In the past the gym tends to be the graveyard for many of my earphones. Its usually due to the cable being tugged, getting snagged onto gym equipments or the headphone jack getting bent in all kinds of different directions.
 
Needless to say, I would like to have more freedom with my movements in the gym, and not worry about my yanking earphones or my smartphone on the treadmill (and falling to its death)  =(
 
So to my surprise, the Axgio Sprints has become my faithful companion when I’m out for run, pumping some iron in the gym or at my local park doing some shoot drills.  It also helps that their affordable, so replacing them doesn’t become as sob-fest.
 
Prior to this review, I had not heard of Axgio before, so needless to say, I sought the help of the internet and this was what I was able find out about them.
Axgio is a company stationed at ShenZhen, in China, that specialize in making Bluetooth Accessories. As far as I know this was their first attempt at the making a Bluetooth sport earphone.  Without giving too much away, I think Axgio has done a fantastic job with their first effort!
 
Disclaimer #1 – I would like to thank Michael for sending a pair of the Axgio Sprint out for review. I am not affiliated with Axigio in anyway, so below is my unedited honest review.
Disclaimer #2- Bear in mind the score given, is with the price of the earphones in mind ($39.99) as with all my other previous reviews.
If you would like to watch a video review instead click below:
 

Accessories:  Quite sparse in some cases, but nice in terms of eartip selections:
3 sets of silicone eartips varying sizes
3 sets of Foam eartips of varying sizes
Micro USB charging cable
I would wish there was a small carrying pouch to store them in. But I think that might be asking a bit much for a $39.99 bluetooth earphone
Overall: 6/10

 

 
 
Features: 
1) Well, it’s a Bluetooth earphone to begin with, so you don’t need to be tethered to your device or risk tugging or snagging the cable on furniture and such. Movements around  the house is a lot more fluid with the Sprints, as they have Bluetooth range of about 10m. I was able to use to the Sprints with my smartphone in my room upstairs with the door closed, while being downstairs vacuuming my carpet after my brother's husky’s daily shed-fest I did notice a occasional dropouts when outside, but not glaring by any means)
2) Pairing is a breeze as you just hold the Circular button until a red light flashes intermittently.
3) Good Battery life:  Via micro USB in the remote
Charging Time: 2 Hrs
Music time: 8 Hr
Talk Time: 8 Hr
4) Remote function (for skip, play, volume controls) and accepting and rejecting calls. The remote layout is a bit odd, so it does require a bit getting use to but otherwise no complaints
5) IPX4 sweat-resistant- perfect for gym workouts or for those with heavy daily perspiration.
Overall: 10/10 
 

 

 

 
 
 
Build Quality: As a pair of sport earphones, they need to be lightweight especially when making drastic changes in direction, and vigorous movement. However, they also need to be durable enough, especially when your busy focusing on making that last rep, and not worrying about them crumbling under pressure.  Given these reasons, the Sprints are well made despite their all plastic construction. They are also ipx4, which makes the Sprint water and sweat resistant, that can withstand getting drenched in the gym.  The cable is short enough to be easily wrapped around  the neck, along with a cable cinch to help further manage the cable.
Overall: 7/10
 
 
 

 
 
Comfort: The housing is quite large, its comparable with the Audio Technica IM70.  Its quite smooth and ergonomic, but its rather shallow fitting, due to the large housing and the short nozzle. However I think this can benefit the Sprint, so they don’t feel uncomfortable, without causing irritation to your ear canal.
Overall: 8/10

 

 
 
Isolation:  It’s a completely sealed design, making the Sprint a great option the average consumer, for using on the subway and in transit.
Overall: 8.5/10
 

 
 
Sound Quality:
I was expecting a massively bass sound given that general stereotype surrounding Bluetooth and sport head/earphones.
 
That notion certainly went out the window!  The Sprint is surprisingly fairly balanced. They do a small emphasis in the mid to upper bass, but nothing overblown but I actually found them slightly mid-centric.
 
Bass: The bass moderately warm with a good punch without sounding bloated or loose.  The bass here is well versed with many different genres, so the Sprint’s can also be a good all arounder, as a dynamic sounding everyday earphone. The bass here isn’t the most detailed or have the greatest extension (its good).  Given the low price for being a Bluetooth earphone, I’m quite pleased.
 
Midrange: Quite smooth and surprisingly clear. I was expecting a very scooped midrange, but I quite like the depth in vocals for both male and female vocals. The lower mid emphasis, gives male vocals some nice added thickness. The upper mids is reduced with some veiling to female vocals but nothing distracting, and this tuning prevents any annoyance from thinner female vocals.
 
Treble: Good but not great extension, but very smooth. Cymbals have a nice energy to them without sound exaggerated.  It suffers only very mildly from a slightly artificial treble, nicely refined for the price.  
 
In terms of sound, the Sprint is nothing ground breaking, it’s a pleasing, yet balanced sound that took me by surprise.  I was expecting an overly blown mess, instead i found myself quite gravitated towards  the Sprint. It definitely punches above its budget as a sport Bluetooth earphone.
 
Overall: 9/10  * relative to the price and being a Bluetooth earphone* In my opinion, the Sprints has overachieve for their price, compared to both wireless and WIRED peers
 
In summary…..
 
I find myself using the Axgio Sprints outside of the gym as well, because they are very comfortable when sleeping on my side, and they are lightweight enough to be an easy-grab and go option when I’m in a hurry. Of course having a nicely balanced and coherent sound is just icing on the cake! Highly Recommended!
 
Final Rating:  48.5/60= 81%

Axgio Sprint Bluetooth Headset



Disclaimer: The Axgio Sprint headset reviewed here was supplied free of charge

I’ve never heard of Axgio, much less their Sprint Bluetooth headset. A quick Google search turns up a company that specializes in smartphones and smartphone accessories. Apparently Axgio not only makes smartphone hardware but has designed their own Android based OS named Neonado.

The Sprint is an in-ear monitor headset that boasts an IPX4 rating for water resistance, thus it’s marketed as sports headset that is ultimately sweat-proof and durable enough to withstand tough workouts and more. Other manufacturer specifications are as follows:

Chip: CSR8645 (with AptX)
Bluetooth Version: 4.1
Profile Supported: HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP
Battery Capacity: 130mAh
Charging time: about 2 hr
Charging port: USB cable
Music time: 8hr
Talk time: 8hr
Driver Unit: 7mm (SPK)

Fit and Aesthetics
The 7mm dynamic drivers are protected in a black and nickel colored, sealed plastic pill shaped housing. Being that they are sealed housings, I do get a bit of occasional driver flex but nothing concerning. The housings are designed to be ergonomic and comfortably sit in the concha of the ear. While indeed very comfortable, I do have issue attaining proper seal with the nozzle angling away from the housing. I’ve experienced this same nozzle angle on some universal IEM’s in the past and also found fit to be hit or miss. Due to this nozzle angle, it makes deeper, more secure fit, pretty much impossible for me, as well as impacting the type of tip I could use and still maintain proper seal. This may not be an issue for many or even most users, as I have pretty straight and wide canals. Users with smaller canals and/or greatly curved canals will appreciate the ease of shallow fit.



Rather than the typical strain relief existing the housings, the cable has about 3.5 inches of built in memory wire. Since the Sprint is designed to be worn over-the-ear, the memory wire is well thought out to hold the short cable between the two housings in place. The rest of the cable is slightly rubbery to the touch and very pliable. Located approximately 6 inches from the right housing are the inline controls. Placement is very good- far enough away, so as not to be too close to the ear but also not so far it starts to go behind your neck, should you wear the Sprint that way. The cable also has a little clip built in for storage purposes.

Accessories
Rounding out the accessories are a USB charging cable, 4 pair of silicone tips (XS, S, M and L) and 3 pair of foam tips (S, M, and L). The foam tips are not your typical Comply tips. These have a thicker, slicker coating over the foam that helps it rebound its shape much quicker. These foam tips are the only tips that would give me a somewhat easy to maintain fit with the angled nozzle. Other tips I tried just take too much fiddling to try and obtain a consistent and proper seal. Surprisingly there is no carrying case included. This is really a pretty important oversight, as I tend to carry the headset and the charging cable with me.



