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Weekend Recommender: Libratone, Juiced, Awair Glow, and more

AndroidGuys
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Can you believe it’s almost June? Memorial Day weekend is here and a lot of you are likely heading off to the pool or a barbecue. If not today, perhaps on Monday. Relax, enjoy your time with friends and family!

As we tend to do around here, we’ve gathered up some items we’d like to share with you. What you’ll find below is a collection of products, apps, and other stuff that the staff has curated which we feel merit your attention. Take a look through this short list and you might find your next favorite thing!

It’s Father’s Day and graduation season so pay attention!

Libratone Track+

We love these wireless earphones because they’re extremely lightweight and drape nicely around the neck. You hardly know you’re wearing them as the material flexes and moves with you. It makes sense as when we looked them up we learned they were the among the lightest and most compact Wireless In-Ear active noise cancelling earphones on the market.

Sweat and splash-proof, these are the kind of earphones you want to wear to the gym. But, they’re professional looking too, so feel free to take ’em to work or on your commute.

Available in black and white options, the Track+ feature an 8-hour battery and automatically go to sleep when not in use. The noise cancellation is incredible, and users have the ability to choose from four levels. Turn it up all the way when mowing the yard, leave at the bottom if you want to be more acutely aware of your surroundings.

We found these to be balanced very well; there’s no draping or leaning to one side around your neck. Additionally, the controls are dead simple to learn and feel out blindly. Oh, and we love being able to see the percentage of life left in them on our phone. Find these for about $200 at Libratone and Amazon.

Juiced 2.0

Having a portable battery pack is awesome, especially when it’s compact and lightweight. The problem we run into, though, is when we’re out and about and other people (our spouse or children) want to use it. Granted, a lot of these have multiple ports, but then you’re dealing with multiple cables, too.

Juiced is an interesting solution to that sort of problem. Essentially, you’re looking at what’s being billed as “the world’s first wireless group charging station”. In practice, it’s a dock that houses three batteries with built-in microUSB plugs. Each battery is 1,530mAh worth of juice.

Rather than lugging around a 4,500mAh unit, this option lets you bite off what you might need. There are stickers with small suction cups for each battery so you can stick and remove as you need. So, if you’re looking at an extended evening, grab one. Got a longer, busier weekend ahead, grab all three; they’re small enough to toss in a pocket or purse.

The package comes with tips that you can add on for USB C or iPhone, but you only get one of each. We might like to have seen a full 3-pack of USB C, but we understand it’s not that much of a standard yet. On a cooler note, you can also use the adapter to directly charge your phone off of the dock.

We also appreciate that a family can each grab their own little charger to take with them. Simply stick to the back of your phone temporarily and pull the cord out when you need to charge up. Learn more about the Juiced 2.0 at its Kickstarter page

Awair Glow

Ever wonder why you don’t sleep as well as you’d like? Maybe you blame it on allergies and pollen. What if it was simply a case of too much humidity? Or, worse, if it was related to chemicals in the air?

The Awair Glow is a great solution that monitors the quality of air, plus more. Paired with an app, it checks for the temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and chemicals. Moreover, it presents the data in an easy-to-understand manner.

With a standard wall outlet on the front, it’s designed for your “dumb” appliances. Should the temp get too warm for you, it can automatically trigger the fan plugged in. Or, when the need arises, it can kick on the air purifier.

Compatible with both Google Home and Alexa, you can also use voice to control things. So, you can lie in bed and use Google Home to turn on the air conditioner you bought a few years ago. Or a lamp. Or a portable heater. Or a humidifier. Or a dehumidifier.

Set a schedule to run each day if that’s your preference, or have it work based on motion detection. There’s quite a bit this guy can do, including acting as a night light. Grabs yours for $99 at Awair’s website today.

Cocoon Earbud Charging Case

Chances are you already have a favorite pair of wireless earbuds. And, further, they probably have a microUSB port in them for charging. Rather than throwing them in a pocket or bag, why not put your earphones into something more protective?

The Cocoon, from IFROGZ, is a small, portable shell designed specifically to tote your wireless earbuds around. What’s more, there’s a built-in 580mAh battery so you can charge up while on the go.

The soft touch shell comes in two color combinations: Dark Grey/Red and Light Grey/Blue. There’s a nice split in the design with the one color acting more of an accent.

