Do you live a hectic on-the-go lifestyle? Are you in need of, say, some nice wireless headphones to make life a little more enjoyable? Well my friend, consider your search concluded, because I have quite a dandy of a product for you. For the past eight months, I had the occasion to use the Bluedio Turbine T2s wireless headphones and color me impressed. Although a slightly older model, these are still relevant and a sound choice today. By no means will I tell you these are the best you will ever buy. But if you are like me, a techie on a budget, but still desiring a solid pair of wireless headphones for under $50, these may be the ones for you.
First, examining the unboxing experience and design, without a doubt, the words minimalism and utilitarian certainly come to mind. The retail box for this headset is a recycled (thank you Bluedio for being environmentally conscious) cardboard box, with name branding and product information in a foray of black and silver ink. An unboxing experience that will not wow you, but at the sub-$50 price point (currently listed at $25.99), decisions were made in an effort to keep costs low. Not amazing, but an unboxing certainly within the realm of satisfactory. Upon lifting the flaps, we are greeted to the headphones nestled within a clear plastic clamshell container. In my case, the black ones look impressive, although there are other color options available should this not be of your preference. Accompanying the headset is a 3.5mm audio cable should you ever want to go wired, a micro-usb cord for charging, and the usual user manual none of us will ever read. But, after taking the T2s out, that word solid again comes to mind in describing the initial design. The headphones’ construction feels okay, a solid, there’s that word again, mixture of plastic components and metal frame for the headband, and a plush padding on the earphones. Attempting to remain both unbiased and objective, I won’t lie and say these feel significantly better than their price tag suggests, but I also feel confident this is a sturdy and durable design of simple materials. I actually bought these back in January of this year, and some eight months later, still feel confident these could last two or more years of rugged usage. The padding feels exceptionally nice, with its plush and velvet-like feel. At no time using these did they ever become uncomfortable, or did I need a break because of ear fatigue from a tight fit. The adjustable headband/strap proves quite handy allowing fits for all head sizes. So, all-in-all, I give kudos to the Bluedio team for sound design and assembly.
Already I hear the rumblings, “Yes, but how do they sound”. Well, the simple answer for that question is “Great”. The overall audio experience proved very, very enjoyable with rich highs and mids, with just enough punch in the bass. Again, being completely objective, if you want the penultimate experience with excellent highs and mids, I would definitely steer you more towards any of the offerings from Audio Technica, but the T2s supply great sound and are on par with sets nearly triple the price. As previously stated, the bass is very punchy, but again, being objective, any of the offerings from Sennheiser give more dynamic range with the truest bass inclines. Again, the T2s are very…wait for it…solid in its overall audio quality. Being a teenager of the 90s era of music, I still enjoy the amazing hip-hop from this decade. A genre embodied with deep bass and elevated highs, and a dynamic lift in mids. And I was pleasantly surprised with very rich quality in all facets of the output when listening to my favorites like Electric Relaxation (A Tribe Called Quest). The one negative in audio, without a doubt, was the sound bleed. If your daily routine requires travel on public transportation, the people around you will definitely hear what you are playing. However, the earphones design should be sufficient enough in omitting ambient noise for the user. As this headset can also be used for voice calling, the volume for in-call audio proves incredible, as voices were loud and clear on my end with only a slight hint of sounding robotic. Others stated my voice came through audible with the only complaint being my voice sounded “far away”, like when you are not speaking directly into the mouthpiece; which is a bit disappointing but still serviceable. So overall, in-call quality receives a solid “B” if we were grading.
Ending with special features and battery life, now this is the part I could not wait on reporting. I love, repeat, LOVE this pair of headphones has volume controls and next track slider built directly on the headset. I cannot count how many other wireless headphones I’ve purchased in the last few years that cost $100s more than the T2s, devoid of these features. Additionally, they work well, as they should, and aid in an already solid experience. One bit worth mentioning was when using in conjunction with any of my OnePlus smartphones, the next track slider did not work at all. This probably has to do more with the Oxygen OS used by OnePlus than faulty hardware on the T2s, but definitely worth mentioning for any potential buyers owning any OnePlus devices. Coupled with the option for using the Bluetooth 4.1 or 3.5mm audio cable for connectivity, I just love using these for listening to music or movies. But let me tell you about the battery life! Bluedio tech specs list 40 hours of music listening, 45 hours of talk time, and 1625 hours of standby time on a charge….at least for me, ALL LIES! My battery life has been so incredible it cannot be evaluated by using any quantitative values. I will reiterate these were purchased back in January. Upon receiving was the one and only time I charged them, and eight months later, still have not charged them again. Just to give you an idea of my usage, I listen to music when doing yard work, working out, and listen to some audio books a couple of times a week when falling asleep. Assessing actual usage, I do about six hours of yard work every two weeks with an hour during the interim weeks for a total of 14 hours per month. I won’t lie, working out never is my favorite activity, but I find myself enduring this task five hours a week, ending with about four hours a week listening to my favorite audio books when going to bed. If you total those numbers up, we are looking at 23 hours of playback a month. Now, take 23 hours times eight months…definitely a far cry from 40 hours listed on the specs. I would not expect this as your norm, but my point remains these are headphones you can use repeatedly without worrying about draining them.
Remembering these are sub-$50 wireless headphones, I was so pleasantly surprised with the Bluedio T2s. Let me correct that last statement, these are a great option regardless of price. I never like when reviewers say, “Great for the price point…”, as this is such an ambiguous statement lacking any endorsement. I liken that to, “She’s hot for my sister” or “She’s hot for my aunt” if you are Jon Snow. As I always attempt to do, would I recommend these and whom are they best for? Without a doubt, this is one of the few times I can honestly recommend these to any and everyone looking for a solid, yet cost-effective pair of wireless headphones with great battery and useful add-on features. Objectively speaking, if you are looking for a richest audio experience, and don’t mind spending more money, definitely look at Audio Technicas or Sennheisers. But these could definitely hold their own against those higher-priced options. For anyone interested, I will leave a link to the Amazon.com page for Bluedio T2s and wish you much happiness with your purchase.
JA3Tech 