I really enjoy the freedom that Bluetooth allows with headphones. From getting up in the morning and listening to TV around the house to playing music from iPods. It can also change your listening habits since you don't need to sit in your allocated area with the amp attached by a wire to your head. It has the effect of making me a lot more 'experimental' with what I listen to since it's so accessible without the constraints of wires.


With wireless systems, sound will not be the same (yet) as wired headphones, but sometimes, you just want something convenient to listen to while just .... Getting on. A bonus is if the headphone sounds good as far as Bluetooth allows.





The Ausdom M05 arrived in a very unassuming box. Smaller than I thought from pictures and is the current 'better' one in the Ausdom 'M' series. It uses Bluetooth v4.0 which saves on power, so this headphone will go for quite a long time between charges, and it does. Mine was on all day yesterday. It has four Bluetooth profiles as well as apt-x. This last one is often just added and many overlook it. It's a step in the right direction but transmitting devices have to catch up. It basically sends data in a less compressed format which has two benefits. First of all, it minimises latency, which is very important for TVs since there is less converting going on. Secondly, it can improve the quality of sound because again, there's less converting going on Both of these things depend on one thing ..... the device sending the signal MUST be apt-x as well. Many don't realise this and think that apt-x doesn't do anything as a result. Well, it doesn't if it's not switched on at both ends!!


I have an apt-x sender and I tried it with the M05 and guess what - good lip sync and crisper sound. It does work if used properly.


Wireless range is the usual 10 meters direct line of site and the M05 basically lines up with other Bluetooth sets in this respect. Standby time is a staggering 250 hours with 20 hours music playback time. That's the benefit of Bluetooth 4.0.


It connects via a supplied wire connection and the good thing is that it doesn't need to be switched on this way. It works passively. The connection is at the back of the left earcup. I found this curious with the M04s but soon found that it was actually fine and actually, in the garden with the lawn mower was better, because it was out of the way.





Connection is dead easy and logical. Next time you switch on, it connects with the last connected device without pairing. It even talks to you in the earcup!! There's a lady in there like my sat nav. Gave me a bit of a surprise when I first heard it and I refrained from replying. She speaks English, not Chinese. If she spoke Chinese, I might have freaked out!!


It's a good looker. Quite unassuming in appearance. The surfaces are rubberised and it has good pleather headband padding and earpads. It has a 'faux' graphite type of look and the backs of the cups are slightly padded. Actually, this protects it perhaps from weather and also knocks.





Pads are nice and soft. Pleather and fit over my ears. Seal is ok. Not brilliant but this is also meant to be used with a phone. Personally, I find it difficult not to shout on the phone if I'm wearing a totally closed headphone, so for me this is better. I don't shout!! Mic is on the front of the left earcup.





Overall, I'd say build is good; just like the build of the M04s is. It's sturdy which is a good thing for a headphone that in my case, will follow me around the garden and the shed where it might take some wear and tear.


The sound of this headphone is good. With Bluetooth, I've come to expect lower standards than this and I was quite surprised at how balanced the M05 sounds. It is mellow, with no shriek in the treble, but is also actually quite extended up there. So you get good cymbal splashes and crisp consonants on speech. There is a slight roll off up there but really not severe.


Mids are really good. They sound pretty even to me and I'd say some of the best sounding mids I've heard on a Bluetooth headphone. This makes it sound more 'natural' than most. This is where most music 'sits' and gives the headphone presence. It is a warmish comfortable sound and my guess is that the mids are excellent on the M05, producing an effortless sound.


Bass is mellow and hits nicely. It's mostly upper bass and I feel that lower bass rolls away as many Bluetooth headphones do. There is a mid bass hump in my opinion.  A raise in upper bass but not a lot. So from upper bass to lower treble, this headphone seems very balanced to me.

It comes with a charging cord (Micro usb), an audio connection lead and a rather nice, cushy bag to keep it nice and tidy.





Currently, prices vary, depending on where you buy them. If you are looking for a Bluetooth headphone, now is the time to get one if you fancy a try with the M05. I suspect that the lower prices, mostly in China just might not hold for too long. It's a bargain over in Best Deals. Really cheap for what you get. In the UK, it does appear in Amazon, but other than there, I haven't seen many Ausdom headphones around.


I like these. Not only the fit and feel of them, but also, the balanced sound that you get on a headphone that frees you up from that lead that ends up choking me when I mow the lawn!!

A new company I had not heard of previously , Ausdom are likely to become familiar to many headfiers if this wireless headphone is anything to go by.  I have been part of the worldwide review tour of the ausdom M05 and was sent an entirely new model direct from Hong Kong for evaluation.
 
I have had these a week and I can give you an idea of what they sound like as wireless headphones and how they fared. 
 
 

 
 
 
These are £59.99 on Amazon. I consider these phones to be amongst the best I've heard - wired or wireless , full size or IEM, for that price. 
 
 
I must admit I have been reluctant to look twice at anything under £100 in the headphone market thanks to HMVs gallery of headphone horrors
 

 
 
 
 
 
that I use as an excuse  to escape the hell of high street shopping.
I have had some preconceptions regarding cheaper headphones which, over the course of the past year have been well and truly dispelled with some recent events. The V shape of bloated bass invisible mids and shrill highs is something which I find unbearable to listen to ; I'm a bit spoilt in that my main listening is done with HE-6s and HD800s. 
 
The week has been spent to fine tune my initial impressions which were favourable and to put these phones through a variety of music and sources and software. I compared them to some of my other wireless and over ear phones.
 
I am happy to tell you that by day 2 I was pleased enough with what I was hearing that my listening was no longer critical. I was using the M05 in the way that they were intended , as portable over the ear wireless phones that could be put on and used for moving around my house , for commuting and even for running. This is how I see many of of my fellow listeners using them so I decided to do the same myself.
 
The sound right out of the box is good.
 

 
 
 
 
For the price it is excellent. The bass was a bit overwhelming and the highs sounded very slightly coarse on my normal eq settings for my HD800 and HE6 on Audivarna 
 

 
 
I was surprised to find that switching off the EQ achieved the best results. Who'd have thought that ?
When faced with such evidence I have no choice but to tell you -  yes,  the sound signature is balanced - I can hear bass where it needs to be , the voices are clear and treble is rolled off nice and smoothly. 
 
The soundstage is decent , there is echo in live performances and subtlety in the dark arts of the studio wherein Coldplay have forged their latest blockbuster.
 
I listened using the Chord Mojo wired and the M05s upscaled in tonal quality and soundstage nicely, I listened through the bluetooth of the Note II and the Macbook Pro and the Iphone 4 , all worked well, sounded great and got me a reasonable distance away before the sound started cutting out.
 
The phones look great to me , they have a textured cup and are tastefully colour matched through the design. V Moda, Beats and Bose all make similar sized products and Ausdom have done well to give their phone an individual look.
 
The M05s are extremely light , do not clamp particularly , and swivel so the cups fold flat . There is also enough give in the design of the cups that the cups swivel to about 30 degrees to the outside which ensures a decent fit. The cups fit just over my ears without pinching the lobes and the pads although thin are comfortable enough to absorb some pressure if someone with slightly bigger ears wore them.
 
I wore mine straight for 4 hours without discomfort , of course the pads may cause sweating during the summer . It's definitely Winter time where I am albeit a warmer one than usual. I got them nice and warm during a 90 minute run and it's fair to say they absorbed quite a lot of moisture during that time. They were extremely comfortable on the run and had enough bass to make the low end still hearable and the hum of the treadmill although very present wasn't too much of a distraction.
 
When compared to the Havit HV2555BT Headphones
 

The Ausdom's perform at the price difference (the Havit is £24.99) over the 2555s. The M05s sound much better are much more comfortable have a better bluetooth range and look nicer.
 
When compared to the Pendulumic Stance S1+
 
 

The M05 lack a little finesse and sparkle are not quite as comfortable and easy to use. But , they look better and cost an awful lot less money than the Stance (£174.99 currently)
 
Ausdom have a great deal of potential as a new company to the headfi community and what they are capable of given a more generous budget is an exciting prospect. I believe they have a more expensive model due out soon and look forward to bringing you news on this in the near future.

Acknowledgement

I’m very happy that I was chosen to receive a review sample from @Ausdom Audio. Whilst I didn’t pay for this unit, it doesn’t influence my thoughts on these headphones. These thoughts are mine. I own them.
 

