In 2024 Netflix changed its protocols and licensing standards to be more stringent, meaning that a lot of existing devices could no longer natively stream their content. XGIMI’s existing Halo+ projector was one of those, meaning that now those who wanted to use Netflix had to use either a separate streaming “stick” (like an Amazon Fire stick) or use casting from their phone. So XGIMI is back with a new version of the Halo+ that has beefed up its protocols to get that vaunted Netflix certification. Unfortunately their naming convention is pretty confusing, as they currently are marketing it as the XGIMI Halo+ (New). Alternately you might find it as Halo+ Netflix. Either way, I think we can agree that they could have come up with a better way to provide some market distinction over the older Halo+, that, at least for the moment, continues to be sold as well. Fortunately things take a turn for the better when you start to look at the product itself, as this is a premium portable projector with a lot of great features. It isn’t cheap (about $800 USD at retail, though sales do reduce that price), but it has a lot of great things going for it. You can find my full thoughts in the video review here, or check out my review summary below.
Specs
Specs:
Compact – 171.5 (6.75”) x 113.5 (4.46”) x 145 mm 2.7” (5.7”)
Weighs 1.6kg (3.5lb)
LED Projector with 700 ANSI lumens
Native 1080P
HDR10, HLG
Has HDMI (ARC), USB-A, Headphone ports
Dual band WiFi 5
16GB internal storage
25,000 LED hour lifetime (17 years @ 4 hours)
Standard Google TV menu and setup
Can do handsfree voice control with remote
2x 5W Harmon/Kardon audio
59.5 Wh battery = 2.5 hours runtime (eco-mode)
Can project from 40-200” display | 1.2:1 throw ratio
Has autofocus and auto keystone corrections
Test Scenarios
Shared photos with group of recent trip to Japan
Movie nights
What’s Great:
Seems brighter than other projectors I’ve tested in the 700-900 lumen range
Easy to set up
Color and Contrast quite good (better color accuracy than cheap projectors)
HDR performance is very good
Battery life is sufficient to watch a typical movie
Premium build (feels VERY tough) and great visual aesthetic
Easy to mount
More picture controls than cheap projectors
Seemed to have no lag when using Bluetooth
Decent sound
Has standard ¼” threading for mounting on tripod or stand
Included tilting stand works well
Has basic physical controls on top
Fast processor. Loads very quickly (they claim 6sec boot time)
Netflix Certification
What’s Not:
External power brick (cable routing can be a pain)
Remote isn’t backlit
Casting from iOS requires installing app (MagiCast)
Defaults to ECO mode when running on internal battery
Auto keystone doesn’t always work perfectly
WiFi and USB specs are dated
Case not included
Conclusion
Projectors like the XGIMI Halo + Netflix occupy an interesting niche. There are more portable options on one end and brighter options on the other. But the Halo+ hits a sweet spot for two applications: 1) portable movie watching (camping, beach, travel) or 2) a compact solution for watching in a mostly dim room. 700 lumens isn’t a lot, but the Halo+ seems to be maximizing those, and frankly it isn’t much dimmer than the cheaper unit rated at 1600 lumens that I’ve been using. There are cheaper options out there, but this is one of the best portable projectors you can get and is well worth considering.
Purchase the XGIMI Halo+ New @ XGIMI US: (there will be a 20% off sale from March 24th-32st, reducing the price to $639 USD.) | XGIMI CANADA:
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Nebula Capsule Air is being marketed as the world’s smallest Google TV projector, and it is remarkably small…about the size of a soda can. It definitely is highly portable, from the small size to the 2 hour of playtime from the built in 34Wh battery. But you’ll have to be pretty selective about your lighting situation, as 150 ANSI lumens isn’t going to compete with many other light sources. Is the Nebula Capsule Air worth $400? That depends on how portable you need your entertainment to be. Find out my full thoughts in my video review.
For my full findings, check out the video review here:
Specs
Extremely small – 2.7” (68.5mm) x 5.5” (139.7mm)
Weighs 1.4lb (635g)
DLP Projector with 150 ANSI lumens
Native 1280 x 720 (supports up to 1080P input)
Has HDMI and USB-C ports (NO HEADPHONE)
30,000 hour lifetime
Supports HDR10
Standard Google TV menu and setup
Can do handsfree voice control with remote
Includes stand to allow rotating up and down – all the way to 90°
Double the Lumen rating 1600 vs 800 ANSI Lumens
5W Dolby Audio
CAN BE USED AS BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
Can project from 30-80” display (2.5 feet to 7) – Stick to around 45” for best performance
Has autofocus and auto keystone corrections
Test Scenarios
A projector this small has really one primary case use – portable entertainment in a very dim environment (the darker the better)
The picture isn’t bad if you’re using it in a dark room and projecting a reasonable size (under 50”)
Other case uses will look washed out.
What’s Great:
Incredibly small and portable
Easy to set up
Autofocus and auto keystone correction works great.
Battery life is sufficient to watch a typical movie
Can be charged or powered via USB-C
Premium build (feels VERY tough)
Easy to use BACKLIT remote
Seemed to have no lag when used with my Soundcore Boom 2+
Decent sound
Picture quality is good for SDR or HDR10 if used properly
Has standard ¼” threading for mounting on tripod or stand
Included tilting stand works well
Has physical controls, a remote control, and can be controlled by the Nebula app.
What’s Not:
Not very bright (standard for class)
Requires optimal conditions to be useful
No 3.5mm headphone/audio output
No case
Conclusion
Realistic expectations are key. If you are primarily concerned with portability and toughness and want a fully integrated entertainment solution, the Nebula Capsule Air is surprisingly versatile and definitely gives off a premium feel. If you want brightness versatility, however, the Capsule Air is not going to be a top pick. It needs to be used in a fairly dark environment if you want to avoid a washed out picture.
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Last year I reviewed the popular Yaber K2S smart projector. It was great in a lot of ways, but now Yaber is back with something even better. They’ve released the next generation of their projector, the K3, and the operative word here is MORE. More smart integration, more brightness, more volume, and a bit more cost…though fortunately that’s the smallest increase at just $100.
Here’s a quick rundown of the standout features:
Double the Lumen rating 1600 vs 800 ANSI Lumens
50% more sound – Dual 15W JBL speakers that produce surprisingly full sound
PRO VERSION adds SUB (SEPARATE)
CAN BE USED AS BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
No separate dongle (and two remotes!) – full Google TV integration
Simple setup – just like any other Google TV – will match other setups – 7000+ Apps
Can do handsfree voice control with remote
1080P 60Hz native display (supports 4K)
Can project from 40-200” display (3.5 feet to 17’ – can achieve maximum size in a smaller area)
WiFi 6 Compatible (faster, lower latency)
Quiet mode – just 28 decibels.
Compatible with a wide range of video files (connect USB drive to USB-A or USB-C port) MP4/MKV/WMV/3GP/VOB/TP/TS/DAT/MOV/FLV/TRP/4K H.264/H.265(≤30fps)
Ports = HDMI x 2, USB-A, USB-C, Ethernet
Claims lasts up to 30,000 hours
For my full findings, check out the video review here:
You can see from the image above that the new K3 is able to throw a bigger, brighter, more detailed image from the same distance as the K2S.
