Bluedio T4

Firstly I would like to thank Gearbest for this sample, they have been used for over 50hrs before writing this review.

*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective findings.

Gear Used: Audio Opus #2 > T4s



Tech specs:
Connecting interface: 3.5mm,Type-C
Connectivity: Wired and Wireless
Driver unit: 57mm
Frequency response: 15Hz~25KHz
Driver type: Dynamic
Impedance: 16ohms
Music Time: 16h
Plug Type: 3.5mm,USB Type-C
Sensitivity: 116dB
Standby time: 650h
Talk time: 16h

Buy HERE

Packaging, Build quality and Accessories:
The T4s come in a matte black box with a picture of the headphones on the front and specifications on the back. The packaging is very basic, with a plastic insert that holds the headphones in place along with a small box for the accessories. The packaging is nothing special, but for the price you really cannot complain.

Build quality feels quite sturdy overall, metal sliders and headband along with plastic cups that have a metal faceplate. Ok the inner headband wires are thin, and they do not feel like the kind of headphones that you would throw around but with some care they feel like they will last a long time.

Accessory wise you get a thin cloth carry pouch, a USB-C to 3.5mm cable for when they run out of battery, a USB-C charging cable and a handy manual. The accessories are all you need, and nothign is missing.



Comfort, Isolation, Noise Cancelling and Features:
The T4s earpads are a little on the smaller side, but they just about fit around my ears without too much discomfort. I would not want to wear them for 2hrs+ but for general usage they are fine, the headband is a little thin with minimal padding so that could cause some issues. The weight is not too bad, you can feel the weight but it is not uncomfortable.

Isolation is pretty good as standard, and slightly better with the noise cancelling on, nothing to write home about, but perfect for day to day use.

The noise cancelling is ok, not great but then again for the price it is perfectly acceptable. I will say that I cannot pick up heavy white noise when using the noise cancelling feature, which to me is a huge plus.

The battery life seems very good to me, I get around the stated 14hr use depending on the volume. They can be used in wired mode with the USB-C to 3.5mm cable, and have a quick charge function. They paired to my devices with no issues, a long press on the volume up will skip forward, long press on down will skip backwards. There is a play/pause button along with a MF button that is the power button along with a "last number redial" function.



Sound:
Regarding the sound quality, I found the sound to be substantially better with the noise cancelling on, so this is how these have been reviewed.

Bass: Whilst not the most controlled low end in the world, there is sub-bass response along with mid-bass punch that is actually well executed. To be fair when I first listened with the noise cancelling off, I found there to be way too much bass that was overblow and bloated. Turn the noise cancelling on and you get tighter more controlled bass that will satisfy most. I find the bass response to be optimal for day to day use in the fact it is not emphasised to the point of fatigue, yet it still has enough presence to make them enjoyable. They lend their hand to most genres well, perhaps lacking only during very complex tracks.

Mids: The mids are a tad recessed compared to the bass, and there is a slight low-mid dip that affects male vocals more than female vocals. This means that female vocals come through with a bit more bite and detail. Electric guitars still have a fair amount of presence and they are not laid back or boring. Again there is a tendency to get a little congested during complex passages, but this does not render them unlistenable, and they do a pretty good job at keeping things separated for the price.

Highs: The highs are smooth and non fatiguing, there is no sibilance during the transition from the midrange to the treble. The treble is however a little uninspiring, it is just lacking a bit of presence and sparkle. They are not very energetic up top, which makes them great for easy listening but some may find they sound a little dull sometimes. When they do come out to play, there is a fair amount of detail, and they are not too splashy, it is just a shame about the quantity.

Soundstaging is not a strong point, whilst everything stays well separated for the most part the actual width and depth of the stage is fairly narrow.



Conclusion: Now these are, all things considered, and excellent headphone for the price. Stable bluetooth connectivity, the fact you can have 2 devices connected at one time, solid build quality and perfectly acceptable sound quality; all for under £40. They have a relatively balanced sound, with the odd dip here and there, they are easy and enjoyable to listen to and that is what counts. If you fancy a cheap bluetooth headphone just for casual use, these are excellent, along with making an excellent gift to anyone who listens to music. Just remember to turn the noise cancelling on, otherwise they are bass canons with little resolution.

Sound Perfection Rating: 8/10 (superb value for an enjoyable sound)

Bluedio have a well-deserved reputation for producing well made, inexpensive full-sized bluetooth headphones and the T4 certainly doesn’t disappoint. Whilst predominantly made of plastic, they have metal where it’s needed and they certainly convey an impression of being solid and well made.


The ear pads don't completely enclose the ears but are fairly comfortable. There’s no touch controls on the T4’s - the right hand cup houses the controls for volume up/down which double for track skip forwards/backwards when held down. The other size of the right hand cup contains the play/pause and power/multi-function button. The outside of the cup contains the on/off control for active noise cancelling. All the controls have a nice positive feel to them and are pretty easy to find whilst you’re wearing the headphones. Connection to both a power source and wired headphone out is done via supplied USB C type leads. I had no problems connecting the headphones to a dedicated MP3 player without any bluetooth capabilities and the sound quality appeared to be pretty much the same wired or wireless.



