BliTZWOlF BW FYE1 REVIEW Inexpensive enjoyable wireless experience.
Ever since the Apple AirPods were introduced in September 2016, I have been searching for a pair of wireless earphones of my own. As a sufferer of buyers remorse, I could not bring myself to spend over $150 for a pair of wireless earbuds, when I have tested numerous devices from 1MORE (Triple Driver-BT-in-ear, Quad Driver) and the Jabra Elite 65e. So, if I was going to drop some of my hard-earned money on a pair of wireless earphones, I wanted a device that would not break the bank. Luckily, the BliTZWOlF BW-FYE1 fulfilled this need. Similar to the BlITZWOlF WB-HP1, you cannot judge the book by the cover. The device arrived in a generic 5 1/4 inches wide by 4 1/4 inches tall by 1 1/2 inches thick matte white retail box. The cover panel displayed the company name toward the upper right within a 1 3/16 inches wide by 5/8 inches tall blue-green rectangle. Other than the BW-FYE1 model number boldly displayed along the middle of the cover, there were no details about the product. The upper and lower blue-green panels and both the left/right white-colored side panels were devoid of writing. The rear panel proved to be the most useful and provided the company name, model number, and information that this was a pair of “True
Wireless Earbuds.” Similar to the BliTZWOlf BW-HP1, the company did not utilize the packaging to the fullest potential. I found it odd that I was not able to identify these as earphones, except for a small sentence across the back panel. I was surprised to see that the earphones used Bluetooth version 5.0, which was released in 2016. Many devices continue to use Bluetooth 4.0–4.2, which has about half the speed and throughput as Bluetooth 5.0. In addition to the speed boost, Bluetooth 5.0 enjoys a significant range boost and data size boost as well (up to 200-meter line of site outdoor and 40 meters indoor). Despite the use of Bluetooth 5.0, the packaging notes a 33 foot/10 meter range, 3 hour play time from a 50mAh battery and up to a total of 12 hours total from the charging box (700mAh). Below the specifications, I found a QR linking to (www.blitzwolf.com), SKU bar and the typical product labels.
Lifting the lid, I found the 2 3/8 inches long by 1 5/8 inches wide by 1 1/8 inches thick charging case and a 3 1/8 inches long by 1 3/16 inches wide by 1 1/4 inches wide cardboard accessory box resting within cut-out black foam. Within the box, I found a semi-translucent bag with a 12 inches long USB-A to USB-Micro Cable. Setting the accessory-box and ear-bud charging case aside, I found a bag with two extra sets of round silicone ear tips, a comment card, and a 2 5/16 inches wide by 3 1/8 inches tall hexalingual instruction manual (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese). The flippable comment card was divided into a smiley face and a frown face side and the same card that I received with the BW-HP1 device. The internal pages provided a QR code on one side and the email (support@blitzwolf.com), online contact at www.blitzwolf.com/contact-us.html and a recommendation to leave an Amazon review on the other side. The user manual began with diagrammed images of the earbuds and the wireless charging case. The second and third pages provided a list of the product specifications (same as on the back of the case), operating instructions, charging instructions, stereo, and mono pairing instructions. Before using the case, it was recommended to charge the case fully. Close the lid, plug the micro-USB cable into the back of the charging case and look at the four green LED along the back of the case for the power status. Each of these represented 25% power, and after 4 hours the case was fully charged.
The 2.08-ounce charging box slid comfortably into my pocket. When ready, lift the lid of the box, and notice the blue LED along the back of the earphones. When I removed each of the 0.17-ounce earbuds from the case, I was pleased to find that they automatically powered on and paired. If you desire to use a single device, you can do that too. Additionally, when the earbuds were replaced into the case, they automatically powered off. Placing the devices into my ears, I heard a female voice announce “power on, pairing, connected.” Navigating to Settings, Bluetooth, I found BW-FYE1R in the list and selected it. If the left earbud remained in the case, I found that I was able to solely use the right earbud. A single tap of either of the MFB buttons allowed me to play/pause music or to answer/hang-up a call. A double tap of the MFB buttons allowed me to access SIRI, whereas a two-second-long press of the right button advanced the track and the left MFP moved back to the previous track. I found that I was able to get a solid 2.5 hours from them, depending on the volume and how many times I messed with the buttons. Unfortunately, this was less than the 4–5 hours that one may expect with Apple AirPods. I found the pairing range to be equal to most of the other Bluetooth devices that I have tested. I had no problem listening to music via my iPhone XS Max anywhere within my home (2 stories and walk-out basement), to include through my centrally located stairway.
