EMEET AirFlow Open Earbuds - TDS REVIEW
EMEET AirFlow True Wireless Earbuds That Don't Block Your Ears - TDS Review
TDS REVIEW and TDS Whisper are based on the TDS Studio scoring criteria and the content description V202402.
The model covered in this article in the context of the market at the time of the KT MARK:
EMEET AirFlow: IV (Recommend)
This is the first product of the EMEET brand to officially appear in TDS Hearroom.
As you can tell from the name of EMEET, this is a brand that is more oriented to the conference communication scene, and the AirFlow that we will introduce in this article is their OWS product. From this product, you can see a lot of things that were not paid much attention to in the open-back true wireless earbuds before, and you can even say that if you need an OWS headset for conference calls and fast dual-mode connection, AirFlow may not have a competitor in the strict sense of the word.
包装与配件 | Package & Accessories
The packaging volume is not large, basically only one circle larger than the earphone charging case, and it adopts a horizontal design. The color scheme is white and blue, and the recognition is not particularly high, but the overall design has a kind of "foreign trade product" meaning, and the English description occupies most of the space.
Inside, accessories include a USB-C to USB-A charging cable, a separate transmitter, and a pouch.
The transmitter is a USB-A port, about the size of a thumb fingernail, and has an LED indicator on the tail. The purpose of this transmitter is to provide a Bluetooth-independent signal connectivity solution. The highest sampling capability measured as USB Audio audio output is 96kHz / 24bit, and the input is 48kHz / 16bit for mono. This mono audio input channel refers to the biggest difference between this product and other mainstream OWS devices, which is the additional call microphone. This call microphone has a separate place in the charging case, but it is not very tightly fixed.
设计、佩戴表现与声学结构 | Design, Fit & Acoustic Structure
The EMEET AirFlow comes in two colors, black and white, with white as the main character in this article.
The volume of the charging case is still relatively large in OWS products, which is related to the larger battery on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is necessary to store independent booms, which naturally have to be designed to be relatively long. There is a metal nameplate with brand logo on the surface of the charging case, and the feeling of opening the lid is relatively solid, and the feedback is good, but the volume makes it inconvenient to open and close with one hand. The glossy plastic also makes scratch resistant to average, so it is recommended to prepare a storage bag.
There is a soft-touch button on the front of the charging case, which activates the ultraviolet light in the case to sterilize and disinfect. According to the official introduction, the UV lamp can achieve a 99.9% sterilization rate for E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. For OWS headphones that are often worn, it's still good to have such a feature. In fact, there is more to it than that, as you can read the following sections.
The cavity lies in the charging case, the magnetic attraction force is large, and the telephone pole is fixed in the box but not very tight, which we have already introduced. The shape of the headphones is generally in a relatively full state. Both the post-ear module and the cavity in front of the ear belong to a relatively full state, the length of the ear hook part is sufficient, and the structure of the titanium wire plus the skin-friendly layer performs well for the fit of the back end of the auricle. In practice, the cavity part of the AirFlow is relatively insensible for most people, but the behind-the-ear module may need to be adapted to the eyewear party. Overall, the wearing comfort of the high-priced OWS headphones is in the upper middle range. The weight of one side is 8.5g, although it is relatively large among the OWS earphones in recent times, but the weight control is not bad, and there will be no obvious drop feeling when actually worn.
AirFlow is IPX5-rated for spill resistance, so it's okay to handle light rain or sweat during regular exercise.
Two sets of speaker openings can be seen on the surface of the cavity, one at the corresponding part of the ear canal and one at the top of the cavity. The opening at the top is mainly responsible for increasing the air intake to equalize the air pressure in the cavity, and the presence of pressure relief holes also helps in the conduction of the low frequency band.
操作与软件端功能 | Control & APP
The operation relies on the touch recognition of the circular panel on the outside of the earphone cavity, which can realize the recognition of single, double, triple and long presses. By default, click for playback control, double tap for next track and answer incoming call, triple tap for previous song, long press defined as volume down/up and call rejection. Customizations that can be made in the app.
The operation response speed is fast, and the recognition accuracy of multiple touches is not bad. However, due to the high fullness of the cavity and the fact that the panel extends to the edge of the cavity, there are sometimes false touches when adjusting the fit, so if you are difficult to get used to, you can try to disable the one-click operation definition. The clarity of the voice reminder is sufficient, but the volume of the sound is not particularly loud for outdoor use.
AirFlow is customised with the EMEET TUNE app, which has a simple design that is consistent with the design of the box, which is full of blue and white color combinations. The UI logic is intuitive and is divided into three main sections. The Home is responsible for battery reminders, sound mode (more on that later) switching, and playback control, while the second page defines the operation logic, and the third page is a collection of ear protection-related functions.
