Almost two years in the past Swedish audio firm, Urbanista, launched the primary ever solar-powered over-ear headphones: The Urbanista Los Angeles. Last August, Urbanista consolidated Powerfoyle photo voltaic cell expertise into earbuds: The Urbanista Phoenix. Named after the “valley of the sun”, the Urbanista Phoenix case constantly costs by way of pure or ambient daylight publicity.
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For an enthusiastic earbud wearer like me, the prospect of a charging case that depends on a fixed power supply within the sky quite than requiring one more charging cable sounded nice. And after testing, I can say the Urbanista Phoenix buds are actually a pocket full of sunshine in the case of charging nuances. They additionally ship stable high quality, even when they absorb a little an excessive amount of heat in the case of sound signature.
An enormous case for solar energy
Equipped with a pad of Exegar Powerfoyle photo voltaic tech on its entrance, the Urbanista Phoenix’s case is greater and heavier than most modern circumstances from the likes of Apple and Samsung. The 90 x 68 x 20 mm case formally dethrones the Bose QuietComfort II title for clunkiest case. While it match within the pocket of my work bag, it awkwardly juts out of my again pants pocket and is not potential to squeeze into a entrance pocket. Despite its giant dimension, the case is impressively light-weight. Urbanista additionally provides the unit in black, however I personally assume the dusty rose shade I acquired provides to the sunny aesthetic.
Ditch the lightning charger, and cost by mild
When it involves charging efficacy, I used to be impressed. Of course, the case responds higher to direct solar publicity, but it surely nonetheless charged on a cloudy day. It additionally costs by means of indoor lighting as effectively. While it was a bit finicky charging with simply my overhead lights, placing it underneath my Halo Rise studying mild labored simply in addition to stepping outdoors.
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The Urbanista app makes it simple to entry and verify how a lot solar energy you’ve got amassed and make changes accordingly. My solely name out right here is that each earbuds should be docked contained in the case with the lid remaining open to verify.
While daylight charging is spectacular, it does take a bit longer than a mean outlet cost. In case you want a fast cost or top-up, the case is supplied with a USB-C port and a wire for backup energy.
A fittingly sunny sound signature
The Urbanista’s Phoenix earbuds are stable, geared up with all of the stable specs, together with a 10mm dynamic driver and Bluetooth 5.2 a number of connectivity. But when you’re an audiophile, I ought to warn you that the ANC is extra like noise-masking that fully canceling, particularly in comparison with others in the marketplace.
As far as frequency and sound high quality combine, they’re constant, with the one “downside” being an general sonic signature that errs on the very heat, bassy facet. As I used to be testing, I assumed it was solely acceptable to hearken to Lorde’s “Solar Power,” Harry Styles”http://www.zdnet.com/”Daylight,” and “Sunshine on my Shoulders” by John Denver. Sorry, not sorry.
While the headphones sounded relatively stable on the pop songs, the production elements and subtle synths served a more cohesive sound than earbuds that prioritize instrumentals — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, that quality didn’t do Denver’s folky falsetto justice; rather it made his voice sound grainy and muffled on the higher notes.
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My biggest quality qualm is that in transparency mode there’s a low static that layers over the sound. It’s noticeable at first, but after a few minutes of listening, it merely becomes what it is: background.
Comfort and fit
The buds are, like the case, lightweight. Unlike the case, they’re on the smaller side with shorter stems and an emphasis on a wider in-ear bulb. Putting them in your ears requires a bit of a “twist and lock,” to get them to fit snugly within the ear, but they do a good job at staying in place…almost too good. As someone with smaller ears, I was surprised at how tight these buds felt against my ear canals. When I sized up to the “medium” silicone tip, the pressure mostly subsided, but they do present a more “clunky” than sleek feel.
Bottom Line
While audiophiles may look for more refined earbuds, these rugged, yet solid, solar-powered earbuds are stacked with the usual earbuds accouterments like on-stem touch controls and multiple connectivity. The $149 price tag might suggest they’re an AirPods or Galaxy Buds alternative, but I’d see it more as a renewable energy audio bundle. Plus, a case that requires a few rays to charge may remind you to get some fresh air as the warmer months approach.
…. to be continued
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