Bluetooth and Controls
Inline controls are pretty straight forward, if a bit odd in button placement. Being so used to most Apple controls having the volume buttons at the top and bottom with the on/off in the center, I often found myself forgetting and accidentally pressing the wrong button. I can’t tell you how many times I started to redial last number. However, once you get used to these differences, operation is actually very simple.

The bottom on/off button also controls pairing (long hold past powering on), as well as the standard answer/end call and last number redial via a double press. Volume buttons also act as next song/previous song buttons with double presses.

Bluetooth connectivity worked flawlessly for me. Unlike the Brainwavz BLU100, I never had any drop-outs, static or other noise interference and the unit didn’t mind if I had other devices in my Bluetooth list. While I didn’t test the limits of the Bluetooth distance, I never had any issues laying my iPhone down and walking across the room to pick something up. Battery life is claimed to be 8 hours and I’d estimate it to be pretty accurate. I tend to listen a few hours a day and wouldn’t need to charge for several days at a time.



Sound Quality
Upon first using the Sprint headset, my first initial take away was surprise; this isn’t your typical consumer tuning. It’s actually quite balanced and, dare I say, fairly neutral. On top of that, the clarity throughout, but especially in the midrange, is quite impressive.

Bass
These are not your typical bloated, boom, boom dynamic drivers. Bass is light and nimble, although it does roll off in deep and sub bass pretty quickly. Bass is fairly balanced with the midrange and treble while indoors where ambient noise is considerably quieter. I’d prefer a bit more quantity in deep bass and sub bass, especially when commuting, traveling or doing anything in an outdoor area, as those are first frequencies to be lost in noisy environments. Otherwise bass speed and tautness is rather good. No bloat or masking to affect other frequencies. Bassheads will not be satisfied by any stretch.

Midrange and Treble
The Sprint’s specialty is vocals- acoustic and singer/songwriter music really shines. The midrange is exceptionally clear and open sounding. I find it neither forward, nor recessed but very well balanced with treble levels, for a nice and even sound from lower midrange on up through the upper most treble extension. Treble is articulate and smooth with plenty of sparkle and air. At times there can be just the smallest edge of brightness, mainly as a psychoacoustic effect of being fairly bass-light, especially in commute environs.

Comparisons – BrainWavz BLU100
If the Sprint is balanced and fairly neutral, then the BLU100 sounds overtly V shaped in direct comparison. However the BLU100’s fuller and richer bass is welcomed when listening outdoors or on the daily commute. Where the Sprint pull ahead is with its crystal clear midrange and much smoother, more articulate treble. The BLU100 vocals sound pretty recessed in direct comparison and has much rougher and accentuated treble.

The Sprint’s housing design, while being tougher to achieve proper seal for me, is much more comfortable than the bulbous BLU100 barrel type housings. Even though the Sprint’s built in memory wire help to secure the housings in the ear, I prefer the easier to maneuver non-memory wired flat cable of the BLU100 for it’s ease of use. I typically do not like flat cables but this one is pretty narrow and pliable, so the main difference in usability is the memory wire of the Sprint, which really just comes down to preference. The BLU100 inline remote buttons are smaller and more spaced out; while maintaining a similarly small remote the BLU100 have the more typical up arrow, end/answer call, down arrow configuration. I found the BLU100 remote a little easier to navigate but that’s really due to me using that style layout for many years with Apple iDevices. When it comes to connectivity stability, the Sprint is head and shoulders above the BLU100.

Summary
Pros: The Axgio Sprint is a stable, reliable Bluetooth headset with a balanced and neutral approach to sound quality. It excels in overall comfort and it’s most notable sound attribute is its lovely midrange clarity.
Cons: Its nozzle angle could cause difficulty achieving proper seal and it could use increased levels of deep bass for noisy environments.

As of this writing, the Sprint is selling for $39.99 on Amazon, which makes it a very affordable option in a burgeoning budget Bluetooth headset market.

INTRODUCTION

My first introduction to Bluetooth earphones came with the Brainwavz Blu-100, and whilst it introduced me to the freedom and future possibilities of wireless sound, it unfortunately left a few boxes unticked – with low battery life, questionable long-term comfort, and frequent drop-outs.  But it did whet my appetite to the possibilities with Bluetooth, and from that point I’ve been following reviews of various Bluetooth headphones and earphones.
 
Then around 5 weeks ago (out of the blue), Michael Qiu from Axgio PM’d me and asked me if I would be interested in taking their Sprint (Sport Stereo Wireless Headset) for a spin. I was intrigued – especially when I did some research on the form and features – and a little over three weeks ago the Axgio Sprint arrived.  Since then I’ve used it constantly in many different scenarios, and now feel able to give my views on its performance.
I’ve listed price at USD $39.99 (which is the current price on Amazon) – however this is not what I paid for them (they are a review sample).
 
ABOUT AXGIO
 
Axgio Electronics  is a Chinese technology company founded in 2014 which specialises in the design, development, and software for mobile devices and accessories.  They’ve developed their own Android system (Neonado), and their current product line includes smartphones, batteries and chargers, hubs and readers, cases and protectors, and keyboards and mice.
 
Recently they’ve branched into the development of Bluetooth earphones/headsets – namely the U5, Sprint, Vigour and Mini Pro.
 
Their Facebook page provides a little guidance about their philosophy – which I think is quite nice and gives a bit of insight into their goals:
 
As an engaged intelligent company rather than a manufacturer, Axgio hopes the products and services we provide will become a reliable assistant of your daily life and a loyal companion in your long time journey.
 
Driven by the deep insight of customer needs, Axgio is aimed to design and produce distinctive mobile devices and accessories all over the world.
 
DISCLAIMER
 
I was provided the Sprint by Axgio in order to write a review. I am not affiliated with Axgio in any way, nor do I make any financial gain from my contributions.  This is my honest opinion of the Axgio Sprint.
 
PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'.   (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)
 
I'm a 48 year old music lover.  I don't say audiophile – I just love my music.  Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up.  I vary my listening from portables (Fiio X5ii, X3ii, LP5 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > USB > iFi iDSD).  I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5ii/X3ii > HP, or PC > E17K > HP.  My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1, Sennheiser HD600, and AKG K553.  Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and lately it has mainly been with the Dunu DN-2000J, Jays q-Jays and Alclair Curve2. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).
 
I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock.   I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock.  I am particularly fond of female vocals.  I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences.  I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.
 
I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher to be completely transparent.  I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue.  All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).
 
I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences.  I am not a ‘golden eared listener’.  I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 48, my hearing is less than perfect.
 
For the purposes of this review - I used the Axgio Sprint mainly paired with my iPhone 5S.  In the time I have spent with the Sprint, I have noticed no real change in overall sonics – and any small changes I’d merely attribute to getting used to their signature (brain burn-in).
 
This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience.  Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.
 

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES          
 
The review sample arrived in Axgio’s retail packaging which consists of a dark printed box, moulded plastic inner tray, and outer sleeve.  The actual appearance is simple and smart, and looks really tidy. It is also very easy to get into (bravo).
 
 
On the front of the box is a picture of the Sprint, and on the rear is a frequency response graph, a list of specifications, and also of the included accessories. One quick note on the box printing though (for Axgio) – the grey text on black is exceedingly hard to read.  Maybe something to think about for any future changes.
 
 

The full package includes

1. The Axgio Sprint head-set
2. One USB to USB-mini plug (for recharging)
3. 4 sets (XS/S/M/L) silicone ear tips
4. Axgio manual

 
 

The one thing that is missing – and would make a handy addition would be a carry case.  It wouldn’t have to be much – even just a soft pouch.
 
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
(From Axgio)
 
 
In addition to the above, the Axgio Sprint has the ability to connect to 2 devices at the same time, has integration with iPhones (battery life is displayed in the iPhone), and has voice prompts for most functions.
 
FREQUENCY GRAPH
 
I spent almost 3 hours trying (in vain) to measure the Axgio Sprint on my own Veritas + Arta system – but alas (maybe because of the Bluetooth?) the signal I was getting was all over the place and too inconsistent to include.
 