What’s Great:
Easy to set up
Autofocus and auto keystone correction works great.
Bright enough for tested applications (covering 100” screen) in dim conditions (can look a little washed out)
Just one remote!
Great sound
Eliminated Bluetooth lag
Menu navigation is pretty simple
What’s Not:
No case
Bigger and heavier than K2S (5.1 vs 3.2kg)
Doesn’t fit in previous case
Image at 100” screen size can get a little washed out looking
Conclusion
The only real negatives to the Yaber K3 is that it is a little bigger, a little heavier, and little more expensive, but everything else is all positive. It’s “smarter” than before, easier to set up, and does a great job with auto correction, focus, and just generally working. The picture is much brighter, colors are richer, and even the sound is better. It’s a lot of projector for the money, and the user reviews seem to back that up. If you want even bigger sound, you can choose the Yaber K3 Pro model, which adds an additional subwoofer that seamlessly syncs into the system.
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Yaber K2S 4K Smart Projector with 7000+Apps Review
Dustin Abbott
September 28th, 2023
I’m a pastor, a teacher, a photographer, a musician, and businessman. That means that I’ve had a lifetime full of presentations in churches, boardrooms, rented venues, and even arenas…and most of the time there is a projector involved. I’ve used dozens of them along the way, and I’m always interested in the concept of a projector for photographers in being able to showcase their work to clients on the spot to drive more sales. The Yaber K2S Pro does work fine for that (I used it in a wedding reception as a part of my review), but, after spending a month with it, I feel like the primary application is more as a very flexible media machine. This is a smart projector with Android TV built right into it, and it works exceptionally as a streaming device that just happens to being to project up to a 200″ screen size.
Here’s a quick rundown of the standout features:
Dolby Audio800 ANSI Lumens
10W*2 JBL Speaker
Lower Noise＜28db
Auto Focus & Auto Keystone Correction
Android TV Netfix/Prime Video 7000+app
HDMI CEC,HDMI ARC
NFC Screencast
Bluetooth & WiFi 6 Support 5G+2.4G
Alexa Voice control
Purchase at Amazon https://amzn.to/3rtxygH (use code USDUSTIN for 5% off + $200 coupon) or Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/48JU0mP (use code CADUSTIN for 5% off + $120 coupon)
For my full findings, check out the video review here:
Purchase at Amazon https://amzn.to/3rtxygH (use code USDUSTIN for 5% off + $200 coupon) or Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/48JU0mP (use code CADUSTIN for 5% off + $120 coupon)
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
August EP750 Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones Review
Dustin Abbott
May 29th, 2017
Putting on a good pair of headphones is a revelation for a music lover. The degree of sonic immersion possible allows music to come alive in a way like nothing short of a very high end audiophile system. The EP750 are the third set of headphones that I’ve reviewed from the audio company August, and I’ve consistently been impressed by the build and audio quality from their products (I’ve also reviewed several of their Bluetooth speakers). I’ve personally used some of their headphones for several years and have also gifted a few pair to music-loving relatives. Everyone has been very positive about the great sound quality and well-executed design. When August contacted me about reviewing their new flagship Bluetooth headphones (the first to contain an active noise cancellation circuit) I happily agreed despite an incredibly busy schedule. I has taken me a while to find the time to complete and publish the review, but that extra time has given me more time to actually use the EP750 and form my conclusions.
More of a visual person? You can watch my full video review here:
EP750 Design and Features
There are certain expectations that come with being the flagship of the line, and the EP750 deliver a more robust feature set than what I’ve ever seen in a set of August headphones. These include:
Active background noise reduction (noise cancellation)
The ability to share the audio source with another headset (via the 3.5mm audio jack).
The ability to act as a wireless audio receiver (more on this in a moment)
NFC Support (Near Field Communications)
Integrated Microphone (hands-free calling)
Multipoint technology (you can connect to two devices at once).
Longer battery life than other models (about 15 hours).
aptX technology for lag-free video usage
Includes Airplane headphone socket adapter and premium cables along with a custom carrying case
I’ve always been impressed by the fit and finish of the August headphones I’ve used, but the packaging is definitely a cut above here and definitely helps this feel like a premium headset.
While the EP750 headphones represent the culmination of August’s feature set and design in a premium set of headphones, the killer feature here in the inclusion of Active Noise Cancellation. This is feature normally only featured in much more expensive headphones like those from Bose and are frequently marketed to serious travellers. If you listen to headphones in a relatively quiet environment most of the time, this may be an unnecessary feature for you. But if you frequently listen in noisy environments (commuting, air travel, etc…) this is an incredibly important feature.
Most headphones will block out a lot of external sounds if they are turned up loud enough, but the difference in headphones with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is that they will filter out a lot of environmental noises even with the volume set much lower. Active Noise cancellation works best at blocking out droning, consistent tones (airplane engine, background chatter, etc…) I serve as the dean of a small local leadership training center, and, as a part of that, I’m often in the classroom working in the back of the room while an instructor is teaching. I will often use headphones in that setting if I’m trying to focus on something else. I could notice a major difference with the ANC turned on. The sound of the instructor’s voice and the background noise of the classroom largely disappeared even at a relatively low volume level. This becomes a big deal if you are looking to eliminate distracting noises but don’t want to blast your eardrums to do it. The specs claim a noise reduction level of -18DB; certainly useful! I wrote most of this review in just that kind of setting.
A nice, tight seal on the headphones results in almost zero noise “leakage” even with them turned up loud. I both listened with the headphones on others and also had them listen carefully with the headphones on me. Even in a relatively quiet room (and looking for it) there is almost no detectable sound escaping.
The inclusion of the airplane headphone jack adapter along with the ability to share the audio signal with another headset further cements the EP750 as a serious option for the frequent flyer. The strong battery life (up to 15 hours) helps bolster these credentials, as does the ability to use the headphones passively once the battery is dead via the 3.5mm input.
That 3.5mm jack has developed further functionality as it now has the ability to transmit as well as receive. You can not only receive a signal from a non-Bluetooth audio source but can also output the signal you receive via Bluetooth to either a second headset (sharing) or even to a audio-in source (like a receiver). It’s an interesting application (within a limited scope) but adds to the versatility of the EP750.
I noted that both the included carry case along with even the packaged cables are a cut above what I typically see. The included micro-USB charge cable in particular stands out as the nicest I’ve seen included with, well, just about anything. It looks like something built by Monster Cable that Best Buy or a similar electronics retailer would sell for $20+.
One of the key things I look for when reviewing Bluetooth headphones is audio lag when watching video. This unfortunate (and fairly common) weakness of Bluetooth headphones will bother most people, and some severely. There can be a latency lag between the movement of the lips on the video and the sound reaching the ears. Fortunately there is no perceptible lag with the aptX-equipped EP750, and the sound is nicely synced with the video source.
The EP750 contain the now-standard suite of features like NFC (just tap them on NFC-supporting Android devices for instant pairing). My media devices are Apple products, so NFC doesn’t apply to me. I found both initial and subsequent Bluetooth pairings to be a breeze, however, and the EP750 connects extremely quickly.