The main thing to talk about is this series of ear protection functions. After turning on the ear protection, there are several functions to choose from. The first is the display of usage time, which provides a cumulative graph of usage time based on the two-hour fatigue boundary, and it will automatically accumulate playback time after each connection. You can turn on its two-hour reminder separately. On top of that, there's a system-independent 80dB loud volume alert – although it's almost never triggered during this period of use. There is also a headphone sterilization reminder function, which will remind you to perform sterilization operations every day, at which time you can activate the ultraviolet rays through the sterilization button mentioned above.
In general, in the use of this type of headphones that are not sound isolating and do not reduce noise, it is inevitable that there will be long-term wear and loud playback, and there is no added cost to having such a reminder function, but it is really beneficial.
Call | Call
When it comes to calling, that's the core feature of AirFlow.
When the boom is connected to the bottom of the cavity via a coaxial connector, the microphone is closer to the mouth, and the closer the microphone is to the mouth when other variables are controlled, and the better the sound is theoretically received. At this time, a set of 2+1 microphone arrays is formed. This shape resembles a letter "Q", which is one of the reasons why it is nicknamed "Little Q Earphones".
Combined with the built-in VoiceCore and the ENC call noise reduction algorithm already available in the Bluetooth solution, the nominal call noise reduction depth can reach 50dB. So what is the actual call experience? In the call scenario of the operator's network, whether it is connected by Bluetooth or an independent transmitter, it can have enough stable call capability, and the radio is much louder and natural than the traditional OWS mode, the surrounding noise is significantly reduced, and the impact of the noise reduction algorithm on the radio subject is very low. Compared with the traditional headphone models such as EarPods USB-C, which have good sound recording ability with built-in microphones, it can also form a certain crushing, and in the field of OWS, it is basically a dimensionality reduction strike of the nature of the "holy sword of physics". In the online call scenario, the mute button on the front of the boom will also be more convenient.
Overall, EMEET AirFlow's call capability is unique among OWS headsets, and can even replace the use of a considerable number of wired service headsets. Combined with the inherent advantages of wearing OWS headsets and the independent transmitter supplement of EMEET, it may be that there is only one obstacle left in its mainstream form as a service headset, and that is battery life.
信号与续航 | Connection & Battery
Bluetooth 5.3 is a mature version, and as a widely used version today, there is no problem with basic stability. Tested with the AAC codec, the results of the Xperia 5 III and iPhone 14 were stable enough to keep the signal smooth at a considerable distance, regardless of whether Wi-Fi was turned on or not. Packet loss and stuttering are rare.
In the case of a stand-alone transmitter connection, the connection stability of the AirFlow is better, even in the case of a load-bearing wall.
In terms of latency, no standalone low-latency gaming mode is seen with a Bluetooth connection. The actual performance, connected to the standard test device Xperia 5 III with AAC codec, playing streaming video, the subjective perception of the delay is controlled at about half a word of the normal speaking rate, and the performance is okay. When the independent transmitter is connected to the computer, the latency is basically imperceptible, which also makes it better for audio-visual use.
In terms of battery life, it is officially claimed that AirFlow can achieve a single battery life of 8h, a single continuous call for 4h, and a total of 40h of battery life combined with the charging case. Personally, after the standard process test, the game mode is turned off, the AAC codec signal is preferentially connected to the Sony Xperia 5 III, and the streaming music (Apple Music Lossless) and podcast shows (Small Universe) are continuously played at 50% volume, and the battery life of the earbuds is only 7 hours and 36 minutes, which is basically in line with the official description nominal value. It also supports fast charging for 5 minutes of battery life and 1 hour of battery life.
扬声器、漏音控制与编解码器 | Driver, Leak Control & Codec
AirFlow is equipped with a 16.2mm diameter dynamic driver with HyperBass bass enhancement algorithm. AirFlow has a relatively reasonable reflection structure, and the volume displayed by the phone is around 40% when playing modern pop tracks with regular sound pressure, which is enough to use in a noisy café environment. In quiet rooms, 30% is sufficient.
As an open-back wireless earphone, I have to talk about the sound leakage control performance. In quiet environments such as libraries and living rooms without TVs, listening to audio files at the default level of -3dB at 50% volume is basically difficult to hear from a distance of about 20cm, and the interference of sound leakage is greatly reduced at a distance of about 25cm, and it is basically difficult to perceive further away. Combined with the larger cavity volume and sound outlets, AirFlow's sound leakage control is decent for OWS headphones, but not quite the same as those with smaller physical openings that sit close to the earnail cavity.
