A few days ago, I did one of those “finally” things. For years, I tolerated a tangle of wires, like tentacles tethered to my head. Those famous white earbuds and their silhouette ads from Apple…always untying the undying knots. But no more! I bought my first pair of wireless headphones; here are my first impressions.
Wave bye to wireville
Before I went wireless, I had to add more wire to Apple’s little white earbuds, thanks to the iPhone 7’s lack of a perfectly good 3.5mm audio port. For $10, I bought a 4 inch long extra piece of white wire with an adapter on the end – yes that’s right, I got a dongle. So I paid for more tangle!
Besides that, I went from Apple’s in-ear buds (which hurt when I first used them) to a good pair of Sony’s on-ear cans – traditional wired headphones. The key feature I loved about them: bass! Lots of bass. All the bass. But of course, their little downfall was the cable that liked to get caught on things. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of headphones getting yanked off your head.
Welcome to wirelessness
How did I cut the Gordian knot of earphone ropes? Wire problem, meet solution: Bluetooth. So you might think I sprung for Apple’s popular AirPods. I was tempted by them many times and nearly bought a pair last Christmas. But I always hesitated because of three concerns: would they actually fit in my ears, would they fall out of my ears and get lost, and how could I pay so much for audio without bass? It seemed like a bad proposition. Sure, I love convenience and Apple quality, but those were not enough to push me over the edge for expensive wire-free earbuds.
There had to be a good option between the $10 adapter I bought and the $169 AirPods for sale. Of course, I found a ton of options on Amazon. The real kicker is, I found a pair of bluetooth headphones for the magically low cost of $29! At such a wallet friendly price, there wasn’t much to lose; I finally pulled that trigger.
MPOW H1 Bluetooth Headphones
I’d never heard of MPOW, but many others have. On Amazon, MPOW’s original bluetooth headphones have a ba-zillion mind-blowing reviews – OK, so it’s actually just over 20,000 as of this writing, which is a lot! – the average rating is 4.4 out of 5 stars! How could a pair of bluetooth headphones be so good for so little money? Was it too good to be true? Then I noticed MPOW’s updated version, the H1 wireless headphones. They have almost 2,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.3.
Just $29! – ADD TO CART and CHECKOUT!
Two days later – thanks Prime! – I charge up and try out my first pair of untethered ear massaging music blasters – YES! My first impressions are aural amazement! I am loving these things! I don’t know how MPOW does it, but these headphones look and feel far better than what you’d expect for $29. And they work great so far. Without hyperbole, I can say they’ve exceeded my expectations.
The ear pieces are large but not unsightly on my noggin. And as advertised, they are very comfortable. The buds I used are in-ear, the Sonys are on-ear, but these MPOWs are over-ear. When I wear them, it’s like I enter another place. They keep outside noise out and create an inner ear atmosphere for podcasts and music.
I’m no audio-phile, and I have tinnitus, so keep that in mind. But I think these headphones sound terrific! They have bass! But not too much. In fact, the highs seem to stand out the most, being very bright and crisp. Yet they sound balanced and pleasing. And their volume can get crazy loud. The slider on my phone is far to the left! But I don’t touch that much because the MPOWs have volume buttons on the right side!
Pairing the headphones was super easy. I don’t know if the process is onerous with other brands, but it seems like Apple’s AirPods suggest it is. These MPOWs may be an exception – there was no fuss at all. And they stay paired! I simply turn them on or off and a lady’s voice inside says, “Power on/off, connected/disconnected.” They just work.
Power is also no problem. After a couple hours of initial charge, I have yet needed to recharge. With intermittent use, I get several days – not hours – out of these bad boys! And in case they lose all their power, these headphones also have a built-in 3.5mm jack and include the cable for it too. Yes, if your battery dies, you can go from wireless to wired, but let’s not go back.
Wish I hadn’t waited
Sometimes after buying something, you feel what’s called Buyer’s Remorse – some regret. With these headphones, you feel reward! My purchase of these has been, “Why’d I wait so long?”
If you’re hunting for bluetooth headphones, or still dreaming of living wire-free, you should give these a try.