The controls on the EP750 are very simple…and all located on the right headphone. There is a single button higher up the headphone that serves as the Power/Play/Pause/Answer button, and beneath it there is a small gap with a status LED. Further down are the Volume Up/Next Track button and the Volume Down/Previous track button. On the opposite side of the right headphone (facing front) is the Active Noise Cancellation switch along with a separate status LED.
It is important to note that the ANC works independent of the main power switch, so it is both possible to use ANC with the headphones off (it still makes a notable difference in the sound of background noise even with no audio source on) but also for ANC to continue to drain the battery even if the headphones are turned off. If you leave ANC running it will eventually drain the battery even if the headphones themselves are powered off, which is one of the very few points of contention that I have with the EP750. Battery life with ANC off is 15 hours, or 14 hours with it on. Recharging the battery takes 3 hours and results in a 540 hour standby time; no need to turn them off every time you get up to go do something else for a few minutes!
The built-in microphone for hand’s free calling works fine, though frankly there is a limit to how fantastic a microphone that boils down to a tiny slit on the side of a headphone can be. I’ve never heard anyone complain about the audio quality of my voice when using it for calls, so that’s really about all one can ask for. Using something like these headphones for hands-free calling can be a little disconcerting because of how much your own voice is blocked by the headphones.
EP750 Build Quality
The EP750 feel like a premium set of headphones. Not so much in having some exotic material like wood or titanium, but in the quality of the materials. Some headphones feel “plasticky”; these don’t! The band is essentially made of two materials. The first, along the top, is a similar leatherette material to the earcups. It is lightly padded on the topside and thickly padded on the inside. The earcups are also thickly padded, and the combination is very comfortable even over extended listening periods.
The lower section of the headband looks like a brushed aluminum, though I’m not entirely sure of the material. There is a metal band running internally (you can see it when extending the band for adjustment) that helps reinforce everything. The adjustment range on each side is just a little over an inch (right under 3 cm), which should allow you to find a comfortable position for your head size.
The hinged portion (they can be folded in for more compact storage) has real screws to hold things together, and after months of use everything still feels sturdy. I like the touch a strip of chrome around each earcup.
At 235g they are not exceptionally light, but neither do they feel heavy on your head, either. The EP750 feel comfortable and well-made; not much to complain about here. The fit and finish is excellent, and nothing feels “cheap” about them.
EP750 Sound Quality
This has been and continues to be an area of strength for August headphones. They know how to produce great sound. The basic specs are:
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
Speaker Output: 20mW
SNR: ≥85dB
Distortion: ≤1.0%
That says little, however, as these are fairly common specs. You have to put on the headphones to appreciate them. My pair arrived at the end of February this year, and so I had to let them play for a while to break them in (Canada’s February cold doesn’t do sound quality much good). Once they were broken in, however, the sound has been a delight. There’s great bass response, but it is balanced and nuanced, not boomy or overwhelming. Instrument placement and vocals are excellent, and the little details of music that you so often miss in inferior listening environments are easy to hear. The key word here is balanced; the headphones work well with a wide variety of audio genres. The active noise cancellation also helps in that you can hear fine detail even without resorting to high volume levels if your listening environment is less than ideal. Turning them up results in more sound, not more distortion.
Normal listening levels have the volume at under 50%, with very loud levels achieved by 75% on my iPhone 6s or iPad Pro 9.7”.
Watching movies over the headphones is an equally positive experience, as the aptX codec helps eliminate any kind of video delay (sync issue) and results in a nicely synced audio/video experience. The nuanced sound also serves well with movie soundtracks, allowing sound to be nicely placed and things like explosions to be big and powerful without distorting.
Bottom line is that the EP750 have become my go-to headphones and I feel like you would have to spend a LOT more money to get superior sound quality.
In Conclusion
I’ve found little to complain about during the past several months that I’ve spent with the August EP750. They are feature-rich in the right kind of way (nothing gimmicky), and the Active Noise Cancellation works well and is a real difference maker.
It needs to be, as the EP750 currently retails for more than twice as much as the also-excellent (but not active cancelling) EP650, which can be had for $50. The EP750 retail for right under $110, which is a new price point high for August headphones, but is actually no more than mid-pack in terms of price for Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth headphones. The premium brands like Bose will set you back three times as much. And frankly these headphones feel pretty premium themselves, so I think this is a fair price point for the EP750. This feels like a very complete package and a far cry from many of the “cheap” alternatives you can find on Amazon.
These are very new coming to the market right now, and as of the time of this review are only available in Black and in limited quantities, so if you catch them in stock and are in the market…
Keywords: August EP750, August, EP750, Noise Cancelling Headphones, EP750 Review, August EP750 Review, Dustin Abbott, Bluetooth, Sharepoint, Sharing, ANC, Active Noise Cancelling, Noise Cancellation, Wireless, NFC, Travel, Airline, Bus, Train, Audio Review, Hands On, Long Term, How To
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
As a tech reviewer I have amassed a fairly extensive collection of headphones. I only have two ears, but I have a few dozen sets of headphones! Every set of headphones has its own personality. It’s amazing how different a piece of music sounds when you cycle from one set of headphones to another! Some have a more “analog” sound in that they have a bit of a warmer, more “vinyl” quality, while others are more digital (bright and crisp). Some are muddy, and vocals get buried in bass that is too aggressive. But here’s the thing: look at the user reviews of any set of headphones and you will get some saying, “Too much bass” while others say, “Not enough bass”. Everyone has unique tastes in sound just like anything else. That being said, I suspect the August EP650 have the kind of sound that should make a lot of users very happy.
Prefer to Watch your Review? Here’s a video review of the EP650 for you!
Rather read instead? Read on…
Some headphones grab your attention at first depending on the piece of music that you start with, but later fall apart with a different style of music. If you only listen to one very specific genre of music your job of finding a set of headphones you really like is a little easier. Want lots of bass? There’s a lot of shoppers like you. But if you, like me, enjoy a broad range of musical genres the task of finding the right set of headphones is little more daunting. It can be challenging to find a set of headphones that handles very different music styles equally well. The August EP650 headphones didn’t blow me away the moment I put them on, but rather grew on me as I listened more and more due to having a nicely balanced sound profile that is highly flexible.
Before I became a gear reviewer I used to lament the fact that it was very hard to choose a set of headphones because in the days of Amazon it is not a matter of getting a chance to actually listen to headphones and determine if you actually liked their sound profile. It seems like Bose is the only manufacturer that still has a lot of listening stations (listening to a bunch of headphones at Bose kiosks at airports is a traveling highlight for me.) I will do my best to try to verbalize my perceptions of the sound profile of the EP650 in this review.
It is also hard these days to choose a set of headphones based on a feature set. Every set of headphones has marketing that touts its unique features. I think it is important to actually think about what is most important to you. Too often we buy based on a spec list without actually considering if certain specs that something is the “best at” actually matter to us. Case in point: NFC (Near Field Communications) “tap to connect” is a cool feature, but I use an iPhone, and NFC is an Android technology. Not a big deal for me, but important if you are an Android user. Bear this in mind as we examine the feature high points of the EP650.
