Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Best Prices Today: Xperia Ear Duo
The current contemporaries oftruly wireless earphonesare not without their issues . Battery life-time is often lackluster . Connectivity between the phone , their audio beginning and even between each earbud , can still be less than dependable . Then there ’s the cost : As with most new technology , a decent pair of really wireless earphones does n’t come chinchy . One would think that the priority of phone makers would be to find agency to bring these issues to grate .
But not Sony .
Instead of throwing their considerable resources into creating more dependable , less expensive and , therefore , more accessible high - quality truly wireless earpiece , they decided that advanced industrial design and a premium price tag was the path to go . The $ 280Xperia Ear Duoare the result of their efforts . While the Ear Duo ’s unusual looks could make these earphones a hit with fashion conscious individuals , their lusterless sound quality , connectivity payoff and high price wo n’t be popular with anyone .
Design
The design of the Ear Duo is unique in the public of really wireless earphone . or else of hang off of the spike ’s auricle , like a set ofAirPods , or nestling into the ear canal , like a pair ofB&O E8 , the Ear Duo wrap around the underside of the ear . The capacitive control pad , battery and the Bluetooth wireless in each of the earbuds are locate in a seedpod , which rests against the side of the neck . A tube start from each of the pods is tipped with an ear art object that funnels audio into your ears .
I found that this blueprint made the Ear duet difficult to manhandle into office . After seven days , I found them no less awkward to put on . That said , once the Ear Duo are in office , they ’re middling well-heeled and wo n’t strike off . No amount of jogging in stead or head spang along to Flogging Molly could didder them out of my skull . The conception of the Ear Duo ’s battery case is just as unique as that of the earphones themselves . It resemble a skipping Isidor Feinstein Stone , wide and thin . It I found it promiscuous to slide into the pelvic girdle pocket of my jeans .
The Ear Duo ’s battery showcase is slim enough that it can be slipped into your hip scoop .
Sony claims that the Ear Duo should serve well up four hours of listening time , per charge . Over the row of a week I found that they afforded , on average , just over three hours of use . I view this to be below the standard for acceptable battery life . Sony claims that you should be able to eke out up to 16 hours of listening fourth dimension , admit the amount of assault and battery power in the Ear Duo ’s battery case . My experience suggests that 12 to 14 hr may be a more fair estimation .
User Experience
I never got used to interact with these earpiece . In club to adjust your volume , spark off your smartphone ’s digital helper , or change audio tracks , it ’s necessary to tap on one of the Ear Duo ’s pods , which flow just behind the auricle . Not once , during a hebdomad of examination , did I manage to find and interact with either of the pods on the first try .
Sony probably know that this is an issue as they made it potential , via a free iOS app , to alter audio caterpillar track or take / decline an incoming earphone call with a good turn or shake of your drumhead . If hold in your phone by shaking your head is the future , then the future is an apocalyptic hellscape of foiling . Even turning to look out a window would cause my medicine to advance a track . While I was able to swallow call option by nodding my oral sex , I had to do so with enough condemnation that I thought I was going to give myself whiplash .
Sound Quality
You wo n’t find any passive randomness cancellation here . The Xperia Ear Duo are designed to allow user to fully listen the environment around them while listening to audio , yapping with a friend on the telephone set , or interacting with Siri . While out for a walk , I could hear oncoming traffic just as well as if I was n’t wearing headphone at all . This could make the Ear pair a smashing selection for cyclists or others who desire to savour a few tunes or a podcast but still need to keep tab on their surroundings . Unfortunately , the layer of situational consciousness that these earphones afford add up at the toll of enough audio character .
While the Ear duet produce sane mid and gamey - frequency sound , there ’s almost no bass at all . It made anything I listened to sound perfectly anemic . That kick drum in Queens of the Stone Age’sThe Way You Used to Do ? Forget about it . Worse than this , from the first metre I wore the Xperia caper Duo , until the last clock time that I wore them , I experience frequent disconnections from my iPhone 7 Plus . To ensure it was n’t an issue with my French telephone , I also paired them with an iPhone SE and OnePlus 6 French telephone . The problem persisted . I expect better sound execution than this from a $ 280 couplet of earphones .
The Bottom Line
If situational awareness and a unique innovation are more of import to you than large sound , solid connectivity , or a exploiter interface that is n’t design to push you insane , Sony ’s Xperia Ear Duo are the truly wireless earphones you ’ve been waiting for . Everyone else should steer clear .