 
So for now I’ve just included Axgio’s own graph from the packaging.  I do think it fairly represents what I’m hearing – slightly elevated bass response, and a mild V shaped signature (there is actually a really good balance overall) which gives exceptionally clear and clean overall sonics.
 
BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN
 
The Axgio Sprint consists of two earpieces connected by a ~ 68 cm cable (including the mouldable ear guides) with an integrated control switch (3 buttons and mic).  The earpieces are ergonomically designed with a forward angled nozzle, and well-rounded body (no sharp edges). The body is similar in shape and size to a Shure SE series IEM. The body measures ~ 18mm in length, 14mm in height and 14 mm in depth – the nozzle adds a further 8-10mm. Although it is a 2 piece design, the body is very smooth, and although I can feel the edges, they are not obtrusive in any way. I could not see any sign of external venting. The Sprint is also rated to IPX4 (water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect) for the sports minded.
 
 

The nozzle tip is approximately 5mm long, 5mm in diameter, and unfortunately (IMO) has a single flaw which does detract from my personal usage – the edge / bump / ridge to keep the tips on is quite rounded.  It works “ok” with silicone tips, but not with the included foams – they often come straight off in my ears. They either need more of a ridge, or a slightly sharper edge.
 
 

The body of the Sprint is connected to the cable by a 9cm mouldable guide at each end of the cable. This looks very sturdy, moulds really well, and I’ve found it pretty comfortable. Approximately 6cm from the end of the right side of the cable is a 3 button control and microphone which sits slightly above my collar when worn. The buttons give good tactile response, seem reasonably hardy, and the unit is flat – which means easy handling without slipping. There is an LED inside the unit which flashes blue or red (or both) depending on the mode it is in (all of this is in the manual).  The LED is easy to see, and I haven’t found it obtrusive.
 
 

The cable is rounded, and encased in TPE.  It is nicely flexible with no memory.  It does have some light microphonics – even when worn over ear, but this is easily mitigated by a little cable management using the handy little clip included on the cable.
 
The microphone seems to be good quality – and I had no issues with making calls.  The comment I got back from the call recipient was that voice calls were nice and clear.
 
FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION
 
I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well.  I initially tried the included large silicones and I couldn’t get a consistently decent fit or seal. I also tried my Sony Isolation tips – and while they were perfect with my left ear, my right ear had the tendency to seal too well (create a vacuum), and this would cause occasional mild driver flex. I also tried Ostry tips and Spinfits – but neither gave me consistent fit/seal (again my weird ears) – and the Ostry tips would come off in my ears (due to the shallow lip).  I tried the included foams, and they fit perfectly – but again, I was consistently losing them in my ears when taking the Sprint out.
 
 

So last week I ordered some Shure Olives – I actually ordered them to try with my q-Jays – but they do fit the Sprint (you have to forcibly push them on).  The good news is that they fit perfectly, won’t come off, give fantastic seal – and allow me a lot of enjoyment with the Sprint now.  So as always, YMMV with tip selection.
 
Insertion depth with the Axgio Sprint is medium depth for me, and with the Shure Olives, the isolation is excellent. Comfort is superb, and the body essentially fits flat with my outer ear, allowing me to sleep easily with them in situ.
 
CONTROLS AND OPERATION
 
The control system on the Axgio Sprint is pretty easy to learn, and set-up for me was a breeze.
 
Pairing / Initial Set-Up
Initial pairing couldn’t have been easier.

• Make sure Bluetooth is active on the iPhone
• Turn on the Sprint, by pressing and holding the bottom button, and keep button pressed for a couple of seconds. This gives vocal feedback – firstly “power on” then “pairing”
• Select the “Axgio Sprint” on the phone.  The next voice prompt you get is “connecting”, and then the phone shows the head-set as connected.
• After that simply select your music app – and press play.

After that – as soon as the head-set is turned on, the phone remembers the pairing automatically.
 
Audio Playback Controls
Again, these are very simple. We’ll call the buttons top, center and bottom.  Bottom button turns the Sprint off and on (long hold).  When it’s on, press the bottom button once (assuming app on your Bluetooth audio device is running) to play, or once to pause/stop. The top button raises the volume.  The middle button lowers the volume.  Pressing and holding (for around 3s) the top button advances one track.  Pressing and holding the middle button goes back to the previous track.
Again – really simple.
 
Phone Interaction – Calls
Thank goodness for the manual – because the functions for phone use are quite comprehensive, and include the basics like answering and hanging up, but also extend to being able to transfer the audio (phone or head-set), mute the microphone, redial, and my favourite – activate Siri (press top and bottom buttons simultaneously).  This means I can keep the phone in my pocket, and simply use the Sprint’s buttons to dial anyone in my phonebook – nice stuff.
Full instructions are nicely laid out in the manual.
 
Other – Battery Meter (iPhone)
One of the things I really love is the connectivity with the iPhone.  In the top right corner or my phone – between the Bluetooth icon and phone battery % meter is a new icon (a small battery).  This is the headset battery status indicator – and shows the status of the battery remaining on the head-set.
 

 
Annoyances
Like the BLU-100, the main one for me (other than the cut-outs in the next section) is the default volume of the vocal feedback from the unit.  No matter what your volume setting – the default voice is loud.  Not deafening loud – just annoying loud.  I wish there was a way to turn her down.  The vocal feedback is good – the volume could be worked on.
 
CONNECTIVITY AND BLUETOOTH PERFORMANCE
 
Axgio lists the operating range as “up 10 meters”, and this is pretty much a rock solid figure.  Once I got past 10m I started getting glitches, and very soon afterward sound started dropping altogether. Most of the time I have the iPhone 5S in my pocket anyway (as I guess most of us would), and I found the connection a lot more reliable than the Brainwavz Blu-100 I had previously reviewed.
 
The Bluetooth connection was excellent almost all of the time when I was out and about. Micro drops were extremely few and far between – and the only occasions I’ve had completely unusable situations were when I was cleaning our local Church (it has a wireless set-up which must have been on the same band), and in a high traffic area (a lot of people). Otherwise though, the connection was again a lot better overall than the Blu-100, and this has given me far more faith in the technology.
 
For casual exercise (walking) they have been brilliant. As NZ is typically a low population area (especially where I live - city is only 50,000 people) - YMMV with Bluetooth performance.
 
BATTERY PERFORMANCE
 
The stated 7-8 hours (actual use) is very accurate – and it is amazing how much the added time (compared with the BLU-100) becomes routine.  For my comparison (later in the review) I was using both with my phone, and in one critical comparison section the BLU100 died.  They’d both been charged at the same time, and whilst the break was welcome, it once again highlighted how nice it was to have a little more juice on tap.
 
Recharging is around 2 hours from empty – and that sort of ration (2 hour charge vs 7-8 hour playtime) I find very acceptable.
 
SOUND QUALITY
 
So the magic question – how does the Axgio Sprint sound?
 
The following is what I hear from the Sprint.  YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). If you want to see some of the typical tracks I test with, I’ve listed a lot of them here : http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.
 

 
 
Thoughts on Default Signature
With a Bluetooth earphone on the USD 40.00 range – to be honest, I was expecting the usual warm, bassy signature. When I first fired them up – my jaw dropped.  These didn’t just sound OK – the signature was excellent.
There is a bit of mid-bass warmth, but it’s not excessive, and in fact the overall signature I find to be very clean and clear with a nice upper mid-range lift. Vocals are the star of the show, but they are also in almost perfect balance with the bass and lower treble. There is a bit of treble roll-off, but there is enough up top to keep it interesting, but it’s never too much to enter into sibilant territory.
 
Detail
Tracks like Gaucho and Sultans of Swing are missing none of the detail I’ve become accustomed to, guitar has good crunch, bass guitar is there but also kept in check quite well, vocals are very good.  Crisp and clear, the way both tracks should be.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
Amber Rubarth’s “Tundra” works pretty well the Sprint – with the overall image sitting just at the outside of my head space (which is pretty good for an IEM).  It is intimate – but still gives a sense of space.  The additional decay from the bass probably helps this a little too.  Imaging is good. The clarity is very good and this translates nicely into good positional cues.
 