EP650 Features and Specifications
Bluetooth Features: the EP650 have a fairly typical range of Bluetooth features, including the NFC “tap to connect” feature mentioned before. The range of the headphones is solid. I was able to stray quite far from my Bluetooth source without any cutout, including moving beyond an interior wall that is solid block and used to be an exterior wall (a pretty typical signal killer). I’ve found that over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones like these tend to perform better in this metric anyway, as they have much more real estate than Bluetooth buds for optimal placement of the signal receiver. I was easily able to go downstairs from my source without having signal cutout. The specs say “up to 10 meters”, but in the real world there are a lot of factors that influence this. In many cases you will be able to easily exceed this.
The EP650 also have “Multi-Point technology”, which allow them to be connected to two devices (tablet + phone, for example). This allows you to use something other than your phone as a media source but not have to worry about missing a phone call. Multi-point has both good and bad aspects, as sometimes you may not realize that you are connected to both and can start media playing on the “wrong” device. I will sometimes disconnect from a source I don’t want or need in this kind of situation.
As hinted at in the previous paragraph, the EP650 (like most Bluetooth headphones) have an integrated microphone and the ability to serve as a hand’s free device for calls. I’ll admit that this is not something I frequently use myself, as I drive a modern vehicle that has a full range of Bluetooth connectivity itself, and, when at home, still prefer using a landline to my cell (the metal roof on my house isn’t kind to cell signal sometimes!) Still, it is a nice feature to have, and this may be far more important to you than me. Voice quality through the built in mic is fine – when I used it for conversations no one ever asked if I was using anything but the phone itself. Press the play/pause button to answer a call or to disconnect. Holding the same button for two seconds will reject an incoming call. You can also double press the button during a call to transfer to or from the headphones to your phone.
If your media device is A2DP compatible (most all modern ones are), you will be able to control the media device in the typical ways (Play/Pause, Previous/Next Track, Volume Up/Down). I do note, however, like other recent headphones I’ve reviewed, that the EP650 don’t seem to control the volume of the device directly. If the volume is set very low on your device, you will only be able to boost it so much; you will hear the beep which indicates max volume without the headphones being overly loud. I find that it is typically better to turn the volume higher on your playback device (1/2 to ¾ is a good range) which will give you a big range to play with on the headphones themselves.
The EP650 have the Bluetooth version 4.1 standard and, importantly, employ the aptX codec for both improved sound quality but also to eliminate the slight lag issue that plagues some Bluetooth headphones. Headphones that lack this (or some similar technology) aren’t nearly as good for video playback as there can be a sync issue between what you see on the screen and what you hear. It’s annoying, but fortunately the EP650 has no issue with lag at all. I carefully watched close-up video and found that the sync between the moving of mouths and the sound was perfect.
I’m always happy to see a standard micro-USB port on the EP650. This has become the standard for most small rechargeable devices from flashlights to eReaders to headphones to Android phones and devices and thousands of other devices. It means that when you travel you don’t have to worry about packing a unique proprietary recharge cord, but could perhaps utilize the charge cord for your phone or at least have one cord that can service a number of devices. I’m extremely disappointed to see anything but micro-USB on small devices. A charge cord with micro-USB on one end and a standard USB 2.0 end on the other is included. This can be plugged into any USB port for charging, but (as is pretty much standard these days) an AC adapter is not included. A glance in the included print manual does raise an interesting second use for the USB port. If you connect your EP650 headphones via USB to a computer it will enable them to be an “audio out” device for the computer while simultaneously charging.
In a similar vein the EP650 have a standard 3.5mm audio in jack on the left side. I’m always happy to see this, as it means the headphones are “backwards compatible” with non-Bluetooth audio sources and also means that you can continue to use the headphones even if the battery is dead…provided you have a 3.5mm patch cord along (one is included in the package). The included patch cord is about 3 ½ feet long (right over a meter).
There is an LED light that surrounds the Play/Pause button that communicates status. It will flash blue when connected successfully, and will periodically flash blue when in standby mode. When the battery is low, this light will turn to red. When charging, it will be a constant red and will turn to a solid blue when fully charged.
The EP650 headphones will charge in about two hours, and the run time is over 10 hours. I’ve seen better battery life than this, but at the same time it feels like (in my use) that I hardly ever have to charge them. Standby time is a very impressive 30 days. The 220mAh battery is nicely efficient.
The EP650 do not have active sound cancellation, but they do perform pretty well. Even at higher listening levels there is very little “noise bleed” from the headphones. You won’t have to worry about bothering others. Likewise the sound isolation in most settings is fairly complete, though I don’t find headphones like this are as good for doing something like mowing the lawn as a good set of earbuds.
Overall the EP650 check most of the boxes on the desired spec list for me.
Ergonomics
The EP650 are immediately comfortable when you put them on. There is nice amount of padding along the headband. There is roughly an inch of adjustment travel in the headband (about typical), and there is a nice ratcheting effect with seven “clicks” or positions as they extend out. I was happy to see a metal internal band as this extends which I presume runs the length of the headband to reinforce it. There are also some visible metal components at the hinges. The arms can fold in for storage (always welcome), though no storage bag or pouch is included.
The headphones are fairly light (211g on my scale), and the nice padding means that I don’t really notice them on my head.
The ear cups themselves are the standard “leatherette” type material and are nicely padded. They fit comfortably on my ears even for prolonged listening periods. The earcups will rotate about 50 degrees to enable a more custom fit.
The physical controls are all on the right side. There is a large, nicely contoured Play/Pause button that is easy to find by touch. That button is framed all around by a top rocker button that serves as a volume button and a bottom switch that serves for track forward or backward. Everything works pretty much as it should, though I wouldn’t mind a little nub on the rocker switches to allow you to more easily find them by feel. As it stands, it is easiest to find the Play/Pause button and orient yourself from there.
Sound Quality
The EP650, like most headphones, have a frequency response between 20Hz-20,000kHz, but that doesn’t tell much of the story. It’s what headphone do with that frequency range that sets them apart. The large 50mm drivers in the headphones in the EP650 deliver.
I would call the sound profile a little more “analog”, as neither the low end nor the highs are overly boosted. Treble doesn’t tinkle like glass in your ears with extreme brightness, though high points are nicely defined. Bass is solid and deep, but not overwhelming. Overall nothing sounds artificially boosted. Listening to music with a heavy techno beat? Bass will be big and fat, as it should be. Listening to something more heavily layered where the bass isn’t supposed to dominate? The low end won’t get muddy. Stereo separation is nicely defined. Highs are pure, though I wouldn’t mind a bit more brilliance in the upper register. The strength in my mind of these headphones is their versatility. They sound good no matter what type of music I try.
I gave my brother-in-law, a music lover, a pair of the EP650’s for Christmas. He told me a day or two later that when listening to familiar music he heard instruments that he had never known were there. Such is the power of a good pair of headphones.
Sound quality is also excellent when watching video content. Sound effects are clear and balanced and are nicely directional. The overall sound stage is lively and engaging, and, as previously mentioned, there is no sync issue.
