True wireless
With the recent release of Apple's AirPods Pro, people have been in a tizzy about truly wireless earbuds. There's nothing new about them, and we've been reviewing them for years. However, as Apple once again attempt to claim originality over a product that already exists, it highlights that there are far better products already out there, and for less dosh, too. One such example is the Mifo O5 Bluetooth Earbuds.
The headlines here are that the Mifo O5 Bluetooth Earbuds are small, truly wireless headphones, that come with a snazzy carry/charging case. Charge up the case, which is turn charges both tiny earbuds, and take the lot with you for mobile musical merriness.
Those headlines are further expanded by the price. At time of press the Mifo O5 Bluetooth Earbuds will set you back a mere £79.99 which is actually very good considering both convenience and sound quality.
First up, the design. The buds themselves are the in-ear kind, which we're not all that bothered by. In-ear headphones are certainly better for blocking out ambient sound, but always leave us feeling unnecessarily clogged up and able to hear our own pulses while wearing them. Still, those soft silicone tips make for a comfortable fit, and help to keep the buds in your ears. The Mifo O5 Bluetooth Earbuds do not feature any kind of 'ear hook' as with the Plantronics Backbeat 3100s.
The buds themselves are plastic to touch, which is something of a shame. It keep them light, but is in contrast with the very tactile charging case. That thing is fully aluminium and features a magnetic closing lid. It feels exclusive in the hand, and weighty enough to suggest a price far higher than you'll actually have to pay.
Each bud features two physical 'press-buttons' which to operate requires some degree of pressure. Tapping to increase volume, or holding to skip a track, means you have to press the bud further into your ear, which at times can be comfortable. After a few days of use we decided that controls are better handled by the connected device to save your ears getting sore.
Still, once hooked up via Bluetooth 5 to your phone, they sounded great. We were impressed from the start, and the tiny drivers reproduced everything we threw at them very well. Earbuds like this could never offer the deep and rich sounds that over-ear, noise-cancelling headphones can, but considering the size and price, they did very well.
Also of note is the battery life. Each bud can offer up to seven hours of continuous playback, and that is extended to an impressive 100 hours thanks to the 2600mAh charging case. Depending on your daily use and requirements, these will see you right for a heck of a long time between charges.
Add to that the fact that the buds are waterproof with a rating of IPX 7, and they become very attractive. Consider that the aforementioned Plantronics weigh in at £50 more, with a similar quality of sound reproduction, and you might have found you next wireless earbuds.
So although the build of the buds themselves left a lot to be desired, that was the only true indication that these are 'budget' headphones. Everything else about the Mifo O5 Bluetooth Earbuds was a welcome surprise, so check them out.
£79.99
Available from www.amazon.co.uk