PaMu Slide Earbuds REVIEW TWS Done Right | Mac Sources 9.7
Enjoy up to ten hours of comfortable superior Sound and powerful bass, with the portable PaMu Slide earbuds from Padmate.
Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to review numerous products. Through these experiences, I have learned to appreciate product packaging, as a form of appetizer. Clutter and redundancy, for the sake of filling space, can leave me with a flat and unenjoyable mouth-feel. However, an exciting presentation can sometimes enhance a mediocre product. When both the product and the cover synergize, the effect can be quite powerful. I was pleased with the subtle artistic feel to the PaMu Slide Wireless Earbuds slipcover. The earbuds arrived in a 3 3/8 inches wide by 5 7/8 inches tall by 2 1/4 inches thick retail package, with outer white slipcover. The main panel provided a grey upper notch, akin to modern smartphones. Within this notch, the company added “PaMu Slide.” Along the middle of the panel, you will find a metallic, silver, “pamu” with the surrounding ink image of the pamu earbud case/earbuds. Measuring just at 4 1/8 inches tall by 2 13/16 inches wide, the ink outline proved a picture was worth a thousand words. Both the left and right sides of the slipcover utilized the clean white background to proudly display “pamu” in metallic silver. The back panel proved to be busier, with a deca-lingual (Chinese x2, English, Korean, German, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, French, and Dutch) description of the Bluetooth 5.0/ dual microphone noise reduction/touch button/IPX6 waterproof (MORE LIKE WATER RESISTANT)/10 hours of music playback/APTX audio decoding.
It took a little more effort than expected to remove the outer slipcover from the inner black product box. The front panel displayed “PaMu Slide” and each of the side panels displayed “pamu” in classy metallic silver etched lettering. Lifting the magnetic flap, you will find silver instructions (English and two character languages) written on the inner surface. The English instruction requested that I place the earbuds into the charging case and then to charge the charging case. Like fancy chocolates, the PaMu Slide earbuds were covered with a thin semi-opaque piece of paper. Beneath the protective paper, I found the 4.6-ounce 2 3/4 inches square by 1 1/2 inches thick iridescent green charging case and similarly colored 0.2-ounce earbuds resting in a thin plastic tray. Beneath this layer, I found a 2 1/8 inches wide by 3 7/8 inches long by 3/4 inches thick black accessory pamu box. Inside of the box, I found two semi-opaque bags and a multi-lingual instructional book. One of the bags contained a very short 14-inches long USB-C to USB-A cable and the other contained two pairs of accessory oil ear tips. With the pamu slide on charge, I decided to read the instruction manual. English was the third of ten languages (Chinese/Chinese/English/German/Spanish/French/Italian/Dutch/Japanese/Korean)
Once the case was fully charged, I pressed my thumb along the lower rim of the lid and slid the lid upward. I found each of the earbuds to be magnetically secured within individual wells. Turning the case upside down, I was pleased to find that the earbuds did not budge. Along the top edge of each of the earbuds, the company included a small finger access port. With the buds removed, I placed them into my ears and heard an Asian female voice announce “Pairing Successful,” “Connected.” I navigated to Settings, Bluetooth, and then chose PaMu Slide from the list. The auto pairing feature worked incredibly well. Placing the devices back into the wells deactivated the bluetooth mode and allowed the earbuds to start charging again. Each of the earbuds had a small easily accessible touch button. A single press of either button allowed me to play/pause music. Beyond the single tap, each earbud had different controls. A double press of the left earbud activated SIri, and when in call mode a single press answered/ended a call. To deny a call, I could simply double press the left earbud. The volume controls proved to be a bit problematic, due to the imprecise nature of the long press. A long press of the left earbud decreased the volume and a long press of the right increased the sound. Unfortunately, a single long press increased/decreased the sound by 4 clicks on my iPhone XS Max. In order to increase/decrease by single increments, you will need to adjust the volume using the phone. The manual promised 10 hours of audio playback from the 85mAh earbuds and up to 5 charges with the PaMu 2000mAh Slide case. In addition to the above details, I was truly excited to discover an added bonus feature. To keep you listening longer, the PaMu slide case can be flipped face down to create a flat surface to rest your phone. If you double press the button near the USB-C charging port, you will activate the wireless charging port and gain access to the 2000mAh internal battery. Assuming a theoretical 80% efficiency, I found that I could expect roughly a 40–50% increase in charge for my 3174 mAh iPhone XS Max battery. Interestingly, utilizing this feature did not cause interference with the earbuds and did not deactivate them.