User reviews reveal a lot of people that are very pleased with the sound quality from the EP650. They handle a lot of different musical styles with aplomb, and I’ve not yet had a moment where I was playing a certain piece of music and felt the headphones weren’t up to the task.
Price and Conclusions
Here in Canada the EP650 retail for $64.95 CDN and come in Black, Blue, Gold, Silver, Red, and White. I’m personally very partial to the Red finish. They have a satin finish and a deep color that I think looks great. The very “Apple” looking “Silver” is also a great choice. On Amazon.com (US), the price is $52.95 USD, while in the UK (the home country for August International), they list for £42.45. There are cheaper headphones, and there are obviously many much more expensive options. The EP650 hit a happy medium for many users, however, offering up a very nice quality set of headphones at a reasonable price. There are over 2000 individual user ratings that add up to a 4.5 out of 5 star rating – pretty nice!
As I said at the beginning of this review, I have a lot of headphones to choose from, but I find myself reaching most often for the EP650 when I want an over-the-ear headphone. That balanced sound and the comfortable fit has won me over. I’ve been pretty happy with pretty much everything I’ve reviewed from August, and these headphones are no exception. This is a company that is building a reputation on making great sounding audio devices at very reasonable prices, and the August EP650 Bluetooth headphones are great ambassadors for that mission.
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I get invitations from various companies to review their headsets, headphones, and speakers pretty often (usually several invites a week). Because my primary review focus in on photography, I often decline those invitations, but I do typically take a few moments first to check out the product and see if it stands out from the crowd in any way. I love music, and I have to confess to being a bit of sucker for a good pair of headphones (which may be why I already own a dozen or so!!) So, when I received such an invitation recently to review some new headphones from Mixdcer, my initial reaction was a plan to decline…until I looked at the product descriptions and saw some tech that interested me. In this case it was the ShareMe concept from which these headphones get their name.
The whole concept behind the ShareMe headphones is interesting as [on paper] it seems to solve one of the basic problems with Bluetooth headphones – that direct digital connection precludes the ability to split the audio stream to multiple sources like the old Y-splitter that we used to plug into the headphone jack. Going Bluetooth often means no longer being to share your audio with a friend. But the whole concept behind the ShareMe line is the ability to connect multiple ShareMe headsets to the same audio source.
While this may not be something that I personally need very often, my mind immediately went to my children. The ability to share an audio/video source on a long trip via car or plane could be pretty huge. I could picture them huddled together looking at an iPad with a nice set of headphones on each head.
Add to this that the Mixcder Flyto headphones did really well in my recent “Buds on a Budget” showdown of Bluetooth earbuds. They offered the best blend of battery life and features, so I agreed to review the ShareMe line. I specifically asked for the ShareMe 5 and ShareMe Pro headphones to be sent to me.
Want to watch your review? I’ve got you covered here.
Advantages of Over Ear Headphones
While I often value portability in a headphone and tend to either use earbuds or smaller over the ear headphones, there are definitely some intrinsic advantages to their bigger brothers like these.
Sound quality. It’s hard to beat bigger open back headphones for overall sound quality.
Battery life. Bigger headphones means more room to put batteries. The ShareMe 5’s have a rating of 16 hours of playback while the ShareMe Pro’s have a rated 20 hours of playback time. In my recent Bluetooth earbud showdown the top performer had 8 hours of playback time while most of the contenders had 4-6 hours of playback time. Clearly the larger headphones are in a completely different battery life class. You can listen to these headphones for a long time before needing to recharge.
Bluetooth Signal strength. One of the most frustrating things about Bluetooth headphones is their proclivity for cutting out if you stray from your device or sometimes even if you turn your head the wrong way. Larger headphones like this have more room to correctly place Bluetooth chipsets and receivers, and the end result is a stronger Bluetooth signal and excellent range. I often wonder off around the house away from my music device and I’m always surprised by how perfectly these headphones maintain their signal.
There is one major weakness of over the ear headphones as opposed to buds, however. They are not nearly as portable. The ShareMe 5’s have an advantage here over the Pro’s; the 5’s are hinged so that they can be folded in for storage and take up less room. The Pro’s lack that capability. Neither headset comes with a pouch or case for storage, so that’s a bit of a negative for them both.
Names are an interesting thing. When I requested the ShareMe 5 and Pro headphones my assumption was the that the Pro’s would be the standout. After using them both, however, the final answer is a little more complicated. The Pro’s are the flagship in terms of features, battery life, and name. The ShareMe 5 were released after the Pro, however, and as a result have a few tweaks that are probably the result of user feedback and in some ways results in a more comprehensive, user friendly package.
Design, Build, and Appearance
Case in point – their appearance. I’ve already noted that 5’s advantage in being able to fold the ear cups up to more them more compact for transport. But the design of the two headphones has some give and take; neither is the clear standout. The backs of both headphones are different in size, shape, and finish. The ShareMe Pro backs have an oval shape in a black finish with a pattern like grey raindrops repeating. They have the ShareMe logo. The overall look is a little “plasticky” to my eye. According to Mixcder’s literature, the material is actually nylon over a stainless steel “core” in the band, which is definitely preferable in terms of toughness and durability. The ShareMe 5 have a smaller, rounder back with an aluminum “look” and a “chrome” ring around the extreme edge. Instead of the ShareMe logo it has the Mixcder logo in a similar “chrome” finish. The back material is still plastic, but it looks more upscale to my eye. I give the ShareMe 5 the edge in basic appearance.
As you move up the headband the advantage shifts. The Pro headphones have thick padding on both the inside and top of the headband along with the Mixcder logo stamped into the top materials. The padding isn’t quite as thick on the inside of the 5, and neither the padding or the branding on top of top of the headband is there. The top of the headband on the 5 is just a slightly flocked texture plastic. The only ShareMe branding is on the inside of the headband on the left side. The actual headphone band edge goes to the ShareMe Pro.
The material of the earcups on both is a synthetic leather “protein”, which feels like leather but promises great durability. The inside of the ear cups are similar in size and have a similar thick padding. The different design of the ShareMe 5’s backs results in a deeper cup, which I personally feel contributes to slightly more sound isolation. In my “mowing the lawn test” neither headset matches a good set of earbuds for isolating the sound of the lawn tractor out. I like to listen to audiobooks in that kind of setting, so strong sound isolation is important. I didn’t feel like I could adequately distinguish the words with the headphones while I could using Mixcder’s own Flyto buds. For less extreme settings the sound isolation works fine.
I personally find both the ShareMe 5 and Pro headsets comfortable. The padding is soft on the ear cups and on the band above the head. I slightly prefer the fit of the ShareMe 5, which swivels left and right a bit as well as up and down to accommodate my preferred fit. The Pro headphones have a broader range of adjustment in tilt (I’d estimate about 50 degrees of tilt compared with about half that tilt range in the 5’s). In a nice touch both headphones have a large L and R screened on the mesh of the actual speaker cover inside each earpiece. It makes it very easy to immediately identify the proper way to wear them. In my use I’ve found both sets of headphones to be very comfortable for extended wearing sessions.