What’s in the tin

I’ve been slow as molasses getting this review out, but trust me, these headphones are as tasty as blackstrap organic. The cookies are worth the wait. If you don’t know how good molasses cookies are, ask some Americans, somebody will set you straight. We’ll get to that in a moment.
 
The packaging for the Ausdom M05 is simple. It doesn’t scream premium, it frankly states functionality, like a pocket protector circa Revenge of the Nerds 3. Nerds rule the world now, a bit of functionality is good, but this headphone deserves a bit better advertisement of how good it is for the money. I little more swagger on the box wouldn’t be a bad thing. Inside the box is a manual in as many languages as on the tin—refreshing after getting a review sample that spoke and wrote in Mandarin—and a plush mesh bag and thin 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable.
 
I was told by Ausdom that they were the OEM for the Meelectronics Matrix 2, it’s a pity they didn’t include the awesome case that comes with the Matrix 2. Sound comparisons of the two will come later.
 
 

Form & Function

I found these very comfortable. I like the rubberised feel of the surface of the headphones, their light, they fit my head nicely, and the pads are very comfortable. The flat folding worked well, with an appropriate tightness to the cup rotation mechanism. These aren’t going to rotate unless you want them to rotate.
 
With the positives on fit, there are some negatives. They leak like a sieve, and they don’t isolate. My office mates sent me an email telling me I was playing my music too loud. I wore these on the 1.5 hour walk to work and then back and could hear all the street noise. If you want to wear these outside wear them somewhere zen—not that you’ll be inclined to meditate with what I listen to. These headphones have “Amused [me] to Death,” (Roger Water's album sounds great on these) but you’ll have little chance of not noticing that car coming turning into you. Roger Waters has been a lovely companion with the MO5.
 
I didn’t have any trouble pairing these with my Dell Vostro, Note 2, Avantree BTTC200X, or Aukey BT-C1. I can’t report the kind of range that others have gotten, but trust their judgments. I got about 20-25 feet maximum and it only comfortably dealt with one wall at a time. Maybe with a better transmitter it will perform how others have reported. I also found that different transmitters affected the sound quality and character, so your source really matters with this.
 
I found the interface easy and intuitive, and the instructions Luddite-proof. If you can hold down a button, you can use these marvels.
My battery life test found that it lasted for about 23 hours, so right around what the manual claims. Good on ya’, Ausdom.
 

 

The really big show: SOUND

I listened to these with many tracks and really enjoyed these. I found the sound lush, 3-dimensional, and a beautiful listen. My first remark when I listened to these was that I was hoping for good Bluetooth headphones, these are good headphones, period. There is no need for a caveat on them being Bluetooth.
 
Most of my listening was done using the Aukey BT-C1 Bluetooth transmitter hooked up to my DX50, but I'd already nailed down the sound in my notes with the Geek Out 1000/Avantree BTTC200X pairing. Most of my notes were written with the Avantree BTTC200X (Saturn) in transmitter mode hooked up with a Monoprice 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable. I found that the Avantree had a fuller sound in spite of not being able to confirm whether it has AptX or not whilst the Aukey BT-C1 was thinner sounding with more treble emphasis (has AptX low latency), but more convenient (it can transmit while charging, and the cable folds into the unit).
 
I listened to a variety of genres from classical to rock to rap and places between on the spectrum. I compared the M05 to the Havit I8, and to its elder twin the Meelectronics Matrix 2. If the Matrix 2 is considered a game changer, consider Matrix’s game over. The Ausdom M05 reset the clock and started it over.
 
I will now take you through the musical journey to fratricide. Before starting the journey I left the M05 overnight cooking with Neapolitan noise—that’s  pink, white, and brown noise—interspersed with digital silence off of Ayre Acoustics – Irrational But Efficacious and Binkster Audio – Test CD.
 
I started my journey listening at work with the Geek Out 1000. The Geek Out 1000 is pretty neutral with a bit of a metallic sheen on some of the treble presentation, it worked well with the M05 and the Avantree BTTC200X. I started out with some 2Pac in 16/44.1 to get me some bass on. Keep Ya Head Up was clean, with good sounding bass that was a little loose. 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted  had nice airiness and separation with the ethereal tones weaved into the track making their heavenly presence known. Backup vocals on the track were a touch forward but pleasant.
 
Shifting to some female vocals I threw on 9Bach to get my daily dose of Welsh. If you didn’t know that you needed a daily dose of Welsh, you haven’t listened to 9Bach. I discovered 9Bach through Bowers & Wilkins’ Society of Sound—worth every penny, go get it.  The Tincian album won BBC 2’s best folk album award—it deserves it. Listening to 9Bach – Lliwiau.  Lisa Jên Brown’s vocals are heavenly with a little bit of added weight from the M05, but never heavy or thick. The sound from the M05 is smooth but still maintains some texture. There is lots of air around the percussion (sticks) and they sound very distinct. On 9Bach – Llwnog (a fantastic test track) the bass is really grooving, the percussion is 3-dimensional with nice clean separated hand drums, triangle, wind chimes, and cabasa. I still note some looseness in the bass.
 
In general, the instrument separation is really good on these. These don’t sound like $50 headphones (amazon.com rough price at time of receipt). The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd sounded as they should, with a tiny bit of thickness on Roger Waters’ vocals. When listening to Father John Misty and Anamanaguchi I notice that the mids are bit forward, which is good because I dig that sound. I threw on Art Brut and reveled in the forward ‘vocals’ of Eddie Argos ‘talking to the kids.’ The vocals were engaging and the drums sounded very natural on My Little Brother. The layering and separation were excellent on Brand New Girlfriend. Maternity Ward had superb 3d imaging.
 
At this point in listening I wanted to see how a different source sounded. I dropped my Note 2 down on the desk and paired the old battered white phablet up to the M05. One of the reasons I got the Note 2 was because I’d heard good things about the Wolfson DAC hanging out inside it here on HeadFi. It doesn’t sound like it has a good DAC through the Bluetooth connection. It was touch muffled sounding and I had my signal drop frequently where it hadn’t with the Avantree BTTC200X.
 
I found that the Aukey BT-C1 gave me similar performance to the Avantree, but with a bit thinner, more fragile sound. Listening with the Aukey BT-C1 gave me a little bit of listener fatigue. I think the BT-C1 has a little bit of treble emphasis, or makes the treble stand out more on the M05. With the Aukey BT-C1, I noticed that there was a touch of static in silent parts, especially at the end of tracks. It sounded like there was a shadow of music playing with a bit of transmission lag. This transmission lag was observable when I watched KUNIKO perform Xenakis – Peaux. Her movements were not even close to in time with the sound I was receiving, even using the low latency Apt X transmitter, the BT-C1.

 

Ausdom M05 vs. other headphones

Here are a couple brief comparisons of the M05 to other headphones:
 
Vs. V-Moda XS The XS is darker with a more closed in presentation. The bass is less focused even though the emphasis is on the low end. The XS can really slap the bass.
 
Vs. Havit I8 The I8 is warm and smooth. Comparitively the bass is turned way down vs. the M05.
 
Vs. MeElectronics Matrix 2 The headphones are far more similar than different, which is expected since they are both made by Ausdom, share the same features, and the same appearance. The Matrix 2 is a bit more forward sounding with a brighter character. The Meelectronics was $40 more at time of listening, and unless you really love the case and would pay $40 for it, you’d be crazy to pick the Matrix 2 over the Ausdom. I found the Ausdom a touch closer to neutral, though it does have a slight v-shape to my ears. Though I like the case that comes with the MeElectronics Matrix 2, I don’t $40 love it. At time of writing, I've heard that the Matrix 2 will be phased out (there was a deal on Massdrop at time of writing). Tyll Herstens put the Matrix 2 on Inner Fidelity's Wall of Fame, and the Ausdom M05 is equal but slightly different to the Matrix 2.

 

Ausdom and mid-bass bleed, EQ

There have been other reviews on Head-Fi for these. I think I’m the last of the selected reviewers to post a review. I’ve read other reviewers and digested comments about the midbass bleed on these. This is what I think. I heard some looseness in the bass, but I didn’t like what I got when I turned down the levels on the midbass to recommended levels, it felt like the soul had been sucked out of the music. It was more dry and clinical, and not really my thing. I advise that people try them stock and try them with the EQ recommended in Brooko’s review. I preferred them stock but appear to be in the minority.
 

