[Jupit3r]

Pros: Ergonomic design, ease of use, impressive sound, Bluetooth 4.1 technology.
Cons: Cheap material, relatively short battery life.

Introduction to Mixcder Basso

Mixcder Basso is a self-powered, rechargeable Bluetooth iem (BT iem) that supports BT 4.0 and aptX codec for enhanced audio quality. It is compatible with many Android, iOS and other devices that have BT 4.0 support.


Design

The Mixcder Basso has a one of a kind design which puts a lot of emphasis on ergonomics, ear hooks and rotatable earbuds make the headsets fit your ear perfectly. Along with their rubber coating, these headsets hardly cause foreign body sensation when wearing it. Friction has been reduced to minimum on condition that the earbuds can fit in ears firmly when doing sports.

There are 3 buttons and a MIC on the control pad, which is located on the cord, near the right earbud. Mic is on the back side of the buttons. There are controls for on/off, pairing mode, volume up/down, answer/end call, reject call, redial the last call, play/pause, skip to next/previous song, turn on/off voice dial. All are controlled via the special and easy to learn push commands to either one of these buttons. Pretty impressive number of controls with only 3 buttons.

The Mixcder Basso is made of plastic, and colored in green and black. The type of green does look a little bit cheap compared to the shiny green we’ve seen on other iems such as the MAYA S6 and Astrotec BX50. The cord, the earbuds and the eartips don’t look as refined as we would have preferred, the overall impression of the design is not premium at all.


Charging

You need to open a plastic covering on the control pad where the rechargeable battery is housed and then connect the included short micro USB cable between the Mixcder Basso and your computer USB port (or with any kind of USB charger). Once the iem is connected to the power source, the LED on the remote control will light up in red. It normally takes about 2 hours to fully charge (depending on your source) the iem.


Pairing

Pairing the Mixcder Basso and your smartphone is fairly easy. You need to turn the Bluetooth on your phone first then press and hold the center button of the iem for approximately 8 seconds. This way you'll turn on your BT iem and can see the model number on the list.

After doing this pairing you don't need to pair your device again. They will find each other and pair automatically as you turn the BT to the ON position in each device consequently.


Comfort

Let me start with the design. I really prefer the connected earpiece design with the single cord which can hang behind your neck. For the fitting and general comfort I have to say that the Mixcder Basso is one of the best BT iems I have ever put on! No complaints here.


Isolation

Isolation is average for an iem but decent for a daily Bluetooth iem. If your BT iem isolation is high you need to lower your speaking volume while making calls because your brain may think that you're not speaking loud enough (as a result of blockage of your own voice). Also you may want to hear the surroundings (traffic, cars, signals, etc.). So therefore the isolation on this BT iem can be lowered in the future models. If the idea of the Mixcder Basso is for solely listening to the music or using it in secure places, then the isolation is OK.


Battery life

It is stated that the battery life is 5 hours for continuous audio playback and more than 100 hours of standby. Generally I do agree with these numbers but if you intend to use the Mixcder Basso for making/receiving calls as well as some music listening (around 1 hour of music listening and with 1 h of making calls) it lasts for approximately 2 days. So both the standby time and the operating time is average for this kind of device.


Microphone Quality

Microphone quality is above average and certainly one of the best when compared to the other BT iems on my tests. Capable of sending clean and clear calls.


Overall Impressions on Sound

Test Devices
LG G3
Acer ICONIA W700
HTC Desire
Cube i7 Stylus

Test Tracks
“Sing” by Ed Sheeran
“Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj
“Parachute” by Cheryl Cole
“Wing$” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
“Kiss from a Rose” by Seal
“Tunnel Vision” by Justin Timberlake
“U Remind Me” by Usher

I found the general sound signature of the Mixcder Basso to be relatively bass-centric. And it is one of the very few Bluetooth earphones I could get pleasure with while listening to R&B and Hip-hop music. The bass is big and fat, and the vocals are crisp and clear and really any kind of music you listen to does sound good. Soundstage is relatively wide and deep, but it doesn’t really bring a real out of head soundstage experience. Imaging is just OK. Background is not completely black. There is some hissing on the background, but not very noticeable while listening to music which has a strong rhythm.


Conclusion

The Mixcder Basso is a very nice Bluetooth earphone, and a great iem for its $25.99 price. It may not have surpassed the similarly priced wired systems in terms of audio quality, but it beats many more expensive Bluetooth headphones such as the Astrotec BX50 and COUNLAX QY8.

 

[Artacia]

How does this compare to the Powerbeats 2 wireless? I am looking for a good bassy bluetooth iem to suggest to my friend and he is leaning toward the Powerbeats 2.

 

[DaddyMojo]

Jupit3r:
 
Great review, thank you for taking the time to put your thoughts down for us.  Very interesting budget option.
 
I used to like to review Amazon reviews as well as Head-fi, but now all the Amazon ratings have this "I received this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion", which I think is just a nice way of saying, I gave this 5 stars because they paid me.  So while you may have been given a loaner or a free iem, I feel I can still trust Head-fi review.

 

[IMPERIUS]

how would you say this compared to the meelectronics m6?

 

[Gracesheng]

It seems that Mixcder Basso more suitble for running, I will check at Amazon and see. Thanks, by the way

 

[Thanasis]

Battery on the cord looks too heavy. I prefer my Beats PowerBeats 2 BT even if these headphones look like they have a good way to lock themselves on the ear.
 