While they have a “plasticky” appearance (though they are nylon, not plastic), the headphones feel sturdy and well made. They are nice and light. The Pro’s weigh 8.8 ounces (249g) while the 5’s are lighter still at 6 ounces (170g). If you have a larger head, the Pro’s might provide a better fit as they have a longer range of adjustment in the band size. I’d estimate that their ability to extend is about 25% greater. In my family we were all able to get a comfortable fit with either headset.
Connectivity and Audio Performance
Bluetooth pairing was easy and straightforward with either headset. They sync up with the previous device almost instantly. Either can connect to multiple devices simultaneously (phone + media device, for example). The headline feature (ShareMe) is fortunately very easy to access.
Make sure both headphones are powered off (and the first time, you may want to make sure that Bluetooth is turned off on your audio device).
Place the two headsets close together (within one meter).
Press and hold the power button for 5-6 seconds on both headsets until the LED on them flashes blue and red (pairing mode).
The headsets will automatically pair to each other (you will hear “connected – right channel” and “connected – left channel”.
You can then proceed to pairing one of them (the “right channel” is the primary) to the audio device (turn the Bluetooth back on with the audio device).
In the future it will be as simple as just turning on both headsets within one meter of each other and they will automatically pair. And, by the way, both headsets operate in stereo (not just left or right). The sync seems to be perfect (I held them up to both ears and couldn’t detect any lag). The headline feature works…and works well. It works fine for audio, but the one weakness is that there is a split second lag in video (this seems to be hit or miss with Bluetooth headphones anyway) that I didn’t notice with a direct (single) connection. It is only there if you look very closely, but is perceptible…at least on the ShareMe Pros. I went back and looked closely at video with ShareMe Pro models in single paired mode, and there was a bit of lag there, too. If this is an issue for you, the ShareMe 5’s are the better choice. It is worth noting that neither headset touts aptX (which sometimes helps with this), but it is clear that improvements have been made to the ShareMe 5.
It is worth noting that I didn’t detect a difference in audio quality whether one or both headphones were connected in ShareMe mode (there isn’t a quality penalty for using the ShareMe tech). Sound placement is excellent and there is a nice balance of lows, mids, and highs.
The audio performance of both headphones is excellent overall, though I personally have a slight preference for the audio from the ShareMe 5. Their specs are virtually identical. Both have a 40mm driver in the speakers and a power rating of 20mW. Their frequency response is also identical (20Hz-20,000KHz – despite an incorrect listing on Amazon that actually shows the specs for the microphone, not the headphone). Bass response seems a little stronger on the ShareMe 5 to my ear, which could be the result of the deeper ear cup. As always, though, the sound quality is a matter of taste. In my family some preferred the ShareMe 5 while others preferred the ShareMe Pro.
Both have excellent sound, however, with a variety of musical styles along with video content. Both seem to have a pretty good signal to noise ratio, too, and I found that a comfortable listening level left me with a lot of volume left to work with. The sound is not as sophisticated as the very best headphones out there, but should be excellent to the ears of all but the most serious audiophiles. Sound quality is a definite plus in a relatively inexpensive headphone like this.
Controls and Ergonomics
I’m less thrilled about the implementation of the controls on either the ShareMe 5 or the ShareMe Pro, though the latter is the greater offender. I’ll deal with them separately as the controls are quite different.
ShareMe Pro:
On the surface the Pro’s design looks like it should be good. At the bottom of each earphone, facing down, is three good sized buttons. One has power, volume down, then volume up. The other has track forward and backward with play/pause sandwiched between. When looking at them and depressing the buttons, everything seems fine. But I find it much harder to distinguish between the buttons with the headphones mounted on my head. They are shaped too similarly and too close to each other for my medium sized fingers to easily feel where one ends and another begins. To be fair, there is a slight nub on the two volume buttons to distinguish them from the power button, but the problem is that the two volume buttons are too close together and thus it doesn’t help much. Both buttons have the nub and they are very close to other. It probably would have been better to have the volume buttons on either side of the power button to space them out some. I’ve inadvertently turned up the volume when trying to turn it down a number of times.
Compounding this frustration is the fact that the volume buttons frequently don’t seem to do anything. Unlike most Bluetooth headphones I’ve used (and that is a lot of them these days!), the volume buttons don’t directly control the volume of the device but rather a range within the headphone itself. You have to set a loud volume level on the device so that you will have a decent range within the headphone’s own volume range. If you don’t, you will be getting the beep indicating maximum volume even though it might only be a third of the way up on your device…with much more volume available. The volume buttons require a certain kind of input, too. Rapid pushes may produce absolutely no response. They seem to like slow, measured depressions the best. To me this is a design fail.
On the other side things are little better, mostly because the track forward/back buttons are positioned to either side of the play/pause button and thus the nubs on them (which isn’t on the play/pause button) gives you a little better tactile response to distinguish the three buttons. I’ve not had near the same frustrations on that side, though there is a bit of lag between the button push and corresponding action on your device. The latter isn’t particularly unusual with Bluetooth, though I’ve seen better response times…including Mixcder’s own Flyto Bluetooth buds (which directly control the audio of your device).
On the plus side the accessory ports are nicely laid out. The charge port (the now ubiquitous micro-usb port) has a nicely raised section on the cover so that you can get a fingernail under to raise it up (this is an overlooked detail on some headphones). The micro-usb charge cord is included, although you will have to plug it into a powered USB port somewhere to charge; no AC adapter is included (not that I expected one). There is a pin-hole microphone to allow you to do handsfree calling. In a nice touch, too, there is a 3.5mm line-in jack that allows you to go analog when the battery is dead or if you have an audio source without Bluetooth. This hybrid approach is refreshing as it adds more versatility, though you do lose remote control over the volume and functions in analog mode. The included line cable has a male end on each side, plugs into both the headphones and your audio device, and is about 5 feet long.
ShareMe 5:
The ShareMe 5 employs a simpler layout (though that translates into a better experience), with the controls all on the right side while the left has the charge port and 3.5mm line in jack. No guessing about which side to reach for. The right side has a simple three button/switch layout that is similar to a lot of other headphones. Located in the center (bottom) position is the multi-purpose On/Off/Pairing/Answer Call button. Towards the back is a volume + (next track) and volume – (previous track) switch with a small space in between them. While this is a simpler layout than the Pro, I find the button placement much easier to deal with.
Unfortunately the volume situation is the same here. Turn the volume up on the device and then control the degrees of it with the headset. On the plus side the fact that the volume buttons are more clearly defined makes it simpler to give definite inputs and thus the controls seem to behave better. There is still a split second lag with play/pause, but this is pretty typical.
The line-in jack works nicely as with the Pros, with an identical cable included. The fact that the headphones will operate in fully passive move is great, though, as before, you will lose all controls such as play/pause, or even volume.
The ShareMe 5 also shares the micro-USB port for charging, though there is no cover for the port here. That means there is one additional point for moisture to enter the headphone, so you should be careful there. There is no moisture resistance rating given on either headphone.
The battery rating is a little less robust on the ShareMe 5. While it shares the 2000 hour standby time, it has a 14 hour music playback/16 hour “talk” rating compared to the 20 hour playback/talk rating of the Pro. The battery seems to last for a very long time without the battery life indicator on my device showing any change.