Conclusions

For its price, this headphone is stacked with features, good form and function, has a 3-dimensional engaging sound, gets good battery life, can be ran in cabled mode, and has good Bluetooth functionality. I found that the quality of my source mattered quite a bit, and that different transmitters affected the sound signature. If you are in the States and can get the ridiculous bargain price on Amazon, go do it. Buy some as gifts while you’re at it. Bluetooth doesn’t just sound passable with these, it sounds genuinely great and it should be shared. As Love-a-lot Bear says, “Sharing is caring.”

 
 

INTRODUCTION

Okay. Who out there's heard of AUSDOM? Many hands raised? I thought not. I hadn't heard of them until they reached out to the Head-Fi community with a review opportunity for their M05 Apt-X Bluetooth headphones. The Bluetooth products I've tried have been pretty hit or miss with respect to connection and quality. Would the AUSDOM's M05 fare better? I was curious, so I signed up and was lucky enough to be chosen as a reviewer. Thanks AUSDOM!
 
So who exactly are AUSDOM? Well, they're a general tech company, making headphones, IEM, speakers, home security cameras, webcams, car DVRs, chargers, and cables. Their website has been in existence since 2005. Who knew?
 
Here's a bit more about them from their About Us page:
 
Focusing on product development and innovation, AUSDOM designs products with best customer experience so that each user can enjoy life with simple and smart technology. For each product, our designers and engineers will carefully study the user's habits, and use their creativity and experience to provide the consumers with convenient, efficient and valuable products. Every AUSDOM product is made with care, every detail counts to impress our customers. Giving our customers the perfect experience has always been AUSDOM’s goal. The recognition of our customers and their suggestions are our driving force.
AUSDOM is a team dedicated to design. They are not afraid to follow their dream. We advocate for innovation and Internet culture, we adhere to international perspective. We share the convenience of the Internet. We facilitate our customers’ life by bringing intelligent and convenient products in their life.

We are consumer-centric. We establish a system with ecosystem values: focus, equality, freedom, openness, sharing and win-win. We hope that we can all grow, progress and have fun in work and in life.



Here are some useful links for you to check out before or after the review. I especially recommend checking out the link to @Brooko's measurements. I found this very helpful when setting up an EQ correction for the M05. Thanks @Brooko!

1. AUSDOM's Website: LINK.
2. AUSDOM's M05 Page: LINK.
3. AUSDOM M05 Thread: LINK.
4. @Brooko's Comparative Measurements: LINK.

 
 

DISCLAIMER

There is no financial incentive from AUSDOM for writing this review. I am in no way affiliated with AUSDOM, and this is my honest opinion of the M05  I would like to thank AUSDOM for giving me a chance to test drive the M05, and I hope my feedback proves useful for my fellow Head-Fi members as well as for AUSDOM.
 
 

ABOUT ME

I'm a 43 year old father who loves music. While I listen mostly to electronic and metal these days, I do listen to a wide variety of music - from electronic (Autechre, Boards of Canada) to modern/minimalist composition (John Cage, Philip Glass) to alternative rock (Flaming Lips, Radiohead) to jazz (John Coltrane and Miles Davis) to metal (Behemoth, King Diamond) to classic rock (Eagles, Rush).  
 
I'm primarily a portable audio enthusiast. My portable music journey started with the venerable Sony Cassette Walkman and then progressed to portable CD players, minidisc recorders (still have my Sharp DR7), and finally on to DAPs like the Rio Karma, iRiver IHP-1xx, iPod 5.5, iPhones, and the newer crop of DAPs from Fiio and iBasso. Being a portable audio enthusiast, I typically listen with IEMs but am enjoying listening with full-size headphones and desktop gear more and more.
 
As with a lot of people my age, I've got some hearing issues.  I've got mild tinnitus and suffer from allergies, which can affect hearing in my right ear. I'll admit it, I'm not blessed with a pair of golden ears.  That said, I've been listening to portable gear for a long time and feel confident in assessing audio gear - just wanted to be transparent up front.


 
 

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Drivers: Dynamic, 40mm
2. Rated Impedance: 32Ω
3. Sensitivity: 91dB ±3dB @ 1mW
4. Frequency Range: 20Hz ~ 20kHz
5. Rated Power: 20mW
6. Mic: Omni-Directional
7. Bluetooth: 4.0 with APT-X Support
8. Wireless Range: 10m
9. Battery Life: 20 Hours
10. Standby: >250 Hours
11. Charge Time: 2-3 Hours
12. MSRP: $160 (On Sale For ~$46 on Amazon)

 

 

PACKAGING & ACCESSORIES

As usual, I'll go over the packaging and accessories in pictorial format.
 
FRONT

 
REAR

 
ACCESSORIES

 
 
In all, you get

1. M05 Headphones
2. Storage Pouch
3. 1.2m Cable
4. USB Cable (not pictured)
5. User Manual

The external packaging is attractive enough. I do wish AUSDOM included the specs on the outside of the box instead of buried in very small print in the User Manual inside the box. Inside the box, the M05 are packed in a plastic insert. I'd prefer a more eco-friendly insert. It'd give the M05 unboxing experience a more upscale feel.
 
Accessories are pretty sparse, but honestly what more do you need? The cable is pretty thin and doesn't inspire confidence. Given the M05's excellent Bluetooth performance, it's not something I think I'd ever touch unless the M05's battery ran out - and that's not very likely. The mesh storage pouch provides a thin layer of protection. It's enough to keep the M05 scratch-free, but it's not going to prevent them from getting crushed so be careful where you pack them if traveling.
 
 

BUILD & ERGONOMICS

As usual, I'll walk through the various design and ergonomic features of the M05 in pictorial format below, pointing out what I like and where I see room for improvement.
 
OUTSIDE

 
You can see the design and features here. Moving around the Left cup from front to back, you find the mic module, power, volume -, volume +, and 3.5mm jack. Moving around the Right cup from front to back, you have FFWD, Play/Pause, REW, and USB charging port. There are a lot of buttons packed into a small space, but I've found it to be pretty manageable. Note the tactile raised dots on the volume +/- and FFWD/REW buttons. I really like that and wish the Power and Play/Pause buttons had those, as well. The headphone jack is in an odd place, but as noted above you're not buying these to use them wired, are you? If so, you should just look at wired headphones.
 
Design-wise, I like the matte black rubberized finish on the cups, arms, and lower headband. I didn't snap a picture, but the inner band is metal, so you can bend the headband a bit to adjust the fit. I needed to do this, making the headband a bit narrower to accommodate the shape of my head. I don't personally like the carbon fiber design on the cups and top of the headband. Real carbon fiber is okay, but fake carbon fiber? Nope, not for me. I'd much rather AUSDOM has used the same matte black rubberized finish for the whole cups and the top of the headband. That's just me and my aesthetic taste. Of course, your tastes may be different. Maybe you'll really like the carbon fiber look. 
 
INSIDE

 
Headband and ear cup padding is adequate for comfortable wearing for extended periods. My small-ish ears fit inside nicely, but they do just touch the drivers. It's not enough to bother me, but I do feel thicker pads would help. If you're sensitive to this, these might not be the headphones for you.
 
FRONT / BACK


Not much to say here, just showing you what they'll look like from the front and back.
 
To sum up, while I mostly like the design, I do think a few changes would make this an even better headphone. Thicker pads would help keep ears from touching the drivers. 
 
SOUND
FYI: I mainly listen to experimental electronic and metal and mainly used those genres to evaluate the M05, along with a bit of classic rock thrown in for good measure. I used the M05 primarily via Bluetooth out of my iPhone and MacBook Pro. 
 
So what does AUSDOM say about the M05? Descriptors used on the AUSDOM's M05 page are Deep Bass, Rich Bass, Powerful Sound, Crystal-Clear Vocals, High Fidelity, and 3D Surround Sound. How does the M05 live up to those descriptors? It certainly lives up to the descriptors about strong, powerful bass. High-fidelity and crystal-clear vocals? Not so much.
 
At first, I used the M05 a lot for listening to my current audiobook, The Brother Initiate by Sean Russell. The M05 sounded great, enhancing my experience by giving the narrator's voice a deep rich tone. Good so far.
 
Then I watched the first two episodes of Badlands. Hey, it was recommended to me because I watch The Walking Dead. While it sounded good, don't bother watching the show. Not so good...
 
Finally, I listened to some music while I was watching dishes with my two wee boys wreaking havoc in the house. Not too shabby. I was impressed so far with these. 
 