If you have used many wireless earbuds, then you know the frustration of losing connection when you move the iPhone around your body. Sometimes the TWS feature becomes distorted as you exercise or move away from the source. Combining the newer Bluetooth 5.0 technologies with AptX/SBC/AAC decoder formats, the advanced QCC3020 True Wireless Stereo chip, and the LDS antenna technology, the earbuds retained a stable link. I was able to run on a treadmill, to ride my Trek Mountain Bike, to cycle at the gym, to do jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups and pull-ups, without losing any signal. I was pleased to find that I could keep my phone inside of my hip mounted Nite-Ize holster or to place it several dozen feet away before the signal degraded. I found it interesting that many of the most common companies utilized older Qualcomm CSR86Xx chips (Bose, Sony, Jabra) or H1 chips (Apple AirPods 2), while PaMu chose to install the latest and greatest tech.
Over the past three weeks, the PaMu slide earbuds have been my go-to portable listening device. Whether I was watching YouTube videos like “Are you Fooled By These Audio Illusions,” Amazon Prime Videos, Netflix videos, Pandora, Amazon Prime Music, stored iTunes music, or listening to Audible Books on Audible, I wanted to give them a thorough test. I used them at home, the gym, while sitting at work, and while riding in the car. I found the sound to be crisp, clear, and to drown out background noises. As an example, I was typing my review on my living room floor, while my children watched “The Rescuers Down Under.” I was unable to hear their movie, nor my wife yelling my name. She tapped my shoulder angrily and noted, “Jonathan, I was literally yelling your name.” She asked me how loud the volume was and I was shocked that I was only at 50% on my iPhone XS Max. The medium sized oval shaped earbud tips fit perfectly within my ear canals. If your ear canals are larger/smaller than mine, do not fret, as the company included small and large tips as well.
I was pleased with the look, with the fit/feel of the earbuds, and with the charging case. Instead of the sterile white Apple look, the green earbuds/case allowed me to express a little of my individuality. I loved the charging case and the ability to use USB-C power to rapidly charge it. The Indiegogo page noted that 5 minutes of USB-C power would generate a full hour of talk/listen time. With three hours of charging, you can expect a fully charged case; after 1.5 hours, the 85 mAh earbuds were fully charged. Although a bit bulky, I was able to carry my PaMu slide case within my cargo pocket of my shorts and within my slacks pocket, while at work.
I was never able to experience a full 10 hours of power with the earbuds, but I was excited when I found I could get from my home to Gatlinburg, TN on a single charge. Additionally, I found that I did not have to charge the case for two weeks, when listening a few hours per day. To test the sound output, I navigated to audiocheck.net and used the Low-Frequency Response and Subwoofer Audio Test (10–200 Hz). I was able to hear deep bass sound output starting at 20Hz. Utilizing the High-Frequency Response and Hearing Audio Test (22–8 kHz), I was able to hear the test tone at 15kHz, which was the upper limit of my hearing. The Left/Right/Center channels were correctly programmed and the Stereo Perception and Sound Localization Test still caused me to jump, despite knowing about the knocking. For an additional test, navigate to YouTube and listen to the “Sound Of Silence (3D Binaural Audio)- Simon and Garfunkel Cover-Jarvis Brothers (Ear to Ear) and prepare to jump-look toward your right.
To further test the sound quality of the PaMu Slide earbuds, I turned to my usual test tracks. I love to use Radiohead “The National Anthem,” Bob Marley and the Wailers “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” “Hurt” and “Man in Black” by Johnny Cash, “Carribean Blue” by Enya, the “Dragonborn” Skyrim Theme by Jason SouleI, and Yosi Horikawa Wandering/Bubbles, to test the sound staging. Combined with the binaural recordings, the above test tracks showed the PaMu slide sound finesse. I liked that the sound remained full, whether listening at 2 clicks or at 3/4 volume. To test the bass, I utilized “Train Song” by Holly Cole, “Bright Lights Bigger City by CeeLo Green, and “Ring of Fire” by Home Free. To test higher frequency sounds, I typically utilize the Far and Away Soundtrack, Queen “Somebody to Love,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and other sources from Queen, thanks to the Bohemian Rhapsody movie.
Summary:
The oval-shaped ear tips and the design of the earbuds allowed the experience to shine. The 10-hour battery life, 2000mAh 6x charging case was bulky/large but provided a powerful wireless charging feature. I allowed my iPhone XS Max to charge from 9:08 PM at 71% to 83% by 9:25. The only negative that I could find was with the overall size of the charging case. Instead of carrying the device in a pocket, the company also created a carrying bag that could clip to a bag, backpack, stroller, etc. If you are interested, check out the Indiegogo site and pick up a PaMu Slide and Carrying case, while offered at a discounted price. For the price, you cannot beat the sound and comfort.
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Originally published at https://macsources.com on June 27, 2019.
