Within a sleek, compact, wireless charing case emerges Belkin’s SoundForm Pulse Noise-Cancelling Earbuds, compatible with the latest Bluetooth-enabled devices from smartphones to tablets. The box includes earbuds, three pairs of silicone ear tips (they ship with the medium-sized tips pre-installed), a short USB-C charging cable and illustrated user guide.
[What’s in the box]
I find them more comfortable to wear than Apple AirPods. They also fit more securely for power walks and jogs and are IPX5-rated sweat- and water-resistant.
Once charged (via the cable or your Qi-enabled device), simply insert each tip into your ear, swivel them slightly upward until you hear the beep that they’re properly fitted, and enjoy your favourite tunes, receive a phone call (three mics per earbud ensure clear calls), or block the noise with the active noise-cancelling function.
Open the case to power them on and place them back in the case to turn them off.
You can pause, play, skip, rewind, answer or reject phone calls all via touching each bud a set amount of times. Pressing the left ear bud for two seconds cycles between hear-thru (ambient noise) and Hybrid ANC.
I used the SoundForm Earbuds on both outdoor walks and on the subway and they did the job of eliminating surrounding noise when needed. Belkin promises up to 35 hours total battery life (a combined seven hours of playtime in the earbuds and 28 in the charging case).
They sound remarkably good compared to similar noise-cancelling earbuds we’ve tested (Apple AirPods, Jabra Elite 85T), courtesy of their built-in 12mm drivers. The larger the driver, the fuller and more immersive the sound is, especially when it comes to hip-hop and EDM that rely heavily on bass.
I downloaded Belkin’s free SoundForm app which provides additional customizations: EQ settings, adjustable Hear-thru mode, and locate misplaced earbuds (Belkin’s Ping My Earbuds feature). The app is pretty intuitive and though I have not yet created many customized options, I can easily locate them within the app to change those options when needed.
For non-Apple users, Google Fast Pair discovers and connects earbuds to Android devices with a simple tap.
Putting the earbuds in Mono mode allows the use of a single earbud to conserve battery life as well as to stay alert of your surroundings. You can also pair the SoundForm Pulse Earbuds to a second device and seamlessly switch between the two via Belkin’s Multipoint technology.
Available in black and white; USD $119.99. Visit Belkin online for the latest products and ordering information. USA orders over $125 include free shipping.
