Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Not everyone need to pass $ 100 or more on a pair of Bluetooth earphones . Perhaps you ’d rather save that cash for dinner with your spouse , or possibly you ’re voiceless on your belonging and easy misplace track of them . For that matter , you may not see the point in spending so much coin for an accoutrement that you ’ll maybe use , at beneficial , for a few hours a week at the gym . For you , “ good enough ” may be beneficial enough .
If any of this sounds intimate , Aukey ’s EP - B40 Latitude Wireless Earbudsmight be a good burst . While they suffer from a issue of annoy shortcomings , they go far better than a pair of $ 28 earpiece have any right to .
Design
Bluetooth earphones sold for under $ 60 often look tinny because , well , theyarecheap . This is n’t the case with the Aukey EP - B40s . Almost all matte black in color besides Aukey ’s subtle white branding on each earbud ’s shell , the EP - B40s look impressive . A closer exam , though , reveals that Aukey made the earphone caps , stems , and inline ascendence with lower caliber plastics than you ’ll notice in a whole from Bose or Jaybird .
But the building is good : I was unable to discover any noticeable line or unregularity . Should your experience differ , Aukey covers the earphones with a two - twelvemonth guarantee . What ’s more , the lightweight credit card used in the construction of the EP - B40s makes them more well-to-do than many other earphones I ’ve try out in the past . That say , as no two twosome of auricle are alike , your mileage may diverge .
Out of the box , the EP - B40s get along equipped with a pair of silicone fins and a medium set of silicone ear caps . If you take a different fit , they also add up with a twain of little and tumid silicone ear tips and two extra sets of silicone fins . I found that the default size of bakshis and fins preserve the earbuds snugly in my head while I walked , jogged , or nod along to The Clash .
The EP - B40s amount with a bit of silicone V and ear tips that ensure a good , comfortable fit .
Unfortunately , the silicone tips ’ inactive noise cancellation leaves much to be desired , as none of the three included peak could completely block external sounds while listen to music unless I cranked up the volume to maximum . While this might be good for situational sentience in the gym or for street jogging , you ’ll be disappointed if you require to stymie out the din of a tube car on your morning commute .
The cable running between the EP - B40s ’ earbuds is short enough that I never managed to snag them on anything during examination . I care more earphone manufacturers would keep this design circumstance in nous .
That said , the easygoing natural rubber outside of the cable television service often caught on my skin : Whenever I turned my fountainhead , I could feel the cables go with me across the back of my neck opening . I had a hard time getting used to this sentiency and I have n’t frequently encountered it while testing other Bluetooth earphones .
I also recover that the lean line made the earbuds highly prostrate to microphonics : As I turned my head , I could hear the overseas telegram hiss across the open of my skin . With each whole tone I took , I could hear the sound of the cable spring along with me . Normally I would scold a manufacturer for this layer of aural irritation , but again , these earphones only be $ 28 . With a price so down , it ’s easy to forgive them .
The Aukey EP - B40s are water insubordinate and look like they should cost quite a spot more .
When not in use , these earbuds could easily get tangled in a pocket or in the cloth carrying cause that comes with them . However , Aukey did what it could to minimize this issue by baking a attracter into the EP - B40s ’ earpiece cap . Touch the cap together and the magnet will keep them connected until you ’re ready to use them . The magnet also allowed me to go through my day with them riding securely around my neck opening . It ’s a nice feature for anyone who ’s prostrate to lose their earphones .
So too , is the fact that the EP - B40s come with a waterproof rating of IPX4 : They ’ll stand up to sweat at the gymnasium , but you probably do n’t need to be view hold out them in the pelting .
So far as connectivity last , the EP - B40s preform pretty well . They feature Bluetooth 4.0 and , if you ’re using an audio source that allows it , they can use aptX technology . I experienced a few modest connectivity stammer while using them on a busy city street , but they prove static while mind to music at home . It ’s possible to connect to two audio sources at once with these phone , but I do n’t urge it . I found that the number of connectivity issues I feel increase while connected to my iPhone 7 Plus and MacBook Pro at the same time .
Aukey say the EP - B40s will go for eight hours off of a exclusive charge , but I discover their runtime averaged around six hours after using them for a hebdomad . After just 1.5 hours of charging via microUSB , though , these earphones are ready to go .
Sound
Aukey ’s EP - B40s sound far better than other earphones in the same price range that I ’ve tested . Where most of the earphones I ’ve tested in the EP - B40s ’ price range of mountains either offer mushy sound bass or squeaking high - frequence sounds so shrill that I want to yank them out of my ear , the EP - B40s sounded fine ( but not slap-up ) .
The amount of detachment — the degree to which each element of audio recording can be heard and realize as a disjoined entity — is middling . When I listened to Kila , a seven - piece band I ’ve surveil for close to 20 year , many of the nuances of their music that I could pick out while using other earphones simply were not there .
Theylookmuch more expensive than they really are .
Yet I never thought the listening experience was unpleasant . These earbuds offer becoming bass and satisfactory mid - frequency sound , although I did notice that mellow - frequency audio frequency sometimes sounded a morsel shrill . But again , they only cost $ 28 . It ’s worth mentioning that by chop-chop push the multi - purpose clitoris built into the EP - B40s ’ inline controls twice , it ’s possible to activate equalizer scope for treble or bass boost . I do n’t remember either improved the sound of the EP - B40s , but it ’s there , so you may as well give it a twisting .
When using the EP - B40s to make audio call , I find their subpar noise cancellation sometimes made it hard to empathise the person on the other end . to boot , I was told that the same microphonics that were irritate me made it laborious for the other part to listen what I was enunciate to them while I speak and walked .
The bottom line
The EP - B40 Latitude wireless earbuds are n’t the unspoilt Bluetooth earphones out there , but for $ 28 , they ’re exceptional . Given their low-pitched price and adequate sound , it ’s easy to see past their flaws . If you ’re on a tight budget , they ’re absolutely deserving your consideration .
