Padmate’s latest wireless earbuds is the S66 open wearable stereo headphones. This form factor is known as OWS instead of TWS, with the drivers designed to be open-ear fit without sealing the ear canals which most in-ear headphones do. The official Padmate online shop is retailing at US$59 (S$81) after launch discount, with an additional 15% promo discount “S66VIP“, bring the final bill to US$50.15 (S$69). Shipping is free for orders over US$99.
In recent years, open-fit earbuds have become popular as they are touted to be safer to wear in urban environments where the wearer needs to pay attention to the surroundings. They are also more comfortable to wear as the ear canals are not constantly being stuffed with the silicone tips that may cause dirt buildup and block the ear canals. The disadvantage is its larger size due to the need to secure the earbuds with the earhooks, as well as less noise isolation. Ultimately, the consumer has to weigh the pros and cons and get the type of earbud design that suit the use case.
The Padmate S66 comes in two colours – black with lime green, and white with light purple, colour choices for the active lifestyle owners. It comes with an additional lanyard to secure the headset units together, turning them into neckband earphones where you can hang them around your neck if you want to rest your ears. The lanyard is very secure and is impossible to casually slip out. With IPX5 water resistance, the earbuds are splash proof and sweat proof.
Pairing is easy thanks to Bluetooth 5.4. It automatically goes into pairing mode when it does not connect to any device. So if you are already paired to the Padmate S66, just turn off Bluetooth and then you can initiate pairing with another device.
Despite being an open-fit design, the Padmate S66 also comes with active noise-cancelling to reduce ambient sounds up to 20dB, as well as Transparency Mode to amplify ambient sounds. The ENC noise-reduction dual mic is designed to work in trains and busy streets.
The earhooks feel comfortable on my ears without coming in contact with my in-ear canals. There are three ear cap sizes but none of them will completely seal the canals.
Interestingly, the charging case is able to store a pair of the ear caps. I’d wish other TWS earbuds have this feature.
The ANC did not have any major impact on noise reduction but it does reduce the ambient hiss slightly which improves the listening. The mic quality is also impressive but somehow unstable where it sometimes captures the voice clearly then fades away. I am generally more forgiving in assessing mic quality because I do not trust any in-ear headphones that can truly pick up the wearer’s voice as good as boom mics.
But I’m not as forgiving when it comes to audio quality. Being an open-fit design, there is a gap between the drivers and the outer ear before the soundwaves enter the ear canal. Due to that, the frequency response is different. For my ear shape, the Padmate S66 lacks the bass and has excessive peak around the 4-6KHz region. Once I applied the below EQ on Poweramp, the music sounded a lot better. I would love to push the bass higher, but it causes distortion at loud volumes, so I reduced it to a level that is acceptable. The upper treble has little effect, but I extended it to give the audio a little more air and sparkle.
With EQ, the sound is a lot more enjoyable, delivering a frontal sound stage imaging that propels me to move my body and legs during jogs. The speakers are 17x12mm size, so there is potential in producing good sound once you get the EQ right. The tap sensor is where the logo is, so I need to tap at the right area or else the gestures will not respond correctly.
Battery Life
The Padmate S66 is rated to last 6 hours with a single charge, and 24 hours with charging case. Without a companion app, users have to look at the LED colour on the casing to estimate the actual remaining battery life. While the case is larger than TWS, it feels light, and would probably be better if the case is more rugged. My experience tells me that the finishing will be bruised with knocks and abrasions inside loose bags, and it does not come with a cloth pouch.
Verdict
The Padmate S66 is not tuned out of the box to fit my liking, but with EQ, they sound good and motivating. The open wearable design alleviates ear canal pressure and keeps me aware of surroundings. I like the included lanyard that converts the earbuds into a neckband, but they have to be removed before I store it in the charging case.
Get it from the official Padmate online shop retailing at US$59 (S$81) and use promo discount “S66VIP” for an additional 15%.
