Urbanears 04092050 On-Ear Headphones - Beryl Red

I like the battery life and the appearance of these headphones. Sound quality is pretty decent and the bass comes through well. However, after 6 months of use they're now entirely obsolete because one of the ears has snapped off (as has happened to so many other reviewers). It's not something I can fix and still have full function from, so now I need to look to replace them.I thought I was a lucky one, but it only took half a year, almost to the day, for them to be unusable. What a shocking waste. I can't wait to see them sit in landfill for hundreds of years!What's more is I feel terrible for recommending them to a friend who had her pair for 3 months before both ears snapped off completely and they were unusable also. These headphones are too expensive to be so fragile, especially as they don't come with a case to protect them.

Before writing my review I'll post the specifications according to the box which for some reason are missing from the product page (or I couldn't seem to find them)Driver size: 40mmFrequency response: 20Hz - 20kHzImpedance: 32 ohmsSensitivity: 100mV @ 1kHz = 103dB SplitMax input power: 50mWIncluded in the packaging is:1x headphones1x 2 page (small) operation manual which is pretty easy to read and includes illustrations1x same document in multiple other languages1x 3.5 to 3.5 cable to use these wired1x USB to micro USB cable for chargingI couldn't find information on what version Bluetooth these use, both online and in any documentation included with the product although honestly I'm not too sure on whether it's important or not to the operation of the device.I'd previously owned the wired version of this product as I'd won it on the pigeon bingo promotion the company did about a year or so ago. So I ordered the product with a bit of familiarity to the brand and some expectations on what to expect out of the headphones.Design wise these are near enough identical to the wired version, with the exception of the second input (or zoundplug as the company calls it) which can be used to operate the headphones with the included wire. Unfortunately the lack of two 3.5mm jacks means you won't be able to daisy chain the headphones when used in wired mode like you can do with the wired version of the headphones. On this model the second input on the right headphone cup is replaced by a power button which is the main way to initiate usage. Contextual controls are used to enable multiple functionalities, minimising the amount of buttons needed.A singular press and hold for one second turns the device on, and if you have already paired it to a device abd that device has Bluetooth already on it will automatically connect with no extra work needed. When the device powers on a solid white LED indicator will appear to show the device is on. Whilst attempting to pair or not connected to a device the white LED will flash continously. However when connected and in normal usage there is no LED indication which is really nice as it means it's discrete and adds to the minimalistic look to the headphonesWhilst the device is on and not connected to a device a double tap of the button will turn the LED blue and start flickering, this means the device is set to search and will then be discoverable by whichever device you're planning on pairing up with. My particular one was easy to find under the name of "Plattan Advice Wireless", no confusing model numbers or sequences, so it's pretty foolproof to connect up.Whilst the device is on and you'd like to turn it off, a press and hold of the power button for two seconds will turn the LED red and then turn the device off.The LED serves as an indicator and nothing more, not to add to the flashyness at all. The only times it is continuous is whilst the device is on charge, which is done by a provided USB to micro USB cable included, which plugs into just under the right cup in a port that's fairly hidden away, adding to the minimalistic design as none of this is really visible in usage.Red (continuous) indicates charging and white (continuous) indicates fully charged. This is the only time the LED is really noticeable.Included are two cables, one for charging which is a USB to micro USB and a wire for using the device in wired mode, which doesn't require battery power in the headphones. Pretty handy as a backup if you're out and the battery in the headset dies.The headphones themselves actually have a microphone built in, which I wasn't sure about to begin with as the advertisement and documentation wasn't too clear on that. But these are able to be used wirelessly to pick up calls or any other usage for a microphone should you need. The quality of the microphone is fairly good, able to have phone conversations legibly.One of my favourite features of this is the swipe gestures on the surface on the exterior side of the right cup which allows you to control your music and calls.A single tap can play/pause your music or answer callsA double tap hangs up callsSwiping left or right skips or goes to previous track if listening to musicSwiping up or down changes volume accordinglyI find these features really handy for when I'm out listening to music and don't want to be going through my pocket to get my phone, I do sometimes find it to not be as responsive as the swipe, sometimes it may take a second but I'm pretty sure that'd be more to do with my phone being fairly sluggishNow onto performance. There's a fair few reviews saying that the wireless functionality is a bit finicky or off, which to be honest made me a bit nervous buying th product to begin with, however I've found to not have much problem with the wireless functionality at all. I'm able to pop ny phone down on charge and move about the room freely with no loss of quality. When using my phone at the same time on WiFi or data there can sometimes be some interference or a split second drop, however that's to be expected. Nothing that really bothers me too much. Having my phone in my pocket and walking down the street I had no problems with playback whatsoever. The quality of playback is pretty much no different than the wired version of these headphones which really surprised me. I'm really pleased with these and if you can pick them up for what you'd deem a deal from RRP they're definitely a really good buyThe cables included are both braided and feel really good quality which assures me on longevity, which is really appreciated as normal rubber coated wiring frays really easily. The wire on my previous pair actually outlived the headphones themselvesWhich brings me onto my next point, the design of the headphones probably aren't for too strenuous of tasks as drops and knocks can break them. My previous pair became unusable after a fairly bad drop on pavement, cracking the plastic "O" which holds the cup into place, it would have been really nice if these were made out of some kind of lightweight metal, as the plastic build feels somewhat cheap, however the overall look isn't bad at all. Brushed aluminium is always nice though, tough.The headphones themselves look pretty nice, minimalistic and not too "flashy" like some headphones can be, serving as a walking advertisement. The headband at the top can be removed and is machine washable which means you can keep it looking clean easily. The headphones are also pretty small, allowing them to be worn fairly comfortably on your head for extended periods of time. They are on ear, not over ear headphones which usually are pretty uncomfortable for me. But these aren't at all unless I fall asleep wearing them.Being small also means they can be worn fairly comfortably around my neck if needed, they can also be folded into themselves and stored pretty comfortably in my jacket pocket which is really niceNow sound quality, I'm no expert audiophile so I can't compare these to a 200 quid Bose headset, but to me, I wouldn't go any cheaper than these as the sound quality is pretty horrendous on cheaper sets. The bass on these is pretty punchy which is nice, and the quality doesn't lose too much at higher volumes (like max on my TV it was able to hold the bass really well)Overall I'm really happy with this purchase, and for the price I can't really argue as these are and definitely worth it

These headphones were bought as a gift and the recipient thoroughly enjoyed them. The delivery time was excellent; the packaging was sleek and satisfying to open; and the instructions inside were clear and concise.These headphones were easy to connect to the recipient's phone and worked well immediately. I'm no audiophile but the sound quality was great and it played all the songs I listened to well, with no indication of bad quality or its relatively low price in the realm of high-end headphones. The headphones themselves look great, and unlike many other brands, they don't ruin their appearance by stamping on a huge logo on the headphones, which was also a big plus. These headphones were also quite comfortable for both the recipient who has a relatively small head, and for me even though I have a relatively large head. Although, I didn't wear them for long enough to notice any discomfort, but I imagine, as with most on-ear headphones, there will be some discomfort after extended periods of use.I cannot yet comment on the battery life or long-term durability of these headphones, but they seem to be of a high quality so far.