[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Introduction :
Not much has changed in the core sound reproduction technology since the advent of moving coil driver or what we call us the dynamic driver.Even today these magnetic sound reproducing devices are most commonly used in the consumer audio devices ranging from speakers to headphones. What manufacturers have tried to implement is better designs and add-on technologies that has over a period of time changed the experience of Music. Wireless fidelity is one of the technologies which has been trying to make a mark in the past few years with a lot of manufactures concentrating on providing better portable hi-fi experience using Bluetooth or RF(radio frequency) compatible wireless headphones. Though the most discerning of audiophiles still prefer wired headphones for the accurate reproduction of sound, the mass consumer audio market has welcomed the wireless fidelity with open arms.
One such set of wireless headphones we are going to review today is the Creative WP 350, released as the successor to the well regarded WP300. Creative claims to have improved the overall sound along with the added functionality in the new WP 350, which we will put to test today.[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Specifications : [/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]*As declared by manufacturer. [/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Driver Units: 34mm Neodymium magnet[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Frequency Response: 18Hz ~ 22kHz[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Impedance: 32ohms[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Sensitivity (1kHz): 102dB/mW[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Supported Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP (Wireless stereo Bluetooth), AVRCP (Bluetooth remote control), HSP (Headset profile), HFP (Hands-free profile)[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Audio Codec: aptX, SBC[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Range: Up to 10m / 33ft[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Microphone: Built-in omni-directional microphone[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, 3.7V, 240mAh[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Charging time: About 1 hour[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Play time: Up to 8 hours[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Talk time: Up to 9 hours[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Net Weight: 108g / 3.8 oz.(without packaging)[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Design , Fit and Build Quality [/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The headset comes neatly packed in a box with a transparent window which displays the headset in their full glory and could lure someone into a purchase just by their streamlined design and gloss finish. The box describes its features, specifications along with some illustrations and pictures. On un-boxing, we have the headset, manual, charging cable and a soft velvet carry pouch.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The headset is very light weight (~108 grams) and portable in terms of the size of the cups as well as the slim headband so one can easily wear them around in the public without attracting weird stares from people.[/font][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Only gaze one would perhaps get would be the jealous one's for the awe-inspiring design and looks of the headset. The overall construction of the headset is very good and does not feel flimsy at all. The cups seem to be made out of plastic with a matte rubbery finish and glossy faceplates on the side. The left side faceplate has the Creative logo while the right one carries 4 neatly positioned buttons for the various functions and music control.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The buttons function as described below :
1) Play / Pause
2) Forward (long press) and next track on short press
3) Rewind on long press and previous track on short press
4) Call answer / Call end button (also acts as power button with long press)
The same cup(right) also holds the Volume and mute control on the sides and a very small duct for the mic which Creative terms as the "invisible mic". The left cup also houses the micro USB port for charging the headphones with the provided cable.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The ear cups cushioning is made of soft artificial leather and the overall fit of the headset is quiet comfortable and non fatiguing. The headsets sit over the ear without much pressure and can easily be worn for long hours. The headsets are pretty small in size so listeners with very large ears might have some issues getting a relaxed fit, for small/medium sized ears these fit perfectly fine.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The only flaw I could think of in the design is not implementing a 3.5mm socket along with a cable in the headphones.Though the headphones are meant to be used without wires there would be occasions when it might run out of battery juice or one would wish to connect them to their personal desktop without a BT connectivity. This would just be an add on basic connectivity for the unexpected situations. I have seem similar implementation by a few other manufacturers and I am sure Creative can do the same next time.
DESIGN, ACCESSORIES AND QUALITY RATING : 4/5
PERFORMANCE
Charging the headphones completely from a discharged states takes about 60-70 minutes. The headphones need to be connected to a PC/laptop for charging since there is wall socket adapter provided for the same. I believe an aftermarket charger meeting the specifications should work as well. The L.E.D indicators on the left side indicated the charging state (red for low battery and green for full charge). Initial one-time pairing of the headsets needs to be done using the long press of the multi-function call answer button until the headset enters BT pairing mode (indicated by blinking lights).
Once paired the headset stores the device and memory and does not need to be paired again .On testing the headset during multiple calls, I found the WP-350 to deliver very clear sound as well as pick up the noise pretty accurately. One minor issue I did face was with the mic also picking up the the noise in background (moving vehicles etc.) causing disturbance to the person on the other side. Yet the overall experience of communicating hands-free without any tangling cables is really something that I enjoyed since it would help multi-task at times.
Adding a mic to the headset unlike the WP300 was a really good decision by Creative, in my opinion. The Bluetooth range is commendable since I could actually use it between rooms as well . (10-12 feet distance between the device and headset and a wall in between ). Beyond that the connectivity seems to start dropping which is noticeable with the skipping of sound .
