PaMu is one of the more successful crowd-funding brands. Founded in 2010, Padmate group is the team behind the PaMu brand, and the latest true wireless earbuds Pamu Slide receives similarly overwhelming backing of over US$9 million. So good, that Leader Radio Technologies (LRT) grabbed the distribution rights to Singapore. Now you can purchase the Pamu Slide+ (with wireless phone charging) from retail and local online sites at S$179 from November 2019.
For S$179, you are getting the following premium features out of a true-wireless earbuds:
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Qualcomm QCC3020 TrueWireless Stereo chip
- aptX, AAC, SBC
- Touch controls
- Auto pairing
- IPX6 Sweat Proof
- 60-hour battery life (10 hour on earbuds)
- Wireless device charger (the case charges other devices but does not get charged wirelessly)
Design and Functions
Pamu Slide earbud has an extension down the main body, kind of similar to the RHA TrueConnect Earbuds or the Apple Airpods. Pamu Slide design is such that the body sits outside the ears like Airpods, but with silicone eartips to seal the entrance of the ear canals for isolation. It is easy to wear and rather comfortable.
There is a removable silicone jacket wrapping the rear of the earbud body, and I’m not aware of the purpose, other than perhaps achieving better handling grip, or improve water resistance, or just to protect the earbuds.
Operating the earbuds is via touch sensors, and while I am not a lover of touch technology due to the tendency to accidentally trigger actions, it is an elegant way of operating the earbuds. Double tap right earbud to jump to next track, tap-hold to adjust volume, tap once to play-pause. You can also trigger smartphone assistant by double-tap left earbud. It is not possible to go to previous track from the earbuds.
The version that is distributed in Singapore is the PaMu Slide+, which comes with wireless device charging capability. On the case, double-press the button to activate the wireless charging function. The LED light blinks when it’s ready to charge, and turns solid when it detects a wireless device to charge. Double-press the button again to turn off.
With a battery capacity of 2000 mAh, you cannot even charge half a smartphone. The case is also too bulky to slip it in your pocket. In any case (no pun intended), I would prefer to keep the battery for the earbuds, allowing me to charge 5 times over. There are LED indicators below the logo on the case to tell you the remaining battery life.
Sound Quality
The PaMu Slide is fun to listen. Its bass is boomy and powerful, and the upper treble is clear, transparent. This sound tuning won’t hurt your ears if you turn up the volume. The lower treble sounds a little thin and recessed, vocals lack warmth, and midrange gets largely drowned by the bass.
For PaMu Slide, bass takes centrestage. The retail package even comes with separate sets of bass-friendly eartips to keep the bass resonance contained for the fullest energy. Having said that, the bass lacks musical texture: you can hear the pumps filling your ears, but you won’t easily pick up the overall instrumental resonances.
Despite the low-heavy setup, the other upper-range instruments remain relatively audible due to the piercing upper frequency energy and spacious sound staging to spread the placements. But depending on the mixes, some tracks might sound weak in details, veiled, muddy. Still, PaMu Slide is enjoyable to listen to, if you put aside the audiophile-mindset accuracy. Pop tracks will receive strong bass treatments, relatively clear vocals, bright upper percussions. Never mind about the muffled midrange or the lack of musical aftertones, as those will not be of concern to most listeners. If you relax the eartip seal, you will achieve less intense bass and can get a better balanced treble response.
Alas, there appears to be a slight audio lag when watching YouTube videos, and that might get into the nerves. For voice calls, I received positive feedback when having conversation inside a busy shopping mall.
Verdict
The PaMu Slide is comfortable to wear and fun to listen to, and offers very stable connectivity. They do not deliver accurate sound across the frequency range, but bass lovers should give them a try and get grooving. With a local distribution network, you can head to your favourite headphone store to test it out before deciding.
The PaMu Slide with wireless charging will be going on sale in Singapore through the official distributor, Leader Radio Technologies Pte Ltd from end October 2019.
2 comments
Hey Chester,
I just placed an order for PaMu Slide Mini
Awesome! You’re gonna love it!