<div>Bluetooth earphones are not as common as one would expect them to be, somehow. I paid a hefty Rs 5,000 or so for a pair from Sony recently, not entirely satisfied with their sound but nevertheless compelled to pick them up because of the specific need to workout to music without disturbing anyone else.</div><div> </div><div>A new entrant to India, Brainwavz Audio, has just debuted with an in-ear Bluetooth pair of earphones for use with mobile phones and I decided to check it out. The Blu-100, as it’s called, is a lightweight set of little cans that go into your ear, connected by one wire between them, plus an inline controller for pairing, volumne and taking calls. You can even reject calls or dial the last number using that controller. And voice-dial.</div><div> </div><div>As usual, you can also skip songs as well.</div><div> </div><div>The earphones have to be charged first and here’s where the micro-USB slot has been hidden cleverly a the tiny space on removing a little flap on one of the earphones. You wouldn’t think it would fit in there, but it does. The flap hangs by a thread though and in time, there’s little doubt it’s going to fall right off.</div><div> </div><div>The BLU-100 phones are comfortable enough, though a bit big for my ears. There are extra soft rubber caps given along with the pair. You also get a tiny stiff red case to carry them in – along with the micro-USB cable.</div><div> </div><div>The Blu-100 is marketed as being “stylish” but I’m afraid there’s nothing stylish about two black blobs connected with a black wire. It’s just a plain-Jane pair, though there’s nothing wrong with that.</div><div> </div><div>Bluetooth 4.0 pairing was very quick and painless on these earphones. But I found the sound very wanting. There’s no bass to speak of and just a sort of hissy intimacy to the sound which made music sound like it was an intense whisper. It’s just short of tinny.</div><div> </div><div>While I wouldn’t use the Blu-100 for my listening pleasure, it’s still usable for calls without much discomfort, though with nothing particular to recommend it. The Blu-100 costs Rs 3,399.</div>
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