Testing Methodology :
Tested with various mobile devices supporting A2DP Bluetooth. (iPad 2, iPhone4, Nokia N97, Creative Zen Style M300 player ). ALAC / hi-bitrate MP3 files from various genres of music from the test-cd.
To be frank, I was not expecting very highly of the headset in terms of sound quality because in the past I have always found most wireless headphones lacking in the Sound quality department, either with very low volumes or with a very simulated sound reproduction. I was pretty much convinced that Sound quality was not the major selling point when it came to wireless headsets and instead functionality and the ease of use was. With the WP-350, I had to eat my words cause the Sound Quality was one of the best I had come across in wireless headphones.
The bass coming out of these tiny 34mm drivers had enough punch and weight to set me toe-tapping with some of my favourite tracks. The midrange and treble being very clear and detailed. Soundstage on the other hand is not very exciting and mediocre at it's best, maybe it is due to the small drivers and closed design. The overall sound signature is not the most balanced or neutral that I have come across but it sure is fun with a warm midrange and not very bright treble and at the same time retaining the natural tones of the tracks without sounding simulated or artificial.
I can say that these indeed are one of the best sounding wireless headphones I have tried, and if I really had to find flaws by wearing the audiophile nitpicking hat on I would say that there could be some improvement in the soundstage and a slightly more sparkle in the treble. Comparing the sound quality with similarly priced wired headsets would be wrong on my part since most of them would be mid-high end models targeted at budding audiophiles . For the sound the WP-350 provides along with the bluetooth wireless functionality, it's very well worth it.
Battery Life
Creative claims a play time of upto 8 hours and I could match it closely upto ~7 hrs 30 mins with slight variations during testing .
SQ RATING : 4.5/5
FINAL VERDICT :[/font]
Pros: â— solid construction â— portability â— good sound quality â— Every possible control on the headset itself
Cons: â— Lack of any other connectivity option (3.5mm ) â— Sensitivity of mic with distant back ground noise.
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bottom Line:[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]4 / 5 - RECOMMENDED [/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]With an MRP of Rs.5,999/- and approx street price of Rs.5600 the WP-350 is surely targeted at the one's ready to pay a small premium for the comfort and features of wireless audio with no compromise on the sound quality.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I wouldn't regard the WP350 as a very value for money product as such but for the price at what it does, it does it pretty well and with the solid construction, pleasing aesthetics along with quality sound reproduction it surely is one really well made product with no major flaws at all.[/font]
Not much has changed in the core sound reproduction technology since the advent of moving coil driver or what we call us the dynamic driver.Even today these magnetic sound reproducing devices are most commonly used in the consumer audio devices ranging from speakers to headphones. What manufacturers have tried to implement is better designs and add-on technologies that has over a period of time changed the experience of Music. Wireless fidelity is one of the technologies which has been trying to make a mark in the past few years with a lot of manufactures concentrating on providing better portable hi-fi experience using Bluetooth or RF(radio frequency) compatible wireless headphones. Though the most discerning of audiophiles still prefer wired headphones for the accurate reproduction of sound, the mass consumer audio market has welcomed the wireless fidelity with open arms.
One such set of wireless headphones we are going to review today is the Creative WP 350, released as the successor to the well regarded WP300. Creative claims to have improved the overall sound along with the added functionality in the new WP 350, which we will put to test today.[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Specifications : [/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]*As declared by manufacturer. [/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Driver Units: 34mm Neodymium magnet[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Frequency Response: 18Hz ~ 22kHz[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Impedance: 32ohms[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Sensitivity (1kHz): 102dB/mW[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Supported Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP (Wireless stereo Bluetooth), AVRCP (Bluetooth remote control), HSP (Headset profile), HFP (Hands-free profile)[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Audio Codec: aptX, SBC[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Range: Up to 10m / 33ft[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Microphone: Built-in omni-directional microphone[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, 3.7V, 240mAh[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Charging time: About 1 hour[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Play time: Up to 8 hours[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Talk time: Up to 9 hours[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Net Weight: 108g / 3.8 oz.(without packaging)[/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Design , Fit and Build Quality [/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The headset comes neatly packed in a box with a transparent window which displays the headset in their full glory and could lure someone into a purchase just by their streamlined design and gloss finish. The box describes its features, specifications along with some illustrations and pictures. On un-boxing, we have the headset, manual, charging cable and a soft velvet carry pouch.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The headset is very light weight (~108 grams) and portable in terms of the size of the cups as well as the slim headband so one can easily wear them around in the public without attracting weird stares from people.[/font][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Only gaze one would perhaps get would be the jealous one's for the awe-inspiring design and looks of the headset. The overall construction of the headset is very good and does not feel flimsy at all. The cups seem to be made out of plastic with a matte rubbery finish and glossy faceplates on the side. The left side faceplate has the Creative logo while the right one carries 4 neatly positioned buttons for the various functions and music control.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The buttons function as described below :
1) Play / Pause
2) Forward (long press) and next track on short press
3) Rewind on long press and previous track on short press
4) Call answer / Call end button (also acts as power button with long press)
The same cup(right) also holds the Volume and mute control on the sides and a very small duct for the mic which Creative terms as the "invisible mic". The left cup also houses the micro USB port for charging the headphones with the provided cable.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The ear cups cushioning is made of soft artificial leather and the overall fit of the headset is quiet comfortable and non fatiguing. The headsets sit over the ear without much pressure and can easily be worn for long hours. The headsets are pretty small in size so listeners with very large ears might have some issues getting a relaxed fit, for small/medium sized ears these fit perfectly fine.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The only flaw I could think of in the design is not implementing a 3.5mm socket along with a cable in the headphones.Though the headphones are meant to be used without wires there would be occasions when it might run out of battery juice or one would wish to connect them to their personal desktop without a BT connectivity. This would just be an add on basic connectivity for the unexpected situations. I have seem similar implementation by a few other manufacturers and I am sure Creative can do the same next time.