So when I went on the M05 thread to report in and saw @Brooko mention heavy mid-bass and muffled vocals, I was a bit taken aback. So I waited until the boys were in bed and listened in a quiet environment. And as usual, @Brooko was spot on. The vocals were masked and sounded a bit hollow. I applied an EQ curve he suggested and found it really cleared up the vocals a lot, but I felt it also took away some of the character that AUSDOM was going for with the M05. Gone was the fun bass, replaced by a more balanced sound signature. So I played around with the EQ settings until I found an EQ curve that I felt retained the M05's basic character, while bringing the vocals forward and making them sound less hollow. This took the M05 from a very bass-forward sound signature to a more tastefully done, fun, bass-enhanced signature with clear vocals and a smooth top end. I'd use this in noisier environments and experiment with cutting he bass even further in quiet environments.
 
Soundstage and placement is okay but can't keep up with my AKG K553 Pro. That's not surprising given the bass-forward sound signature with a smooth top end. It can be helped along by cutting the bass and increasing upper mids and treble.
 
Here are the basic EQ settings I found worked well with the M05, keeping the fun, bassy sound while making them sound more clear. Feel free to experiment here. And again, I must mention that @Brooko deserves credit for laying a very solid foundation for the following EQ curve.
 
15-Band EQ Settings
-1dB @ 63H
-2dB @ 100H
-3dB @ 160H
-2dB @ 250H
-1dB @ 400H
+1dB @ 1k
+2dB @ 1.6k
+2dB @ 2.5k
+1dB @ 4k
 
Further decreasing the bass valley to -6dB leans these up quite a bit for listening in quieter environments or for those of you are bass-shy.
 

ISOLATION: It's a bit below my AKG K553 Pro. It's okay, but I do find myself needing to raise the volume a bit when my boys are knocking bao
 
POWER REQUIREMENTS: With the stock Music app on my iPhone, 3-5 clicks is a normal listening volume. 6-7 is getting loud. 8-9 is pretty loud. Beyond that, and your ears might be ringing a bit. 
 
 
BATTERY LIFE
AUSDOM claims 20 hours of music or talk time. I've got to say, I think it must be much longer than that. I charged these once when I first received them a couple weeks ago, have listened to a lot of my audiobook, watched a few hour-long tv shows, and quite a bit of music, and they're still going strong. In fact, I've been listening to them while editing the pics for this review and while writing it, and the Bluetooth battery indicator on my iPhone looks like it's still at 90%. It's barely moved at all since I first charged them, and these have had lots of use. It's absolutely insane. Either the battery indicator on my iPhone is way off, or AUSDOM uses the most conservative battery life estimates I've ever encountered. Simply amazing!
 
 
BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth performance is equally stellar. Pairing was simple, and once paired the M05 stay locked on like a bloodhound. @iancraig10 mentioned placing his Bluetooth receiver in his house and using the M05 while wandering around his garden. I tried a similar test. I paired the M05 up with my iPhone, placed my iPhone in the middle of my house on street level, walked outside, shut the door, and started walking down the street. From past experience with Bluetooth devices, I didn't expect it to work once I left the house. Nope, I walked past my next door neighbor's house. Still going strong. I walked past the next house. Still going strong. Halfway through the next house, the signal finally cut out. I started walking back, and the M05 picked up again once I got to my next door neighbor's house. I was simply stunned with the range on these. Great job AUSDOM!
 
 
 
SUMMARY
So what do I think of the M05? I like the basic design and rock-solid Bluetooth performance but am not enamored with the aesthetic choices. Sound is a mixed-bag. If you use these primarily in noisy environments and/or like a bass-forward sound signature, you might find the stock sound satisfactory. If you're listening in quieter environments and/or like a more balanced sound, you're going to want to take some time to play with EQ settings until you hone in on the right EQ curve for you. Is it a deal-breaker? Depends on your attitude towards EQ. After playing around with EQ settings on @Brooko's recommendation, these aren't a pair of headphones I'd be likely to use without EQ. Luckily, I've got a few apps on my iPhone with really good EQ modules. My streaming app, Deezer, also has an EQ module. It's admittedly very simple, but I quickly honed in on an EQ setting there that cleared up the M05 nicely. So if you're not afraid to EQ, you might want to give these a shot. If you're an EQ hater, pass these on by unless you love bass. 
 
I feel my rating of these deserves a little explanation. Stock sound is not stellar, but with EQ it's quite passable. Combine that with the extremely impressive battery life and Bluetooth performance, and I feel these are deserving of four stars. If I was rating them solely on sound and/or the battery life and Bluetooth performance weren't so good, I'd be rating these a 3-3.5. But man, the battery life and Bluetooth performance it's hard not to find thee a useful addition to your headphone arsenal!
 
I just want to point out that as of this review, these headphones are on sale for the unbelievably good price of ~$46 on Amazon. At that price, I can only recommend you grab up a pair and see if they're for you. Such a low price of entry for headphones with this high level of utility. Do yourself a favor and give them a shot.
 
I hope you found this useful and would like to give a hearty thanks to @Ausdom Audio for giving several members of the Head-Fi community a chance to review the M05. AUSDOM has proven they've got  a lot of potential. With a little more attention to tuning, they're going to have real winners on their hands!

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Greetings Head-fi!
 
Today we are going to be checking out the M05, a nifty Bluetooth offering from the folks at Ausdom.
 
Bluetooth headphones are not something I've had much experience with in the past (read: next to none) for a variety of reasons. Good ones have always been expensive and the convenience they offered has seemingly led to compromised sound quality in one way or another, or so I've read.
 
When Ausdom showed up on Head-fi looking for reviewers for their new M05 headphone, I dug around the web for reviews and impressions and found that they were getting pretty much unanimous praise for their sound quality. Not something you usually see attributed to a sub 100 USD Bluetooth headphone.
 
I also read the following statement on their website; "We are consumer-centric. We establish a system with ecosystem values: focus, equality, freedom, openness, sharing and win-win. We hope that we can all grow, progress and have fun in work and in life." Upon reading this, my interest was peaked and I expressed my desire for the opportunity to review the M05.
 
Since I was not chosen as one of the five reviewers for this particular product, I reached out to Grace about their S03 in-ear sports Bluetooth model. They were more in-line with my preferences (in-ear headphones) and I wanted to see if maybe I could be given the opportunity introduce them to the Head-fi community since there was zero coverage of them so far. They advised they were out of stock at their Canadian Amazon.ca store, and to my delight Grace hooked me up with the M05 instead. Wow! I cannot express enough my appreciation for the opportunity to review this awesome headphone, so thank you Grace and the crew at Ausdom.
 
Let's get started!
 
Disclaimer:
 
I was provided the M05 by Ausdom in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I am in no way affiliated with them, nor is there any financial gain for me from writing this. The pair reviewed was the second pair sent as the originals suffered from uncommonly bad driver flex and channel imbalance. This is the only instance of this issue I have seen mentioned, and expect it to be an isolated incident. The second pair experienced neither of these issues.
 
Packing and Accessories:
 
The M05 comes in pretty straightforward packaging with accessories appropriate to the headphone's cost. Within the simple black cardboard box you will find a plastic slide-out tray containing the headphones nestled within. Underneath the tray you find the instruction manual, a micro-usb charging cable and a second cable terminated in 3.5mm jacks for wired listening. The 3.5mm cable is pretty thin and lacks strain relief, so I don't expect it to last long if used often. This headphone also includes a soft carrying case. I quite like the material choice as it is very similar to the soft case provided with the RHA S500i, but a heck of a lot larger.
 

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Design:
 
Design is nearly as important as sound quality since I love to sit and digest all the little details that go into a product. The M05 suits me perfectly in this regard with a simple design that has tons of tiny details to get lost in.
 
The M05 is primarily constructed of plastic, but they neither look nor feel inexpensive. The matte finish of the plastic used has been extremely resilient and resistant to scratches and marks. The faux carbon fiber design on the headband and ear cups is well-done, and the headband is amply padded and very cushy. I particularly like that Ausdom carried over the headband material to the ear cups so they are pleasingly soft to the touch. The recessed logo is also a nice addition. It is great to see that Ausdom reinforced the headband with a very flexible steel strip so there is no worry of it snapping.
 
One area where I would like to see some improvement is with the placement of the audio controls. It can be a difficult to select the right button due to the way they are clustered, and as a result I found myself pausing when wanting to skip songs, or starting a phone call when trying to adjust volume. A simple solution to this problem would be to slide the power button a few millimeters forward on the ear cup so that it is more distinctly placed and separate from the volume controls. On the flipside, the forward/reverse buttons could be paired, and the play/pause button moved forward on the housing mirroring the new placement of the power button.
 
