This review is for the Samson RTE 2 Wireless headphones. My name is Adam I have been into hi-res audio for over 20 years, makes me sound really old. I know what your thinking already wireless headphones, most audiophiles won't even consider them. The common theme that seems to be trending is going wireless Sennheiser, Sony, Bose and many more are following the trend. Going Bluetooth also comes at a higher price and the Samson RTE 2's are a very good alternative over higher priced wireless headsets. Ok it's no secret that you are going to lose fidelity for the convenience, but depending on your environment fidelity can be lost no matter what headphones you use. For example I travel to NY a lot and take a noisy train were I could bring the best pair of headphones with me and it wouldn't matter the fidelity would be ruined. Walking through the city I prefer wireless cans sometimes so I don't have to worry about wires dangling all over and getting caught on a stranger. Evan at the gym wireless has made my workouts more enjoyable. There are plenty of examples of how wireless can be a benefit so let's move on, before I get started I would like to say thank you to Ira at Samson for sending me a demo unit to review. I am not an employee or am I being compensated by Samson for this review all the pictures were taken by me and this review is based on my honest opinion.
Samson Technologies has been around since the 1980's and was designing wireless microphone systems. They now produce consumer and professional equipment from power amplifiers, mixers, and usb microphones and many more products. So why am I reviewing a pair of wireless headphones, well sometimes convenience wins over fidelity. And audio quality has improved from the past with new technology. One day I was searching the web and came across the RTE 2's that were very reasonably priced at $99 so I decided to contact Samson for a demo unit. At first they were worried that the RTE 2's wouldn't stack up against the typical headphones on Head-Fi, I assured them there was a place and user for all types of headphones no matter how they sound. Here is a link right to Samson website and you can locate local dealers to purchase the RTE 2. http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/headphones/rte-series/rte-2/
Specifications
NFC compatible for quick pairing
Bluetooth 30 Feet Distance
3.5mm auxiliary
14 hours at full listening level
200 hours of stand by time
40mm dynamic drivers
Packaging and Accessories
USB Charging cord
3.5mm audio cable
Black clam shell carrying case
Owner and instruction manual
The Samson RTE 2 comes in a plain white box with a nice hi-res picture on it. On the inside first thing you will see is the black zippered carrying case. The headphones come packed inside with the USB charging cable and a wire to use instead of Bluetooth. There isn't much to say for the box it does its job to get it to point A to point B. The case is very nice for throwing in a book bag it's semi rigid and you won't have to worry about damaging the headphones. The usb and hard wire are wrapped in a piece of Velcro and the Velcro sticks right to the case for traveling.
Build and Fit
Samson RTE 's are made mostly plastic, the ear cups have a nice rubberized texture that's a matte black finish. The ear cups are connected to the headband with plastic pieces with a chrome finish that rotate 90 degrees for fit and storage both sides can be slid down for adjustment. The right ear cup houses all the controls for changing music and to control phone settings. Also on the right ear piece is the usb charging port and on off button with an led light. On to the left ear piece houses the auxiliary output to bypass the Bluetooth with the included 3.5mm cable. To connect with NFC all you have to do is touch your compatible device to the left ear cups logo.
RTE 2's are very comfortable and light weight and the clamping pressure is spot on. The ear pads sit on the ear with faux leather with foam padding underneath, isolation is above average and seal very well. For the price of these I didn't expect a lot of metal incorporated into them, and there made for portability and are built for that reason. I connected them to my Samsung Alpha using NFC, it couldn't be easier. I also connected them to my Sony NWZ Walkman and my Lenovo Ultrabook via Bluetooth. They are rated for up to 14 hours of full volume listening and 200 hours standby time. I didn't test out the standby time but the overall battery life seemed pretty good. I used them for about a day and a half before recharging them. Overall they are very comfy and look great with the black matte finish and feel pretty durable to take some abuse.
