Design and features:This Bluetooth noise-canceling portable earbud model doesn't muffle outside sounds so you'll be able to hear that door bell ring, train announcement, or car horn when you are wearing these earphones. However, its electronic noise canceling feature seeks to reduce some outside noise.
Additional features:Has integrated volume control, microphone, and call connect/disconnect control. Either earphone can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications.
Sound quality:We found the RIPT-LITE delivers sound quality that falls in the mediocre range - meaning that it has sonic shortcomings that leave a lot to be desired when listening to music but don't rule it out for dialog and communication and good active noise reduction. With the noise canceling engaged the
bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has excessive impact, goes fairly deep and is prominent and boomy. The
midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is somewhat grainy, hazy and congested (think sonic traffic jam) and bit plasticky and bit sibilant and is overwhelmed by the bass. The
treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended but is somewhat smeared and sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying) and depending on fit it can be a bit to somewhat prominent. While the sound has a decent sense of liveliness, it is closed (sound-wise it's obvious you have something plugging your ears) and it doesn't do a good job of recovering room ambience. Mixed character; warm bass and warmish midrange and cool treble which may depend on positioning in ear. The overall sound can be summarized as bassy, somewhat hazy, congested and a bit plasticky.
Noise Canceling:
Good noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. Orientation does not change the noise reduction characteristic. The noise canceling feature does not produce any background noise that can be heard when there is no audio program to drown it out.
Comfort and Fit:No pressure in ear canal.
Small
Users with small ear bowls might find that the earphone body feels bulky in their ear bowl with the ear bowl support and feel like they may lever out of place and are mostly held in place by the ear bowl support, but that they will stay in place during casual use and are very stable even with vigorous head movement. Without ear bowl support they have a loose fit.
Medium
Users with medium sized ear bowls will probably find that with or without the ear bowl supports this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are very stable even during vigorous head movement.
Large
Users with large sized ear bowls will probably find that with the ear bowl supports this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are very stable even during vigorous head movement.
Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional volume level changes, playing, pausing, track skipping, or ambient sound monitoring.
Hitting the stem that hangs out of the ear can knock an earphone loose and cause it to fall out of the ear.