Turn this one around and you’ll see a light indicator so you can tell how much power is left in the charger. To make things even more convenient, you’ll get a super short USB/microUSB cord that plugs directly into your headphones. Take the cord out and reverse it to charge the Cocoon up from a laptop. Find these for approximately $30 at the IFROGZ website.

Sengled Element Smart Light System

This combo box features a pair of Sengled Element bulbs and a hub to connect with your WiFi network. Futuristic looking to be sure, these aren’t your daddy’s lights. Heck, they’re not your old lights.

Set up on your 2.4GHz network, install the app, and you’re good to go. Once ready, you’ve got full control over the lights, including the ability to dim or adjust the color temperature. While not full color adjustment, it does allow for balancing the white and yellow of lighting to suit your needs or mood.

Set the timer up and you can have your house automatically light up when you wake, and turn off when it’s time for bed. We liked having it dim at lunch time so we had a visual cue that prompted us to take a break.

And, because it’s smart like that, you can connect your light system to Google Home/Assistant or Amazon Alexa. The next time you’re cooking up a romantic dinner, tell your lights to dim as you bring the plates to the table. Get started on your smart home for about $60 through Sengled’s website. Before you know it you’ll be adding more lights and colors to the home.

Verizon announces open warranty enrollment and new TravelPass countries for the summer

AndroidGuys
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With the summer approaching, Verizon wants to make sure it gives its customer many travel benefits. The benefits come in the form of warranty and protection as well as travel perks. For that Verizon has announced open enrollment for its Total Mobile Protection and additional countries for its TravelPass program.

Verizon’s Total Mobile Protection plan is Verizon’s carrier warranty that helps with cracked screens or lost and stolen devices. For a cracked screen, the warranty can fix your device in as fast as the same day and for as much as $29. The warranty can replace a lost or stolen device as soon as next day as well, even if you’re traveling internationally. Be aware that open enrollment is only lasting until May 31st, so you have about a week to sign up.

Speaking of traveling, Verizon has added 16 Caribbean countries to its TravelPass program. If you’re unfamiliar with TravelPass, it allows you unlimited calling to the US and the included country for its prepaid plans. Each day of TravelPass is only $10, with some selected countries only $5. The new countries consist of Jamaica, Aruba, Barbados, and more. To learn more about other included countries in the TravelPass program, visit THIS LINK.

Be sure to check with Verizon before you go on your Summer travel. They may have even more deals and plans ready for you.

Total Mobile Protection Info Link

SuperTooth TW1 Review: mid-range sound and price, complete with all its flaws

Donovan Jeska
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When it comes to truly wireless earphones, there’s really only a few different tiers. There are the budget models, which routinely run under $75 and generally have poor performance, the mid-range, which is about $100, and the premiums, which can run from $150 up to $250. The premium tier is where you’d expect to find earphones that include unique features, like audio transparency, companion apps and the like. The mid-range tier generally offers a similar hardware experience without the software support to enhance it. It’s in this mid-range tier that the SuperTooth TW1 falls.

Build & Design

There are only so many form factors for Bluetooth earphones. And while that can be a bit boring, it also gives us a great barometer for the difference between good design and bad design. When something works, it stands apart from the crowd in a special way. When something really doesn’t work, it stands out in a pretty crummy way.

Build

On the whole, I wish the Supertooth TW1 felt a bit more premium. It’s extremely lightweight, which is great, but that comes at the cost of feeling a little cheap. The two-piece mold has a clear seam, and the feel of the plastic leaves something to be desired.

Internally, the TW1 is pretty standard affair for as truly wireless headset. It comes with Bluetooth 4.2, and outputs your standard array of 20-20,000Hz. Each earphone holds an 80mAh battery, and the charging case (while I’ll talk about later) contains a 640mAh battery for a total of 14 hours of playtime.

Design

While the aesthetic design of the TW1 is nondescript – it’s highly unlikely anyone but an enthusiast will identify them at a glance – it has a few design quirks that set it apart from other earphones of its ilk.

