Sandberg Excellence Earphones

[testman78]

Introduction

The latest accessory from Sandberg is a pair of new in-ear headphones. The Excellence Earphones are the first generation of Excellence headphones that Sandberg has produced and are available for about $37. Thirty seven dollars isn't a ton of money for Earphones, but Sandberg promises that the Excellence Earphones will compete with those Earphones that cost hundreds of dollars.



Specifications.




Packaging & Bundle

Sandberg have done away with the solid plastic case that was included with the Bluetooth Sports Earphones and replaced it with a simple cardboard box.It doesn't feel as luxurious but I don't mind, as I never used the case again.I'd rather Sandberg save money on packaging to make better quality headphones.



At the rear of the box we see a description of the product printed in many languages right above the contents and specifications lists.



Looking behind the door, on the front of the box, shows a window with a full view of the Earphones.Unfortunately Sandberg dont packs a variety of different tips in with the Earphones, so you must get a more customized fit if you wish.




A Closer Look

The design of these Earphones is very elegant and simple and it doesn't look like a pair of cheap headphones at all.



Using a stylish chrome and black design, the earbuds are made of aluminum with gentle, rounded edges. They look and feel fantastic. The fact that you're getting such a premium feel for under $40 is amazing.



With practical flat cable so that you avoid cable clutter.The Sandberg Excellence Earphones terminate in a 3.5mm jack, so you can plug into any of your devices.



The microphone located in the right ear cable along with volume and playback controls.The middle button will pause/play music, skip between tracks, and access Google Now if you hold it down, while the top and bottom buttons control volume.



The Earphones split is no metal, but this doesn't impact much at all. The joint transitions to the braided cable that does solid job of not turning into a horrible tangle of cabling whilst protecting the internal wiring.



The interchangeable tips are the typical soft silicone rubber common on most in-ear headphones. The default set that were pre-attached fit me well and remained comfortable after long listening sessions. However, for those with smaller or larger ear canals, it's great that you can swap the tips out.



The Earphone has a single dynamic driver.




Performance

Plug it in. Seriously though, using the headphones in Android was a pleasure. On my Samsung Galaxy S7, both the volume controls and play/pause button worked well.I tried the earphones on several smartphones that I had and it worked on all.Equipment & Background:For the sound portion of this review I will be using an Audinst HUD-MX1 amp/DAC combo as my primary "reference" source, a Topping NX-1 portable amplifier, and a Sansa Fuze as a portable source. All my monitoring is done indoors with an over-ear headphone for added isolation resulting in almost silent listening with no audible distractions. My library consists of high bit-rate MP3s and FLAC files. The Sandberg Excellence Earphones were burned-in over 100hrs before review.



Bass: Utilizing a somewhat bass heavy sound signature the Sandberg Excellence Earphones exhibit more mid-bass and sub-bass presence than in upper-bass regions. This generates a very "fun" sound without suffering any bleed into the lower midrange. Lows are impactful and carry a lot of heft which is in part due to their excellent sub-bass extension. And while not overdone on tracks with soft or mellow bass, the Sandberg Excellence Earphones can become boomy with bass heavy music such as rap, drum 'n bass, and so on. That said, bass never becomes sloppy or loose, it simply lacks control and finesse at times. Attack and decay could be more accurate especially considering the long reverb of bass notes (this could be considered a positive for bass-heads however). Overall, bass is the most authoritative part of the Sandberg Excellence Earphones's signature but isn't entirely the focus of the sound as everything that follows takes it up a notch in quality.

Mids: Following the bass, the midrange takes a big step back in terms of presence but is incredibly clear and well defined throughout. And since its mids are not especially forward they could be considered slightly recessed. But this entirely depends on preference as they're neither distant nor forward. However, clarity is by far the biggest strength of the midrange which can be demonstrated with female vocalists where they exhibit an almost lifelike quality. On the other hand, male vocalists can sound a little thin due to the lack of extra warmth in the lower midrange and upper-bass. But this is no way a negative unless you enjoy very thick/rich male vocals. The advantage of a slightly leaner midrange means that note thickness is never overdone and helps maintain a natural timbre for acoustic instruments, which the Sandberg Excellence Earphones do quite well. And while not the most revealing of mids, detail and transparency is extremely good considering the price.



Treble: At the top end, treble has a bit more presence than the mids but isn't bright by any means. Treble does exhibit some unevenness at times but is never distracting or fatiguing. Instead, they strike a balance between smooth and sparkly without losing out in crispness or clarity. Details are retrieved nicely without any sign of harshness making for a non-sibilant sound overall. And with its mild lift in the treble region the Sandberg Excellence Earphones display excellent timbre reproduction and great accuracy with cymbals/percussion. Extension reaches into the upper-treble and is very consistent until it rolls-off beyond frequencies of about 16kHz. Overall, the Sandberg Excellence Earphones have mildly energetic treble that are never dominant or excessive and keeps up in quality next to the midrange. There is a particularly refreshing manner with which the Sandberg Excellence Earphones handles treble and it is noticeable upon first listen.I think most listeners will be pleasantly surprised.

Presentation: In terms of soundstage the Sandberg Excellence Earphones present a very wide stereo image with very good depth and decent height. This particular presentation is why the mids and highs shine - There is detail and space surrounding instruments throughout the midrange and airy highs throughout the treble resulting in a somewhat "out-of-the-head" experience. And while not the deepest presentation, layering is excellent when reproducing vast distances between sounds with complex recordings. Imaging, too, is never confused or off-center even with the Sandberg Excellence Earphones expansive soundstage. The result is an open, spacious sound that is only mildly held back by the sheer amount of bass that kicks in with certain genres of music. This is an area where the Sandberg Excellence Earphones truly demonstrate their worth by simply taking whatever goes into them and combining an engaging sound signature that pairs beautifully within its audiophile-like delivery.

Microphone quality was excellent. Both Siri and Google Now had no issues picking up my voice commands. During calls, the other party said that I sounded clear.


Final Thoughts

I've had a chance to try out the new Sandberg Excellence Earphones for a few days, and I have to agree with Sandberg: these don't feel or sound like $40 Earphones. Compared to Apple's EarPods, which sell for the same price and have similar features, the Excellence Earphones sound crisper and clearer and have more bass response.I wouldn't go as far to say that the Sandberg Excellence Earphones beat headphones costing over $100, but in the range of under $40, they are easily the best I've popped into my ears.The fit and finish is exemplary for something this inexpensive.Unfortunately Sandberg dont packs a variety of different tips in with the Earphones, so you must get a more customized fit than what's available with the EarPods.The Earphones come with a solid aluminum sound chamber which is quite rare in this price range, as earphones normally come with a cheap plastic body.The sound chambers of the buds are made of machined aluminum and not only feel sturdy, but look really nice. Visually, they're restrained and sophisticated. Even the plastic pieces feel like quality.The earbuds gently curve into your ear at an angle. I found them comfortable, keeping the sound where it should be whilst keeping earphone's body out of the way.The cable is tangle free.As a budget value earphone it exceeds every expectation its low price would suggest. It's energetic and lively where it needs to be yet smooth and laid-back at the same time. It also borrows some of the best sound characteristics of earphones costing well beyond 3 times its price.



The Sandberg Excellence Earphones are fantastic and wipe the floor with many of their competitors that cost several times their price. They're well designed, well built and have the performance to match.Overall, it's a great investment and is probably one of the best in its range. For $37, you're actually getting good quality Earhones,with mic and switch,with a high-quality cable and of course with a 5 year warranty.