Amanda Marshall’s “Let it Rain” has a fair sense of space – not as wide as some of my more expensive wired IEMs, but enjoyable and involving none-the-less. Again the strength though is in the overall signature – clean and clear.
 
I wouldn’t call the Sprint overly spacious – but nor would I describe it as narrow.  Intimate but open is probably as close as I can get to describing what I’ve been hearing.
 
Bass Response
Mark Lanegan’s “Bleeding Muddy Water” is my usual go to for bass quality and quantity – and the Axgio performs passably well with both categories. The bass has good overall impact, and whilst the sub-bass is not as visceral as my hybrid IEMs, this rendition is really good, and there is no bleeding of sub-bass into the mid-range.  Mark’s vocals are presented well – with good texture.
 
Next up is Royals (sub-bass test), and again performance is good.  The low bass rumble is there (down to around 20-30 Hz) – so the Sprint has the ability to reach low.  It isn't prominent at that level though.  Again it’s not visceral, but it is sufficient to be satisfying.  Ella’s vocals are brilliant with this track – crystal clear – and really sweet compared to the rumble of the bass.
 
Female Vocals
Anyone who follows any of my reviews will know that female vocals easily account for around 60-65% of my music. And my preference is for a slight bump in the upper mids to give female vocalists a little euphony in their overall presentation.  The Sprint is tuned wonderfully for female vocalists IMO, and matched my tastes perfectly.  Agnes Obel’s “Aventine” is my usual indicator for overall quality and the Sprint handled this difficult track easily.  The Cello was deep, rich and textured, whilst Obel’s vocals were sweet, uplifting, goose-bump inducing. And this was repeated as I queued my other tracks. London Grammar was equally as intoxicating (perfect pitch), and it didn’t matter whether I tried slow and smoky (Norah Jones) or fast and dynamic (Sinead O’Connor / Cranberries), I was left simply wanting to listen to more.
 
Male Vocals
Moving to Rock – and once again the Sprint showed its versatility.  Male vocals are maybe pitched not quite as deep because of the upper mid-range lift, but they are crystal clear, and deep enough to be thoroughly enjoyable. The mid-bass keeps things punchy providing good dynamic contrast to the overall signature, guitars have good bite, and again I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m getting a lot of detail from cymbals, hi-hats etc.
 
Where the Sprint absolutely shines though is with acoustic music – and it didn’t matter if I was playing an unplugged album like Seether’s “One Cold Night”, or the Eagle’s “Hotel California”, the overall balance is simply sublime.  
Pearl Jam (as usual) is my litmus test for Rock in general and once again the Sprint aced the test. Vedder’s vocals were superbly textured.  Detail in the track was brilliant – just the right amount of cymbal sheen and decay, and bass was there, but in balance.
 
Other Genre Choices
It didn’t really matter what I threw at the Sprint during my critical tests.  I tried everything from Blues and Jazz (Portico Quartet was wonderful) though to Pop, Indie, Rap and EDM.  There is nothing I played that wasn’t thoroughly enjoyable. The Sprint IMO is simply a wonderful all-rounder.
 
COMPARISON – SPRINT vs BLU-100
 
Unfortunately I don’t really have a lot of experience with Bluetooth earphones, so I really don’t have a lot to compare with (hopefully this may change over time).
 
My other pair at the moment is the Brainwavz Blu-100, which at the time of writing are almost the same price – so it seems like a fair choice to make a comparison.
 
The BLU-100 has a very robust build, but suffers a little in the design area for overall comfort.  The Sprint on the other hand, while plastic, is still built very well, and most importantly for me is very comfortable with its ergonomic fit.
 
 

Battery life and overall Bluetooth performance is definitely better in both areas for the Sprint – with extended life and a much more stable overall connectivity in my testing.
 
And for my own personal tastes sonically, it’s not a close match.  I had to EQ the BLU-100 to drop its bass slightly to achieve the type of signature I really enjoy (balance and clarity).  With the Axgio Sprint I get that tuning out of the box. True, I’d love the bass to be just a little quicker and cleaner – but it isn’t overdone and if anything the default tuning is very easy to just sit and enjoy the music.
 
Both are very good value for their performance – but whilst the BLU-100 is a good deal, the Axgio Sprint is phenomenal.
 

AXGIO SPRINT – SUMMARY

I’ve learnt a lot with my time testing the Axgio Sprint, and it’s given me a great opportunity to see what a very good Bluetooth headset can achieve.
 
The Sprint has a very good build and comfortable fitting ergonomic shape which is great for relaxing or exercise. It’s 7-8 hour battery life is a big step-up from the BLU-100 I previously reviewed, and it’s overall Bluetooth performance was pretty impressive – showing better stability in most situations.
 
There are some caveats with interference (drop-outs) if you encounter an area with strong signals on the same bandwidth – but overall this has happened to me very infrequently, and it is definitely not as much of an annoyance as it was with the BLU-100.
 
The sonics for my preference are simply superb – good balance, very clean and clear, and wonderful vocal clarity and presence.
 
When you look at the whole package for the low price of 40 bucks, I really do consider these a very good wireless IEM.  I would recommend them without hesitation as a value proposition, and I have no problems giving them a 90% rating (4.5 stars).
 
Once again I’d like to thank Michael for giving me the opportunity to review the Sprint.
 
RECOMMENDATIONS AXGIO SPRINT
 
The following would be my recommendations for changes in future models.

• Change the lip on the nozzle – it either needs to have more of a lip or be less rounded.  There is nothing more annoying than having the tips come off in your ears.
• Consider adding a carry pouch – even a small one would be enough.
• If you could have a way of setting the voice prompt volume, I’d really be grateful. 

 

At the time of the review, the Axgio Sprint Bluetooth Headset was was on sale at Amazon’s website for $39.99 USD. Here is a link to their listing of the product:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0123KN5TC
 
Introduction
Let’s face it guys, bluetooth technology is getting better and better. In the last six months Aptx Bluetooth technology has become more relevant in portable audio as well as audiophile set ups. I currently have sampled and purchased a few Bluetooth products that I use quite often now days. I think we are at that point where bluetooth earphones are beginning to rival the sound quality of their wired counterparts. This point is proven with the headset I will be reviewing today.
 
Axgio is a company known for making cell phone accessories and are in the beginning stages of making Bluetooth headsets. After spending a good amount of time with these I really do think it’s a wise endeavor. The Sprint headset is a very impressive bluetooth earphone that offers remarkable sound quality and at a price that puts them ahead of their current competition in terms of fidelity.
 
Disclaimer
I was given an opportunity to review the Axgio Sprint headset in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I am in no way affiliated with Axgio.
 
My Background
I AM NOT a numbers and graphs audiophile or sound engineer. Personal audio enthusiast? Absolutely! Headphone junkie? Possibly…
 
There’s something about quality DAPs, DACs, Amplifiers and Earphones that intrigues me, especially if they can be had for low prices. I will buy the $5 to $500 earphone that looks promising, in hopes that I will discover that one new gem that can compete with the big names in this industry. If you look at my Head-Fi profile you will see that I have purchased MANY different headphones and earphones, ranging from from dirt cheap to higher end products. For me, this hobby is more about getting great price to performance ratio from a product, and have a variety of different gears with varying builds and sound to mix and match. With personal audio gear, we tend to pay a lot of money for minor upgrades. One thing I’ve learned over the last few years is that just because a headphone has a higher price tag, it doesn’t mean that it has superior build and sound quality.
 
I’m always looking for great audio at a great price. I’m after headphones and IEMs that give me the “WOW” factor. I can appreciate different builds and sound signatures as long as they are ergonomic, and the sound is pleasing to the ear. It is my pleasure to share my experiences with audio products and make recommendations based gear I have owned and used.
 
REVIEW
The Axgio came in a black package with white lettering and gray accents. The front of the box has a sleeve on the bottom and an opening on top with a clear plastic coating which allows the earphone housings and remote to be seen.

Note: The Axgio Sprint can be purchased in your option of four colors (White, Red, Green, Black)
 
The back of the package features a very useful graph and specifications, as well as a list of accessories that come with the package.