Unlike many wireless earphones, which rely on outer ear hooks or shaped design to secure them in your ears, Supertooth has taken a slightly different approach with three sets of inner ear hooks. The tabs are silicon, which makes them very pliable and easy to insert. However, that softness also makes them a bit less secure than I’d like to see. The method of switching these tabs out, though is rather clever. Each one is held in place by an expanded, hard plastic tab that holds it in place, and all that’s needed to remove it is to stretch the silicon over the tab. It’s just as easy to secure in place.

Performance

In terms of sound quality, the Supertooth TW1 is pretty standard affair for a mid-range Bluetooth headset. It’s got solid clarity and depth of sound, but inadequate bass – as is typical of its tier. Bluetooth 4.2 means that you’ll get solid connectivity, but far from the bleeding edge. Unfortunately, Bluetooth 5 has been out for more than a year now and manufacturers are still churning out 4-series Bluetooth accessories.

The microphone on the TW1 is adequate but nothing spectacular and includes the now-characteristic distant quality on the other end of a call.

Charging Case

The TW1’s charging case is pretty uninspired. The texture of the case is okay, but it’s made of such thin plastic that it feels like a toy. It’s got a big, gross hinge that dominates the back of the case, with just a button to release the lid. There are two LEDs on the case; one for each earphone. It’s not as handy as you’d expect, really only displaying when you first insert the earphones into the case. The earphones are not the smallest around, and as such the charging case ends up being bulky and not particularly pocket-friendly.

Despite the design flaws, though the case is rather functional. The TW1 fits snugly inside the case, and it closes securely without concern of it opening accidentally. As mentioned above, it contains a 640mAh battery, good enough for 4 full recharges of the TW1 – 14 hours of play time. Unfortunately, as per the industry’s usual at the moment, the charging case still rocks the venerable MicroUSB rather than the modern Type-C USB.

Value

I’ll be frank – the price of the of the Supertooth TW1 is less than ideal. When compared to headsets with a companion app, such as the Jabra Elite 65t and Yevo 1, which can be tuned via software update, it’s tough to go back to an out-of-the-box, as-is experience.

Now, that’s not meant to be a criticism of the Supertooth TW1 specifically – more, a recognition of the plight of the mid-range Bluetooth headset. When compared to the price of a low-end headset and the high performance of a high-end one, mid-range Bluetooth earphones kind of flounder in middle. The TW1 retails for 99.95€ ($119.99) which makes it neither particularly expensive nor a thrifty purchase.

Obtaining a TW1, though is a bit tricky at the moment if you’re in the U.S. Currently it’s only available on Amazon in the German store, though that likely ships to most European countries. If you’re stateside, you’re a little out of luck for now.

Buy the Supertooth TW1 on Amazon.de

BLU debuts the inexpensive X Link smartwatch

Alexandra Arici
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BLU is an American company mostly known for its affordable smartphones. Well, they recently expanded their portfolio of devices to include a budget smartwatch.

It’s called the BLU X Link and although it’s a new product, Amazon currently has it on sale for 40%. So you’ll be able to grab it for only $60 (down from $99.99).

But at this price, you shouldn’t get your hopes up. The wearable is extremely basic running a stripped down OS with a few pre-installed apps, but no app store. To make it clear, this is not a Wear OS device. Far from it.

So what can the BLU X Link do?

Well, the smartwatch does offer simple functions such as notification sync, step and sleep tracking. Interestingly for such a cheap watch, it does include a heart rate sensor. It also has a 1.1-inch IPS display and is IP54 rated (water and dust resistance). Bluetooth connectivity is on board, too.

What’s more, the watch has a SIM card slot. The bad news is that it can only connect to a 2G network (850/900/1800/1900MHz). Given that carriers like AT&T have already killed 2G service, the feature seems pretty pointless.

The BLU X Link isn’t too much of a looker either. It’s big and pretty chunky, but if you’re new to the whole smartwatch thing, BLU’s device might offer a decent, uncomplicated wearable experience.

The watch is compatible with Android and iOS smartphones, where users can also install the BLU fitness app to view their fitness stats.

Interested parties can pre-order it from Amazon right now, but shipments will be going out starting June 6.

If you’re looking for something more advanced, you might want to wait for Mobvoi’s recently announced TicWatch Pro. Unlike the BLU X Link, this is indeed a Wear OS smartwatch, one that takes advantage of two displays in order to conserve power. The product is expected to launch this summer for under $300.

