Verbatim Bluetooth Headphones – Hardware Review
While gaming headsets are a very common sight on the website, we also had some everyday Bluetooth headphones on the site as well. Seeing it has been quite some time since we last reviewed one, we felt it was time to present you with something new. Verbatim was kind enough to let us take a closer look at their Bluetooth Headphones, which embodies the typical ‘sterile’ look that can be found in all of Verbatim’s products. We were curious to see how this device holds its own against Antec’s Pulse, which proved to be a great device.
Design
Immediately when opening the box, it was some sort of a ‘back to the nineties’ feeling, which wasn’t a bad thing. The overall design is rather simplistic and as mentioned before, rather sterile, which suits Verbatim’s corporate identity. The plastic parts are white, while the leathery headband and the ear pads are black, which creates a nice looking contrast. Another few fun touches are the insides of the ear pads, which are done in red, and the connection between the ear pads and the plastic part of the headset have a thin red line that runs around the entire shape and you’ll also see a small red cable sticking out. Sadly, the red touches are nearly invisible when someone is actually using the device.
Other than the metallic ‘construction’ that regulates the headphones’ size, the black buttons and the logos and brand name the device remains rather simple, yet elegant. Even for something that has a certain retro appeal, things stay stylish enough to bring the headphones with you for every occasion.
Comfort
Verbatim’s device is quite comfortable thanks to the proper padding in the ear pads and the soft headband. While the latter doesn’t have that much padding, the light weight of the device immediately counters that argument. The ear pads don’t block out that much of the exterior noise, at least for the amount of coverage you get. Seeing this headset is also to be used outside, it’s probably best you’re not blocked off entirely.
If you have rather small ears, the ear cups will cover your ears completely, if you have slightly bigger ears, the padding will squash them slightly. That being said, the device itself doesn’t grip that hard, ensuring a rather pleasant experience, even for longer periods of time. Seeing the headband itself is a bit longer, making the headset a bit wider, it’s possible that the bottom part of the pads apply some pressure right beneath your ears. This is mainly due to the fact that the cups will be placed on your ears in a different angle than smaller models do. All in all, it’s rather negligible.
Specs
- 40 mm drivers
- Up to 20 hours talk/music time
Overview
Connecting to the headphones proves to be extremely simple, as you’ll simply have to turn it on and it will wait until another device connects to it. You won’t need to bother yourself with activating a specific pairing mode or passwords on your phone.
Verbatim’s product has several buttons on the left ear piece, which allows you to play/pause music, turn the device on or off and also skip tracks. While initially it seemed as if the developers forgot all about the volume controls, the skip buttons serve two purposes. When keeping one of the skip buttons pressed down, you’ll be able to regulate the volume, albeit in a rather slow fashion. An odd design choice immediately comes up when messing around with the controls, seeing the upper button actually drops the volume and vice versa.
Around twenty hours of battery life is a rather big feature for this device, but it also means it has a slightly longer charging time, with four hours. Nonetheless, the battery life proves to be very enjoyable and you won’t have to charge the device after every somewhat longer trip. You’ll also be pleased to know that the LED will change when the device is charging, indicating it’s not ready yet.
As you’ll also need to be able to place calls with the headphones, there’s a built-in microphone, which picks up sound rather clearly. The sound quality however is a little less due to the 40 mm drivers, where many headsets are already incorporating 60 mm drivers. That being said, it’s again hardly noticeable and your favorite tunes will still sound rather crisp, albeit with a somewhat flatter bass.
An honorable mention goes to the voice that lets you know when the device is turned on, when it’s pairing with another device and when it disconnects. The latter however is stated as ‘Device is disconnect’, which makes for an amusing mistake.
Conclusion
The Bluetooth Headphones may have a simple appearance, the overall quality justifies the price tag rather well. The device itself proves to be rather comfortable and is very simple in its usage. If you like a more traditional headset, this one will surely suit your needs and is perfect for day-to-day usage.
Verbatim Bluetooth Headphones - Hardware Review,
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