Most of us have an issue with wires; we really don't like them. These days we want everything to be wireless: wireless keyboards, wireless mice, wireless phones and even wireless headphones. Never mind that wires are still a great way of sending and receiving signals clearly and securely, we simply don’t want wires.
This aversion to wires has spawned a plethora of wireless headphones, which freed us from the tyranny of the cable. Then along came tiny earbuds, which were far less obtrusive but they brought back the dreaded wires and although earbuds have proved very popular, people still wanted to ditch those pesky cables.
Well now we have a new category of device for listening to music: the earbud has shed its wires and turned into the ‘airbud’. Technology has advanced sufficiently that it’s now possible to secrete a small rechargeable battery inside an earbud alongside a Bluetooth wireless chipset. And since Apple launched its AirPods in 2016, the market has gone crazy for airbuds.
The latest airbuds to hit the market is from Sweden and they're called YEVO Air. These tiny little earbuds offer up to 3.5 hours of listening time on a single charge and they’re also sweat proof, which makes them ideal for use in the gym. Unlike wired earbuds, a pair of YEVO Air won't see you getting strangled on the cross trainer while listening to Bruce Springsteen. There’s even a microphone built-in so you can carry on a phone conversation without even getting off the exercise bike.
Of course, all this wireless convenience comes at a price although the YEVO Airs are a little bit cheaper than Apple’s AirPods, but they still cost $129 for the privilege of ditching those wires. However, assuming you want to go wireless, what do the YEVO Air have to offer? Firstly, they look rather stylish in black or white finishes, and they come with their own little charging case that has spaces for both airbuds to click in and recharge when not in use. Each bud has its own battery but the case also has its own rechargeable battery that can fully recharge the YEVO airbuds up to three times on a single charge of the case. If you’ve forgotten to keep the YEVO airbuds fully charged then a quick 15-minute top-up will give up to 45 minutes’ of extra playing time, enough for a swift workout. Unlike most wireless headphones, YEVO Airs don’t include a backup wired option, so once you’re out of juice you really do have to stop the music and wait for the airbuds to recharge.
The YEVO Airs fit nicely in the ears and once twisted through 45 degrees they will stay in place even when jogging or cycling. There’s a choice of three sizes of ear-tips, but I found that even the largest size was a bit too small for my large ear canals. I did find a pair of larger ear-tips from another pair of earbuds that fitted the YEVOs' shafts, but when I tried to put the airbuds back in their charging case, they wouldn’t fit properly into the molded cradle. This needs a bit of a rethink as without really snug fitting ear-tips for all ear sizes, most earbuds and airbuds can sound a bit tinny and lacking in bass.
Unlike a lot of wireless earbuds and headphones, the YEVO Airs only use SBC, the basic quality Bluetooth codec. There isn't compatibility with apt-X or AAC codecs that deliver higher quality audio performance, which will be a deal breaker for some people, especially audiophiles. The YEVO Airs also don't feature Apple's advanced W1 chip found in AirPods, although I did find that the sound quality was surprisingly good when you consider that it’s a fairly small 6mm driver inside each housing. Thankfully, there was none of the usual background hiss or chirruping that some Bluetooth earphones produce.
Each airbud features a touch button on its surface and you can use a series of presses or taps to increase or decrease volume, mute music, summon up Siri or Google Assistant, take a phone call or skip through tracks. The controls are a bit sensitive so I often found myself accidentally making a phone call or invoking Siri when all I wanted to do was push the airbuds into my ear a bit further.
The YEVO Airs are built to a fairly high standard and connecting the airbuds to your smartphone is really easy; unlike some airbuds, you don’t have to connect each bud individually as the YEVO Airs just connect as a single unit. One minor complaint is the lack of a soft carrying bag to protect the charging case which is coated with a neoprene finish that might get scratched or damaged if just tossed in a handbag or briefcase containing keys or a pen etc.
Verdict: The YEVO Airs perform surprisingly well in terms of audio quality when you consider they are limited to the basic Bluetooth SBC codec, and the driver is only 6mm in diameter. The range of ear-tip sizes could be wider and if you do have large ear canals you might struggle with the fit of these. The battery life is good and the styling is excellent but at $129 these airbuds are a bit on the pricey side compared with some other models on the market and not much cheaper than Apple's AirPods. On the plus side, that Swedish styling is definitely worth a second look. If you are interested in comparing the YEVO Airs with Apple's AirPods it could be worth waiting for the new Apple AirPods 2, which are rumored to be launching some time between September 2018 to March 2019.
Pricing: $129
More info: yevolabs.com
Specifications:
- Bluetooth: 4.2
- Speaker size: 6 mm
- Sensitivity: 93±3 dB
- Impedance: 16Ω±15%
- Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz
- Earbud type: Hands-free with microphone
- Play time: 14 hours with the charge case
- Charging: Micro USB, 1.5 hours charging time
- Compatibility: Compatible with Android, iOS, OSX and Windows
- Headphones Dimensions: 0.98" (H) x 0.47” (W) x 0.91" (D) / 25 mm (H) x 12 mm (W) x 23 mm (D)
- Headphones Weight: 2 x 4.6 gr
- Case Dimensions 1.18" (H) x 2.72” (W) x 1.18" (D) / 30 mm (H) x 69 mm (W) x 30 mm (D)
- Case Weight: 32g
- Battery type: Rechargeable lithium polymer battery
- Charging time: 1.5 hours
- Battery life: Up to 14 hours with the charge case
