IMG_20160417_120815I’m a huge fan of audiobooks for literary listening on the move, and LibriVox‘s Charles Dickens recordings especially have opened a whole new world for me. So good headphones are a godsend for me. And sure enough, I was sent a review copy of the iClever Bluetooth 4.1 Magneto Wireless Headphones just a few days ago. As you can see from the unboxing shot below, the package consists of the headphones themselves in a single unit, the micro USB charging cable, spare earbud tips, and the instructions and paperwork. The headphones are smart and elegant with a glossy and apparently sweatproof finish, bigger than wired earbuds but not at all bulky. But how well do they work?

On first use, I charged up the unit with the recessed and covered micro USB port on one headphone, within a couple of hours. Syncing with my smartphone over Bluetooth took a while until I figured out I had to unplug the charging cable to sync, but once that was done, the device showed up on Bluetooth and synced first time, without any issues. So far also, it’s resynced immediately each time I turn it back on, and hasn’t dropped the connection once. Recharge time could be quicker, but several hours of usage time per day has so far not brought me anywhere near a low battery warning, and the unit has a theoretical 7 hours of talk or listening time and up to 200 hours on standby.

In use, sound quality is excellent, especially towards the bass end of the register. The earpieces fit neatly to my ears at least, with a snugger and firmer fit than any other earbuds I’ve used, and weight is simply not an issue. The “intelligent magnetic design” feature is a little scary at first, with the buds sticking to each other and to other random objects such as keys, but this apparently allows various control options, such as answering calls by pulling the earbuds apart, and isn’t a sign that the unit is about to brick itself. I haven’t worked out its other features like voice dialing or redial last number, but these are dependent on your phone type anyway. So far the only issue I’ve had with the device at all is some complaints (one actually) about the volume when I answer a call, but this could just be down to how I prefer to wear the unit – with the line over the back of my neck rather than in front. Otherwise, no issues whatsoever.

With Bluetooth headphones like this, I can look forward to many happy Dickensian hours on the go, with minimal inconvenience and no more cans stuck to the sides of my head. The Headphones are available from Amazon at $29.99 (although the Amazon link also lists them as “currently unavailable”), and I can’t think of many reasons why any user would want to trade up. The Amazon reviews give them 4.5 stars, and judging by the comments, appear based on real reviewers, not sock puppets. At that price, they’re a steal. Recommended.

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