In the app, you can choose from different sound presets, including Classic Mode, Vocal Fidelity, Bass Boost, and Treble Boost by default, as well as custom equalizer options based on five frequency points ±6dB. EMEET IS ALSO ONE OF THE FEW MANUFACTURERS THAT WILL GIVE A DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECTIVE LISTENING CHANGES IN A PRESET SOUND MODE. At the moment, I would recommend trying bass boost when using it outdoors, and vocal fidelity when talking for long periods of time in high-noise environments.
The codec supported by AirFlow is SBC / AAC, which is a routine operation in the field of OWS, and the basic codec is also convenient for controlling stability, but as a thousand-yuan price product, I still hope that the follow-up products can provide some support for high-end Bluetooth codecs.
The sound descriptions below will be based on the AAC connection, performance in classic mode.
声音主观描述 | Sound Description
The low-frequency volume is moderately a little less, the thickness and fullness are controlled, and the elasticity is not very sufficient, which is quite good in OWS headphones with potential AAC codecs. The retraction speed is moderate, and there is not much residual reverberation. The ambience is on the low side of blending, and there is no sense of richness. AirFlow's low frequencies don't sound very present overall, and they're pretty clean. Instruments with a base in the lower middle disc will not have a forward leaning problem.
In the midrange, the vocals have a certain distance and are not too close to the face, but they are a more suitable knot state in OWS. The mouth size is slightly smaller than the standard, the degree of refinement is higher, and the thickness is not high. AirFlow's vocals are appropriately more focused on line depiction, and less on texture. The adaptability of male and female voices is similar, but the adaptability of the voice is generally not so thick. The degree of timbre rendering is not heavy, and even it belongs to the higher degree of vocal directness in the thousand-dollar OWS, with only slight adjustments at both ends. The smoothness of the vocal band is relatively high, and the graininess will be polished a little smaller. The position of the laryngeal sound is basically correct, the ratio of air and voice is sufficient, and the tooth sound is polished, but the degree of transparency is very high, and it does not sound stuffy at all.
In terms of musical instruments, it is also a type that attaches a little more importance to lines. Among the stringed instruments, the texture of violins, violas, guitars, etc., is a little thinner, and the plucked strings are more detailed and slightly prominent. It's worth mentioning that AirFlow will make the sound sound a little pre-loaded when encountering some effects, so it will affect the vocals, so I don't recommend using AirFlow to listen to some electronic music with very complex orchestrations or some metal music with heavy effects. The cello has a weakened sense of form. The imposing sense of brass is not outstanding, and the trumpets that require brightness have a suitable, ear-catching but not stimulating brightness. The woodwind performance should be the surprise point in my opinion, the tone is more neutral and the air is abundant. The overtones of the instrument are more natural, and the volume is not very large. Among the percussion instruments, Kick is a point-and-click device, while Snare is more solid and receives faster. Cymbals sound brighter, but they don't spill out metallicly.
The high-frequency brightness is moderately slightly brighter, but not the kind of particularly stimulating brightness, and the energy distribution is relatively even. The very high frequency extension is good, and it doesn't roll off too early or too fast in a number of AAC-encoded OWS headphones.
The sound field is more natural, it sounds like a relatively loose state, the sense of diffusion is relatively strong and the sense of boundary is not obvious, and there is a certain distance between horizontal and vertical. The "height" of the sound doesn't sound as wide as it does vertically and horizontally. The separation of vocals from instruments is good. The parsing ability is quite good in the OWS of thousand-yuan AAC encoding and decoding, and the amount of information in the mid-frequency is not inferior to many things in the aptX Adaptive camp, and the "sense of resolution" is not too emphasized, and there is a certain degree of naturalness. The dynamics are moderate, and the transients are good.
总结评价与玩法建议 | Summary & Recommendation
When I first heard about the actual device, I didn't really have high expectations for the EMEET AirFlow, but I thought it had some features. However, after actually listening to it, I was surprised that AirFlow not only does a great job as a distinctive OWS headphone, but also gives a high-level tuning that is not inferior to that produced by most audio manufacturers. AirFlow is currently one of the top OWS headphones I've heard of with AAC codecs. If you have the need for long-term conference calls, have a good impression of the existence of these health features, and expect to find an OWS headset with good loudness, clarity, multi-device collaboration and even sound leakage control, AirFlow is a thousand-yuan file that is currently quite recommended, except for some music that needs a sense of momentum and some overly complex and exciting anisong or metal music, its listening sense can be wrestled with many competing products with high-bitrate codecs.
KingTsui, TDS Studio.
Sep 2024
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