If you have read any of my headphone reviews, you know that I love to compare Apples to Apples. The first test involves using the audiocheck.net website to evaluate the Low-Frequency Response and Subwoofer Audio Test (10–200 Hz) and High-Frequency Response and Hearing Audio Test (22–8 kHz) tests. My ten and seven-year-old sons were able to hear from 20Hz to 17kHz, while I was able to hear from 20Hz to 15kHz. Since we lose our upper range of hearing first, I found that the earphones provided the maximal range for my hearing and my children. Once the range tests were completed, I turned to my test tracks. To test the bass, I love to hear the bounding bass line of “Train Song” by Holly Cole. The jazzy number still captures my attention and transports me to a small pub scene. I found the bass line of CeeLo Green’s “Bright Lights Bigger City,” and the deep bass of Tim Faust (Home Free) “Ring of Fire” to be above average. The bass was fuller than I expected and the low G growl elicited numerous goose-pimples. To test the upper sounds, I utilized the Far and Away Soundtrack, Queen “Somebody to Love,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” and selections from Billy Joel “Piano Man,” and “The Longest Time.”
I have recently added a few additional tracks to my repertoire thanks to whathifi.com and the Bohemian Rhapsody Movie. As a huge fan of Queen, I fell in love with the movie and with the presence of Rami Malek. I found myself rewatching Live-Aid 1985 and questioning why these events have not been recreated? I listened to Radiohead “The National Anthem,” Bob Marley and the Wailers “Turn Your Lights Down Low.” With these tracks completed, I turned to Amazon Prime Music to listen to CCR, Alabama, some Johnny Cash, the Gaither Band and one of my favorite songs “Seven Spanish Angels” by Willie Nelson and Ray Charles. Lastly, I found a few binaural recordings that remain incredibly fun to experience: “Sound Of Silence (3D Binaural Audio)- Simon and Garfunkel Cover-Jarvis Brothers (Ear to Ear) and the Queen- Bohemian Rhapsody-3D Audio (Total Immersion). Similar to the binaural knocking experience on the audiocheck.net website, you can expect to hear and feel the sound around you. I watched numerous YouTube videos and found the sound synced with the visuals. Many Bluetooth headphone codecs appear to be less than optimal for YouTube viewing, and wireless devices have tended to fare worse than their wired brethren. Alas, I found no issues with YouTube or with movies on Amazon Prime or Movies Anywhere.
I was pleased with the comfort of the tips and with the overall fit. The button on each of the earbuds proved to be responsive and had a refreshing click-feel. I liked the little wing along the back of each of the earphones, as it served as a stopper when placing the device into your ears. To install the earbuds, place the eartip into your ear, with the long axis of the earphone angled toward the ground. Simply grip the earphones and rotate the right earbud counterclockwise ninety-degrees, while rotating the left earbud clockwise. The posterior wing will slip into the concha cymba of your ear and then rest along the posterior-inferior crus of your ear lobe. The shape was such that I was able to rest on my side, head on pillow and enjoy the music, without ear pain. I liked that the lateral pressure did not activate the MFB button on the side of the earphones. My one complaint is the ~3-hour battery life of the 50mAh earphones. The sound was better than expected, the fit was better than expected, but I would not expect to use these for a long road trip, without charging them multiple times. Luckily, I was able to use them nightly for a week without having to recharge the case. I was quite surprised to charge them seven times and to still have 25% power within the case. Interestingly, there was no way to control the volume of your smart device with the earphones.
This pair of wireless earphones has worked its way into my daily use bag. I loved the rectangular case and found this superior to longer/pill shaped cases. I also realized that I did not listen for more than a couple hours unless I watched a movie or was a passenger on a longer trip. The earphones were comfortable and secure. They remained in my ears during jump-rope, some light heavy bag activities, and while running on a treadmill. There was no mention of waterproofing but I figured that these were not meant for the pool/shower. I do not tend to sweat heavily, and these earphones had no issues during my workouts. I do wish that the font inside the manual was larger as it was very difficult to read. I took a picture of it with my iPhone to zoom into the image. If they make a FYE1 2.0, I would like for the finish of the case to be less glossy to reduce fingerprints, and I would love a grip on the earphones. The smooth black plastic was a little hard to grip but was not a deal-breaker. I did not experience any Bluetooth drops, but I did experience some whining during breaks. All-in-all, I do not think that you will find a better pair of wireless earphones for less than the $50 asking price of the BliTZWOlf BW-FYE1. If you are on the fence, I say quit second-guessing yourself and add them to your cart. Despite a month of testing, I would still recommend these as an inexpensive wireless Bluetooth option.
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Originally published at macsources.com on February 21, 2019.
