Libratone, most known for its fashionable wireless speakers, now has a line of wireless earphones. The company’s Q Adapt line of headphones were its first wired earbuds and now the Libratone Track+ add wireless to the mix.
Like with other Libratone headphones, the Track+ offer 4 levels of active noise cancellation (ANC) for you to choose from for performing various activities like working out, commuting, or relaxing at home. In fact, Libratone’s mobile app can even automatically adjust the ANC level for you by using your phone’s accelerometer to detect motion.
If you’re looking for a stylish pair of earbuds with good sound, adjustable noise cancellation, and excellent build quality, the Libratone Track+ are a good choice. But at $200 (about £150, AU$264), these earbuds are quite expensive compared to some of the competition. Still, they offer a compelling option for those who value design and build quality alongside ANC capability.
Design
The Libratone Track+ are wireless earbuds that you wear around your neck. While truly wireless earbuds are all the rage now, some may enjoy the tethered earbud experience because of the improved battery life and wireless performance. More on that in the performance section.
Build-wise, the Libratone Track+ are made of anodized aluminum and silicone, which makes for a comfortable fit that feels like it can put up with some abuse. They’re also quite light, since the majority of the weight rests on your neck instead of tugging at your ears. You can get the Track+ in either the Stormy Black color you see with our review unit or in Cloudy White. The headphones are IPX4 rated, which means they can withstand sweat and some moisture, but don’t go dunking them in the pool.
The earbud housings are made of aluminum and the included eartips are comfortable for extended listening. Libratone also includes three pairs of ‘wings’ that go over the earbuds to keep them in place when you’re working out.
We loved the included wings for their comfort and used them all the time, whether or not we were being active. Included in the package are four pairs of eartips to help users find a good fit. Noticeably lacking in the box is any sort of carrying case or bag, which is annoying as we’d like to protect the excellent aluminum finish of the headphones.
The power button is located on the left side, while playback controls and microUSB charging port are located on the right. To get the complete experience, you’ll want to download the Libratone app to set up your active noise cancellation levels as well as choose an equalizer.
Performance
In terms of sound, the Libratone Track+ are decidedly mainstream. These headphones offer a nice warmth and energetic bass that works well for mainstream music.
While we would like to have had a more neutral tonal balance, we understand why Libratone tuned the headphones to have a bass bias, since most users will find its sound pleasurable, and having more bass helps drown out the ambient sounds of the city. Mids are smooth but the bass bias drowns out voices at times. Highs are rolled off and soft in detail.
Wireless performance is excellent, as the Libratone Track+ are able to keep playing music with several walls between our phone and headphones without skipping. Call quality is good but struggles in noisy and windy situations. Battery life is rated at 8 hours and we found that number spot on during our testing with automatic noise cancellation enabled and medium volume.
Speaking of active noise cancellation, it’s nice to have four levels to choose from within the Libratone app. This means you can stay aware of your surroundings when on the move, but be isolated from noise when stationary. The headphones and app did a good job of quickly detecting when we were walking or stationary.
Compared to other noise-cancelling headphones, the Libratone Track+ are pretty average. The Sony WI-1000X offer more effective active noise isolation, but they’re also $100 more, as expected. Over-ear headphones like the Bose QC35 Mark II and Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 do a much better job as well, but not everyone will want an over-ear headphone, especially for working out.
Verdict
The Libratone Track+ are a gorgeously built and designed pair of active headphones. We loved the sleek aesthetic, given how often we see bulky and generic looking designs. We also loved the headphones’ auto-adjusting active noise cancellation. While the sound quality tends to be on the warmer side of neutral, we think it helps with the noisy environments that these headphones were designed for.
For the price, the Libratone Track+ are quite expensive when you consider the popular (if lower-quality) Beats X costs just half the price. For slightly less money, you can get a pair of truly wireless earbuds like the Jabra Elite 65t, which are some of the best truly wireless earbuds you can buy right now. But if you value active noise cancellation, design, build quality, and a strong wireless connection, the Libratone Track+ are a very compelling option.
from TechRadar: Technology reviews https://ift.tt/2H0ebi8
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