Talking of crucial listening, the XC1 work with Sony’s hi-res succesful LDAC Bluetooth codec, do you have to occur to personal a suitable Android cellphone (sorry, iPhone customers). Utilizing LDAC can reveal extra element, particularly when listening to a supply of lossless audio, however for these earbuds, I don’t assume the juice is definitely worth the squeeze. Utilizing LDAC disables your EQ settings and Bluetooth Multipoint, and the XC1 wrestle to take care of a gentle Bluetooth connection when LDAC is about to its highest-quality setting.
Baseus additionally consists of two Dolby Audio modes (Music and Cinema), which are supposed to create a extra immersive, spatial expertise. For me, it’s the other. I discover they wash out the sound, with Cinema being downright muddy. At 60 p.c quantity, there was greater than sufficient energy for an interesting listening expertise indoors. Exterior, I wanted a bit extra oomph.
Past Music
{Photograph}: Simon Cohen
Calling on the Encourage XC1 is sweet. Whether or not indoors or outdoor, your callers will discover it simple to grasp you, and virtually all background sounds are stored at bay. Nevertheless, as with most clip-style open-ear earbuds, your voice received’t be crystal clear—some distortion does handle to creep in, significantly when outdoors.
Baseus charges battery life on the XC1 at eight hours per cost, with 40 hours of complete use if you embody the case’s battery, numbers which can be solely eclipsed by the OpenDots One’s 10/40 combo. Baseus assumes 50 p.c quantity and doesn’t embody the usage of both Dolby Audio or LDAC. LDAC may be very energy hungry, typically lowering battery life by as much as 30 p.c, which is another reason to keep away from it.
Open-ear earbuds aren’t for everybody, however with nice sound high quality, a snug, clip-style design, and easy-to-use controls, the Baseus Encourage XC1 are a wonderful alternative. They test a whole lot of packing containers for a value that’s significantly lower than their nearest rivals, together with robust water and dirt resistance, non-compulsory LDAC mode, and Bluetooth Multipoint. The one factor that’s lacking is help for Auracast. Sadly, that function has but to see widespread adoption. For those who’re after an reasonably priced pair of open buds that compete with the most effective, these are among the many greatest we have tried.
