Singapore company Lend Me UR Ears has created JAAP, another truly-wireless earphones, and put it on Kickstarter for crowdfunding. Early birds just pledge S$70 to get them. That is really affordable considering the other wire-free brands are at least S$200.
The company founder, Shi Jie, personally passed me their prototype to test just for the weekend. I find the sound quality is bass-centric, and I like how deep, broad and open they sound. Bass lovers are going to love them. The earphones lack treble clarity, though, so I applied EQ over them which improves my appreciation of the product more. The connection to the smartphone is good but the 2 earbuds frequently go into resync lasting a few milliseconds when one of the earbuds lose connection. It did happen occasionally on other true-wireless headsets, but the JAAP prototype was rather excessive. Shi Jie believed it was due to radio interferences from other nearby devices.
On the design, JAAP offers unique features. One, it is the first around-ear design similar to many sports headsets, and this design ensures the earphones securely stay on the ears at all times. I can even loosen the earbuds from my ear canals to leave it around my ears if I needed a breather.
The other unique feature is that the JAAP comes with a neckband cable which has a battery pack. This feature offers 2 functions: one is to make the JAAP into a normal wireless earbuds with cables attached to both earbuds so that you can hang the earbuds around the neck. At the same time, the in-line battery pack on the cable charges both the earbuds and extend the listening time to 14 hours.
The pairing method is similar to Earin, where I choose which side I want to use as the primary earbud. After pairing that side to the smartphone, the other side will automatically sync to the primary earbud. Only the primary earbud can answer calls, but both earbuds can control the music. The entire round plate of the earbud is a button hence operating it is very easy and never-miss. To power down, press and hold the multi-function button, then both earbuds will be powered down at the same time.
The large size of JAAP could be an advantage, for they will never be misplaced or lost. The glossy plastic materials they use appears to be dense and sturdy, definitely build for durability and rugged use. Rated IPX5 water resistant, the JAAP design is functional and its attractive proposal is the low price point, so if this product is successful, Lend Me UR Ears will release improved versions in future. Current version does not come with volume control due to design constraints, but the silicone tips have flexible head that conforms to the ear canal angle.
The Kickstarter campaign ends on 6 April Thu, so do give your support. JAAP will be available to early birds at S$70, shipping charges apply. They will be expected to retail at US$79.90 in future.