Essential has cancelled the next PH-1 and could be put up for sale

Andrew Myrick
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I’m a rather surprising move, it’s it reported that Essential is considering a sale. This isn’t another discount on the PH-1, but instead, of the company itself.

A report from Bloomberg states that the company is “now actively shopping itself to potential suitors”. Additionally, Essential has halted development on the successor to the semi-popular PH-1.

Essential surprised everyone last year, when Andy Rubin teased an upcoming device. The initial teaser showed off a bezel-less smartphone being held in a hand.

After the rumor mill began ramping up, Essential unveiled the PH-1. The handset was met with mixed reviews due its price point and subpar camera quality.

On the specs front, the device was running with the big dogs such as Samsung and HTC. Powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB of RAM, there was hope that a new player had arrived.

READ MORE: Essential Phone Review

During the initial introduction, Essential also showed off an array of upcoming products. These included the likes of a new smart speaker, and many different accessories for its first flagship handset.

Over the last few months, the company has largely remained quiet. The only exception of this has been its weekly AMA on Reddit and an introduction of some new colors.

There was a lot of hope that Essential would follow up the PH-1 with a PH-2 of sorts. The device would sport a similar body to the original, along with flagship specs and a much better camera system.

It seems all of that hope is for naught, now that this report has surfaced. In fact, Rubin recently tweeted the following:

https://twitter.com/arubin/status/999772765405171712

Sure, it’s all fine and dandy to cancel work on an existing product. We saw LG do something similar with the G7 ThinQ before announcing the V30 ThinQ at MWC 2018.

What makes this so curious are the numbers. Just last year the company was valued at a figure between $900 million and $1 billion.

The company has also spent $100 million on product development. This is quite the figure when you consider that Essential was considered a startup.

As for the deal itself, there is said to be “one possible suitor”. It’s expected that the entire company, including employees and patents, would also be included in the sale.

In a world dominated by Samsung, it was nice to see a fresh face. Now we will have to wait and see what happens to Essential and if another start up ends up taking its place.

Bloomberg reached out for comment, but none was given at the time of this writing.

South Park: Phone Destroyer review – a raunchy card game based on the super popular show

Alexandra Arici
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These days almost every popular franchise has a mobile app or two. And South Park, the low-fi animated series about a group of prepubescent misfits living in Colorado, is no different.

The raunchy cartoon series has been recently turned into a mobile game. Called South Park: Phone Destroyer, this is a card-based strategy game set in the South Park universe, complete with tons of inappropriate content.

It’s a freemium game, which means you’ll be able to continually play the game, although you’ll encounter a fair share of pay-to-win opportunities and skill/pay walls.

How to get started

Download the app from the Google Play Store. It’s free to get and install on your device. Launch the game and start playing.

Impressions

The South Park kids have gathered to play Cowboys and Indians. You are the New Kid, who has been recruited by Cartman to join the forces against Stan’s unbeatable team. And as the New Kid you quickly learn the drill.

You start off by playing some solo campaign stages that are classic card-based strategy. Basically you’ll have to battle your way to the end of the stage to see what type of boss Stan summons. And defeat other characters in the process.

Ok, so everyone is dressed up in costumes (which range from Cowboys and Indians to Wizards, Aliens, and Pirates) and fight each other. The team chats with each other via texts.

The battles are mostly automatic. You have a deck of cards you use to summon characters onto the battlefield. There’s also an energy bar and as you automatically regenerate energy, you get to pull out cards onto the playground. The main goal is to defeat the boss each level, but if the New Kid dies first, you will have to start over.

The cards come in five categories: tank, ranged, fighter, assassin, and spell. Obviously, they come with their own customary strengths and weaknesses.

South Park fans will certainly appreciate all the familiar faces and voices, as well as the brand of dark humor that kept the TV show going for as long as it did.

Phone Destroyer is also peppered with PvP (player-versus-player). This mode works pretty similarly although this time you’re on a timer. So you could end up losing by having less health than your opponent when the time runs out.

With year completed mission or PvP battle, you get to open three lockers and uncover some loot like in-game dollars, gold coins or cards needed to upgrade my characters. As you accumulate things like in-game dollars you can spend them to purchase more upgrades or to open my lockers and get the loot you need.

