First of all, I would like to thank readers for your support, and as a result, Banggood is continuing their engagement with Music Photo Life. This time round, Banggood asked me to select the products that I would like to review from their online shop, which I think is a fantastic gesture, because after so many years of getting feedback from readers, I have a good feel of what I think appeals to you.
This is how I make my selection:
Specifications and Features – I look for products with good specs and features that would appeal to consumers. For instance, active noise cancelling feature on headphones is the top feature in 2020.
Price value – the product must be of good value that would entice consumers.
Review – oh yes, even I check out reviews from others. If reviews are scarce, I might still take it up so that I will be the firsts to contribute my reviews to the online community.
And so, all these led me to pick Bluedio T7 from the Banggood online store, listed at US$48.99. It received 4.93 stars from 15 reviews at of 30 July. This headphones feature 2 levels of ANC using 4 mics (feed-forward and feed-back) setup, auto-pause sensor, 57mm dynamic driver, 30-hour battery life, and even with app. Given the list of features for that price, I think it’s worth a review.
To show my appreciation to my readers’ support to Banggood, I will be doing a giveaway to my readers who actively engage me on my social platform. Visit my Instagram and Facebook Pages for contest info.
Unboxing
I have to remind you that this headphones cost only US$48.99 (S$68.73), but comes with features that can match headphones at more than double the price. The design and build quality are good, the retractable headband frame is made of matt polished metal, while the earcup plate is metallic with concentric circles.
I also like that they have a rather slim profile and don’t bulge out. People with large ears might encounter getting pressed on by the internal parts as the earcups aren’t very thick.
But there are hints of a budget product. like the top leatherette headband’s interior cushion is supported with a piece of hard plastic instead of being filled with plush foam. The companion smartphone app is also appears amateur, with poor UX elements.
But if you look past these visual imperfections and focus on the functions, the app can let you control the ANC level, enable sleep protection, hearing mode, change language. The app includes a community forum tab where signing up will let you access “member” content like videos, music and discussion board.
Operations
I am impressed with the following features I uncovered during my review.
Auto Pause and Resume
When I remove the headphones, music will pause automatically. Even the beep tone sounds similar to Sony’s headphones.
Double-Tap Earcup
Interesting that even though the Bluedio T7 comes with hardware buttons to operate music, it still comes with a touch sensor on the right earcup. Double-tap it will play-pause audio, and if the app is running, it can trigger smart assistant.
Separate ANC Power Switch
You can enable ANC even without turning on the separate power switch. It’s a rather unique design, as usually you need to turn on the power before you can activate the ANC. This also means that you can enable ANC even when using cable without turning on the power switch, which technically is a Bluetooth power switch rather than the headphones power switch.
USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Cable
Instead of a separate 3.5mm analog port and a USB-C charging port, the Bluedio T7 uses the same USB-C port to transmit analog audio. If a small company can do that, why can’t the rest of the big guys? That would reduce the number of ports. Kudos, Bluedio, for this innovation.
Audio Sharing
Using the same cable, if you plug it to another headphones input jack (like the Sony WH-CH710N), Bluedio T7 will transmit audio signal to that other headphones so 2 persons can listen to the same music at the same time. Another “wow” feature that puts the other headphones makers to shame. Technically-speaking, the Bluedio T7 also functions as a Bluetooth audio receiver with a line-out port.
ANC Quality
The Bluedio T7 has 4 microphones to pick up ambient sound and process the noise cancellation. This is the technology that most of the recent ANC headphones are using. The noise cancelling for lower frequencies works well, given the price point. The upper frequencies remain uncancelled and rely on passive noise isolation on the earcups. I find the noise cancelling slightly more effective than the Sony WH-CH710N as it manages to dull the higher pitched sounds, while the latter is more comfortable. I attribute it to the poorer passive noise cancelling on the CH710N. Again, considering the price point, the Bluedio T7 is getting a lot more value.
Audio Quality
The audio quality would be the weakest aspect of the Bluedio T7, from an audiophile perspective, which might not be that bad for general listeners. In general, the headphones are not bright-sounding and lacked sound staging which contributed to the somewhat muddy presentation. But the bass is quite prominent with ANC off. With ANC on, the mid-bass dipped, making lower treble sounded a little more forward. Playing modern pop tracks with shouty vocal mix is more bearable with the vocals remain well-levelled and not fatiguing, albeit veiled. It’s a tuning that might work well for consumers who doesn’t like the treble to sound harsh. Orchestral tracks will lack brilliance with strings and brass, while piano tracks work fine without too bloated. The WH-CH710N offers a little more clear and finer treble which demonstrates Sony’s experience in audio development.
Call quality is also not its forte, providing a muffled sound when speaking at soft volume. The mic is near the USB-C port on the right earcup, so if you place your hand around the mic to deflect your voice from your mouth, it would improve the clarity.
Verdict
I am generally very wary of reviewing low-priced products, because there is a high chance that they don’t perform to my expectations. But the Bluedio T7 is surprisingly decent. The audio quality is certainly not to my picky standard, but if you are on a tight budget and needed a pair of ANC headphones to keep you sane, the Bluedio T7 offers an outstanding value.
If you like the features mentioned above and would like to get one for yourself, head to Banggood and enter this promo code BGT7AA to buy at a discounted price of US$47.99.