It would also be nice if the 3.5mm input was angled downwards so as not to put so much strain on the cable if you choose to use it. That or include a cable with a 90 degree jack instead.
 
Comfort:
 
The ear cups are large enough to enclose my entire ear, and they swivel and tilt with plenty of movement. This combined with low weight means the M05 is a very comfortable headphone. Clamping force is pretty low, and while they are sealed in the back there are 23 vent holes in the front. The M05 a low isolation headphone as a result.
 
Bluetooth:
 
Pairing the M05 is as easy and painless as it gets. Turn on your device's Bluetooth connection, hold the power button on the M05 until it turns on and says "ready for pairing". Find the M05 on your device (it will show up as Ausdom M05), select it, and there you go. I have yet to have the connection drop or be anything other than rock solid.
 
I used the M05 for quite a few phone calls, and never once had any complaints about being hard to hear, sounding too far away, external noise, or any other issues often levied at your typical microphone setups with mobile headphones.
 
Battery:
 
Ausdom has loaded the M05 with a 400 mAh battery, and rates it's life as follows:
 
Standby - 250 hours
Talking/Playing - 20 hours
Charging - 2 to 3 hours
 
I have to say that these numbers are pretty accurate, except possibly standby time. I haven't had the opportunity to test that one and will take Ausdom's word that 250 hours is accurate. Mine charges in just over two hours from my pc's USB port and listening to music it lasts closer to 22 hours. I am a low volume listener which I suspect helps extend the battery life a fair bit. Don't mistake this for the M05 being quiet, because it definitely isn't. It can easily achieve ear-splitting volumes.
 

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Sound Quality:
 
The M05 is undeniably a strong performer in the fields of Bluetooth connectivity, design, and comfort, but how do they sound?
 
I find the general signature of the M05 to be fairly bass heavy with slightly recessed mids and prominent, but not exaggerated treble. Sub bass extension was much deeper than I was expecting, and doesn't roll off early; u-shaped with a nod towards bass tones. The M05 is fairly clean and detailed, but mid bass is boosted to the point where it interferes with the quality of the mids and muffles the overall sound somewhat. They also run into some echo/hollowness, possibly caused by the lack of insulation within the ear cup.
 
That said, when you are out and about and using them as a wireless headphone, the mid bass boost is very welcome and the hollowness disappears. I generally find that low isolation headphones suffer out in public as the bass is drowned out by external noise and you have to increase the volume to bring it back. Not so with the M05. Their mid bass makes up for the low isolation and as a result they end up sounding reasonably balanced across the entire signature. For critical listening in the comfort of your home, flaws in the M05's stock tuning stick out, but in general they are a fun headphone that the majority of listeners would be pretty happy with.
 
Luckily, this headphone is quite receptive to equalization. With some adjustments you can clean up the mid bass and turn the M05 into a great sounding product. Check out reviews from @brooko (the detail...just mind boggling) and @nmatheis for their EQ suggestions which transform the M05 into something truly special.
 
I also spent some time messing around with different ear pads, swapping out the stock pair for those from the JVC HA-S500. While comfort was significantly hindered due to the pads being smaller and shallower, sound quality improved greatly. Mid bass presence dropped, treble gained some additional shimmer, and mids cleared up. If you have a variety of pads to experiment with and eqing isn't your thing, this might be your golden ticket to making the M05 more suitable for your sound preferences.
 
Comparing wired versus wireless performance, I really didn't hear much of a difference. Maybe things are a tad cleaner and tighter when running them wired, but the difference is pretty much negligible.
 
Overall:
 
For a basic ~50 USD over-ear headphone the M05 is a solid performer and could give many more established brands a run for their money. For a ~50 USD wireless Bluetooth headphone with excellent battery life, rock solid Bluetooth performance, wonderful build quality, and good sound that can easily be improved with some equalization, I'm sure you would be hard pressed to find anything better in this category.
 
I went into this with fair expectations and left very impressed with the overall experience. Ausdom could make some minor ergonomic and usability tweaks, and tone down the mid-bass to improve the overall sound quality, but as-is the M05 is a complete steal and comes highly recommended from me. If in the market for an over-ear Bluetooth headphone with call-taking capabilities, don't pass over the Ausdom M05. You might be surprised.
 
Thanks for reading, and thanks again to Ausdom for giving me the opportunity to review the M05.
 
 
- B9Scrambler
 
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Some Test Albums:
 
BT - This Binary Universe
The Uncluded - Hokey Fright (definitely an experience)
Supertramp - Crime of the Century
Evil Nine - They Live
Aesop Rock - Daylight EP
Gramatik - The Edge of Reason
Infected Mushroom - The Legend of the Black Shawarma
King Crimson - Red
Warlock - Triumph and Agony
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Hail Mary Mallon - Are You Gonna Eat That?
Rob Sonic - Alice in Thunderdome
 
Some useful links:
 
Ausdom's website
Amazon US
Amazon Canada
 

INTRODUCTION:
On any given day, I am asked what headphones someone should buy. The answer always starts the same; “Depends”. Because the answer is never the same for any one person. Some people are ready to throw their wallets at the purchase to get the best of the best. But often times this isn’t the best choice. Sometimes a great pair of headphones is hiding just under our nose, like a restaurant that only locals know about.
This is where the Ausdom M05 fills a gap for me. Is it the best pair I have ever listened to? No. But for the low cost and high versatility, it is one of the best value headphones you can buy. Bluetooth, long battery life, and a great sound signature out of the box makes the Ausdom M05 a contender for many people’s cash. Let’s take a deeper look into just what this hidden gem has to offer.
PACKAGING AND IN THE BOX:
Like many inexpensive headphones out there, the box is not particularly noteworthy. It comes in a black cardboard box. The box shows some detailed specs of the headphones on the back in several languages. On the front it clearly labels the key features which are as follows:

1. Hands-Free
2. Deep Bass
3. High Sensitivity
4. Stereo Wireless

Although there are many more features to the headphones, these do hit some key points. The headphones are set in a molded plastic tray with the accessories underneath. You will find the manual, a mesh carrying bag, the USB cable, and finally the 3.5mm aux cable used for wired connections.
BUILD QUALITY/DESIGN:
The majority of the M05 body is a soft matte black plastic, however the size adjustments seem to be metal with plastic teeth to hold position. The adjustments seem very tight, and despite adjusting them quite often they still maintain the same tightness, which is pleasing. The cups also rotate and pivot to match the heads curve. Pivoting freely moves without issue, but the rotation can be a bit tough to adjust making it sometimes difficult to get a perfect seal without fidgeting with the rotation.
The padding on both the cups and the band are incredibly nice and soft. They give no particular pressure points that cause me to get sore while listening. My ears only just brush the inner walls of the cups, definitely not enough to cause a soreness. On both sides of the headphones you have symmetrical 3 button layout on the bottom of the cups. On the left you have Power, Volume down, and Volume Up. On the right, you have skip track, play/pause, and previous track. You also have the mic and 3.5mm jack on the left side and the charging port on the right under a weathercap.
After spending a few weeks putting these headphones through their paces, I only have a few complaints. The markings for left vs right side are only shown in the black plastic exterior which is not the easiest to spot. I am also not a fan of the button placement on the device as I still haven’t been able to remember all button locations by memory.
The ports of the headphones (Aux jack for 3.5mm or power port) are not the most high quality in the world. But seem sturdy enough that I’m not worried about the future of the product. Overall I am very happy with the quality of the build, especially considering the low price tag. But the important thing is, how does it sound?
THE SOUND:
While the sound is of course my opinion based on my experiences, I find that my findings seem to mirror that of others reports. I don’t pretend to be an expert, nor do I have the level of knowledge to provide or explain graphs to you. Instead, I will explain just what I have found using the headphones through various tracks and sources.
The sound in general is a V-shape, warm, with a strong bass. If you are not much for a deep bass, the standard sound may not be for you. The sound signature lends itself well to punchy rock and R&B quite well (Such as Bruno Mars’ Runaway and Gorilla).  But it did seem to hurt other genres where the bass would mud up other portions of the recording.(See Blake Shelton – Nobody but me)
Toning down the Bass and lows with a bit of EQing really brought this pair to life for me. This will fix any bleed over into other parts of the track and really make the mids come back into play. While I was happy enough with the default signature, the slight EQ really made me enjoy these headphones quite a bit.
What I do find abnormal is usually when a set of headphones have a powerful low end it seems to sacrifice the sparkle and extension of the high end. While it is not exactly perfect. The sound signature lends itself to giving that high end even with the un-EQ’d sound.
In general, I was happy with the un-EQ’d sound. But once a bit of tinkering was done, the sound had me entranced. After a bit of testing I found that unlike many Bluetooth headphones, using the 3.5mm headphone jack provides a seemingly identical sound signature, making tuning the audio very easy for both options. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the headphones, especially with the price.
OTHER THINGS:
Microphone works as advertised, nothing special here. It is a handy feature to have for calls and such. Pairing the device is very simple. Turning on the device and holding the power button will have it enter the pairing mode. During which, the headphones will speak to you (I.E. “Power On, Power Off, Entering Pairing Mode”). This makes the process of pairing the device very simple.
Bluetooth audio can sometimes have a lag between video and audio due to the compression and de-compression of the audio. However, with the M05 and the AptX technology, this does not seem to be the issue. The audio is synced perfectly to videos without issue.
Range is listed as 10 meters, which I find seems to be a very conservative number. In real life I am able to get closer to 15-20 meters. But your mileage may vary. What was particularly amazing to me was the battery life on these, reaching between 18-22 hours of real playtime before re-charging, with standby time peppered in there as well. This was fairly consistent throughout the several weeks of testing. While I did not test charge time, most report about 2.5-3 hours, Which seems very acceptable for the length of charge you get.
Isolation on the M05 is not exactly perfect, but with music playing background noise is either indistinguishable or very low at best. I even had to use these to go to the gym for some rowing/elliptical time when I forgot my IEM’s. I was surprised that in the noisy cardio room I could really only hear my music. Granted, the volume was set to a decently high level.
CONCLUSION:
So does the M05 make the cut? Ausdom has created an underdog. A high quality Bluetooth headset for very little cost that outshines brand name headphones without a second thought. Is it a perfect headset? No. There are some small gripes I have, such as the button layout, or the need to EQ them a bit to get the best sound. But overall, the sound is fantastic, the build quality is durable and still stylish. I believe Ausdom has found a way into my heart and into my inventory, as this will be my new goto Bluetooth!
Equipment used:
DAP – FiiO X1(wired connections), Lumia 1520, Asus Zenfone 2
AMP/DAC – FiiO Q1 (Wired)
Songs – Bruno Mars – Gorilla, Bruno Mars – Runaway, Blake Shelton – Nobody but me, Panic! At The Disco – Hallelujah, Noah Guthrie – Death of Me

