementation of new features whilst making life easier for the IT department.
As a result, businesses can advance their digital evolution by future-proofing their employees with the Evolve2 range, a solution built for all the challenges of modern knowledge workers: concentration in the office, remote collaboration, and the need for flexibility.
Leading sound and voice performance
Fuelled by 150 years of audio engineering excellence, Jabra has a proven track record in sound engineering. Compared to Jabra’s existing Evolve range, the new leading product Evolve2 85 is a purely digital headset that delivers 50% better noise cancellation via the Digital Hybrid ANC and noise isolating ear cushions with memory foam. The voice performance is powered by 40% better transmitted audio and double the voice distractor performance, which delivers a distinct focus on the user’s voice while cancelling distracting voices around the user. This focus is partly achieved via the 10 microphones that ensure both voice clarity and ANC – for speaking in even the nosiest environments.
The products within the range feature 360-degree visibility of the Jabra signature busy light on both ear cups to clearly signal concentration mode whilst working autonomously. Additionally, the wireless headsets in the range can be connected to all mobile devices. For these, the Jabra Sound+ App ensures a personalised and fully utilised audio experience.
The Evolve2 range includes three headsets:
The Evolve2 85 offers Digital Hybrid ANC and ten microphones in total, including two microphones in the fully integrated boom-arm and eight in the ear cups. Users can enjoy up to 37 hours wireless battery life, 40MM speakers for immersive music, and an integrated busy light with 360-degree view on both ear cups. The headset has been developed to take full advantage of the latest in audio chipset technology, enabling the Evolve2 85 to be one step ahead in battery life, solid connectivity and audio processing. Also, the sleek Evolve2 85 is designed with both the office environment and ‘on-the-go’ professional in mind, which ensures the headset can be worn regardless of where you’re working.
The Evolve2 65 has three microphones of which two are located in the boom-arm and one in the right ear cup. The headset offers up to 37 hours of battery life and three times better real wireless range than the existing Evolve 65.
The Evolve2 40 is a corded variant and offers the same comfort, durability and user experience as the Evolve2 65.
The Evolve2 85 and Evolve2 65 will include the Jabra Link 380, Jabra’s new BT adapter (dongle) that will be available in either USB-C or USB-A version.
The Microsoft Teams variants in the range have a dedicated Microsoft Teams button which allows instant connection to colleagues and meetings. For these versions the special status indicator LED on the headset can signal different issues, like missing a call or a meeting.
Holger Reisinger, SVP, Enterprise Solutions at Jabra, said: “The working world is changing. Advancements are being made across all sectors, but productivity isn’t improving at the necessary pace. Instead, distractions are growing in the workplace. Collaboration is on the up, but so is remote working. This makes the working world a fairly convoluted space, something the Evolve2 range provides an answer to. Our headsets deliver productivity, pioneer the digital experience, and enhance concentration. We are confident that with the Evolve2 range we’re offering the best headset for concentration and collaboration, whilst also creating a new standard in headsets for the modern office worker.”
Pricing and availability
The Jabra Evolve2 range will be available from April 1st, 2020 in selected retailers. The Evolve2 85 and Evolve2 65 will be available in two colours: Black and Beige. The Evolve2 40 will be available in black.
Evolve2 85 STEREO MSRP £382 MSRP (£416 MSRP with desk stand for charging)
Evolve2 65 STEREO MSRP £178 MSRP, £249 (£212 MSRP with desk stand for charging)
Evolve2 65 MONO MSRP £169 MSRP (£203 MSRP with desk stand for charging)
Fancy some new headphones or True Wireless? Urbanista have given us a code to share with our readers to purchase some new tech and we have been testing their products some time now too and can easily recommend these for the price and what you get. These have it all and anyone who buys these will not be disappointed with what they offer and you can see our reviews HERE.
You can also check out the entire range reviewed from Urbanista HERE
You can get a 15% right now on a new purchase by using the code TECHBUZZIE by hitting this link and enjoy a further discount on already well priced tech. So head over to Urbanista today and check out what is on offer.
Disclaimer,We earn some commission when purchased through our link above and it will help keep us bringing you more real hands on reviews which take time.