 
Specifications and Accesories
 
Specification:
Chip: CSR8645 (with AptX)
Bluetooth Version: 4.1
Profile Supported: HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP
Battery Capacity: 130mAh
Charging time: about 2 hr
Charging port: USB cable
Music time: 8hr
Talk time: 8hr
Driver Unit: 7mm (SPK)
Frequency Response: 20 Hz-20k Hz
Dimension: 13.7*13.7*18.3mm
Siri: Yes

Accessories:
4 pairs of silicone tips (XS,S,M,L,XL)
3 pair of memory foam tips (S,M,L)
1 Micro USB Charging Cable
 
The Axgio Sprint supports devices with Aptx technology. If you aren’t sure of the differences between Aptx and older versions of bluetooth technology, here is a link explaining the difference:
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AptX
 
As for accessories, the Sprint headset offers plenty of high quality tips to help ensure buyers will get a fit. The silicone sips are supple and soft. They promote a good seal. The memory foam tips are of high quality and have a membrane on the outside that also helps users achieve a great seal. The tips are great, but where I feel Axgio could improve is to further its accessories package by offering a clamshell case that I could store them in. Something, anything would have been better than nothing. Is it a dealbreaker? For this price absolutely not!
 
Housings
The housings are made entirely of solid plastic and have a shiny mirrored accents. Their over the ear fit and shape are ergonomic and well thought out. Their shape will work with the contours of most ears and fit very well. The nozzles of the Sprint earphones are short but don’t hinder my ability to sample them with various tips. One odd thing about the nozzles are the slits/ridges on the top and bottom.

 
Cable, Strain Reliefs
The cable of the Axgio Sprint follows along the lines of most of today’s bluetooth headsets. It’s about eighteen inches in length and is made of a round rubber sheathing that has very little in terms of spring and memory. The Sprint has memory wire coming from each housing and acting as a form of strain relief. This type of memory wire has a rubber sheathing and works quite well. There is a three button microphone and remote that consists of mostly rubber and plastic.

Another nice bonus with the cable is the semi detachable cable cinch that helps promote a better fit. I will cover this in the next section.
 
Ergonomics, Fit and Microphonics, Isolation
The ergonomics of the Axgio Sprint are fantastic. I would say it is the best fitting bluetooth headset I’ve ever worn if not for the Meelectronics X7 Sport. Still in comes in a very close second place and others might even prefer these.
 
The Sprint headset can be worn two ways. It can be worn with the cable under the chin and without the cable cinch. This sets up for the best microphone placement when using the microphone. The other way is behind the head and neck and with the supplied cable cinch. This sets up best for sports and physical activity, and it is my preferred way of wearing them.

 

 

Isolation on the Sprint is fantastic with the right pair of tips. The isolation is far above average and when used with music playing they effectively cut out most to all outside noise depending on your listening environment.
 
Another bonus with the Sprint earphone is the IPX4 rating they have, meaning they are resistant to sweat and moisture. This means you can work out with them and not worry about sweat wrecking them. Just don’t push your luck and try to go swimming with them.
 
Functionality
The Sprint headset operates much similarly to other bluetooth headsets with the only noticeable exception being the button layout on the mic/remote. Rather than the Multi-functions button being in the center it’s on the bottom.

 
To turn the unit on hold the multifunction until the device powers on (you can also hear an audio tone that will play through the ear pieces). To pair the device, continue to hold the Multi-functions button for a few seconds after the device powers on. The device will be in pairing mode (and indicate as such with an audible message that plays through the earphones). Once this is done, access your bluetooth capable source and access the device by accessing the bluetooth menu, turning the device on, then searching for available devices. Once your device finds the Axgio Sprint, choose it and you are now connected. As long as bluetooth is activated on the source and within range it will automatically sync every time you turn your Axgio Sprint headset on. To turn the device off, long press the Multi-functions button until the device powers off (you can hear an auditory tone played through the earphones indicating it is off. There are also corresponding blue and red lights that help indicate the status of your Axgio Sprint’s mode of operation. The Multi functions device can also be used to play or pause tracks, call the last number on your call log, or for Iphone users it can be used to access Siri.
 
The UP button is used to turn the volume up, and if long pressed it will skip tracks in music playback mode.
 
The DOWN button is used to turn the volume down, and if long pressed it will skip tracks in music playback mode.
 
The Sprint has an estimated eight hours of talk time and seven hours of music playback before battery depletion. The battery recharges from empty in a little under two hours.
 
The one thing I noticed about the Axgio Sprint that I could see as a sore spot with some people was the wireless range and intermittent connection issues when used outdoors. When using them outside in open areas the connection would occasionally get choppy. I didn't’ experience this as much when using them outdoors in the city. I also noticed that I couldn’t go more than twelve to fifteen feet away from the bluetooth source before the headset would begin to lose connection.
 
Sound Review & Materials

 
I used my usual same songs for testing gear:
“Limit to your love” by James Blake (bass speed, punch, response)
“Doin’ it Right” by Daft Punk (sub bass)
“Get lucky” by Daft Punk (bass to midrange transition resolution, male vocals)
“Madness” by Muse (soundstage, separation)
“Some nights” by Fun (soundstage and male vocals)
“The soundmaker” by Rodrigo y Gabriela (texture and imaging)
“Bassically” by Tei Shi (bass to midrange resolution, female vocals)
“Skinny Love” performed by Birdie (female vocals, acoustic playback)
“One” by Ed Sheeran (male vocals, acoustic playback)
“Outlands” from the Tron Legacy Soundtrack (symphonic presentation, imaging)
“Sultans of swing” by Dire Straits (detail, separation, balance)
“And Justic for All” by Metallica (driver distortion, treble response, rock playback)
“Ten thousand fists” by Disturbed (driver distortion, treble response, rock playback)
 
Note: Other tracks were used, but the listed songs were primarily used to asses and break down the gear’s response.
 
Sound Signature
The Sprint caught me off guard with their impressive sound signature. I would say that the Sprint offers a signature that has exceptional balance from mid bass all the way through treble, and just a touch of sub bass boost without going over the top. I really enjoy the way the Sprint is tuned. It is a tuning that to my ears works well with all genres of music and doesn’t overdo any frequency range with any genre of music I threw at it. The signature reminded me of a slightly bassier version of the  Zero Audio Carbo Tenore. I made sure to do an A-B comparison just to confirm this.
 
Bass
The bass has a slight boost in sub bass regions, yet retains very good speed and resolution for this range. No, it isn’t the fastest and tightest bass I’ve ever heard, but it’s resolving enough for me to say it’s much better and average and provides very good level of separation. While the forward tilt does carry into lower mid bass frequencies it doesn’t spill and bleed into the midrange. You will get the lowest of low notes with a nice presence. You will get enough mid bass for these to be entertaining, but not enough that it's bothersome. The bass response in combination with the superior level of isolation, I find the tuning to be ideal for someone looking to use these for outdoor or physical activities and commuting. The key to its success lies in its speed and response. It’s authoritative enough to bring power to the track, but controlled enough that it is hard for me to fault.
 
Midrange
Midrange is very balanced with a very nice level of texture and imaging. I get a great sense of space. Vocals (both male and female) sound very natural and grain free. there is a nice sense of space, and they lie right in the middle of sounding too open or closed in. Timbre and texture were great. I would say that it’s weighted mid range without being too warm for my taste. There is a slight lift in the upper midrange that makes the overall signature a little more entertaining.
 
Treble
Treble on the Sprint is relaxed but not rolled off. It has a very natural and non fatiguing presence. There’s enough extension that it doesn’t feel unnatural, but not so much that it could become fatiguing.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
It’s hard to pinpoint but I would almost say it’s a open sound in an enclosed space if that makes sense. There’s a sense of space to it isn’t limitless but it’s definitely there. Soundstage is definitely above average. Imaging is solid due to it’s ability to maintain a pretty solid level of separation and texture.
 
Source Selection
Bluetooth, preferably Aptx bluetooth.
 
Comparisons
 
Brainwavz BLU-100 ($35 to $45 USD on many sites)
The Brainwavz BLU-100 is a solid first bluetooth offering from brainwavz. They are an Aptx bluetooth compatible headset that offers a straight barrel housing and flat style cable. Their tuning is more mid bass forward and warmer through the midrange, giving them more timbre but also more mid bass bleed with some genres. The BLU-100 also has a more aggressive upper midrange as compared to the Axgio Sprint, which could be a bit over the top with some recordings.
 
