Wireless headphones have come a long way since days of connection instability and not so impressive sound quality, but that was then. Present day Bluetooth headphones have evolved into something special, having great sound and a more stable wireless connection.
The thing is trying to find a good pair of wireless headphones that's price reasonable can be a daunting task. They usually fall in the very pricey category, which makes me question are there any wireless headphones out there that's crafty in its design, has great sound, and reasonably price? The answer to that question is yes and its name is the Meizu EP51 and here's my review.
The Design
From a build standpoint, the Meizu headphones are quite impressive, falling along the lines of being impeccable. Don't be fooled by the low price point, these headphones are well constructed, made out of a solid aircraft grade aluminum that's surprisingly light weighing just a mere 15 grams. The futuristic, jazzy appearance gives it sex appeal, the Meizu name is placed nicely on the outer portion of the headphones.
When it comes to any headphones, for me the biggest determining factor in design is comfort and feel, the Meizu headphones comfortably fits in my ears. Even listening to my tunes for a long duration, I didn't experienced any type ear soreness whatsoever. Nice Snugly fit proves a big advantage when engaging in any physical activity. The earphones stays right in place no matter if I'm running or partaking in my daily workouts.
Here's craftiness for you, the aluminum end of the earbuds are actual magnets which keeps the earbuds locked together. This is a good way to keep your cables from tangling when you place your headphones inside your pockets, you can also connect the magnets together and wear it around your neck, sort of making it fashionable in a sense.
The cable is probably my biggest issue with the design, the cable can easily crimp up when fold it so you can place it in your pockets. I prefer having my headphone cable to be more flexible, one that doesn't crimp up so easily which can lead to the wires being damage. The volume rocker and Mic which is combined nicely, no doubt, and the volume rocker is indeed very responsive with a physical + and - sign button that gives a tactile like click when you adjust your sound. Nit picking a bit, the mic and volume rocker could've been be more compact, for me its bit to big which dangles by the ear like an over size ear ring.
Overall, the Meizu EP51 executes its design with style, giving the illusion that these wireless earbuds are expensive.
Sound Quality and Microphone
I'm going to go on record and say I don't pretend to be audiophile, that's a sound obsessed person who can measure different levels of sound by ear, that includes mids, highs, lows and bass. For me, I would say I have a good ear for what's considered good and bad sound. Considering the low price, The Meizu EP51 has great sound.
There is a nice balance between sharpness and clarity, surprisingly there is even a decent amount of noise isolation, crank the up volume at a couple decibels I'm totally shut out from the world around me. Don't expect booming bass with these headphones due to its small drivers. I detected no type of sound distortion or crackling once I crank the volume up to maximum. The power output in these earbuds measures in at 16 Ohms which explains why when I turn the volume up high, the sound can be deafening, so my advice is to keep the sound at a tolerable level for your ears.
There are reports from various publications that the call quality is well, average. From my own personal experience the call quality from incoming calls was pretty good, nice and clear with no distortion. The microphone I would say is pretty decent, callers had no problem hearing my voice even under heavy background noise and wind.
Connection and Battery Life
The wireless reception with the Meizu EP51 is pretty strong, with a standard Bluetooth 4.0 connection which is expected with any wireless manufactured today. I was able to maintain connection while veering off as far as 30 feet before signal started to fade which is pretty impressive. My Samsung Galaxy Gear2 smartwatch expensive compared to my earbuds, it signal faded after about 10 feet, so yes, score a grade 10 for connection.
Its rather hard for me to get a full gauge on the 60 mAh that's within the Meizu EP51 without using these headphones for the long duration. Meizu claims up to six hours of music time, how long the battery last depends on how long you use these headphones. I myself didn't always use these headphones, so battery life lasted longer than 6 hours. With on again and off again usage, I approximate the music time to be at least 10 hours. Again this is not straight time, its me randomly taking the headphones out of my ears.
According Meizu, from its dead state there is 2 hours of charge time, but its actually a lot less.
Final Verdict
There is a old saying "You get what pay for" in the case of the Meizu EP 51 you actually get more for the price of just $42. Absolutely one of the best, if not the best pair of earbuds I've ever graced over my ears. The fact that they're wireless makes it even more impressive. For the great valued price, you get great sound, earbuds that fit nicely over your ears, and its is highlighted with a nice stylistic look. Good pair of mid-range wireless headsets are pretty hard to come by, but if you just so happen to be in a hunt for a pair, look no further than the Meizu EP51.
What's Inside The Box
- Meizu EP51
- Carrying Case
- MicroUSB charging cable
- Silicone tips
- Documents
Tech Specz
Battery power: 60mAh
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Weight: 15.3 grams
Dimensions: 16 x 23 x 25mm
Max Power: 10mW