Sound quality persist as all reviews say, I dont regret of buying this pair of headphones, sadly band joints were the first part in getting broken (I'm a bighead) so I fixed it with plastic belts (black could be better). Aux cable is not durable as you can see in the photo the rubber cover is broken due to the position of regular use. Something that really anoyed me was the blue light so I covered it with a little piece of paper.



I used them traveling and on street just once. They are so comfortable that are easy to fall specially if you're in a hurry, the sealing is not good but blocks enough to be unable to hear normal sounds on street. Not enjoyable, besides, for home/gaming/office use they are perfect

My bluetooth setup (when I used them in bluetooth mode) was a Xperia xz5 compact with aptx and Pebble Time steel for the tracks control, never had issues, never run out of battery too.

INTRODUCTION

The one piece of gear I’d been extremely interested in, but still hadn’t found, is a decent portable wireless headphone or earphone.  I’ve tried some decent sounding earphones over the last year, but they’ve all had issues – with either Bluetooth cut-outs, or battery life, or comfort, or sonics.
 
So when I started seeing comments about a new player in the market, I approached Ausdom, to ask if it would be possible to get one of their units for review.  Grace contacted me back and suggested they would be arranging a review thread – where 5 chosen reviewers would have a chance of listening to a pair, and providing feedback.  I duly applied, and was lucky enough to be chosen.
 
I received the M05 two weeks ago, and have used them a lot – at home, out and about, and at work. I’ve also had others try them, so I could get others opinions. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the M05, and it has given me a new appreciation on how good Bluetooth can be.  To find out more – read on.
 
ABOUT AUSDOM
 
Ausdom is owned by Shenzhen Ausdom Cloud Technology (a Chinese based company specialising in IP Surveillance equipment and systems). Their main product lines at this time are in two main lines – IP cameras (both fixed and automobile based), and also audio solutions (predominantly Bluetooth / wireless headphones, but also Bluetooth speakers).
 
With more than 10 years in the Wireless IP business, Ausdom have a lot of experience with the management and development of high quality video products, and fortunately for audio enthusiasts that also extends to wireless technology. Ausdom have 6 R&D teams at their disposal, and this includes more than 60 professional innovative designers and engineers – and it really does shine through in the M05.
 
From the Ausdom website:
For each product, our designers and engineers will carefully study the user's habits, and use their creativity and experience to provide the consumers with convenient, efficient and valuable products. Every AUSDOM product is made with care, every detail counts to impress our customers. Giving our customers the perfect experience has always been AUSDOM’s goal. The recognition of our customers and their suggestions are our driving force.
AUSDOM is a team dedicated to design. They are not afraid to follow their dream.
 
And I really like their by-line / company slogan – because it does seem to capture their ethos (from the limited time I’ve had with Ausdom so far):
Enjoy Smart Life
 
And isn’t that ultimately what we’d all like to do?
 
DISCLAIMER
 
I was provided the Ausdom M05 as a review unit. I have no other association or affiliation with Ausdom.  I do not make any financial gain from this review – it is has been written simply as my way of providing feedback both to the Head-Fi community and also Ausdom, themselves.
 
I have now had the Ausdom M05 since early December.  Price on Amazon at the current time of writing this review is just under USD 47.00
 
PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'.   (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)
 
 
Over the last two weeks – I’ve used the Ausdom M05 both wired and wireless from a variety of sources, but for main body of this review, I’ve used it primarily with both my iPhone 5S (wireless Bluetooth) and Fiio X3ii combined with the E11K amp (wired). In the time I have spent with the Ausom M05, I have noticed no change in the overall sonic presentation.  Listening time with the M05 would now be around 40-45 hours (I’ve just started my third full charge)
 
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 Ausdom M05 arrived in a black, but relatively compact retail box measuring 185 x 215 x 55 mm. This was my first inkling as to how compact this headphone is. On the front of the box is a side-on image of the M05, and aptX/CSR logo, the Ausdom company name/logo (in silver), and 4 lines of white text explaining the main points of the head-set:
 

1. Hands-free
2. Deep Bass
3. High Sensitivity
4. Stereo Wireless

 
The sides simply mention compliance with the Bluetooth 4.0 standard and hint at the long life lithium battery. The rear has the main features and also box contents – in 6 main languages. Missing is the actual specifications (they are in the manual) – personally I would prefer to have these included on the box itself.
 
 
 
Opening the retail outer you are greeted with a simple grey plastic formed tray, with the M05 nestled safely inside. At first glance the M05 looks really amazing – I definitely like the aesthetics. Underneath the grey tray is a mesh carry bag, the USB charging cable, a 1.5m 3.5-3.5mm connection cable for wired listening, and a small operating manual/booklet. The charging cable is fairly generic but well-built and reasonably supple.  The mesh bag is actually quite thick and much stronger than it looks.  It closes with a draw-string, and because of the overall build of the M05, I’ve had no qualms about using the mesh carry case, with the M05 folded flat inside, and then just taking it with me in my lap-top bag.
 

 
The 1.5m cable for wired use is again fairly generic looking, quite thin, but very non-microphonic. It’s not one I’d trust for long term use – but let’s face it you’re going to be using the Bluetooth anyway.  The good news is that it is available in a pinch (if the battery flattens), and even better, the sonics between wired and wireless sound the same to me (no difference at all).
 
The manual is in small booklet form, printed in six languages, and covers pretty much everything you need to know for operating the M05 – from pairing, through to LED status lights and button controls.
 
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
 
(From Ausdom)
 
FREQUENCY GRAPH
 
The graph below is generated by a new measuring system I’m trialling – using the Vibro Veritas and ARTA software.  I don’t have the calibration for the microphone 100% correct yet – but the graphs I am getting are relatively close to Innerfidelity’s raw data (when measuring IEMs). For measuring full sized headphones, I do not have a dummy head (I use my own crude hand-made rig), so what you are seeing is purely raw uncalibrated data with no HRTF adjustment or compensation.  I used these when trying to work out my EQ compensation, and they came in really handy.
 