All in all, I give an edge to the Axgio Sprint in both tuning and ergonomics. The Sprint sound was overall more balanced and worked better with a variety of genres. The fit of the BLU-100 was awkward with their bulky housings and and lack of cable cinch. I was able to remedy this by using aftermarket ear guides with the BLU-100. The Sprint is a better fitting earphone that needs less adjustments to stay in place. I do give an edge to Brainwavz for their Accessories package that includes their awesome clamshell case.

 
Meelectronics X7 Sport Fi ($40 to $80 USD on many sites)
The X7 is a personal favorite due to their phenomenal fit. They are still to this day probably the best application of fit and isolation I’ve come across in a bluetooth headset. This combined with their bass forward and warm signature makes this one great for working out. Like the Sprint, the X7 has Aptx support and is IPX4 rated, making it sweat and moisture resistant.
 
The X7 falls to the to the Sprint in terms of balance. The X7 is more boosted in bass registers and more subdued in the midrange regions, making it more genre specific. This is going to come down to preference, but if we are talking natural and engaging sound I have to give an edge to the Axgio Sprint.
 
Fitment goes to the X7 by a hair. Their cable and memory wire is slightly thicker and more supple and works better with their built in cable cinch system as compared to the Axgio offering. They are basically the same concept with the Meelec model having slightly more premium material application. The X7 also gets the edge in terms of accessories. Their silicone tips create a great seal and the provided clamshell case comes in handy.
 
At the end of day, if it comes down to sound quality I am going with the Sprint. Their tuning is more balanced and better suited for any genre I feel like listening to.
 
Conclusion
The Sprint is an awesome sounding earphone, and the fact that they’re bluetooth is an added bonus. The line has been crossed in terms of fidelity. The Sprint has proven to me that a bluetooth headset can sound just as good, if not better than most wired earphones in its price range. Aside from the intermittent outdoor connection I really can’t fault these things.
 
Thanks for reading and happy listening!

First of all I'd like to thank Axgio and Michael for giving me a chance to check out the Axgio Sprint Bluetooth IEM.
 
The Axgio Sprint is available from Amazon:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Sprint-Isolating-Bluetooth-Adjustable-Sweat-proof/dp/B0123KN5TC
 

 

 
 
Disclaimer:
I’m not in any way affiliated with Axgio and I do not gain any financial benefits from this review.
 
Short introduction to Axgio:
Axgio is a technology company that design smartphones and accessories. They like to be considered an engaged and intelligent company rather than a manufacturer
 
Let’s see how smart they’ve been when designing the Sprint.
 
About me:
I’m a 43 year old music and sound lover that changed my focus from speakers to headphones and IEM’s about five years ago. At that time I realized that it wasn’t realistic for me to have all the different setups that I wanted and still house a family of four children and a wife so my interest turned first to full sized headphones and later also IEM’s.
 
My preferences are towards full sized open headphones and I believe that also says something about what kind of sound signature I prefer (large soundstage in all directions, balanced and organic sound).
 
My music preferences are pretty much all over the place (only excluding classical music, jazz and really heavy metal). My all-time favorite band is Depeche Mode although I also listen to a lot of grunge/indie, singer/songwriter/acoustical stuff as well as the typical top 40 music.
 
I do not use EQ, ever.
 
I’m a sucker for value for money on most things in life, Head-Fi related stuff is no exception.
 
Built and accessories:
The Axgio Sprint is a Bluetooth IEM with over the ear fit and features a 7mm dynamic driver.
 
It’s only available in black color.
 
 
The accessory pack is decent when it comes to the included tips. Unfortunately the only other included accessory is a USB charging cable.
 
 
Built quality is top notch and the over ear fit make them sit close to your ears. I find the ergonomics on the Sprint to be excellent. Isolation is about average for an IEM. The Sprint is also sweat proof. 
 
 
In spite of being a Bluetooth IEM the Sprint has got a cable connecting the housings to each other. This is also where the remote and mic unit is located. The cable is about 50 cm long and it feels like a perfect length to me.
 
 
Battery time is stated to be 8 hours and I find that to be correct and the microphone hosts a micro USB port for charging. Charging time is about 2 hours.
 
 
I’ve really enjoyed the Sprint and not having to worry about the cable getting stuck or bringing my phone with me every time I get up from my desk has been great. It’s also been very nice to be able to listen to music while moving around the house and while working out.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
The accessories pack is decent for the price and includes the following:
 
3 pairs foam tips of god quality (S, M, L)
 
4 pairs silicon tips (XS,S,M,L)
 
(I’m sorry but I managed to misplace the foam tips for the photoshoot).
 
I would really have liked for Axgio to include a storage case or at least a soft pouch to keep them in when not in use.
 

 
 
The short cable is rather thin and smooth and features memory wire for a secure over the ear fit. The housings are all plastic but its high quality plastic and they seem very solid and well built.
 
Connecting the Sprint to you phone is very straight forward and you basically just turn them on and open up the Bluetooth settings on your phone to make the connection and you’re ready to go.
 
The remote control also works fully with my Xperia Z3 phone (something that’s not always the case) and the mic seem to be of good quality. There’s a small light on the microphone that shows whether the headset is turned on or not and it tells you by voice if you put them in your ears before turning them on, very nice.
 
The upper button is volume up (long press for next track), middle is volume down (long press to start the current track again) and the lowest one is play/pause and answering calls. Ideally I’d preferred the middle button to be play/pause/call since that’s what I’m used too from most of my other IEM’s with inline mic but this is not a big deal.
 
 
The only potentially drawback I’ve found on the functionality is that the Bluetooth reception isn’t the best. As long as I use them indoor it’s pretty decent but for outdoor usage I would’ve preferred a stronger receiver in them. I use one of those wallet phone cases and it seem as if it weakens the Bluetooth enough for the Sprint not even to work if I put the phone in my jeans pocket. If I use the case I need to put the phone in my jackets breast pocket for it to work properly. If I remove the wallet case I can easily put them in my jeans pocket while moving around outside. An armband for running does also work great.  
 
 
My general impression is that the Sprint feels robust and well thought out and is a really convenient alternative when you’re moving around be so at the office, at home or while working out.
 

 
 
The Specs:
Chip: CSR8645 (with AptX) 
Bluetooth Version: 4.1 
Profile Supported: HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP 
Battery Capacity: 130mAh 
Charging time: about 2 hr 
Charging port: USB cable 
Music time: 8hr 
Talk time: 8hr 
Driver Unit: 7mm (SPK) 
Frequency Response: 20 Hz-20k Hz 
Dimension: 13.7*13.7*18.3mm 
Siri: Yes 
 
 
Sound:
I've let them play for over 50 hours and I've used them while working out, at the office and at home and I've not found any weaknesses to the way they're constructed. I've been using them exclusively with my Sony Xperia Z3compact phone. I've owned them for a little more than two weeks. 
 
Demo list:
Mark Knopfler – Sailing to Philadelphia
Røyksopp (Feat.Susanne Sundfør) – Save Me
Ane Brun – These Days
Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana
Metallica – Die Die My Darling
The Peter Malick Group – Immigrant
Eva Cassidy – Songbird
Thomas Dybdahl – A Lovestory
Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
Celldweller – Unshakeable
Jack Johnson – Better Together
Seinabo Sey – Younger (Kygo remix)
Dire Straits- So Far Away
 
The overall sound signature of the Sprint is pretty well balanced with a warm, full, smooth presentation and a slight lift in the lower bass region.
 
 
To start from the lows the sub bass is present but far from overwhelming. It extends fairly low and does have enough impact to make the Sprint enjoyable with most kinds of music.  The mid- and higher bass is less noticeable and this makes for a clean and clear overall listening experience.
 
 
The midrange is smooth and liquid and feels well in balance with the rest of the frequencies (i.e. is not recessed). The mids feels like the strongest part of the Sprint’s presentation to my ears.
 
 
The treble is also full and smooth but lacks some extension in the top range. It does however blend in very well with the rest of the presentation.
 