If you need a new pair of neckband headphones these are something to look at right away.. Having used these for some time now they passed my expectations in all aspects delivering on quality and how they sound,these are loud.
With a solid build a rubberised texture these will last and they also have easy to use functions and several buttons placed on them in a convenient manner and work quite well. Featuring all the needs you would come to expect such as call control, Play,Pause Skip and reverse tracks and volume control these are ideal for those on the go and you also have your voice assistant at hand should you require it.
Call quality is top notch for those who would use these in an office environment but these really do shine when it comes to music and more. On my usual testing on You Tube and Netflix these really did really threw me off guard when it came to the sound. These pack a punch and are loud and that is how I like it, Good bass and direction, great on highs lows and mids and overall a superb experience to be had and no lag latency when it comes to streaming and so on. These are at the higher end when it comes to price but they are worth it. Check the video review out for more.
The Lindy BNX-100 are an affordable pair of headphones that offers some good specs for the price and features too including some omitted ones at that priced at a higher range.
If you want comfort and a clean design these are a pair of headphones to check out and for me they are nice with the bass but lets see what else is in store for you money which will be around the €100 mark.
Comfort wise these are great with sufficient padding all round and that includes the headband and can be worn for long periods of time with no sweat but that might depend on ones environment as more humid rooms may give a different result the cups cover the ear and blocks out the majority of the outside world and this is a good start and they do not clam onto your head either like some cans often do. These will wear well too with their robust design and materials used and easy maintenance and they dont have that glossy finish but more a matte one.
Controls are a gift here and simple to use with buttons on both sides. We have a 3.5 mm socket micro USB port and several buttons to control the music which are raised slightly and easy to navigate blindly and really much better to use than true wireless for example with a one push control to skip or reverse tracks and the we have the ANC button and hear through and all one tap to work and they have been consistent over my test period.
Build quality is good here and one of their better builds over the years and the black and silver combo looks well and its sturdy and again will last I would like to see more colours but Lindy are known for the traditional black and silver products and not forgetting the red ear cups which look good,never mind feel good.
When it comes to the sound they are not the best I have from Lindy but they still deliver, they are loud,punchy good bass good balance and decent separation with direction more centred than travelling and the highs lows and mids are fair. These are more bass driven and have 40mm drivers and the volume up at max with ANC turned on is where they achieve the best scenario for me. They have no lag latency on testing the usual You Tube and Netflix runs I do and have auto play and pause to boot. Call quality and connection is fine and they will allow you move around 30-40ft away from your phone.
The audio pass through is most welcome too with not having the need to remove your headphones which for me is quite annoying when you want to hear your surroundings or listen to someone trying to communicate with you. Overall I was impressed with the package as a whole and how it is presented with all the extras you get along with the storage case.
Specs
Design: Over Ear
Driver: 40mm neodymium
Active Noise Cancellation: 95% reduction of low frequency noise
Bluetooth Standard: 5.0
Bluetooth Chipset: CSR 8670 with aptX and aptX Low Latency
Groov-e is a brand that brings affordable tech to the masses and does not dip on quality either for the price bracket, their latest headphones have just dropped and I have been testing these out for some time now and for the money if you like a little bass and super easy to use controls these are worth a look. Comfort is another factor here with soft cups that give great isolation off the bat.
Mostly made with plastic they do feel a bit cheap but light but overall you cant complain they deliver a nice tone of sound mostly being deep and with bass with 40mm drivers they are loud and pleasing overall no matter what you might listen to be it music, Netflix or You Tube also to note there’s no lag latency. What I love most on these it the controls which you will see in the video below and how easy they are to use, none of this double triple tap rubbish to change tracks and volume etc. You get around 30 hours of music playback and you can of course opt in for a wired connection should you run out but these also come with wireless charging which you don’t see at this price, Simply placed on a wireless charger and you are good to go. Wireless charging with the Apollo light is one example and lives at my bedside locker and is designed to be as easy as possible. Users simply place compatible devices on the 5w charging pad to start powering up the battery immediately.
Apollo’s light utilises three LED modes; warm, warm white and cool white enabling the user to tailor the light tone as required. Whilst, a dimmer function means the brightness can be adjusted up or down too. For those that like tunes before bed or to get them through the working day – Apollo also has an integrated Bluetooth speaker.