 
So for the purposes of this review – the graphs are shown merely as a data point, and I have shown comparisons later in the review with other headphones I have so you can see comparative data.
What I’m hearing:

1. Full, clean and deep bass, a little more mid-bass than sub-bass, but with bass being the dominant feature of the default signature
2. Relatively clean and clear mid-range, but with some bass bleed into the lower mid-range
3. Reasonably good vocal clarity
4. Slight lift in upper mid-range which lends particularly well to harmonics with female vocalists
5. Relatively detailed treble – but somewhat masked by the dominant bass
6. Quite a V shaped default sound – but with the dominance of the bass comes some hollowness in the vocal area, and occasional stridency with female vocalists

 
BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN
 
I already hinted at how good the M05 looked when in its packaging – so let’s take a much closer look at the build. The build is predominantly black matt plastic, but with a metal inner headband strut which extends down to the cups and provides good stability.
 
The headband itself is nicely curved and extremely well padded with foam and pleather.  The padding is soft and for me the headband is distributed very evenly with no pressure points. The top has the same carbon fibre pattern as the earcups, and in my opinion, whoever designed these aesthetically knows what they are doing – they look really smart.  The carbon fibre print looks neither cheap nor tacky.
 

 
The arm extenders are very firm, and allow the cups to be extended a little over 2.5mm (or one inch) on either side. I’m just a shade under 6ft tall with a solid build, and with the extenders at 1 cm both sides I have a very comfortable fit. The L/R are on the outside of the arms, just below the swivel mechanism.  They are slightly raised (but same colour as the headband), so a little difficult to see – but the cable socket and microphone mesh is a dead giveaway on which cup is which (it is on the left).
 

 

The cup mechanisms swivel to allow the cups to be stored completely flat, but also angle slightly in the opposite direct to allow a perfect fit to any head shape.  They also swivel up and down on a gimbal/yoke arrangement. The cups are oval and have pleather pads over soft memory foam. The pads are definitely soft enough to be quite comfortable, but seem hardy enough to be durable.  They have an outer measurement of approximately 95mm x 75mm, and inner dimensions of 55mm x 35mm, and a depth of approximately 16-17mm.  For me, this means they are completely circumaural, although my ears do touch the inner walls of the cups. The pads are also replaceable – can be slipped on and off. The driver is protected by a thin mesh cover.
 
The outer cup is again matt plastic, but this time there is a soft carbon fibre pattern on the outer cup.  This is very tastefully done, and looks really smart with the matt black of the rest of the headphone, and also the same pattern on the headband.
 

 

On the left cup are controls for on/off (which also doubles for pairing), and volume up and down. The on/off button is smooth while the volume buttons have raised bumps for easy location.  My one preference change would be for the on/off button to be centrally located between the two volume buttons so that it is easier to locate up and down – but this is a minor nit-pick. The microphone is located toward the front of the left cup, and toward the back is the 3.5mm socket for the wired connection. My only gripe on build would be that while the socket is firm, there is no reassuring click on insertion of the jack, light but firm pressure will pull it out.  IMO the socket and jack need to be looked at for a more secure connection.
 
On the right hand cup at the rear is the micro USB charging port which has its own rubber protection cap (nice firm fit), and at the bottom of the headpiece are the buttons for play/pause, forward and back. The buttons are quite firm, with reassuring tactile feedback, and aside from taking a while to learn (locations), I’ve found them to be both sturdy and intuitive to use. Like the left hand cup, the right hand forward and back buttons have the raised bumps for unsighted location, while the play/pause central button is smooth.
 

 

When I first saw the M05 I was immediately reminded of the similarity in shape to my Bose QC25s. Impressions after two weeks are extremely good build, very nice looking, and for the current sub $50 price, far exceeding what you would expect from a head-set at this price.
 
 
FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION
 
Although the cups themselves are reasonably small, they are circumaural for me, and even after a couple of hours, I haven’t had any of that itchy / burning sensation of being too cramped for space.  The earpads are soft enough to create a good seal, and the ability to adjust on all access means finding a comfortable position to mould to my head has been easy. The headband is flat enough to avoid pressure points, and the padding is generous and comfortable. With their light weight, I find the Ausdom M05 to be extremely comfortable, and even wearing glasses I have no issues with too tight clamping.
 
 
As far as isolation goes, they are about average.  They isolate internally pretty well with very little leakage.  I can still hear a bit of ambient sound around me though – so I probably wouldn’t use these in high noise areas or in public transport.
 
HEADSET / COMMUNICATIONS
 
I’ve used the M05 for a couple of calls – one to my wife (who said that she found my voice to be a little distant), and one to a client – who said that I was pretty clear – she just had to turn her headset up a little at her end. The on head-set controls are pretty easy to use – a single press of the power button answers a call, and a single press again hangs up. Double tapping the on/off button allows you a quick redial.
 
PAIRING AND HEADSET CONTROLS
 
The general use of the media controls on the M05 is designed to be as simple as possible.  To turn the M05 on or off, simply hold the power button for a couple of seconds.  When pairing – make sure your source is in active Bluetooth mode, and continue holding the on/off button after you get the audible “power on” notification.  The blue LED (which is always lit when the M05 is powered) starts flashing red and blue.  At this stage look for the “Ausdom M05” listed as source in your Bluetooth menu, choose “pair” and you are up and running.
 
After that, operation couldn’t be easier. The buttons do exactly as advertised – play, pause, next previous.
 
 
The LED status indicator is always lit blue when active – apart from pairing or when the battery is starting to get low (it slowly flashes red).  During charging, it glows solid red, and you know charging is complete when the light goes out altogether.
 
On my iPhone 5S a battery indicator for the M05 is active in the status bar when connected – really handy.
 
Simple – yes.  Practical – yes. Anything missing – not for my needs.
 
BLUETOOTH PERFORMANCE  / BATTERY LIFE
 
The Bluetooth performance on the Ausdom M05 is nothing short of incredible.  The only dropouts I’ve had in two weeks have been when I exceeded the wireless range.  And the range is impressive.  Ausdom lists the effective range as 10m, but the consistent measured range I’ve had has been up to 18m before audio starts cutting out.  And that 18 metres is with 3 walls between me and the iPhone.  The M05 has (by a huge margin) the best connective stability I’ve ever experienced in a Bluetooth device.  This is one of the best features by far on the M05 – and something I’d only expect on a device costing many times more.  Even in high traffic areas, the signal remains solid. To say I am impressed does not even begin to cover how highly I rate the M05’s Bluetooth performance.
 
So what about battery life?  Again – impressive.  From my first full charge I achieved approximately 19 hours playtime / talktime – with some stand-by time on top.  So Ausdom have nailed it when they listed the up to 20 hour figure in their specifications.  The other really nice thing is that the charge time is pretty short – for me 2.5 hours using an adaptor and wall-wart. For a portable device, I haven’t seen much better.
 
POWER REQUIREMENTS
 
I’ve listed this mainly for the wired connection – which sounds exactly the same to me as the Bluetooth connection.  So if you are forced to use wired – fret not, your music quality will not suffer. From my iPhone 5S using the default music app and Dire Strait’s Sultans of Swing, 6 clicks (or about 1/3) was more than enough volume to have a good listening level.  So with Bluetooth inactive, the M05 are easy to power and won’t need additional amplification. For the record, I also tried the M05 with my usual test gear (Fiio X3ii + E17K) and there was no noticeable improvement or change – until you use EQ, but more on that in a minute.
 
SOUND QUALITY
 
So if I was marking the Ausdom M05 out of 100 up to this point, they would be in the high 90’s – practically perfect.  But here comes the crux – how do they sound?
 
The following is what I hear from the Ausdom M05.  YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline).  The first part of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my iPhone 5S connected via Bluetooth using the default music app and no EQ.
 
Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.
 
Thoughts on Default Signature
I covered some of this above when I posted the frequency graph.  If I was to describe the default signature, I would call it V shaped, bassy, warm, a little muddy, and a little strident at times in the mid-range.  It isn’t a signature I would gravitate to.  And although I got accustomed to the default signature over time, I can’t say I ever really enjoyed it (although it was pretty good with some genres).
 
Overall Detail / Clarity (Default)
Tracks used: Gaucho, Sultans of Swing
 
There is still a lot of mid-range detail present but the bass guitar dominates, and there is obvious bleed and masking of the lower mids. The usual detail (including cymbals and snare hits) is subdued, and tonally Mark sounds like he is singing in a tunnel (quite hollow sounding).  The guitar comes through clear – so there is a really nice mid-range hiding back there – but everything is masked unfortunately
 
Sound-stage & Imaging
Tracks used: Tundra, Dante’s Prayer, Let it Rain
 
The binaural track Tundra is my go to for testing sound-stage width, depth and imaging.  As expected with a closed headphone, the stage is relatively intimate and close – but imaging is largely OK (just muddied up by the dominant bass). All in all though, there are signs that all is not lost.  The M05 just needs a chance to let its mid-range shine.
 