Ironically one of the advertised features of the ShareMe headphones has been a source of frustration for me personally. By pressing the call button they will send a signal to automatically recall the last dialled number. The major problem, however, is that the “call” button is also the power button, meaning that if you don’t hold the power button long enough you will end up inadvertently placing a call to your last dialled number when connected to a phone as your audio device. I’ve done this multiple times and it is annoying.
I’m sure that familiarity with the headphones would help solve some of these issues (you adjust to anything), but as a reviewer who is familiar with a lot of different devices and doesn’t always use the same ones I don’t feel like the logical layout and control functionality of these headphones is as good as others I’ve seen. It all works, but not necessarily in an intuitive fashion. Ironically the simpler ShareMe 5 caused me less grief due to better button placement. The ergonomics of the ShareMe 5 and Pro are the weak link in the package.
In conclusion
The ShareMe 5 and ShareMe Pro headphones leave me with slightly mixed feelings. I slightly prefer the ShareMe 5 headphones for several reasons, though they don’t have the exceptional run time of the Pros. Both headphones seem to go a very long time without the need for charge, though. I’m happy with the way the ShareMe function works and with the sound quality of the two headphones, but I’m less happy with the ergonomic design of the controls and some of the odd quirks with volume and other functions. I really like the ability to use them passively if the battery runs out (and provided you have the line in cable – which would have been more likely if some kind of pouch was included). That could really be a benefit on a long flight, for example. It also gives you the ability to use analog (non Bluetooth) sources and means that you could own one rather than multiple headphones. I also find the headphones very comfortable. There are details here and there that betray the budget origins of the headphones, but otherwise they are pretty good “bang for the buck”. The Bluetooth headphone market is a crowded one these days, but the ShareMe function is one that does set these headphones apart.
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
August WS150 and WS300 WiFi Multiroom Speakers Review
Dustin Abbott
November 19th, 2016
More than Just Bluetooth
I got my introduction to Bluetooth speakers a few years back with a Bose SoundLink. I followed that with a Sony SRS- X5, and after I got a reputation as a reviewer I’ve reviewed and used a number of Bluetooth speakers from a variety of brands. As many of you know, however, my main focus as a reviewing is on photography related equipment, so I’m not necessarily always on the cutting edge of what is happening in the sound technology field. I’ve reviewed several August products before, and I’ve been impressed by their ability to deliver good build and sound at a much lower price point than their mainstream brand competitors. When August contacted me about their most recent product line, I was initially nonplussed about the concept because I couldn’t see the logic of employing Wi-Fi as the connectivity instead of Bluetooth. I noted that the list price for the August WS150 and WS300 speakers were considerably more expensive than previous August products that I have reviewed. Hmmm…
I did some quick research before agreeing and saw that, indeed, multi-room wireless systems were the new thing. I also discovered that such systems are not inexpensive: the typical speakers ranged from $250 to north of $600. What was it about these systems that make them worth such a higher price point?
I didn’t take me long to figure out what made these type of speakers special. I’ve been using Bluetooth speakers for years, so I evaluated them first in the ways familiar to me. They can be connected through Bluetooth, NFC, Apple Airplay, and they have an AUX jack for those non-wireless audio sources (which I’m always happy to see). Beyond this the WS300 adds a nice perk of being able to have a USB flash drive plugged into the back for a local source of music and the WS150 does something similar in an appropriately compact fashion by allowing a Micro SD card to be slotted into the back. A lot of music options even before you get to the new tech!
Want to watch your review? Just click the video below:
The first thing I did was quickly sync up first the WS300 and then the WS150 via Bluetooth to several devices. This was instructive in that I was able to evaluate the sound quality of each speaker in the traditional fashion. Speaking of which, let’s pause a moment and take a look (or a listen).
I look at the WS300 as a direct competitor to the Sony X5 that I own or the Bose SoundLink that I’ve used. The August is the largest of the trio, however. Here are the raw specs on it:
Output Power: 15W Frequency Response: 60Hz ~ 20kHz SNR: ≥85dB Battery Play Time: 14 Hours
Product Dimensions: 25.6 x 8 x 13.5 cm and the weight is about 1.28kg/2.8 pounds. It is essentially rectangular in shape, embracing a classic look that eschews curves for a retro stylistic rectangular shape. The sides of the speakers are essentially speaker grill mesh, with a very nice soft touch material for the top and bottom. Both speakers have almost imperceptible rubber “feet” underneath (six of them) that shield the speaker from bumps, provides grip, but most importantly do a great job of isolating the speaker from vibrations and from them creating sympathetic vibrations in whatever surface they are placed on. The top section is flat but has large marked sections that can be depressed – these are the “buttons”. They are easy to find and respond well. The look works in person. Controls are very easy to use on either model. They are etched into the soft touch material all along the top and respond crisply to presses. I’ve found this to be a nice feature when using them near the sink while shaving. I don’t feel bad about reaching over with a wet hand to advance the track or control the volume whereas I might with more traditional buttons.
The WS300 is a speaker designed more for putting on a shelf (mine has found a spot on the mantle) and filling a room with sound than one designed for portability. If you want portability, then the WS150 is your better choice, but more on that in a moment. The WS300 embraces being pushed right up to its limit, and doesn’t flinch with the volume from my iPhone or iPad set to maximum. It comes alive in the latter third of my volume range, filling the room with a surprisingly amount of sonically rich sound.
I would have sworn that the Sony I’ve been using as a benchmark was slightly louder and had a bit more bass (it is a 20W unit with a subwoofer along with dual passive radiators that is rated down to 50hz). On paper it should have more volume and a stronger low end), but when I put them head to head I discovered that size does matter. That slightly larger, deeper cabinet for the WS300 pays dividends in the sound quality department.
The Sony SRS-X5 has a different profile. It is a bit taller, not quite as wide, and definitely less deep. The specs are 5.1 x 22.4 x 12.2 cm and 1.2 Kg. Think of it as being more tall and thin and less rectangular. I’ve always been impressed by the quantity and quality of sound that it could put out…
Until now.
I was so surprised by the difference in sound head to head that I had to bring several others into the room to verify what I was hearing. The August WS300 not only put out louder sound but also delivered clearly superior sound. More nuanced, brighter, and richer. It brought out more details in the music and handled its dynamics with more pizzaz.
Since the WS300 is using less power (which helps it to achieve a much longer battery life of 14 hours to the Sony’s 8), I can only conclude that the superior sound is due to the quality of the speakers and the design of the cabinet. Whatever makes the magic, consider me impressed. I give the WS300 high marks for sound quality.
The WS150 is a much smaller, more portable speaker. It clearly has a very different purpose, and is designed appropriately. Here’s a look at it’s specs:
Output Power: 10W Frequency Response: 60Hz ~ 20kHz SNR: ≥75dB Battery Play Time: 22 Hours
Product Dimensions: 18 x 5.6 x 6.9 cm and weighs only 430 grams (right under a pound). It has a similar shape and profile to the WS300, save in a miniaturized version. It’s about 7 inches long, and is definitely very portable. It has an even more impressive battery life and is able to go up to 22 hours before needing a charge. I’ve been using both of these speakers for weeks for a half hour or so each morning during my morning devotions and didn’t need to charge them until I forgot to turn them off and came back to them being drained. Word to the wise – these have a great standby time in Bluetooth mode, but leaving them on in WiFi mode will drain the battery.
