Friday, April 26, 2013

Review: DOSS asimom Bluetooth speaker DS-1168

On a recent trip to Shanghai, I came across this cool looking speaker called DOSS asimom. The store owner was raving about it and persuaded me to test it out. I'm usually skeptical when it comes to electronics made in China, but upon holding this bad boy I felt it's quality: it's heavy and feels very solid. I purchased one unit in chrome to review.


It actually consists of  two parts, the speaker and the base. The base doubles up as a portable charger for the speaker unit, as well as any other electronics which charges through a USB. The speaker is equipped with a 500mAh battery while the base 1020mAh. The main body is made from metal while the top portion plastic.

Upon switching it on, a voice speaking in Mandarin tells you that it is ready to be paired which is then followed by an English version saying the same. Pairing it with my laptop was relatively easy and fuss-free. It does it automatically once they are both switched on.

The sound produced by the speaker is loud and crisp, with a hint of punchy bass which surprised me. The controls on the asimom allows me to pause a song/movie and continue playing them as well. the volume functions worked equally well too.

The asimom does come with a built-in microphone, and I have tested it out with Skype on my laptop. I had trouble getting Skype to use the speaker initially and later found out that I have to set it manually within Skype's settings, so do take note of this. The capabilities of using this as a VoIP is really good. The voice from the other side could be heard loud and clear, and vice versa. It also auto-pauses my music when I received a call from Skype. It behaves similarly when connected to my cellphone.

The only thing I wished was different is the ability to connect multiple Bluetooth device at once. As for now, I use it for my laptop, but wished it would connect to my cellphone as well when I'm nearby.

All in all, I loved the fit and finish of the DOSS asimom, enough for me to return and purchased another unit in red before I left Shanghai. Before I forget, it comes in three different finishes: Chrome, Red and Silver.

(Please excuse the messy table)

I would recommend this to anyone who likes portability without compromising on sound/mic qualities. If DOSS were to come out with a new model which supports multiple Bluetooth pairings, I will not hesitate to pull the gun on another unit.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Review: Brainwavz M4

This will be a quick one.

I stumbled upon a brand called Brainwavz while browsing an audiophile forum. Seems pretty popular in the audiophile world so I decided to order one off mp4nation's website. It arrived pretty quickly with the FedEx shipping.


Specs
10mm Dynamic Driver
16 ohms Impedance
Frequency: 20Hz - 20kHz
Sensitivity: 101 dB at 1mW
Rated Input Power: 4mW
Cable: 1.2m Copper cord
Plug: 3.5mm gold-plated

It came with a generous array of accessories
Carrying case
6 pairs of silicone tips in various sizes
1 pair of Comply Foam tips
Shirt clip

Build quality
It felt pretty solid and well built, with a nice length of strain reliefs on them. The body of the barrel is made from aluminum while the cable feels rubbery and pretty thick. No complaints there!

Sound quality
This is definitely one of the better IEMs I have tested. I'm certain that the clarity is enough to satisfy almost any audiophiles out there. The M4s are pretty bassy, but not overwhelming at all. Isolation is fairly good if I get the proper seal in my ear. At the highs, no distortion has been detected and I could comfortably listen to them for hours at a time. The mids are quite warm and full bodied.

Cons
Not much cons in the M4s, just a little driver flex was experienced when I insert it into my left ear. Apparently, it is a common problem with the M4s. Not a deal breaker though. Also, the cable does have some microphonic issues. However, this can be reduced with the use of the included shirt clip.

Conclusion
At this price point, it would be almost silly not to pick up a pair of M4s. The quality to price point ratio is very good with this one. I would definitely be picking up more Brainwavz earphones in the future!