JABRA REVO WIRELESS
$248, from Challenger, DigitalStyle, EpiCentre, Nubox and Harvey Norman
SOUND A great balance of sound. The music was clear and rich, with crisp vocals - I could even hear the backup vocals distinctly. The bass was strong and deep but not overpowering. The headphones kept ambient noise out fairly well – at mid volume, I could barely hear the television in front of me.
INCOMING CALLS This was disappointing. The caller’s voice was soft and unclear – a jarring difference from the music quality.
COMFORT I could adjust the headband easily, but after an hour, the headphones started to feel heavy and tight. My ears also started to get warm.
EASE OF USE I just had to move my finger in a circular motion or tap on the control to adjust the volume or change tracks. This and the Noontec Zoro were easiest to use.
VERDICT Gives the best listening experience and is easy to use, but could be more comfortable.
SCORE 8/10
JBL SYNCHROS E40BT
$149, from Musica, Stereo Electronics, Courts Megastore and Epicentre
SOUND The vocals were clear but thin and slightly scratchy; lowering the volume helped reduce the scratchiness. The bass wasn’t as powerful as on the Jabra Revo but was still satisfying. I could hear just slight murmurs from the TV set, which weren’t distracting.
INCOMING CALLS The sound wasn't clear and static was substantial.
COMFORT These were the lightest headphones of the lot, with the best fit. I liked that I could hardly feel the headband while wearing it.
EASE OF USE It was easy to adjust the volume, but skipping songs was a tad confusing because I had to press the multifunction button a few times to do so.
VERDICT The most comfortable; pity about the mediocre sound quality.
SCORE 7/10
AKG Y45
$199.90, from Musica, Stereo Electronics, Courts Megastore, Epicentre and iStudio
SOUND The strong bass overpowered the clear, crisp vocals. I could hear soft sounds through the headphones, but it wasn't distracting.
INCOMING CALLS The caller's voice was muffled and I could hear some static.
COMFORT I could adjust the headband easily and remember my preferred fit too, thanks to numbers indicating band length on the side. The super-light headphones were the smallest in the line-up, but too tight for me. My ears felt hot after a while.
EASE OF USE I could access the volume buttons easily, but they were too flat - I had trouble feeling for the right ones to press. Skipping tracks was tricky too, as I had to press the multi-purpose button twice to skip forward but thrice to go backwards.
VERDICT Small and light, with decent sound quality, but too tight a fit.
SCORE 7.5/10
CREATIVE AURVANA GOLD
$219, from http://sg.creative.com
SOUND Vocals were clear but had a slight echo, especially when I listened to a cappella music. The bass was not the strongest, but it sufficed. The ear cups were the only ones that covered my ears completely, keeping ambient noise out best.
INCOMING CALLS Had the clearest voice quality, but the connection started to break up about a minute into the conversation.
COMFORT I was expecting the headphones to be quite heavy as they were the biggest of the lot, but they were surprisingly light. What I didn't like were the ear cups, which pressed too tightly against the sides of my head.
EASE OF USE Buttons to adjust the volume and skip tracks were easily accessible, but the volume buttons felt too far apart from each other.
VERDICT Most noiseproof. If only the music didn't have an echo-like quality.
SCORE 7/10
NOONTEC ZORO WIRELESS FASHION HI-FI
$189, from Lucky Store, Electronics Hub and I-sound
SOUND Vocals were too soft and fuzzy, and were drowned by a powerful bass. The music also occasionally skipped, most likely due to a sketchy Bluetooth connection. The headphones were loose over my ears, which let ambient noise in.
INCOMING CALLS Voices were slightly muffled and scratchy.
COMFORT The headband was easy to adjust and had number indicators like the AKG set. However, the ear cups flared out a bit - it felt like they would slip off my head if I moved too much.
EASE OF USE This was the only pair with dials on separate ear cups to adjust volume and skip tracks - much easier than buttons.
VERDICT Easy to use, but the sound and comfort level could be better.
SCORE 6.5/10
This article was originally published in Simply Her January 2015.
All product and pricing information was correct at the time of the magazine's publication. We advise readers to check with the stores for the latest availability and pricing information.