I can say that these are the most comfortable Bluedio headphones I have yet tried. Thanks to their generously sized pads, there are no hard areas touching my ears and the clamping force is about right for headphones of this size and type. I don’t think they would be ideal for exercising as they tend to slide forwards and backwards off your head a little too easily but for relaxed easy listening, you shouldn’t experience any problems.



Bluetooth performance is generally good - no problems regarding range and I didn't experience any drop outs at all - this is quite an achievement for inexpensive bluetooth headphones. Unfortunately however they're absolutely useless when used wirelessly for video as the lag is the worse I have ever seen. This isn't a problem for music - it's just that they're completely unsuitable for video and gaming applications.



Sound Quality



Like other models in their range, the T4 features larger than average drivers at 57mm but unlike other models in their range, the bass isn’t too overblown at all - in fact if anything I would describe it as almost ‘lean’. Playing some familiar ‘Chillstep’ shows that, although they may not go as ‘deep’ as say the V-Moda Crossfade Wireless, the detail is still there - just not overblown or exaggerated.



The active noise cancelling is nothing to write home about I’m afraid. It does definitely have a negative effect on the sound quality in my opinion. I think it’s fair to say that the noise cancelling is designed to reduce low frequency 'droning' noise like engines and the like.



The noise floor with active noise cancelling switched off is nice and low in bluetooth mode and non-existent in wired mode. Note that I don’t think these headphones offers APTx however the top end remains fairly detailed and sweet sounding - certainly not harsh which is always welcome.



There’s a slightly hollow or ‘boxy’ character to the sound which did take a minute or two to get used to but again this is by no means offensive. They have a similar sound characteristic to the Audio Technica ATH M50X - perhaps not quite as dynamic and certainly leaner in the bass than the AT’s, but the basic character is similar. Music comes across as fairly flat regarding EQ and they do go nice and loud. This is always welcome in bluetooth headphones because there’s not really anything you can do to boost the volume up any more if they’re underpowered.



Upon further listening I realised that the T4’s tend to lack some dynamics which make the overall sound slightly bland - whilst not ideal, this is definitely preferable to the headphones being overly bright or overly bassy - the sound could best be described as non-offensive and of sufficiently good quality to get the job done.



It’s only fair to point out that I am comparing the Bluedio T4’s to more expensive headphones. They cost a fraction of the Audio Technica’s and offer wireless capabilities to boot. For their price they are very good, most other full-sized budget bluetooth headphones tend to be far too bassy and lack detail (and often comfort), that is not the case with the T4’s.



Conclusion

They’re not perfect though - and nor would I expect them to be at this price point. In their favour, their sound is somewhat ‘polite’ and non-offensive. There’s sufficient detail in the music and the overall character is flat. The amplifiers within the headphone have a nice low noise floor and they don’t hiss (as long as their noise cancelling circuit is firmly off). Battery life is very good, USB Type C for charging and analogue connection to other players is very cool and works well. The controls work well - although the volume steps are somewhat coarse (although this is a problem with a great many bluetooth headphones) and the bluetooth range is very good.

The sound quality is a little too bland for my liking. Bass could be both deeper and offer more impact. It’s fair to say that these headphones work better for classical than they do dubstep. I’m afraid I’m not at all impressed with the active noise cancelling - it offers too little effect and rob you of valuable bass in the music to boot. Luckily this feature can be switched off - and it stays off! Long term comfort isn’t brilliant but in all fairness a quick jiggle will make them comfortable again for a while. Whilst they can go loud, I don’t think they sound too good when played too loud - but they work quite nicely at slightly lower volumes. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t distort when played loud - rather their sound become a little ‘hard’ and slightly fatiguing. Note that I don’t tend to use EQ when listening to music - I have too many devices, too many music applications and too many headphones for this to be really practical for me - I like to just listen to the music - not mess around with it. I can’t help thinking that they would have really benefitted from APTx as this definitely improves the top end and overall resolution.

Addendum

I have noticed that they’re starting to sound a little bit more ‘open’ and slightly bassier since I first started listening to them. Perhaps the extra-large drivers Bluedio use need a little bit of ‘burn in’ before they start to sound their best. These headphones are certainly good enough for me to continue using them so I shall add comments to this review regarding any changes to the sound quality as time goes on.

The T4’s come supplied with two USB type C cables - one for charging and the other for use on non-wireless devices. They also come with a soft carry pouch and an instruction manual. The packaging is very nicely done and the headphones would make an excellent gift.

All in all, a competent set of full-sized bluetooth headphones that tick many boxes. Not perfect by any means but also not astronomically expensive. For their price I recommend them. Given their price I'm happy to give these a 5-star recommendation.

http://amzn.eu/9CT4JiM

https://www.bluedio.com/en/product/53

Additional Note

I have spent quite a bit of time listening to these and they really are improving quite a bit. I wore them whilst moving the lawn and, even with the active noise cancelling switched off, they still offer a much higher amount of passive noise cancelling than most headphones of this type.

Definitely recommended for their price and I honestly haven't come across another pair of bluetooth headphones that are built this well for the price.