As I mentioned above, Phone Destroyer does feature some additional themes beyond Cowboys and Indians. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of playing through solo stages and PvP to unlock them. And I mean a lot!

Then you’ll need to go back through the solo stages on a harder difficulty or play even more PvP matches, if you want to upgrade your cards or to progress at all. As you make headway, you’ll find the PvP maestro Don King Buttons, might not let you go any further unless you complete the required amount of PvP matches. Being forced into these PvP matches quickly become quite irritating.

I get it, it really pays to have the most powerful cards, so I understand why the game encourages grinding, but playing the same missions and PvP battles becomes extremely dull after a while.  It actually made me abandon the game for a few days, but I eventually returned with renewed strength (of mind).

The game also ends up eating a lot of your time. It’s not a game you pick up when you have a few minutes to spare and leave at any time. No, you’ll have to come back to it over and over again. That is if you want to unlock certain themes or advanced to more advanced stages.

Another thing that becomes apparent after spending some time with the game: tactical prowess doesn’t seem to matter that much. Most of the time, scattering as many units as you can on the battlefield tends to have the desired effect. No artifices needed.

To be frank, for the most part, I was only half-playing battles. Meaning I was paying attention occasionally while making sure I was dropping my best cards when things got nasty. You can change the course of the characters who advance in a similar pattern.

What about this New Kid character? Well, you get to customize him or her by changing their appearance (skin color, hair) and outfit (headgear and clothes). Unfortunately, although your character levels up, it has no actual bearing on gameplay. You get no additional development that affects the overall story.

Conclusion

Phone Destroyer is a challenging game which draws you in and gets you excited quite fast. However, it doesn’t do such a great job at converting this initial enthusiasm into addiction. It’s heavily focused on grinding, so if you don’t like doing pretty much the same thing over and over again to get upgrades, you will get disheartened fast. Additionally, I wish there was some added complexity to the overall story, which often feels flat.

YouTube Music, Google Home, and Google Lens (Episode 7)

Matt Adams
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Welcome to In Brief, our periodic podcast which aims to provide you with all of the important things happening in the world of Android.

In this episode, we discuss how YouTube Music will incorporate some of our favorite features from Google Play Music, how Google is winning the smart speaker race, and some features announced at Google I/O that are rolling out now.

Topics

It’s our goal to keep these podcasts short but there’s a reason we call it “The 15-minute podcast that’s never 15 minutes”. We hope you enjoy the show!

Other news worth knowing

  • Huawei is dropping its bootloader unlock program. The company had previously given users an official way to unlock their bootloaders which allowed them to flash custom ROMs. Now, Huawei is alerting owners that the service will no longer be available for devices made after 5/25/18 and devices made before that date will only have 60 days to use the service or lose the opportunity forever. Huawei reached out with the following comment:
    • “In order to deliver the best user experience and prevent users from experiencing possible issues that could arise from ROM flashing, including system failure, stuttering, worsened battery performance, and risk of data being compromised, Huawei will cease providing bootloader unlock codes for devices launched after May 25, 2018. For devices launched prior to the aforementioned date, the termination of the bootloader code application service will come into effect 60 days after today’s announcement. Moving forward, Huawei remains committed to providing quality services and experiences to its customers. Thank you for your continued support.”
  • Pornhub has launched VPNHub, its own VPN service. The service is available for free via Android, iOS, MacOS, and Windows. The free version serves up ads, while a premium version gets rid of the ads and promises faster speeds. The premium service will cost between $12 and $14 a month.
  • A recent update to Opera for Android brings about the introduction of themes. Users can now browse in style with the ability to tweak the color theme and join the dark side, or the light — or just go with the standard Opera red. Look for the new themes in Settings.

Heads up!

We’re currently beta testing this podcast and doing it in the real world. We’ll iterate and improve and be on track with the formal numbering convention in no time!

Subscribe to the AndroidGuys Audio Experience!

You can download or subscribe to the podcasts wherever you normally find your favorite shows. For your convenience, you can also click the links below.

Google Play Music | Simplecast | iTunes | Spotify* | Stitcher | Pocket Casts

For questions, concerns, or general feedback about the podcast feel free to contact us at podcast [at] androidguys.com.

