[REVIEW] Sonic Gear AirPhone III & V!
johnkhor.com received a parcel from Sonic Gear recently. Guess what’s in the box? I think the words on the packaging already gives out the answer! Yes, johnkhor.com is honoured to be given another chance by Sonic Gear to review their products. Click here for my previous review of their Bluetooth speakers. This time, johnkhor.com will be reviewing their their wireless aka Bluetooth headphones which are Sonic Gear AirPhone III and Sonic Gear AirPhone V.
Here’s how they look like out of the packaging box. The boxes are a bit not clean because these are review units. The box colour does not match for AirPhone III as you can notice later. Well, it doesn’t matter as long as I can review the products.
Here are the specifications for Sonic Gear AirPhone III that I got from their official website:
Features
- SonicGear’s superior audio design
- Built-in lithium ion battery supports up to 8 hours of continuous playback or handsfree use
- Battery supports more than 10 days of standby time on full charge
- Can be used as conventional wired headphone using cable (provided)
- Auto standby mode for power saving
Technical Specifications
- Driver size: 40mm
- Frequency response: 100Hz -18000 kHz
- Impedance: 32 Ohms (Ω) +-15%
- Sensitivity: 110dB/nW+- 15%
- Maximum input power : 20mW
- Wireless distance up to 10 meters
- Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR
- Support HSP, HFP, A2DP, and AVRCP
Built-in Rechargeable Battery:
- Continues music playback up 8 hours operation
- Continues phone call up to 8 hours operation
- Standby mode up to 240 hours
Here are the specifications of Sonic Gear AirPhone V:
Features
- Great audio clarity and wearing comfort
- Built-in lithium ion battery supports up to 10 hours of playback
- Battery supports more than 10 days of standby time on full charge
- Built-in voice instruction to inform you of function mode changes
- Convenient buttons for, push-to-talk, volume control and toggling between next/previous track
Technical Specifications
- Driver size: 40mm
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20 kHz
- Impedance: 32 Ohms (Ω) +-15%
- Sensitivity: 120dB/nW+- 15%
- Maximum input power : 20mW
- Wireless distance up to 10 meters
- Bluetooth V3.0 + EDR
- Support HSP, HFP, A2DP, and AVRCP
Built-in Rechargeable Battery:
- Continues music playback up 10 hours operation
- Continues phone call up to 11 hours operation
- Standby mode up to 250 hours
- Battery level indicator for iPhone and iPad (supports iOS 5 and iOS 6)
My Verdict
AirPhone V
My first impression of AirPhone V is that it looks almost like Beats headphones except with the ‘b’ word. The polished red colour is very striking and looks cool when you bring it out despite it is made of plastic. The brushed aluminium material for the extension does add some value in term of style and durability. That material is able to withstand constant pulling in and out. The design is simple and easy to use. The voice instruction is definitely a plus! 🙂 It is very to easy to connect to Bluetooth also. Just press for a while the power button located on the left side of the headphone. The sound quality is decent. I can’t comment much from an audiophile perspective as I am not but from an ordinary consumer perspective, the AirPhone is doing good. The added function of being able to make and receive phone calls is really AWESOME. It makes this headphone even more value for money.
A few things that I don’t quite like is the size of earpiece. It is a bit too small for me. It does not cover all my ears to give me the cancellation of background noises. Besides that, the headband is a bit short also. Even though I have extended both side, it is still small for me to use. I find that AirPhone V is more suitable for those with small- to medium-sized heads to enjoy it to the fullest. Besides that, although the headphone holds well with good tightness, it makes you feel uncomfortable for long hours of usage. Your ears will start to feel uneasy. Maybe they need to design it with a better headphone pad and with less tightness. It lacks wired connectivity to connect to PCs or older devices that do not have Bluetooth connectivity or for those who still believe in the superior quality of wired connection. Well, at the price of RM169, you can’t complain much.
All in all, AirPhone V definitely delivers a decent quality of audio coupled with a few features that give the best bang for your money such as long battery life, built-in microphone and cool design. The price tag at RM169 makes it even more attractive. AirPhone V comes with Black, White, Red & Yellow colours.
AirPhone III
After trying AirPhone V, there are a few things that I notice immediately after using AirPhone III. My ears can fit into the earpieces of the headphone well and thus it gives me a better noise cancelling effect and more comfort. The headband is longer and fits my head better. I guess this is good news for those who have big heads like me. Haha. One thing that is lacking in AirPhone V which is no wired connectivity is found in AirPhone III. You can choose to use this headphone wirelessly or with wire. It also comes with built-in microphone. The battery life for normal usage is 2 hours less than AirPhone V. Well, this lack of function is compensated by its lower price tag. The sound quality is slightly worse than AirPhone V but not so noticeable.
The headband looks good with polished white plastic whereas the white colour of the earpieces looks bad. The colour of the earpieces has some mixture of grey shades and makes the headphone looks less premium. I hope this problem does not affect other colours of this model. The extension of the headband is made of grey colour plastic. It makes you feel that the whole headphone is quite easily broken and less sturdy. The design is not so sleek and stylish, compared with AirPhone V. There is a dial for you on the right side of the headphone to choose whether to increase or decrease the volume, to move to the next or previous track and to play or pause the music.
If your head is on the big side and looking for more comfort from your headphone, your budget is really tight and you are looking for a wireless headphone to listen to musics and to make calls, then go for this. It is only RM129. It come with White and Red colours.
For more information, you can visit the official website for Sonic Gear products:
Sonic Gear AirPhone III
Sonic Gear AirPhone V
That’s all for now. What’s your say?
nice review, supported!!! =D
Thanks Reload Food! 🙂