The budget audio accessories market in India is blowing up in a way it hasn’t in the last few years with competition getting extremely stiff between all players involved. Transsion Holdings, the China-based tech giant has been creating a sizable impact in India with its various smartphone brands such as Infinix, Tecno and itel. These brands are at the top of their game in the various segments that they cater to. In a bid to disrupt the mobile accessories market, Transsion has introduced oraimo in India and we can’t remember a time when a brand has made such a sizable impact in such a short time frame.
Just like its smartphone brands, oraimo caters to every audience out there by launching products at prices that were previously unheard of. After successfully debuting its fitness tracker, oraimo has launched the Studio H66D, a pair of headphones that cater to those who want a great audio experience in a luxurious package without breaking the bank.
I have got the opportunity to spend a few days with the oraimo Studio H66D and these are my unbiased thoughts on them.
Design, Build
When it comes to headphones and it’s packaging; Apple-owned Beats set the gold-standard as they proved that the unboxing experience has to be as important as the audio experience. With the oraimo Studios, I felt a similar excitement as these headphones had a packaging that is unlike anything I have seen in this price range; and completely wowed me from the moment I removed its seal.
With the oraimo Studio H66D, Transsion has successfully proved that you don’t need to spend a premium for headphones that look great and sound good. Dressed in a premium black with silver accents, these headphones look classy enough for a professional environment as well as cool enough to be used in an informal setting. These cans are built entirely out of plastic which helps in keeping its weight down to a minimum. Due to its lightweight design, I found that using it for extended periods of time was completely doable and I really appreciated this design choice. There are too many headphones available in the market that are heavy that ruin the entire music listening experience. This puts the Studios in a category of its own which I am truly grateful for.
The cushioning on the ears and the band are made of soft faux leather cushioning which makes adds to the comfort levels. Even though these headphones fall under the Rs 3,000 price bracket, oraimo has ensured that the materials used here are of the best possible quality. Being a budget device, the headphones come with a micro-USB charging port and not Type-C. Having a Type-C connector would have made it future-proof but I don’t have a real problem with the use of a micro-USB port as this cable is a lot more accessible than the newer standard. The buttons are located on the right side and they are quite responsive and tactile. Usually, with a budget model, there is always the issue of its buttons getting damaged in the long run but oraimo has used some premium rubber over here which should stand the test of time. Also, a neat addition to the Studios is an AUX port which allows you to connect a 3.5mm audio jack if you so need.
Overall, the design and build of the oraimo Studio H66D are much better than expected allowing you to show them off in a crowd as it looks a lot costlier than it actually is.
Performance
The design of the oraimo Studio headphones is as imperative to its performance as is its audio quality. Coming with a lightweight design and soft ear cushions, there is a fair amount of leakage which takes away some of its points as when you turn the volume all the way up, you are disturbing those near to you. Headphones nowadays usually work to rectify this issue but sadly that’s not the case with this model.
The Studios feature Bluetooth v4.2 and the brand promises up to 10-metres of range and in my experience, I found it to be more or less accurate. However, it is advisable to not really go beyond this range as you will start to lose connection.
The controls here are pretty easy to navigate around with and each button has multi-functional features as is the case with most earphones and headphones available in the market. The volume up button can be used to switch to the previous song while the volume down button can be used to go to the next song. The power button can also be used to answer/end a call with just a single click.
When it comes to audio quality, the oraimo Studio doesn’t disappoint. The brand states that they offer an audio experience the way the artist intended it to be heard. While the claim is over-extending the truth, it does offer a decent listening experience that’s rarely found on headphones in this price range. The bass output produced by the Studios are great and there is a fair amount of separation noticed as well. Mids aren’t the greatest here as they tend to be underexposed and drowned out by the bass at certain times. Highs, on the other hand, have clarity that complements the bass and have an amount of sparkle to them. The overall audio quality is great; but at higher volumes, some distortion is observed.
The battery life on the oraimo Studio OEB-H66D is one of the standout features here as it is loaded with a 500mAh battery that offers up to a massive 20-hours of playback and up to a whopping 200-hours of standby time. During my review period, I found this claim to be accurate and thereby making it a great option for anyone who is looking for a pair of long-lasting headphones.
Verdict
The oraimo Studio OEB-H66D is attractively priced at Rs 2,999 and these make for interesting all-in-one headphones. Built with lightweight premium materials, this model is ideal for those who want a classy-looking headphone without the premium price tag. When it comes to audio quality these babies perform as advertised but the best part of them is the stylish design that they feature. Very rarely do we find headphones that sound great, come with a premium finish and priced this attractively; making them a great choice for anyone who is looking to buy a new pair of headphones to complement their stylish lifestyle.
