A few years ago if you were to ask what Bluetooth headset to buy, you would be advised to wait till you mustered enough money to pay for a good one. While the principle still stands, low-cost headsets in the market have made it possible to obtain good quality earphones without spending a bomb. While there is still no comparison with a Bose or a Marshall or a JBL, these brands are trying to overcome quality and battery issues to provide a blockbuster at a low price. Xiaomi is the market leader in this category though companies such as Ubon and Pebble are catching up fast. The important factor is quality and all are making strides in providing good quality headphones at an affordable price. We review the Mi Neckband Bluetooth headset and the Pebble Urbane Bluetooth Wireless Neckband Earphone.
Design
Most neckbands have a similar design—plastic covering around the neck, with buttons to connect and play on one side, and two long wires connecting earphones. While Mi and Pebble follow a similar design, yet they look very different. Mi is sleeker around the neckband and is also shorter in length. But button placement for the Pebble is better. Three buttons—two for volume and one for power and connection—are evenly placed on the device. They do look gawdy with big panels, but are easy to operate. Mi has a more sleek design—so the buttons are small, and fairly trendy. But Pebble is more about convenience than trend. That being said, plastic quality and feel of Mi’s earphones is much better. Durability-wise, both are the same and neither talks about water-resistance.
Sound
This is where both earphones are on par, and compete with each other. While the sound quality for both is same as a mid-range earphone, Mi has more clarity at lower levels. Pebble has more bass and can go to higher levels of volume. While the highest volume on Pebble is too high, it loses clarity as volume increases. While it loses out in treble, it does make up for it in bass. But if you would like to listen to classical and jazz music, Mi is a better choice. The problem, however, with both was the mic. The mic catches a lot of ambient noise, making it difficult to use for a call.
Battery and range
Although both say a battery life of eight hours, neither Mi nor Pebble survived that much. In a heavy use-case, Mi could do a good 6.5 hours, Pebble on the other hand did seven hours of playback. In a normal scenario Mi did provide a good eight hours, Pebble went a bit more. Mi did provide a good range for its Bluetooth connectivity, but with Pebble there was a minor problem. If you are someone who roams around the whole house or office, with your phone on the desk or in part of room, neither would provide the best range.
Price
This is where Mi has a huge advantage over Pebble. Priced at Rs 1,599 on Flipkart, the earphones are Rs 300 cheaper than Pebble’s offering, and the difference between the two in terms of quality is not much.
Verdict
If you would like to listen to music that has more bass or in loud environments, Pebble is a good choice. The price differential does make it unattractive. But if you are looking to foray into the Bluetooth segment and want speakers that do their job and give good connectivity, Mi is an excellent starting point. For listeners of classical and jazz, the clarity is certainly more, but the buttons are a disappointment.
