List Price: $99.99
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Pros:
Works better than the Backbeat Go for small ear canals.
After EQ adjustments (to try to get a flat sound) you can tell it's AptX enabled.
Can be tuned (EQ'd) to sound pretty good. This unit has a clear sound advantage over the Backbeat Go.
Cons:
Out of the box sound is disappointing (bass over powers highs, highs sound like busted speakers at times)
Requires extra charge cable. 10 mm driver probably prevents direct micro usb plug in like Backbeat Go. I could live with this issue.
Similar in basic design to Backbeat Go but inferior in Bluetooth signal retention. Sound drops out in situations where the Go has no problems getting a good clean signal from the phone. After a multitude of stereo BT headphones, I think this one has the worst signal retention.
Press and hold the + button to skip forward to the next track skips back! The press and hold of the button skip forward. Possibly defective unit.
Raised symbols on buttons not as proud as Backbeat Go. It harder to navigate by feel alone.
This unit was used on a Samsung Galaxy S4 with AptX. For reference it is compared to a Backbeat Go (1st gen) and Sennheiser PX 210 BT (another AptX device). No one expects the Air Fi Metro to sound like a PX 210BT but my AptX enabled headphones are all larger drivers units. If you have small ear canals and can EQ your BT source, this might be good for you. The signal retention and button issues takes this from 4-5 stars to 3. Plantronics makes this format work out from a RF perspective so it is a disappointment that MEElectronics couldn't do the same.
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I'm using these with my Galaxy Note 2. These are the best sounding Bluetooth in ear headphones I've owned to date. I imagine the Apt-X codec is what's really making these things sing. I'm comparing the sound to the Motorola SF600 Wireless Sports Headphones Retail Packaging Black that I also own which also have Apt-X compatibility. The fit is what sets these a notch higher than the Moto's, they actually stay in my ear! The Moto's are much more bulky whereas these are not much larger than a standard pair of earbuds. I've included pics for comparison to standard earbuds.Pairing was simple and quick. They also immediately repair with no lag when I turn them back on. That's a HUGE bonus for me. Nothing worse than having to re-pair a Bluetooth device every single time.
The charging clip is kind of odd and proprietary. If you loose it, you'll have no means to charge up your buds. I don't like that, but I don't usually misplace chargers so i'll deal. It appears that the unique charger is what allows them to be so small.
The volume controls are a great bonus, but they are a tad nondescript and may be cumbersome to use during a workout. The symbols/controls aren't raised quite high enough for easy tactile feedback.
The cord is nice and long, but not too long to be a nuisance. It does cause a tad bit of sound transfer when it rubs against your collar or something....but I've had that issue with wired headphones too. Tie it, or pin it up to keep it from contacting your collar and that'll take care of it. Again, this isn't a big deal at ALL.
I'm not confident that these are as durable as the waterproof Moto's...but they're much easier to put on and they stay in place! They're also more comfortable.
I think they're at the perfect price point right now just under one hundred bucks.....I was shopping these or the Jaybirds. Took a gamble on these and i'm glad I did! I can't imagine the Jaybirds being any better and worth the higher price point for the name brand.
Edit#1: So after a week or so of use, some things have come up that I felt needed to be included in my review:
-These buds significantly isolate outside sounds. If you intend to use them for workouts outdoors, please be aware that you may not be able to hear ambient noise around you. This could be a safety issue especially if you exercise alone.
-The cord design is prone to snagging on your collar, which in turn pulls the bud out of your ears. I'm not sure if it's the cord itself, or the controller. The controller does weight the right side of the earbuds a tad, and I've found it to be a little annoying when using while i'm moving.
-Range: the range on these is significantly shorter than my Motorola's. I tend to keep my phone inside my saddle bag on my bicycle. I get an extremely weak signal....almost not signal when i'm using it this way. I can't imagine the distance is anymore than 3 feet. It's not even deep inside my saddle back, it's on the top. I also used them while cutting grass and had my phone in my back pocket, the signal cut out a few times when using it like this as well. I know that bluetooth signal tends to degrade outdoors, but the motorola's perform a lot better for me in these two configurations.
