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This is the second set of wireless bluetooth earbuds I’ve been asked to review in as many months. With manufacturers keen to offer consumers a stylish, effective and user-friendly alternative to Apple’s AirPod earbuds (which are not the most attractive, it must be said), wireless earbuds are now as ubiquitous as old-fashioned wired headphones.

Wireless headphones have in fact existed for some time now, but with somewhat dubious sound quality due to their inability to transmit high resolution audio. The latest bluetooth technology ensures a better and faster connection, a broader signal range and stable connectivity. This “true wireless” allows users a full range of movement, making these earbuds ideal for sport such as running or cycling or gym workouts.

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The Surge Mini earbuds are designed to fit snugly in the ear and come in a neat case which acts as a charger (a feature common to most wireless earbuds now). The magnetic design secures the earbuds in the case to ensure they charge properly and don’t fall out when you open the case. The earbuds connect almost instantly to your device and once paired they will connect automatically straight out of the case. The left and right earbuds connect separately, and in fact I had trouble connecting the devices and it took several attempts to hook up to my iPhone.

Once in the ear, the earbuds are a comfortable fit without any need for further adjustment. The earbuds have tiny touch controls allowing the user to pause play or mute during a call, and are Siri/Google compatible.

And so to the most important consideration, quality of sound. The majority of my listening is confined to classical music, specifically piano music, but for the purposes of this review I listened to various genres of music. In each case, I enjoyed the warm, direct, translucent sound offerered by the Surge Mini earbuds. Noise cancellation is excellent too, and with a good balance between treble, bass and the mid-range, you really feel enveloped in music.

Other features

  • Latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology provides 2.5 x faster connection
  • 3 hours play time from one charge
  • 73 hours battery life
  • Case also acts as a phone charger via a USB port
  • Charging case can be fully charged in 45 minutes
  • Available in black or white

 

Further information

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Finding comfortable earphones, or earbuds, which also offer decent sound quality across a range of music genres can be tricky, especially if you like to listen to your music while on the move or when exercising. Padmate’s new PaMu Scroll wireless earbuds (so-called because they come in a chic cylindrical case-cum-charging unit) offer a comfortable, competitively-priced and stylish alternative to more traditional designs.

Drawing on and upgrading the technology used to develop the X13-PaMu Wireless Earbuds (developed following a highly successful Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign), the PaMu Scroll earbuds are super lightweight and fit snugly,  comfortably and discreetly in the ear. The earbuds are touch-sensitive, with Left and Right both enabled to Play or Pause and respond to, or decline, phone calls; while the Left also allows one to fast forward through tracks and the Right to activate Siri (on iPhone). It takes a little bit of getting used to – tap too hard and your music will turn on and off, and then on again…. But the function saves fiddling around with an additional switch or button, and the volume can of course be controlled from your music app/device. The sound is very direct, immediate and balanced over a range of genres, also spoken word/radio broadcast. Since the majority of my listening is to classical music, I tested the earbuds with piano and other instrumental solo works (including violin, voice and flute), chamber music, contemporary classical and orchestral, and very much liked what I heard. The clarity – coupled with comfort in the ear – is impressive, and they have a good noise cancelling function too, which means you don’t have to compromise on your listening experience when travelling on the train, for example.20180827174808jpg-1535363296126

If you thought Apple had the edge on stylish design, think again. The PaMu earbuds come neatly packaged in a sleek white box and the charging/carrying case is a scroll wrapped in embossed leather (four attractive designs/colours to choose from),with a magnetic clasp, which will fit neatly in a pocket or handbag . Inside the earbuds have their own Left and Right compartments, also magnetised to ensure they fit snugly for charging. Although supplied with a USB charging cable, the PaMu Scroll can also be charged using a wireless charging pad.

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With fast Bluetooth auto-pairing, your earbuds will be ready to use almost as soon as you take them out of the case, and the charge is good for four hours. They are also waterproof, making them excellent when working out.

PaMu Scroll go on sale from 12 September, initially for only $39, which strikes me as a bargain, considering the quality and style of the product.

Further information