Excellent alternative to conventional headphones, good open sound, super comfortable!
I am very pleased with this audio device. I find that even the cushiest circumaural headphones are uncomfortable after an hour or more of wear, but this "sound collar" device is perfectly comfortable -- whether in bed, sitting, or standing/walking around -- almost indefinitely. The audio quality exceeds my expectations -- low frequencies benefit from a little bone conduction and are surprisingly satisfying, and the mids and highs are quite acceptable. Obviously it's not going to match the audio quality of a good set of AKG or Sennheiser phones, but it's just fine for enjoyable, casual listening.
The stereo separation is fairly convincing, though there is of course a bit of disorienting sound field shift if you tilt your head to left or right, bringing one closer to and another farther from the drivers. Sound "intimacy" can actually be adjusted by head position, so you can "listen closer" to quiet passages and get a little farther from louder ones without having to touch a volume control.
I like being able to hear exterior sound as well; having once experienced a home invasion which I didn't hear because I was wearing headphones, I'm a little anxious about complete audio isolation! (For those who experience anxiety/suspense on hearing this story, let me assure you that my cat warned me in time, before the burglar was more than halfway through the window, and he fled when confronted. No harm was done except to my nerves.) Even if burglary is not a concern, anyone with pets, small children, a pan on the stove or casual visitors at the door will enjoy being able to hear external audio cues as well as their music or soundtrack.
The battery lifetime is fairly good. It's a little inconvenient to have to unzip the cover to get at the charging port (standard Micro-B) but as it doesn't need daily charging this is a minor consideration. The voice prompts are a little cheesy (very poor word recognition when parsing the name of an iPad) but in such a small package I don't expect much. The controls are very small and might pose a challenge for someone with really large fingers, but for me they are easy to detect by touch and not too difficult to actuate.
The pairing and connection process was simple and quick, and the device auto-pairs reliably with the iPad I usually use. I have not tried switching between multiple hosts, so can't speak to how easy or reliable that selection process is. Documentation was adequate and (important) available online as well as in paper form.
This product is so elegant, comfortable, intuitive and iPad-friendly that I'm surprised Apple has not not rebranded it and offered a colour-coordinated version for their tablet line (in Space Grey, Rose Gold, Apple White and so on).
One caveat: I don't think this product would substitute well for a pair of sport or jogging earbuds. There is no strap or harness to hold it in place during vigorous exercise. It would be fine for a walk, even a brisk one, but I doubt it would stay in place while running or dancing. Urban cycling would probably be OK, but not off-road :-) It would be a grand device for the urban cyclist, not masking traffic noises.
Unlike headphones, this device does inflict audio scatter on persons nearby and therefore I cannot recommend it for airplanes, restaurants, libraries, offices or other environments where it's rude to inflict your sounds on other people. My own domestic partner tells me that he can hear only the higher frequencies (even when I'm listening at a robust volume level to grand opera) and that one closed interior door is enough to kill the noise entirely. So it is room-mate friendly if you have some interior doors, but could not be worn in bed without keeping your bedmate awake (unless they are a particularly deep and oblivious sleeper!)
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