DESIGN, ACCESSORIES AND QUALITY RATING : 4/5
PERFORMANCE
Charging the headphones completely from a discharged states takes about 60-70 minutes. The headphones need to be connected to a PC/laptop for charging since there is wall socket adapter provided for the same. I believe an aftermarket charger meeting the specifications should work as well. The L.E.D indicators on the left side indicated the charging state (red for low battery and green for full charge). Initial one-time pairing of the headsets needs to be done using the long press of the multi-function call answer button until the headset enters BT pairing mode (indicated by blinking lights).
Once paired the headset stores the device and memory and does not need to be paired again .On testing the headset during multiple calls, I found the WP-350 to deliver very clear sound as well as pick up the noise pretty accurately. One minor issue I did face was with the mic also picking up the the noise in background (moving vehicles etc.) causing disturbance to the person on the other side. Yet the overall experience of communicating hands-free without any tangling cables is really something that I enjoyed since it would help multi-task at times.
Adding a mic to the headset unlike the WP300 was a really good decision by Creative, in my opinion. The Bluetooth range is commendable since I could actually use it between rooms as well . (10-12 feet distance between the device and headset and a wall in between ). Beyond that the connectivity seems to start dropping which is noticeable with the skipping of sound .
Testing Methodology :
Tested with various mobile devices supporting A2DP Bluetooth. (iPad 2, iPhone4, Nokia N97, Creative Zen Style M300 player ). ALAC / hi-bitrate MP3 files from various genres of music from the test-cd.
To be frank, I was not expecting very highly of the headset in terms of sound quality because in the past I have always found most wireless headphones lacking in the Sound quality department, either with very low volumes or with a very simulated sound reproduction. I was pretty much convinced that Sound quality was not the major selling point when it came to wireless headsets and instead functionality and the ease of use was. With the WP-350, I had to eat my words cause the Sound Quality was one of the best I had come across in wireless headphones.
The bass coming out of these tiny 34mm drivers had enough punch and weight to set me toe-tapping with some of my favourite tracks. The midrange and treble being very clear and detailed. Soundstage on the other hand is not very exciting and mediocre at it's best, maybe it is due to the small drivers and closed design. The overall sound signature is not the most balanced or neutral that I have come across but it sure is fun with a warm midrange and not very bright treble and at the same time retaining the natural tones of the tracks without sounding simulated or artificial.
I can say that these indeed are one of the best sounding wireless headphones I have tried, and if I really had to find flaws by wearing the audiophile nitpicking hat on I would say that there could be some improvement in the soundstage and a slightly more sparkle in the treble. Comparing the sound quality with similarly priced wired headsets would be wrong on my part since most of them would be mid-high end models targeted at budding audiophiles . For the sound the WP-350 provides along with the bluetooth wireless functionality, it's very well worth it.
Battery Life
Creative claims a play time of upto 8 hours and I could match it closely upto ~7 hrs 30 mins with slight variations during testing .
SQ RATING : 4.5/5
FINAL VERDICT :[/font]
Pros: â— solid construction â— portability â— good sound quality â— Every possible control on the headset itself
Cons: â— Lack of any other connectivity option (3.5mm ) â— Sensitivity of mic with distant back ground noise.
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bottom Line:[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]4 / 5 - RECOMMENDED [/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]With an MRP of Rs.5,999/- and approx street price of Rs.5600 the WP-350 is surely targeted at the one's ready to pay a small premium for the comfort and features of wireless audio with no compromise on the sound quality.[/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I wouldn't regard the WP350 as a very value for money product as such but for the price at what it does, it does it pretty well and with the solid construction, pleasing aesthetics along with quality sound reproduction it surely is one really well made product with no major flaws at all.[/font]