MobileTechTalk If you have a spouse that serially destroy their headphones due to excessive tangling, forcing you, their long-suffering partner to constantly purchase or hand over new IEMs, then these might just be for you. The EC Technology Magnet Bluetooth Headset does exactly what it says on the proverbial tin – they connect to each other with magnets. Let’s take a look.
A big thanks to EC Technology for the sample. Head on over to their website to see what else they have to offer you.
EC Technology seem to churn out Bluetooth peripherals faster than we can write about them. Their latest offering is a Bluetooth connected affair with in line controls, 4.1 Bluetooth chipset from the now Qualcomm-backed CSR, as well as a neat red & black finish. There are other colour variants also with Rose Gold (pink!) & White, and an all black offering available.
The unique selling point of this device is the built-in magnets on the ends of each ear bud, meaning that they are kept together a little easier than other IEMs. This isn’t unique to the IEM market, far from it. There are many devices out there that have the same technology, but the price point of £11.99 and the audio you can get from this unit really makes a bit of a splash.
The unit is delivered with a user guide, a 30cm micro USB cable for charging the device, small, medium, and large clear and red tips, as well as a pair of hook tips, and the standard universal tips that come pre-installed. You’ll find a comfortable fit with the amount of options available. This isn’t something all vendors include so it was nice to see here.
The unit itself is made of sturdy, glossy plastic and has a flat cable connecting the two buds, and an inline control pod just down from the right ear bud. The control pod consists of notification LEDs, two stage buttons for volume up/skip and volume down/repeat as well as a middle multi-function button which controls the power, pairing modes and the taking and rejecting of calls.
Pairing the device is straight forward. Long press the power button until the LED’s flash blue and red, and search for the unit on your phone/device then get listening to your media of choice. Once in, and listening to music, it is quite difficult to hear anything else around you. The noise cancellation is rather great. Listening to the unit whilst typing this review on a loud keyboard with the window open and a fan on didn’t cause any issues at all. Only the vocals were heard and the music was fully immersive.
The sound you get from this little unit is rather impressive. The mids are as clear as the highs and the bass is more than adequate. These aren’t Beats, in both bass and price point, but I think they “could” have pumped the bass up further as an EQ certainly allows it, but the soundstage is relatively balanced, so I see no need for it. Vocals and acoustics are great on this. Sure, audiophiles would laugh at them, pointing to many other alternatives whilst snorting in a derisory fashion, but ignoring the price point and that’s really the crux here.
We tested a wide variety of music from top 40 Pop tracks, to Grime, Hip-Hop, Motown and Indie Rock; all performed admirably. When listening to bass heavy tracks the drivers do kick in and give that wanted beefiness to the tone, but still doesn’t muddy the mids. On some Pop tracks there is a slight spacial surround sound feeling; harmonies are easily identified here, but it’s not disorienting and it’s easily overlooked.
We managed to get just over 5 hours of continuous playback which against the claimed 4-5 hours is pretty good. We also managed to fully charge the device in just shy of 2 hours too which also beats their claim. Nice to see IEC are edging on the side of caution when promoting their device.
In terms of their marketed feature, yes, they connect to each other. This will be particularly hand when you want to sling them in your bag and forget them. They’ll stay together and the flat cable with reduce (practically cease) tangles. As the unit is only around 14 grams it can also be worn around the back or front of the neck without them tugging the ear buds out during activity, which is after all the demographic that IEC are after here; gym goers and fitness folk.
The design is great and yes, they connect to each other magnetically, but the “standout” feature here is somewhat overshadowed, in a good way, by the sound these can output. If we had one complaint it was that a long press to skip a track can take a second or two. Perhaps having volume controls as the long press might have alleviated this, however this could be a personal preference.
If you have a tenner, and want something nice to listen to when doing all things active, borrow a couple of quid more and get these – you won’t be disappointed.
IEC Magnet Bluetooth Headset
£11.99
Pros
- Cheap
- Good quality soundstage
- Tangle free
- Lightweight
- Magnets!
Cons
- Long press for next/prev
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