Lets see. If someone owns them please confirm my above observations.
 
Take care

 

[Angryman22]

The battery is not that heavy. Most people tend to put the cord on the neck anyway. The fitting on the ear is pretty good. They do provide you with adjustable ear plugs too.
 
I will post my take of the device here later.

 

[Angryman22]

My Thoughts on the Mixcder Basso Earphones -
 

 
I listen a lot to Audiobooks in general and sometimes to music as well. So I tended to go through Earphones a lot. most of the time the earphone would develop a loose connection near or in the 3.5mm jack. After the 5th one broke in 7 months, I decided to look into a BT Earphone and chose this one as it seemed to be the cheapest. This is my first time with a Bluetooth stereo earphone. I used to have Jabra headsets before but for calling purpose alone.
 
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS -
 
Given bellow are key Technical Specs. For a detailed list of specifications, please review manufacturer's website.
 
BLUETOOTH -
Bluetooth version - 4.1+EDR
BT profiles - HSP/HFP/A2DP/AVRCP/SPP
Range - ~10m
Transmission power - 0.025-2.5mW
Impedance  - 32Ω±15% at 1KHz 0.178V
 
 
BATTERY -
Battery Capacity - 70 maH lithium battery
Standby time - > 100 hours
Talking time - ~ 4 to 6 hours
Music/ Audio Playback time - ~ 12 to 24 hours
Charge time - ~1.5  hours
 
 
FIRST IMPRESSIONS -
 
I immediately liked the fact that it came with a hard plastic case. That meant it can reside safely in my Gym bag without being torn. But that apart, the device looks exactly like the pictures on Amazon or on the Manufacturer's website. I don't know if I like the fact that they go over the ear. But I guess, it makes sense to people on a bike or jogging. Afterall this class of devices are targeted to that audience I suppose.  The IEP came with 2 additional pairs of Earplugs to adjust to your size.
 
Included in the packaging is the Micro USB charging cable and a manual in Chinese and English. The controller inline with the cable has 3 buttons in addition to the Multipurpose Led and Mike. In addition to forward and back buttons, there is a multi-function button that can act as play / pause/ call pickup / Call drop and so on depending on situation. It also acts as Power On / Off button.
 
PAIRING -
 
This is where I ran first snag. According to the manual, you press and hold the multi-function button until you hear "Pairing" as an audible cue. Well, I had already powered it on. So when I tried, the device turned off. The manual does not explicitly mention that you need to have the device off in order to follow the steps to pairing. After couple of attempts, I tried it that way and was able to put it in Pairing Mode. On my phone, it appeared as "Mixcder Basso". There is no pairing code. The device immediately pairs and gives audible cue "Pairing Successful". I tried paring with Dish Hopper DVR, an Android TV Stick and a laptop. In all cases it was fairly easy once you get over the Enabling Pairing mode issue.
 
MAKING AND RECEIVING CALLS -
 
Essentially, the multi-function button lets you pick up an incoming call with one click. You can hang up with one click of the same button. I was able to hear the other party fine and they said the quality of call was no different that on the phone directly. Supposedly you can flash to a waiting call. But I didn't try that as I tend to screen calls on the phone. I was able to mute the call once but failed another time. So I am not sure if its the device or its something on my end.
 
MUSIC QUALITY AND BATTERY LIFE -
 
I must admit I am no Audiophile by any stretch of imagination. I like voice to be reproduced naturally, and if the Bass beats are coming through without an overdose of treble then I am good to go. However I listen to a wide range of music.
 
I listen to significantly larger amount of Audiobooks, both fiction and non-fiction totally to about 11 hours a week. This is why its important for me to have the human voice reproduced as naturally as possible. So keep that in mind. Overall, I felt that this device does not do a good job on noise cancellation. I suppose given its design that's unrealistic expectation.
 
NOTE - After some acrobatics, I was able to successfully pair the IEP with Windows 7 Bluetooth. The sound feels like 80's radio fading in and out. Extremely bassy as OP has observed. I am going to blame this on Windows, as my S3, a Dish DVR and other devices don't seem to have any issue.
 
Following is a list of songs I listen to and my experience with this IEP. I was playing from my Samsung Galaxy S3 WITHOUT any Equalizer effects.
 
N'SYNC - BYE BYE BYE
JT came through as predicted. The beats could be boosted higher but given the price of this device, I wouldn't expect Bose quality.
 
Eminem - Not Afraid
Near life like experience compared to the movie. (Title Song Act of Valor)
 
Fallout boy - Thanks for the Memories
Seemed to be a bit high on treble. Could be my imagination.
 
Flo Rida -
Definitely identical to when I played on the phone without Earphones.
 
ColdPlay - Viva la vida
Definitely appeared bassy. Shouldn't have been since this song is strong on vocals.
 
If someone wants me to try out a specific song, feel free.
 
Now as to the battery, given the high impedance (32 Ohm) I figured the battery won't last long. However, with my 11 hour listening habits of audiobooks, spread over a week, I had to charge it pretty much once in 3 to 4 weeks. Each Charge taking anywhere from one to one & half hour. I have not used it continuously from charge to discharge but I have a feeling it'll last more than my phone's battery.