The sound quality from the smaller speaker is obviously not quite at the level of its big brother, but was a surprisingly strong competitor to my Sony. The Sony had a stronger low end, but the WS150 had arguably a brighter, more balanced sound. At its limits the WS150 is a bit less confident than the WS300, which feels like it still has plenty in the tank when at max volume. Still, the WS150 pushes out a rather excellent amount of sound for its compact size.
Both speakers are easy to operate, with a lot of appropriate feedback noises that helps you identify pairing and other operation modes. This includes voice feedback for when you are connecting/setting up Wi-Fi modes. I have only one complaint about the switches on the speakers, and that is that the On/OFF switches on the backs of them both could be both easier to find by touch and a little more precise in operation. I feel like I need to pick up the speaker and look at the switch and almost use a fingernail to catch the switch. The switch is a bit better on the WS150 than the WS300.
The Next Dimension of Connectivity
But it was when I ventured beyond the familiar that I discovered the best part of the new August Multiroom speakers. There are a couple of ways to set up the Wi-Fi on the WS speakers. Both require grabbing the free August ALink app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play. Once on your device, you can put the speaker into WPS mode, where it will activate Wi-Fi and start to look for a signal. You have two options here: 1) to access the infrastructure Wi-Fi network that your phone or tablet is connected to or 2) to create an ad-hoc (direct) connection to the speaker’s Wi-Fi. It can take a couple of minutes for everything to sync up, but once you have it setup, picking everything back up is pretty simple. I had a few hiccups getting everything set up the first time, but after that point everything has worked as it should. Open the app, turn on the speaker (no particular order), and the two will be talking within a few seconds and a voice will say, “Wi-Fi Connected”.
This is where the multi-room concept comes into play, as it allows you to not be directly tethered to the speaker in the way that Bluetooth/NFC requires. You can be in another room and continue to control the speaker. Beyond that, through the app you can access the memory stick in the WS300 and have full control over what music you want playing (without the app connection the speaker will just pickup playback on the memory device from the last track played – which seems to be the way the Micro-SD card playback on the WS150 works). The cool thing is that once you start playing your music you can pretty much forget about it. Even if the phone is no longer connected your local music on the speaker will keep playing. You can either reconnect the phone and app to turn it off or just physically turn the speaker off.
Because of the Wi-Fi connection you can also get your music from the cloud. The August ALink app supports a number of popular streaming services and you can stream playlists and stations from Tidal, Spotify, TuneIn and iHeart Radio directly through Wi-Fi. There are five other streaming music services you can access, including TTPOD, Douban FM, XIMALAYA, QINGTING FM, and QQMusic. I’m not familiar with some of these, but I’m sure that many of you are. You can also stream music from your musical library on your device (but this music must be local [on your device], so something like Apple Music won’t work…at least for now). You can also stream music from your PC and/or Media Hub. Suffice it to say you have a LOT of options for sharing music. This is the upside of the Wi-Fi connectivity on the music front. Even better news: once you get the app or media hub playing, you don’t have to keep your phone connected. You can just let it play.
The multi-room concept is furthered by the fact that you can connect up to 4 WS speakers at the same time. You can set them up in different rooms throughout the house, and each speaker can be independently controlled through the app, including the individual volume levels. But it gets better: you also have the option to put the speakers in sync and then assign whether they play L+R, Right, or Left channels. Even if you are streaming the music off a memory stick or SD Card in one of them the speakers will sync up and something really special happens then.
As good as one of these speakers sounds independently, they sound infinitely better paired in stereo. Play around with the placement of two or more speakers in a room, put them in the appropriate Left/Ride modes, and you will be blown away by how immersive the sound becomes. It sounds fantastic, and the software does an incredible job of perfectly syncing the sound. There can be a split second when things are out of sync as a new track begins, but the synchronization is always right on afte that. When spacing the speaker appropriately it is like listening to a really fantastic set of stereo headphones. Your music comes alive, and the portability of the speakers makes it easy to create a really special listening space. As always, if you place the speakers near a surface that the sound can bounce off of you can enhance the low end and the volume.
I personally found the app fairly well designed and intuitive for coming from a smaller independent company. I was able to find pretty much everything that I wanted there, though I will offer up a couple of suggestions for improvement. 1) It would be nice to incorporate a highly visible battery life indicator into the app. When you are connected via Wi-Fi you lose the little battery life indicator at the top of the IOS screen that you get when you have a Bluetooth connection. 2) I would like to see a better sorting system for local music via USB/SD. If you have a fair bit of music there is a lot of scrolling involved. Finally, I don’t know if it is possible for August to access the lock screen of an iDevice, but it would be very nice to be able to pause/play without opening the phone/tablet and accessing the app directly.
There’s not much in the box other than the speaker and a charge cable. The charge cable has a standard USB end and a micro USB end for where it slots into the back of the speaker to charge. No AC adapter is provided, but fortunately it seems like most everything is coming with USB charge ports on it. You can always borrow your phone or tablet AC adapter, or, if you have none of these options, you can find an AC adapter for USB devices at the dollar store. When completely dead charge time is listed at 8 hours, though I’ve never seen that long a charge period myself
How Much?
Bottom line is that while the August WS150 and WS300 are cheaper than most of the major brands, these still aren’t cheap. The WS150 runs about $120 here in Canada, with the WS300 surprisingly only a few dollars more. There are frequently deals on Amazon when buying more than one (right now you can get 20% off). On Amazon.com the WS150 runs $99.95 and the WS300 runs $119.95. Look for deals there, too.
These are pretty cool speakers. I’m most impressed with the bigger WS300, but that’s because I have a number of Bluetooth speakers that are portable already, and I really like the room filling sound from the big brother. It suits what I need more. While the speakers are good independently, they become really special when used in stereo mode. Even the slightly mismatched WS300 and WS150 sound fabulous together in this mode. There is a tremendous amount of options for how to get your music to the speakers, enough so that I think just about any user should be satisfied. While the price is a little higher than the budget minded might want to pay, there is a lot more value here in the versatility of the speaker over the typical Bluetooth only speaker, and this makes sense if you want sound in more than one room, in stereo, or if you don’t want to be tethered to it like your typical Bluetooth speaker. Any time you involve Wi-Fi you also involve a few potential tech issues (and I note that some user reviews focus on this), but I found the initial minor issues I had quickly solvable and everything has been working as it should since. But I also get tech, so what is easily solvable for me might be a little less so for those that are less “techy”. Those that are intimidated by technology might want to look for a more conventional solution instead.
If you are looking for great, multi-room sound, I think you will be very satisfied with what you get from the WS150 and WS300 wireless speakers from August. They work well from both an audio and technology perspective. The fact that you can save a fair bit of money compared to the bigger brands is just icing on the cake.
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