 
Soundstage in all directions is about average for an IEM. Although micro details and clarity is not where they perform their best they still manage to deliver a good enough performance in that area to stay enjoyable.
 
 
In total the Axgio Sprint offers a non-offensive, warm and smooth sound that I think goes very well with the intended use of a Bluetooth IEM, when you’re on the move, out and about.  Without really excelling in any area they still manage to sound very good. I’d consider these to be a good performer in its price range even if they didn’t offer the Bluetooth functionality.
 
 
Summary:
The Axgio Sprint offers a smooth and non-offensive listening experience that I believe most people will enjoy, I sure do. This combined with excellent ergonomics, 8 hours of battery life and a solid build quality makes them an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a Bluetooth IEM in the $50-100 range. I’d even go as far as to say that they’re the best sounding Bluetooth headset I’ve heard this far, well done Axgio.

Note: I received a sample pair thanks to the guys from Axgio, however here's my unbiased (to the best my abilities) review of the unit
 
First off to get the gist of things out of the way, these are pretty nice, nothing groundbreaking or amazing, but I think they're very good value for the price. I'd call these very very nice casual headphones. (also bass is really surprisingly nice when fitted well) When compared to other non-bluetooth IEMs within the same ballpark i would say they're pretty decent, but there are better sounding IEMs (non-bluetooth) at this price range. however, as far as wireless bluetooth goes this is definitely one of the better ones i've heard. 
 

 
 
 
 
The headphones come in a fairly nice package, nothing amazing but not bad at all. It comes with .4 sets of silicon tips & 3 sets of foam tips. The foam tips are very very nice. I actually prefer them to my comply T400 tips. The one thing i wish it did come with is a pouch, luckily i have a few hanging around so that solved my problems. It also comes with a usb charging cable.
 
 

 
 
The build is very solid, and the shape is very ergonomic which leads to a very comfy fitting. Isolation is decent, could be better, but then again it really depends on the individual's ears. That being said, the comfort again is excellent, you kinda forget that you have them on after a while. The cables are also very nice, they're the rubbery kind but are comfortable so it wont rub / irritate your skin like other headphone cables i've had. Microphonics are minimal which is nice. Oh and the memory wire bends and shapes nicely without much effort. These are nice also in that they keep pretty cool all the time. Battery is pretty decent. Like advertised it lasted roughly 6-7 hours for me. Controls are pretty straight forward, and i had no problems pairing / unpairing with multiple devices. It also has a very nice & pleasant voice notification telling you max volume, low battery, connected / disconnect which i thought was nice touch.
 
And now onto the sound. I would call the sound of this IEM very very casually pleasant. It's nothing extraordinary and wont make you go "wooow", but its really smoothl for casual listening. The soundstage isn't super intimate but its not huge either. it's definitely still a "in your head" sound, but its not super confined. Bass response however, when fitted well with the foam tip provide is quite nice indeed. It's got some slam, smooth texture and even a little rumble which I was very surprised with. Watching Movies / TV and also listening to EDM is great with these IEMs. Working out with them with Trap music / hip hop works great as well. Vocal are decent, a little recessed but not to bad. Highs are a bit rolled off but again not too bad, still has a good amount of details without ever being sharp (i personally prefer softer sounds). If anything i would wish the headphones were a little more focused and less relaxed (some would call this "warm, but i typically like warmer sounding headphones)
 
Overall i'd say this is a very pleasant pair of bluetooth headphones to have. Considering a price, if you're looking for a nice pair of wireless, convenient, and comfortable pair of headphones for on the go, or when its hot. Definitely recommended.

Axgio Sprint comes in a simple box with a USB charging cable, 4 sets if silicon tips and 3 pairs of nice quality foam tips.  No case or pouch is provided. 
 
Design, fit and comfort
 
The earphone is entirely made of plastic as far as I can tell.  Build feels solid and is very light weight.  Design is excellent and fits perfectly.  Memory wire ear guides are stiff and bends to shape very well to keep a snug fit.  Nice added feature is a cable clip built in to tighten the cable if needed. 
 
Functionality
 
The earphone is equipped with a 3 button remote on the right side.  I didn’t have any problems skipping tracks, turning up the volume, answering calls, etc.  Only gripe is that the buttons are a little stiff.  Bluetooth connectivity was a breeze.  Both my iMac and iPhone 6 Plus connected immediately.  Volume using my iMac was no issue but when pairing with my iPhone 6 Plus, max volume wasn’t very loud but loud enough to be able to use when exercising.  I was able to hear well enough while mowing the lawn. I used them for 1-2 hours a day for 4 days before the battery completely drained.  8 hours of usage time seems pretty accurate.  The female British voice that prompts the functions are a nice touch.  
 
Sound
 
Overall sound of the earphone is quite balanced though tilted towards the warmer side.  Separation is pretty good and there’s good depth to the sound.  I did not detect any part of the sound frequency that felt lacking or overbearing.  Very nice sound all around. 
Bass reaches to the sub levels nicely.  Not much in the mid-bass region for added punch.  With proper fit, these do not lack bass whatsoever.  I used Sony Hybrid tips for best sound.  For those looking for shear bass impact, these might not satisfy since bass is a bit soft impact wise.  For those who like the bass not to intrude into other frequencies then these should fit the bill. 
Midrange is very present and vocals sound fantastic.  Vocals sound sweet and lush.  Quite nice considering this is with Bluetooth connectivity.  Both male and female vocals excel but sounds extra nice with female vocals. 
Treble is smooth with good detail.  There is zero sibilance.  Works well with the rest of the sound for a balanced listening experience. 
Only criticism to the sound if I were to nitpick would be to tighten up the bass and add just a slight increase in treble. 
 
Only other Bluetooth earphones I’ve heard before auditioning the Axgio Sprint was the Meelectronics AF72 and Brainwavz Blu-100.  Besides the build quality which I would give to the Blu-100, Axgio Sprint comes out on top for comfort and sound. 
 

 

 

Introduction:
Axgio is a company that I’ve never heard of before, so when I was approached to do a review of their new Sprint sports Bluetooth IEM, I was quite intrigued as I had no clue what to expect. Doing more research on the company, I learned that Axgio is a company that specializes in make mobile phones and accessories. Some of their products include phones, cases, earbuds, and power banks. I believe the Sprint is their second venture into the IEM market, as well as their second Bluetooth IEM.
 
It wasn’t Axgio themselves that approached me about reviewing the Sprint. I was actually approached by an Amazon seller that carries Axgio products by the name of DigitalEra US. The Sprint was recently released with an MSRP of 85 dollars, but is sold for 50 dollars by DigitalEra US.
 
Packaging and Accessories:
The packaging of the Sprint is fairly simple, but I think its presentation is pretty nice for a 50 dollar headphone. The IEM itself is in a plastic display that is put in a small box of fairly decent quality. The back of the box also includes some useful information such as battery life, frequency response, impedance, etc.
 
Included with the Sprint is a USB cable to charge the IEM as well as a generous set of tips. The silicon tips come in four sizes, ranging from absurdly small, to large. I found the tips to be a bit on the stiff side, but they weren’t uncomfortable so I didn’t complain too much about them. Also included with the Sprint are some foam tips, which I thought was a nice addition. I opted for the medium tip, which is a size larger than I usually go. I’ll explain more in detail as to why later on.
 
 
The housing of the Sprint is made of hard plastic, making the housing very lightweight. Although you can visibly see where each piece of the housing are put together, the Sprint actually feels fairly sturdy. The cable is made of a slightly rubbery plastic material that honestly doesn’t feel too strong. But after some tugging, the cable seems to hold its own just fine – very well in fact.
 
The Sprint is designed to be worn over ear, and thus the Sprint has ear guides on the cable. As someone with glasses, I’m not a particularly big fan of ear guides because they tend to get in the way of your glasses, but the Sprint’s ear guides are actually pretty nice, and don’t get in the way too much. The ear guide is also an appropriate length. I’m not sure how and why so many manufacturers manage to mess this part up, but Axgio certainly didn’t.
 