*Coming Soon

Moto G6 now available on Verizon

AndroidGuys
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Last month Motorola announced its new Moto G6 line of devices. These devices include the eponymous Moto G6, the G6 Play, and the G6 Plus. Well, at least one of those devices are coming to light. Verizon has announced that the Moto G6 is available from the carrier, right now!

For just $10 a month, you can have one of the latest phones from Motorola. If you don’t remember, the G6 comes with a 5.7” display, dual 12MP/5MP cameras, a 3000mah battery, and Android 8.0. Knowing Motorola, updates shouldn’t take incredibly long to come by, and the phone will be sturdy. Plus $10/mo is an excellent price for a decent phone nowadays — even if you have to pair it with Verizon’s billing.

So, you can now go in stores and grab the device or order it online. The phone also comes in either Deep Indigo or Black colorways for you to match your style. Check out the Verizon link below to learn more about the phone or to buy it online. Who’s excited for probably the best budget (<$300) phone of 2018 on one of the best carriers?

Verizon Moto G6 Link

LG V35 ThinQ could be coming in June, alongside the budget X2 and X5

Alexandra Arici
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This week US carriers Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint announced availability details for LG’s new flagship, the G7 ThinQ.

But there’s a notable absentee here and that’s AT&T. According to previous rumors, the carrier will offer a new LG phone called the V35 ThinQ instead of the G7.

Now a new report published on ETNews claims the phone will be released in Korea next month, alongside two entry-level models, the X2 and X5.

LG is having a busy summer

The LG V35 ThinQ will be a premium handset featuring a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Additionally, the flagship is expected to boast a dual 16-megapixel camera and an 8-megapixel selfie snapper with f/1.9 aperture.

The phone will come with Android 8.0 Oreo and will include a 3,300 mAh battery. In contrast, the G7 ThinQ relies on a smaller 3,000 mAh power source. The report also says the phone will be offered in an Aurora Black color.

Alleged render of LG V35 ThinQ

Interestingly, ETNews does not mention anything about an international release, nor does it call the phone the LG V35 ThinQ, but simply the LG V35. Could it be that the flagship will go on sale as the V35 ThinQ only in the US/Western market? We’ll just have to wait and see.

As for the other two entry-level models, they should come with 5-inch and 5.5-inch displays respectively. Both will offer 720p resolution, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The X2 is based on a Snapdragon 425, while the X5 harnesses the power of a MediaTek MT6750 chipset.

But while the X2 includes a modest 2,410 mAh battery, the X5 comes with a huge 4,500 mAh battery. The first should go on sale in South Korea for approximately $185, while the second will have a price tag around $275.

A few days ago LG announced the Q7 family and the current report says the Q7 and Q7+ models will also go on sale in June in Korea.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Over-Ear Headphones Review

Josh Noriega
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A few weeks ago we looked at one of Beyerdynamic’s answer to the modern wireless trend in headphones, the Aventho Wireless. These on-ears impressed a lot, from their industrial design to their proficient components. But that also got us thinking; with all these new and technologically impressive headphones coming out, are past offerings rendered obsolete? I mean, the basic function of shooting audio into our ears is the same, isn’t it?

So we accepted a review unit of the “old” DT 770 Pro. The “DT” series has been Beyerdynamic’s “value” line, and the 770 Pro is the entry-level model. This also means that it holds the most potential for pushing the bang for your buck. Let’s take a look if it’s still a superb over-ear for the money.

Design

Technically being a lower-end model, we were right in expecting basic design and materials from the DT 770 Pro. This isn’t to say it’s flimsy. Beyerdynamics did the best it could in spite of this. The ear cups have a couple standout elements, like the textured dome and large branding print across the center.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Headphones
Big headphone for serious listeners.

We like the stealthy vibe. The whole facade portrays attractive sophistication rather than flash. That said, there’s no getting around how cheap they feel in-hand. It’s hard plastic all-around, hollow to the tap. We don’t get the sense that they’ll fall apart, it’s just that these days, even headphones at this price-point are upping their build quality.

The headband, on the other hand, is covered in a substantial leather wrap. Touring around, we begin to see that Beyerdynamic poured resources into the headphone’s ergonomics, that is, the bits that make contact with the head. There’s generous cushioning on the headband’s underside and on the large ear pads.

