Rowkin Ascent Micro Wireless Earbuds REVIEW

I have a real love-hate relationship with earbud-style headphones. They never seem to fit my ears properly — they either fall out or they are too tight. The only earbuds I actually ‘like’ are the Apple AirPods. That said, I still try them out from time to time. Before the AirPods were ever released, I had the opportunity to try out other wireless earbuds. One of those product designers was Rowkin with their Bit Charge Mini Earbuds which Nick reviewed here on MacSources. I always marveled at their simple, elegant design and was very excited to hear that they were making an updated set of wireless earbuds with the Ascent Wireless Earbuds.

DETAILS

The Ascent Wireless Earbuds are part of the brand new product line that includes the Ascent Charge+ and the Ascent Charge. The Ascent Micro earbuds are the Rowkin’s flagship true wireless headphones. They feature Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity and an ergonomic fit for security and comfort. The earbuds are constructed with a mylar diaphragm driver and an acoustic cavity. They are designed to produce a dynamic sound and strong bass. Just like their predecessor, the Ascent Micro are stored in a portable charging case, which provides up to 17+ hours of battery charge. The case recharged with USB-C (cable provided) and can rapidly recharge with that connection. The earbuds are compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled devices. Rowkin even provides a companion app for users to personalize their listening experience with sound profiles. The app also provides a location detection tool should you lose sight of your earbuds. The earbuds retail for $99.99 and are available in three different colors — black, slate, and cobalt (coming soon).

SPECS

• MediaTek 1526P True Wireless Chipset
• Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) Antenna Technology
• Bluetooth 5.0 & Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
• Touch controls with auto-on fast pairing
• DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
• Earbud: 0.61”(D) x 0.93”(L)
• Portable charging case: 1.05”(D) x 1.98”(H) x 2.74(L)
• Earbud: 0.23 oz (6.4g)
• Portable charging case: 2.33 oz (66g)
• BATTERY
• Battery Type — Rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
• Battery Input — Earbud: 5V / 35mA, Portable charging case: 5V / 1A
• Battery Output — To earbuds: 5V / 120mA, USB Output: 5V / 1A
• Battery Capacity — Earbud: 60mAh, Portable charging case: 870mAh
• USAGE
• Charging time: Earbud: ≤70 minutes, Portable charging case: ≤120 minutes
• Number of recharges: 4
• Standby time (power on): Up to 70 hours
• Standby time (power off): about 120 days
• Music / Talk time: up to 3.5+ hours
• Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Bluetooth version: 5.0
• Bluetooth profiles: HFP, HSP, AVRCP, A2DP and SPP
• Audio enhancements: Noise reduction and echo cancellation

USER EXPERIENCE

The Ascent Micro earbuds are aptly named due to their minuscule size. The box they come in is nice. There are some wonderful images of the product on the outside of the box as well as some highlighted information of the product. When you get inside the box, you will find the earbuds tucked away inside the charging case. There is an accessory box that holds a wall charger, USB-C to USB-C cable, USB — A adapter, and some ear gels so that you can get the perfect fit for your ears. I will typically swap out the ear gels that come pre-installed (usually the medium ones) for the smaller ones. I did not this time, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they fit. There are some earbuds that I have to really work with to get them in my ear, but the Ascent Micros were a good fit out of the box for me. I would actually rate these as one of the most comfortable sets of earbuds I’ve ever tried out. I was able to take a nap with them in, which is kind of rare for me because most earbuds create such a suction effect that I am miserable wearing them. The Ascent Micro are comfortable and still have a strong enough seal to make music sound full and not hollow.

Aside from the comfort level, I thought that sound quality was vastly superior to other earbuds. For one thing, I was able to get a good sound without having to jam the earbuds into my ear canal. I gently placed them and started listening to some hard rock music on Pandora. While I had to turn the volume level up a little bit higher than I normally do with the AirPods, the sound quality was superb. I didn’t note any issues with bass drop out or tinny noises. In addition to the hard rock, I also listened to some pop rock from the 80s, which included Africa by Toto and I thought it sounded great.

Setting up the earbuds wasn’t difficult, but it was different than some wireless earbud setups. First of all, the instructions for the earbuds direct you to a website to get the instructions. I found this refreshing because the instructions were easy to read and follow. The trick with these earbuds is that before you use them with your phone (or other connected devices), you need to pair them with each other. The earbuds will do this automatically and once the pair is connected, they won’t disconnect until they go back into their charging case.

CONCLUSIONS

I like the Rowkin Ascent Mini wireless earbuds as an alternative to my Apple AirPods. They are comfortable to wear and produce a great sound. I love the companion app that enhances your listening experience. For the price, the Rowkin Ascent Mini earbuds are a great investment in your entertainment.

For more information, visit rowkin.com/rowkin-ascent-micro.
Find Rowkin on Facebook and Twitter.

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Originally published at macsources.com on September 18, 2018.