Sound
Ok the whole reason why we wear headphones for the sound, using wireless headphones I don't expect to get sound like from a pair of HD800's but I don't want them to sound like headphones from a Dollar store either. From my experience with other Bluetooth headsets I have always experienced a fuzzy background and hissing noises, so right off the bat I wasn't expecting much. Some other Bluetooth sets I have used just sounded like a bad radio station. To my surprise from first using them they were died quite with no interference and no background noise, my first thought was that I didn't pair them and they weren't even hooked up but they were. So far I was impressed I did most of my listening paired to my Samsung Alpha. The first thing I noticed was the clarity of the midrange I mean it was crystal clear especially with male vocals. Going wireless you usually lose a lot of bass the RTE 2's bass is quite impactful and gives you a nice thump, but it lacks in low end detail and extension. Higher frequencies reproduction are average and are right on point from what I expected for this price point and being wireless. RTE 2's sound stage is quite intimate but engaging, listening to Rock is the RTE 2's strong point were instruments sound more balanced and natural with impactful bass. Listening to POP and R&B low end can sound generic and over exaggerated with higher frequencies becoming fatiguing. After hours of using via Bluetooth I decided to try listening with the cable. The overall sound pretty much sounded the same, but with more low end detail and higher frequencies better controlled.
Using them to make wireless phone calls. Making phone calls using Bluetooth was my favorite feature of the RTE 2's. Every call I made sounded great and could hear the other person with no problems. The person on the other end I didn't let them know I was using Bluetooth and asked them how I sounded, every response was "why did you get a new phone". The controls work as there supposed to for phone calls and music. Paired with my laptop I was able to pause and start You Tube videos with ease. These have quite the operating distance I was listening to music and left my phone on my desk to get the mail with no interference my music came through for about 37 feet before it cut out.
Conclusion
I was very happy with the overall sound of the RTE 2's and could find many uses for them, would I use them for critical listening not at all but there not made for that. I would recommend these to anyone that doesn't want to deal with wires and doesn't want to spend a fortune. These are perfect for taking to them gym or a train ride or noisy environments were fidelity isn't priority. Bluetooth has to be the best thing for the gym I don't like wearing in ears because of sweat and wires, and you don't have to have a player attached to you. When at the gym I bring a backpack and can just through my phone in the backpack and play music and not have to worry about my music pausing or stopping. So for the price of a dinner and a movie you can buy the RTE 2 that sound good and have the convenience of Bluetooth. I would have know problem recommending these for anyone looking to try out Bluetooth thanks for reading.
Samson Technologies has been around since the 1980's and was designing wireless microphone systems. They now produce consumer and professional equipment from power amplifiers, mixers, and usb microphones and many more products. So why am I reviewing a pair of wireless headphones, well sometimes convenience wins over fidelity. And audio quality has improved from the past with new technology. One day I was searching the web and came across the RTE 2's that were very reasonably priced at $99 so I decided to contact Samson for a demo unit. At first they were worried that the RTE 2's wouldn't stack up against the typical headphones on Head-Fi, I assured them there was a place and user for all types of headphones no matter how they sound. Here is a link right to Samson website and you can locate local dealers to purchase the RTE 2. http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/headphones/rte-series/rte-2/
Specifications
NFC compatible for quick pairing
Bluetooth 30 Feet Distance
3.5mm auxiliary
14 hours at full listening level
200 hours of stand by time
40mm dynamic drivers
Packaging and Accessories
USB Charging cord
3.5mm audio cable
Black clam shell carrying case
Owner and instruction manual
The Samson RTE 2 comes in a plain white box with a nice hi-res picture on it. On the inside first thing you will see is the black zippered carrying case. The headphones come packed inside with the USB charging cable and a wire to use instead of Bluetooth. There isn't much to say for the box it does its job to get it to point A to point B. The case is very nice for throwing in a book bag it's semi rigid and you won't have to worry about damaging the headphones. The usb and hard wire are wrapped in a piece of Velcro and the Velcro sticks right to the case for traveling.