Speaking of which, we don’t often see a fabric wrap on ear pads (at least, these days). Most headphone manufacturers opt for some variation of leather. The DT 770 Pro’s ear pads feel as nice on the head as they appear to. However, we’re not confident that they’ll hold up to grime over time nearly as well as leather pads would.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Headphones

Usability

The DT 770 Pro’s ear pads are larger than the average bear. Coupled with the soft cushioning, you can guess that comfort is top-notch. It almost feels like your head is sandwiched between pillows. The enveloping wear also means that sound isolation is above average – a welcomed benefit considering that there’s no fancy active noise cancellation of the sort.

But a resulting disadvantage is that the headphones aren’t mindful of portability, like with many of today’s modern alternatives. The headband doesn’t have any kind of hinge that allows the footprint to decrease. What’s more, the large ear cups have limited degree of freedom. They can pitch a tad, and rotate even less – so no rotation that can flatten the profile to a more travel-friendly form.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Headphones

The packaging is likewise basic. Apart from the headphones and manual, you’re just given a 1/4″ jack adapter (being that these are aimed at the “Pro” level) and a thin (somewhat cheap feeling) drawstring carrying bag.

These things are fine considering this is an “entry-level” model of the series, which we figure Beyerdynamic dumps most of the resources to the headphone’s design and sound. You also won’t find anything exciting on the cable front, like the ability to detach and switch cables.

Fortunately, the DT 770’s cable is sturdily made. It has a quality thickness and rubbery sheathing. The “Pro” exemplification is also seen in the cable length, close to a whopping 10 feet.

Sound

Being an “entry level” model, we were expecting the DT 770 Pro to make up for its minimal exterior with great sound quality. This notion was asserted by the exceptional reviews that the headphone has racked. Suffice to say, it doesn’t disappoint.

The first thing we want to point out with that there’s multiple impedance versions of the DT 770 Pro, from a low 32 ohms all the way to 250 ohms, to suit the differing power output of source equipment. Despite the lower end price, this is still built like a “Pro” headphone. Beyerdynamic lent us the middle-ground 80 ohms variant. This is still driveable via a smartphone, but note that if you want more volume headroom, then the 32 ohms version may be the one for you.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Headphones
The DT 770 Pro sounds great out of the Galaxy S9, though, the cable is comically long for smartphone use.

We really enjoyed the bass response of the DT 770 Pro. It has a fantastic balance to it, juggling power with finesse. It’s a clean articulation that’s notably bold but stays within its confines. This means excellent separation with a mid-range that is similarly potent. The entire first half of the spectrum is really well done. Where ever the track dictates, that range has enough authority to shine and grab the user’s attention. What’s more, the reproduction is skillfully an open and airy one. You get a perceived around-the-head fullness that, while not to the level of open-back headphones, is above-average for a closed-back.

Though, the mid-range isn’t perfect. You’ll get more clarity up the price chain. Particularly, when tracks get busy, instruments don’t have the cleanest distinction. Elements aren’t necessarily “muddy”, but it’s just not that crystal clear detail that analytical listeners strive for. We’d also expect more openness in this region, especially since this quality is let on by the other ranges. Don’t get us wrong, the mids are far from a compressed, in-the-head reproduction. Vocals have a natural, airy quality, and the dynamics have some dimensional play. It’s just that, overall, the region isn’t fully taken advantage of in the large space that the headphones can simulate.

The treble, on the other hand, is excellently captured, both in quality and dynamics. The DT 770 Pro can not only retrieve crisp, higher-end details, but it’s delivered in a skillful way. Instruments like cymbals sport a nice clash that extend notably widely (creating a pleasing sense of depth as sounds can echo through the space). This is the kind of caliber we’d want throughout the entire spectrum – perhaps what you can expect from Beyerdynamic’s higher-end DT models.

Final Thoughts

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Headphones

So is the DT 770 Pro still worth it for the price these days? The sound quality tilts the pendulum towards “Yes”, in our opinion. Many modern headphones offer more features and better materials for the money, which put up quite a fight against the very basic DT 770 Pro. But the same can’t generally be said for sound quality. If you don’t have a critical need for portability and want “Pro” sound that can be driven by a smartphone, then we think the DT 770 Pro should be a serious consideration.

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