-The ear wing things tend to slip off the surface and not stay in place. I fear that as they stretch more, they will eventually fail to remain in place at all.
I'm dropping a star off of my rating for these reasons. Still a solid set of bluetooth earbuds!
Buy MEElectronics Air-Fi Metro Bluetooth Noise Isolating In-Ear Stereo Headset (Yellow) Now
I love these headphones, I smile each time I pick them up to use.First, to the most important thing... the sound. I held off writing this review, trying to put words to why I like the sound these so much. I did a lot of switching with my other Bluetooth headsets. It wasn't that I was 'wowed' with a rich, deep sound on these (the manufacture is probably cringing right now), but... the sound was just neutral. It felt good and accurate and effortless. The headphones got out of the way of the music. Perception of music and sound is so personal, what I love may not be your thing... but, I'm very happy with the sound of the Air-FI Metro. I pick these up every time I want to listen to music on headphones now.
The headphones are very sound isolating, so when putting them on with nothing playing, what you hear is markedly reduced. Which is problematic to situational awareness, but is a big benefit to quiet, soft songs. One thing which stood out to me for the sound is that that these headphones do not go as loud as any of my cheaper Bluetooth headphones. Of course, as the cheaper headphones got louder, they over saturated and sounded forced versus the Air-Fi Metro, which sounded great at any volume I played it at.
Next, the ergonomics of these headphones.. love love them. I pick these up and go. Using these is just effortless (and they sound great!). I have some issues with the cord itself, I think it is slightly too stiff, it catches on my neck and collar, pulling the ear buds out... I addressed this by using the wings that comes with the head phones. They significantly increase keeping the ear buds in the the ear. I didn't have any issue with knowing which control (+, on/off, -) I was pressing for the controller on the cord, and I have large hands.
A couple of things that could be improved... the Air-Fi Metro is called a Bluetooth headset, it has a microphone. I tried making calls with it, folks on the other end of the line could barely hear me. Why even put a microphone on these if it is just going to frustrate? Stick to strengths, the sound. Else improve the microphone. I've seen a number of comments on the proprietary charger and I agree. I have so much misc. equipment, I just do not want another type of cable to lose and/or break. I can see the size constraints driving the design, but really... deal with it, figure out how to make micro-usb work.
Pros:
+++ They sound great
+++ Simple to use, feel great wearing them
Cons:
Charger is proprietary
Useless microphone
Cord a bit stiff, catches
So I've listed pros/cons above... the first 2 pros vastly outweigh the cons for me.
I am very pleased with these headphones.MEElectronics Metro bluetooth ear buds. These are by far the best sounding ear buds out there. They are very comfortable. I have worn them 5 days one hr. each day and they are still sounding great. They are well built and the case they come with is very sturdy. These are the most exspensive upper end earbuds I have ever bought and I am very pleased.
Want MEElectronics Air-Fi Metro Bluetooth Noise Isolating In-Ear Stereo Headset (Yellow) Discount?
Just got this in the mail and started playing with it a few minutes ago. I've tried (and returned) several sets of bluetooth headphones in the past, and so far, this one addresses my primary complaint -audio quality!I have a Samsung Note 2, which supports the aptX audio codec. At the risk of sounding like an ad for aptX, the difference between it and "regular" bluetooth audio is night and day. Before buying this product, make sure your phone supports this, or you'll get regular old bluetooth quality, which sucks.
I haven't used these long enough to comment on battery life yet. I'll update this review if I have any problems (really hoping battery life is decent).
Update:
I'm dropping a to 4-stars for very low range, at least on my Samsung Note II, which is currently the newest generation smartphone. I pretty much have to have my phone in my front pocket for music to play without cutting out in my back pockets gets me intermittent short cut-outs in audio. This isn't a deal-killer by any means, and 95% of the time this is how I would use the phone anyway.
To be fair, it's possible that this is an issues with Samsung's implementation of Bluetooth, but another reviewer mentioned the same thing, so it's probably the headphones.
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