Now one thing I really like about the Sprint is that it has a very tiny and low-profile cable clip that allows the user to fold up the cable a little, either for storage or just for more comfort. It’s so small that I actually didn’t even realize it existed until I read about it in the manual. Yes, I read the manual. No, I never read manual. This is the first time I ever did… I promise. Now, I’m not sure if I’ll every use it personally, but I can see it being very useful if you’re out and about doing some more intensive sport and can’t afford to have the extra cable slack. I’m really glad to see a company think of the little things that improve the user experience.
 
Now onto the comfort of the Sprint. Oh boy do I have to rave about this IEM. When I first received them, they reminded me a little of the Westone line of IEMs, but bulkier. I was actually a little worried about how comfortable they’ll be because the nozzle in particular was really thick. Well my worries were very quickly put to rest. While not being THE most comfortable IEM I’ve ever worn, it’s up there. The Sprint is a very comfortable IEM to wear and I can wear it for long periods of time without any discomfort. What makes the Sprint rave-worthy, however, is its fit. These are perhaps the most snug fitting IEM I’ve ever worn. If you want the fit to be even more snug, I think the only option you got is to go custom. Once you put the Sprint on, they don’t budge. Because the nozzle is so thick, it leaves much less room for the Sprint to move around in your ear, making its fit one of the most consistent fitting IEM I’ve ever tried. Note that the nozzle isn’t TOO thick though to the point where it causes discomfort.
 
While the fit of the Sprint is fantastic, the insertion is fairly shallow due to the nozzle being relatively short. Because of that, I had to use a larger set of tips than I usually would opt for. However, despite its shallow insertion, I actually found the isolation of the Sprint to be quite good.
 
In terms of the form and function of the Sprint, I think the Sprint is going to make a lot of people happy, because they’re very well designed. Upon first look, they don’t look like anything special, but it’s the little things, like a more secure fit and a smart cable management clip, that sets the design of the Sprint above and beyond the other budget Bluetooth or sports IEMs.
 
 
As a Bluetooth IEM, the Sprint has a 3 button remote build in its cable. The remote is made of plastic, with the buttons being made of rubber and very nicely responsive. The remote is also where the micro USB slot for charging is located. What’s a bit unusual about the remote is that rather than your typical back, play/pause, forward, type of setup, the remote is designed such that the order is play/pause, back, forward. It’s not a big deal but takes a little to get accustom to. Besides that, the buttons are pretty standard in function in terms of calls, volume, and skipping music.
 
Syncing to my HTC M8 was a breeze and I had absolutely no issues with disconnections or drop outs. The connection range is also pretty good. I’m able to walk around most of my average sized apartment without drop outs. I would say past maybe 25 feet or so is about when drop outs begin to occur. Certainly more than I’ll ever need since my phone is always in my pocket. The playback time for the Sprint is pretty good. I never got it to run out of battery, but the longest I’ve gone before recharging it was about 6 hours. Axgio claims that the Sprint has approximately an 8 hour playback – a claim I would definitely believe.
 
I think it’s always important to keep the design and function of a product in my when reviewing and analyzing it. When I’m looking at a Bluetooth sports IEM, or even just a budget Bluetooth IEM, I’m honestly not looking for amazing detail. Rather, I want to hear a clean and clear sound that, although not sonically impressive, faithfully reproduces the recording. I think the Sprint achieves that sound very nicely. Listening was done connecting the Sprint to my HTC M8 via Bluetooth and running PowerAmp.
 
Bass
Bass, as a whole, isn’t too bad on the Sprint. It can, however, be a little odd sounding. The sub bass of the Sprint is accentuated a bit more than the rest of the frequency range, with pretty good extension capable extending down to and beyond 30Hz. The mid bass, on the other hand, is accentuated, but only slightly in comparison to the sub bass, and is actually pretty neutral. So when you’re listening to most music that isn’t tuned to have more of a sub bass presence, the Sprint actually sound pretty clean. However, when you listen to something with more of a sub bass presence, like some metal or electronic music, the bass begins to sound a bit unnatural. What you get is a very present (not overbearing) sub bass rumble while being slightly lacking in mid bass thump to back up the sub bass presence.
 
While bass extension isn’t too bad on the Sprint, overall low end texture if fairly lacking. Bass impact, while not loose, could also use a bit more focus and clarity. While the bass is sonically somewhat lackluster, I think it does its job of remaining present when the individual is active. The bass is traditionally the weakness of lower end dynamic headphones, as they often lack good control and clarity. I wouldn’t go as far as saying the bass performance of the Sprint is poor, but it did not leave me particularly impressed as it has a long way to go before competing with the likes top tier budget IEMs like the Zero Audio Tenore (which goes for just 30 dollars).
 
Midrange and Treble
While the bass left me somewhat lukewarm, there are certainly a lot of good things happening with the midrange and treble of the Sprint. First off, the Sprint maintains a relatively good balance throughout the mids and treble with a more relaxed upper treble. The midrange has just a hint of warmth to it, and the upper midrange and lower treble are a little more accentuated, giving the Sprint just a bit of crispness to its sound. In an active environment, this translates to instruments and vocals maintaining a good sense of presence and detail while remaining fatigue-free.
 
While the soundstage is pretty in-your-head and forward sounding, as you would expect from a 50 dollar Bluetooth IEM, I think the separation is actually quite clean, and a good treble extension prevents the sound from feeling closed-in or claustrophobic.
 
The only real complaint that I can justify really bringing up is that the Sprint tends to have some distortion past 9kHz or so which is fairly audible during a frequency sweep. This issue is, again, fairly common in lower priced dynamic driver IEMs, and certainly no unique to the Sprint. I do wish that it was less of an issue with the Sprint though, because when translated to the listening experience, the distortion just means that upper end tends to be a little graininess and likely one of the factors that leads to the Sprint’s sound being a little more edgy. The overall sound would be a bit smoother and refined if otherwise.
 
Overall I think the midrange and treble of the Sprint does a great job of presenting and clean and precise sound while remaining fairly natural, being just slightly warm.
 
Comparisons
 
Brainwavz Blu-100 and Axgio Sprint
Right off the bat, I think the Sprint has an edge over the Blu-100 in terms of form and function, mostly because it’s designed for active use. The Sprint’s fit is significantly better, having a better fitting and lighter housing. The trade-off is that I prefer the overall build of the Blu-100 slightly over that of the Sprint. The metal housing of the Blu-100 is always welcomed, and I also find the cable a little more manageable than that of the Sprint. The 8 hour playback of the Sprint compared to the 4 hour playback of the Blu-100 is also a pretty big deal. Finally, and this is purely based off of personal preference, but I do like the buttons of the Blu-100 better. I personally like physical buttons over the rubber buttons of the Sprint.
 
In terms of sound, I think the two are tuned differently and each have their merits. The Sprint has a warmer and more pleasant tuning in comparison to the Blu-100, which is more v-shaped and has a bit of a harsh treble but a punchier bass. Instrument separation and soundstage is a little better on the Sprint, but the Blu-100 bests the Sprint in left/right imaging and overall detail. In particular, the treble is a good bit more textured on the Blu-100 than the Sprint, but it certainly comes at the cost of being a grainer and harsher sounding sound in comparison to the slightly warmer and smoother Sprint. The Blu-100 also has a more open sound due to its greater treble presence.
 
In terms of functionality, I highly prefer the Sprint over the Blu-100. The great fit of the Sprint is much better than the almost Frankenstein-like fit of the Blu-100. In terms of sound, I also prefer the Sprint just a little bit more over the Blu-100. While the Blu-100 has more overall detail, I prefer the warmer, more balanced, and less fatiguing tuning of the Sprint over the Blu-100’s sound.
 
 
While I’m no expert on the current state of the Bluetooth in-ear market, I do see the Sprint as a solid recommendation at its price. I think its sound is fairly comparable to other good “normal” 50 dollar IEMs, like the Brainwavz M1 for example, maybe being very slightly behind in terms of detail, but completely wiping the floors with them in terms of ergonomics thanks to its fantastic fit and Bluetooth functions. For portable or active use, I think it’s a very worthwhile (sometimes necessary) trade off, because the cable of more budget IEMs tend to be complete garbage. The Sprint is one of the better Bluetooth IEMs I’ve heard, and a good IEM overall at its price.
 
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Axgio-Sprint-Isolating-Adjustable-Sweat-proof/dp/B0123KN5TC