With Dante’s Prayer again the overpowering bass is simply masking things.  Loreena’s vocals are actually pretty good, but there is a cloudiness present that is hiding the best parts of the track. The applause at the end of the track with a really good earphone / headphone can totally immerse me with a few select earphones.  With the M05 and its default signature, there is no involvement.
 
Last up was Let It Rain, and this time there is a really good holographic feel to it – it is naturally present in the recording, and the M05 sounds pretty good with this track.  The track is recorded relatively brightly – and this is really helping.  Again signs that beneath the bass, there is a very capable headphone.
 
Bass Quality and Quantity
Tracks used: Bleeding Muddy Water, Royals
 
I use Muddy Waters mainly to test for bass texture and mid-bass bleed. What I’m hearing is not good.  The bass is booming but it is one dimensional, very thick, and bleeds all over the vocals. Marks vocals are competing with the bass and they’ve lost their usual texture.  Too dark, too warm, and simply unengaging.
 
Next up was Lorde’s Royals – and it is a repetitive theme.  The M05 can hit stunningly low and with copious amounts of sub and mid bass – but there is just too much there.  Even Ella’s vocals sound “off”.
 
General Comments on Performance with Default Sonics
I thought I’d cut this short, because you’re going to get more of the same. With any recording I tried (male or female) with a warmer default sound, the M05 just sounded too dark for me. The bass clouded the vocals I am used to hearing, and the bleeding into the mid-range caused issues with stridency for some of my artists. The times the M05 sounded really good was with any music that was bass light or bass neutral, and recorded brighter than normal.  This included some of my older classic rock (10CC, Jethro Tull). Nils Lofgren’s acoustic guitar was pleasant but not outstanding.  Forget Jazz, Blues or Classical – all the detail and air is lost. I even struggled with electronic and trance.
 
At this stage if I was grading the M05 purely on default sonics – I’d honestly give them a 2/5.
 

 
So – what to do?  The simple fix is to remove the problem (mid-bass) – which shows both on my graphs and in testing.  So I used my measurement system and a system wide EQ programme to build an EQ to cut some of the mid-bass and let the mid-range and lower treble breathe. If you click on the images, you can see what I’ve used.
 
 
I then transferred similar settings to the Equaliser app on my iPhone 5S and reran my listening tests.  So without further adieu …….
 
EQUALISATION – THE M05 TRANSFORMED
 
 
Thoughts on EQ’d Signature
What a transformation.  The bass is still there, but this time the bleed is gone, and it has had a double effect of both allowing the mid-range to shine, and also removing most of the hollowness and stridency which was there formerly. The overall signature is far more balanced, and I think this will appeal to a far wider audience.  There is enough bass to allow impact, and to be fair, I’d probably take it back a smidge further for my own personal tastes – but for a wider audience this EQ should be a lot more appealing.  Gone is the dark, overpowering, hollow sounding default – and reborn is a nicely balanced, nicely detailed, and indeed lovely sounding earphone.
 
Back to Dire Straits, and this time the detail is present.  It’s still smooth, but this time Mark’s vocals are clean and clear, and I can hear the upper end detail.
 
Redoing my sound-stage tracks, and this time the imaging is spot-on.  The M05 still gives an intimate presentation, but directional cues are spot-on and there is a better sense of overall depth.
Bass still has impact, but Lannegan shows no sign of bleed any more, and Lorde’s Royals still has impressive low extension – but this time her vocals are allowed to shine sweet and clear.
 
So let’s continue under EQ and cover a few Genre topics
 
Female Vocals
Tracks used : Aventine, Strong, For You, Human, The Bad In Each Other, Howl, Safer, Light as a Feather, Don’t Wake me Up
 
What a change!
 
Female vocalists now are beautifully clear and have a hint of euphony in presentation, just the way I like them.  The vocals are able to come forward in the mix a little more, and this time the bass is a complimentary rather than a dominant feature.
 
In fact one of the standouts for me was Feist due to the contrast of dynamic bass and gorgeous vocal presentation. London Grammar’s Strong was captivating with just the right mix of vocals (love Hannah’s voice), and Norah covers the usual lushness and smoky sultry performance I could listen to for hours.
 
Male Vocals
Track used: Away From the Sun, Art for Art’s Sake, Diary of Jane, Hotel California, Keith Don’t Go, Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.
 
And there is no loss in male vocals with the new EQ either. 3 Doors Down is dynamic yet detailed, impactful, yet retaining a captivating mid-range & perfect mix of vocals and guitar.
My “go to” (Vedder) was simply sublime.  If this was the default signature – after listening to the entire Rear View Mirrror album (I got side-tracked OK) – I’d be giving these a perfect score.  They really are that good.
 
Other Genres
Everything I tried under EQ from this point was brilliant IMO. Practically every track I listened to from Alt Rock, to Jazz, Blues and Classical was delivered with brilliant balance and tonality. Jazz in particular (Portico Quartet) was excellent – especially the tonal contrast between cymbals and double-bass.
 
EDM hadn’t lost its appeal either after the bass cut, and Trip-Hop with Little Dragon, or Trance with AVB, was equally impressive.  Good bass, great detail, nothing overpowering – clarity and power makes for an addictive combination.
 
COMPARISON GRAPHS
 
I’ve included this section mainly so you can see a couple of comparative measurements using my crude system on other headphones.  It’s more to give anyone interested a look at comparative signatures so they can make more sense of the M05 graphs.
 
 

 
Above - M05 original vs the Brainwavz HM2, UE6000, and Momentum On Ear.  You can see how bassy the default signature of the M05 is - especially when you consider all of these closed headphones have slightly above neutral bass.
 

 
Just for interests sake - the M05 original vs the Brainwavz HM5, HD600 and AKG K553.  All of these cans are more neutral - some may consider them bass light.  There is a massive difference with the bass on the M05 however.
 

 
And this time we have the original M05 (red) with the EQ'd M05 (slight reduction - orange) - which really has a massive effect on the sound signature.  The purple setting is one I've used for a while (much bigger bass reduction), and one I like a lot - but I feel that others may find a little light on the bass.  Personally the orange (closer to Nick's settings) are good - but I think the best setting would be somewhere between orange and purple. 

AUSDOM M05 – SUMMARY

First up I want to take the chance to thank Grace from Ausdom for giving me the opportunity to try the M05. I’d also like to shout out to some fellow Head-Fiers – especially Nick and Ian – for assisting with their thoughts on EQ.  I believe between us, we got a pretty good mix.
 
Ausdom have given us a bit of a paradox with the M05. If you look at build, comfort, connectivity, battery life and looks – then they are as close to perfect as I have seen in any other portable wireless headphone, and handily beat most wired ones as well.  Yes they really are that good.
 
But the default sonics – for me anyway – are not good.  They’ve made the common mistake of over-doing the bass, and despite the fact that the M05 really does have a glorious mid-range, it is masked by a pretty much monotonous, boomy and dark mid-bass which sadly covers most of the good sonic points of the headphone.
 
However, with EQ the M05 is truly transformed to a beautifully balanced, coherent, and wonderful sounding portable headphone which I would buy in an instant if this was the default – and I’d be prepared to pay a lot more than the asking price too. For the last 3-4 days I have used the M05 with newly EQ’d signature every day, and it has become my preference due to the combination of EQ’d signature and ease of use.
 
 
So how do you rate the M05 given its Jeckyll & Hyde nature? I have to look at it logically, so for build, connectivity, battery life, value (cost) and aesthetics it is almost a perfect score.  For default signature – despite it’s good points – overall I’d rate the M05 as a 2.5.  Under EQ it is an easy 4.5 if not a 5. So the logical mark is a 3.5.
 
Thoroughly recommended if you are open to EQ (and if you are using an iPhone look into the Equaliser app).
 
I really look forward to what Ausdom brings us I future.
 
RECOMMENDATIONS TO AUSDOM
 
This is pretty simple Grace – cut the mid-bass and you have a wonderful sounding headphone.  I’d also like to see the wired jack and socket have a little more solid click / connection. And finally – keep doing what you are doing – the Bluetooth on the M05 is in a class of its own.