Build and Fit
Samson RTE 's are made mostly plastic, the ear cups have a nice rubberized texture that's a matte black finish. The ear cups are connected to the headband with plastic pieces with a chrome finish that rotate 90 degrees for fit and storage both sides can be slid down for adjustment. The right ear cup houses all the controls for changing music and to control phone settings. Also on the right ear piece is the usb charging port and on off button with an led light. On to the left ear piece houses the auxiliary output to bypass the Bluetooth with the included 3.5mm cable. To connect with NFC all you have to do is touch your compatible device to the left ear cups logo.
RTE 2's are very comfortable and light weight and the clamping pressure is spot on. The ear pads sit on the ear with faux leather with foam padding underneath, isolation is above average and seal very well. For the price of these I didn't expect a lot of metal incorporated into them, and there made for portability and are built for that reason. I connected them to my Samsung Alpha using NFC, it couldn't be easier. I also connected them to my Sony NWZ Walkman and my Lenovo Ultrabook via Bluetooth. They are rated for up to 14 hours of full volume listening and 200 hours standby time. I didn't test out the standby time but the overall battery life seemed pretty good. I used them for about a day and a half before recharging them. Overall they are very comfy and look great with the black matte finish and feel pretty durable to take some abuse.
Sound
Ok the whole reason why we wear headphones for the sound, using wireless headphones I don't expect to get sound like from a pair of HD800's but I don't want them to sound like headphones from a Dollar store either. From my experience with other Bluetooth headsets I have always experienced a fuzzy background and hissing noises, so right off the bat I wasn't expecting much. Some other Bluetooth sets I have used just sounded like a bad radio station. To my surprise from first using them they were died quite with no interference and no background noise, my first thought was that I didn't pair them and they weren't even hooked up but they were. So far I was impressed I did most of my listening paired to my Samsung Alpha. The first thing I noticed was the clarity of the midrange I mean it was crystal clear especially with male vocals. Going wireless you usually lose a lot of bass the RTE 2's bass is quite impactful and gives you a nice thump, but it lacks in low end detail and extension. Higher frequencies reproduction are average and are right on point from what I expected for this price point and being wireless. RTE 2's sound stage is quite intimate but engaging, listening to Rock is the RTE 2's strong point were instruments sound more balanced and natural with impactful bass. Listening to POP and R&B low end can sound generic and over exaggerated with higher frequencies becoming fatiguing. After hours of using via Bluetooth I decided to try listening with the cable. The overall sound pretty much sounded the same, but with more low end detail and higher frequencies better controlled.
Using them to make wireless phone calls. Making phone calls using Bluetooth was my favorite feature of the RTE 2's. Every call I made sounded great and could hear the other person with no problems. The person on the other end I didn't let them know I was using Bluetooth and asked them how I sounded, every response was "why did you get a new phone". The controls work as there supposed to for phone calls and music. Paired with my laptop I was able to pause and start You Tube videos with ease. These have quite the operating distance I was listening to music and left my phone on my desk to get the mail with no interference my music came through for about 37 feet before it cut out.
Conclusion
I was very happy with the overall sound of the RTE 2's and could find many uses for them, would I use them for critical listening not at all but there not made for that. I would recommend these to anyone that doesn't want to deal with wires and doesn't want to spend a fortune. These are perfect for taking to them gym or a train ride or noisy environments were fidelity isn't priority. Bluetooth has to be the best thing for the gym I don't like wearing in ears because of sweat and wires, and you don't have to have a player attached to you. When at the gym I bring a backpack and can just through my phone in the backpack and play music and not have to worry about my music pausing or stopping. So for the price of a dinner and a movie you can buy the RTE 2 that sound good and have the convenience of Bluetooth. I would have know problem recommending these for anyone looking to try out Bluetooth thanks for reading.
