Competition for open-ear earphones is heating up after Xiaomi’s launch of the OpenWear Stereo. Open-ear wearables have long been around, but only now seem to be picking up with recent launches such as the HUAWEI FreeClip and Shokz OpenFit Air.
With Xiaomi now joining the race, competition is bound to be stiffer, which subsequently means we consumers are spoiled for choice.
If you’re unfamiliar with open-ear earphones, these form of audio wearables do not rely on earbuds that snugly fit in your ear. Instead, it uses ergonomic hooks that loop around your ear, positioning the sound drivers at the entrance of your ear canal.
The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo official retails at RM599 in Malaysia. However, an early bird promo from 15 – 22 July 2024 will see prices drop to RM499. Moreover, there will also be a purchase-with-purchase (PWP) offer where the Xiaomi Sound Pocket will be on offer for just RM5.
The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo comes in a thin oblong-shaped case. The buds themselves are fitted with skin-friendly liquid silicone, and weighs approximately 9.6g each.
For sound quality, Xiaomi employs the use of 17x12mm dynamic drivers, along with support for LHDC codec with up to 96kHz HD audio. The LHDC codec is compatible with Xiaomi’s latest flagship smartphone models, including the Xiaomi 14 and 13 series.
Additionally, the OpenWear Stereo also has Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.
For calls, the buds contain two microphones which Xiaomi says are enhanced with AI noise reduction technology for clarity.
Each earbud packs 60mAh battery, which, on a single charge, can last you up to 7.5 hours. Add the 788mAh oblong-shaped case to that and you’ll have a total of up to 38.5 hours.
Open-ear earphones are generally used for sport, so the IP54 dust and water resistance on the buds should withstand sweaty workouts and tuns.
The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo comes in two colours: Sandstone Beige, and Cosmic Gray.
Staycations with friends are great, but staycations with friends AND a portable karaoke machine? So much better. Or at least, that’s the impression I was left with after using the Divoom Songbird-HQ.
Divoom products have always caught my eye whenever I walk into game stores. They’re known for putting out some seriously funky and intriguing tech, like the Times Gate and the Ditoo-Pro, to name a few. And while they don’t necessarily make headlines or sell like hot cakes, they never fail to compel you to pick them up and see what they’re all about, even if they go back on the shelves a minute later.
So naturally, I was delighted to finally get my hands on Divoom’s take on a portable karaoke machine, the Songbird-HQ, to see if there’s any substance behind the aesthetic.
Here’s what we thought about it.
Chic aesthetics from the box to the speakers
The Divoom Songbird-HQ is something that will pique interest right from the get-go. The whole set is packaged in a chic mini hardcase luggage with a handle. Inside, everything is snugly packed into separate compartments, which includes the speaker, two microphones, charging docks for the microphones, and a small box containing both a type-C cable and an aux cable.
With that being said, while it is absolutely true that the Songbird is portable, it is definitely not compact. It’s portable in the sense that it’s easy to carry around on its own, but it’s not something you can throw freely in your backpack. You’ll definitely need to cater for some space, and, at 1.3kg, you’re going to need to account for weight as well. However, once you do decide to bring it along, it’s simple enough to haul around thanks to its well-thought-out packaging.
The speaker itself takes up the majority of space in the hardcase luggage. It’s a solid speaker in terms of build quality, and by virtue of that, it packs on substantial size and weight. It comes with a strap, so it’s easy for you to carry around or hang onto something.
Probably the most noticeable part of the speaker is its intricate weave design adorning its entire front portion. Adding to it are subtle metallic accents here and there, particularly on the strap hinges and button control panels. The microphones too are aesthetic, and you can definitely see some retro influence with the grill design.
The speaker and its accompanying hardcase luggage come in two colours: white and green. Personally, I love the rose gold weave on the white option, although the green is a close second with its industrial silver grills, reminiscent of a vintage FM radio back in the day.
Decent output on mics and speakers
Speakers
Save yourself a trip to the karaoke bar – these Songbird-HQ speakers will suffice for a group of spirited friends ready to vent all their extroverted energy.
First things first, the speakers are easy enough to connect, with five convenient button controls at the top labeled with clear icons. The biggest of these buttons is the power button, which also doubles as a volume dial. On the topic of volume, these speakers can go loud – like really LOUD. This is great news for carefree and unabashed karaoke singers, perhaps not so much for their neighbours.
We suppose that’s why they decided to go with dial turns instead of volume buttons, as it’s far easier and quicker to adjust through the wide range of volume. We don’t know exactly what the maximum percentage of volume is, but it’s definitely louder than my mainstream Sony XB13.
Sound quality is decent throughout and doesn’t get too distorted when pumped to higher volumes. It’s not overly bassy, and maintains good clarity in vocals and tune.
Although you’ll most likely be connecting the speakers via Bluetooth to a phone or laptop, the Songbird-HQ offers more than one way of connectivity, including an aux cord, or an external TF card.
For us, though, we found that aside from Bluetooth, the next best way to connect the speakers is by wired connection to a laptop or PC. Yes, you can do that too. We find this a great bonus on the Divoom Songbird-HQ as you can essentially use it as your main speaker in your setup. To do this, you only need to connect the speakers to the PC via the cable provided (the same one used for charging), and you’re good to go.
You can do this for phones too, but since the cable connects via USB-C to USB-A, you’ll need to keep an on-the-go (OTG) adapter handy.
Microphone
Just like the speakers, the microphones are easy to work. Simply switch the speakers to Karaoke Mode (the last button) and turn on the microphones. They will instantly connect, so there’s no need for additional Bluetooth pairing whatsoever.
The microphones have two controls: a power button and a volume slider. For the record, the power button on the mics is also used to toggle between sound modes. There are six modes to choose from: Singer, Host, Studio, Robot, Kid, and Pop.
Frankly speaking, we didn’t find much difference between Singer, Host, and Studio modes. Unless you’re a serious audio geek, we reckon it’ll be hard for the average individual to differentiate between them too. That being said, on these modes, voices are clear and not too muffled, and honestly, not too far off from the mics you find at budget karaoke studios.
Then there are Robot and Kid modes, which is self-explanatory and solely just for kicks. Pop mode has a little more echo, but not too drastic a difference from the first three modes.
The good thing about these mics is that they’re pretty sensitive to sound so you don’t necessarily have to have your mouth right on top of them. This adds up to it being a good sharing mic, perfect for a party of about four; and on top of that, it’s just a little more hygienic and less gross.
Keep the party going with the Divoom Songbird-HQ
Looking at the full package, the Divoom Songbird-HQ is an impactful addition to group staycations and overnight parties. It’s something I can see being brought out after dinner celebrations to keep the energy and good times rolling.
With decent sound quality output, insane volume, easy connectivity, there isn’t really anything bad to say about the Songbird-HQ speakers. Plus, the microphones are fun and easy to use. Again, even if you’re not frequently using it as a karaoke machine, the speaker on its own is pretty impressive.
The RM659 price tag does seem like heavy investing, but we’re convinced once you’ve crossed that bridge, you’ll find the Divoom Songbird-HQ well worth the money.
If you’re interested in getting the Songbird-HQ, you can purchase it through Divoom’s official Malaysia distributor, Lumos. Head over to Lumos’ official website, or their official store on Shopee. Alternatively, you can also find it on Divoom’s official Lazada store.
To stay updated on the latest Divoom products, don’t forget to follow Divoom’s and Lumos’ official Instagram pages!
