14 DAY TRIAL // Apple took everyone by surprise when it decided to give up on the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, and just like it happens every time, more manufacturers are likely to follow in Cupertino footsteps and replace the traditional audio connector with a new port.
But as far as users are concerned, not having a headphone jack is painful and frustrating, despite the alternatives that OEMs offer, be they adapters or headphones using the new port, as it’s the case of Apple.
At this point, the only solution that’s here to stay in terms of headphones is going wireless, as no matter the audio port, a pair of Bluetooth headphones is supposed to work with 100 percent of devices as long as Bluetooth is offered.
Choosing the right pair of wireless headphones, however, isn’t the easiest thing to do, and those who have been in the market searching for such accessories certainly know what I mean. There are a million manufacturers, including those based in China, and so many more models to choose from, all promising the best possible experience you can get.
That’s why today we’re having a look at one of the newest headphones model on the market, which comes not only with an intriguing design but also with technology that you don’t typically find at such a low price. The Encore S4 headphones from Tronsmart are available for less than $50, even though they feature active noise canceling, call vibrations when paired to phones, and a battery that promises to last for as much as 15 hours per charge.
But how many of this is true and how good are the Encore S4 headphones given their low price? Let’s find out together in the next paragraphs.
DESIGN
I’ve never been a big fan of wireless headphones with neck bands, mostly because they feel super-uncomfortable when wearing polo t-shirts or anything with a collar. Surprisingly though, this isn’t the case with Tronsmart’s Encore S4, mostly because of the design and the soft materials that match the shape of the neck and the body.
The Encore S4 weighs in just 27 grams (which is about 0.96 ounces), and this is impressive, to say the least. This certainly contributes to a very comfortable experience, despite the said neckband.
The headphones use soft TPU, which is the same material that you’ve seen on clear phone cases that sell for a few bucks on eBay, as well as hard plastic at the edges where the battery and the volume controls, the noise canceling system, and the charging port reside.
“Stunning ear bud design”
The weird design choice concerns the position of the headphone cable, which when being worn, start from beneath the neckband. This is a minor design issue that can be addressed when the next generation is released but is otherwise something that you can live with if you’re okay with everything else.
The design of the ear buds is stunning, to say the least. Not only that they look exquisite, but they also fit the ear just perfectly, and this is critical for headphones that you use inside the ear for several hours a day. I’ve used the Encore S4 headphones during my weekly running sessions (yeah, I’m that lazy and I run just once a week) and haven’t felt any discomfort whatsoever.
All in all, it’s hard to find something to complain about when it comes to the design of Tronsmart’s most advanced headphones. They look premium, they feel great in hand, and you could forget you're wearing them when listening to music. This is indeed something that you hardly find these days.
FEATURES
There are four big features that the headphones offer and it’s worth mentioning them before digging into a few more details: active noise canceling, Bluetooth 4.1 support, in-call vibration, and long battery life.
First of all, it’s the active noise canceling, which is without a doubt the main selling point of the headphones. It goes without saying that you can’t expect top-notch noise canceling at such a price, but on the other hand, it does its job in a pretty decent manner.
What we’ve noticed is that the headphones generate an almost unnoticeable active noise canceling static, which means that it does manage to reduce some noise on specific frequencies, though not all. Basically, what it does is to generate a high-frequency noise to cover the ambient noise, so while part of the noise is indeed gone, other sounds still pass through.
The noise canceling needs to be manually enabled from the dedicated button on the headphones, and the switch is a bit difficult to use given its position and that you must use extra force to operate it. But otherwise, it’s a feature that works better than expected and which you can’t complain about too much given the price of the headphones.
The Bluetooth support allows you to connect the headphones to virtually any device that does have Bluetooth, and we’ve already used it with laptops and iPhones and everything works smoothly. When a Bluetooth connection with a smartphone is active, the headphones can vibrate to notify of incoming calls, but we’ve found the vibration rather aggressive.
“Decent noise canceling”
There are no settings for the vibration and it’s quite strong, but this might be a good thing if you mostly use the headphones for running.
The battery life is impressive, and this is actually one of the main selling points, in addition to the aforementioned noise canceling. The best we got was 16 hours of operating time, and recharging takes place via a standard micro USB cable connected to either a computer or directly to an outlet. The process doesn’t take more than just 90 minutes, so if you recharge them occasionally during the night you should be just fine.
What was a bit more annoying, however, is that when the Bluetooth connection wasn’t found, a pre-defined audio alert kept coming in on and on, with no option to turn it off whatsoever. While the lack of a Bluetooth connection obviously impacts battery life, such an alert does things even worse, especially when not stopping after a while. The headphones do not appear to enter idle mode and there is no power off button.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Tronsmart Encore S4 certainly delivers good quality for the money, though I’d say the active noise canceling is a little bit overblown and could actually make more people frustrated after buying the headphones.
Despite the low price, most people associate noise canceling with the stellar performance of more expensive headphones, like those developed from Bose, and anyone who tried them before certainly has high expectations. This means that whoever expects Tronsmart’s headphones to be just as advanced as Bose’s will certainly be disappointed, and using fancy words to highlight this technology is clearly a risky game.
Again, the noise canceling is more or less above the average, but it’s not the best on the market right now. Audio is good, but not stellar, and the battery life is probably the one that should get all the praise given the wireless support.
The design itself makes the gadget quite comfortable, and even though I’m not a big fan of in-ear headphones, it was only a matter of time to get used to them. This design of the earbuds is nearly a must-have in order to make noise canceling more effective because they better isolate the ear and reduce noise level without the system even kicking in.
The headphones are super lightweight, and even though the design does have some weak points here and there, it’s the price point the one that’s the most important at the end of the day.
And at just $48.99 on Amazon, the Tronsmart Encore S4 is one of the best choices when it comes to wireless headphones with (decent) noise canceling, Bluetooth support, and above the average battery life.
