Nowadays, it’s common to see people walking around with headphones on, and not just the earbuds, but even the big over-ear style as well. They’ve even become accepted in many work places, making them an essential part of what you carry with you everyday. The challenge is finding the right cross section between performance, price and comfort.
I listen to music pretty much all the time, especially when I’m developing websites, and I’m a bit of a sound quality snob too. I never want to spend up for the best stuff on the market, but I also want something that comes close enough without costing a fortune. Well, I took a chance a little while ago on one of Amazon’s Choice recommendations, and in this case, I definitely agree with them.
Awhile ago, I bought these ACIL Bluetooth Headphones you see pictured on the right. In short, they’re Bluetooth headphones that have great sound quality, a comfortable fit, decent water resistance against light rain and sweat, and enough battery life to get you through a full day of use without having to recharge. Now, they do mention “noise cancelling” in the product title on Amazon, but that’s a little misleading. There’s no real digital noise cancellation going on, it’s actually more along the lines of “noise isolation” because of the earbud style headphones that go into your ear canal.
The sound quality is really good; better than you will expect. Bass is rich and punchy, and the highs are crisp. Audio on phone call is also fantastic, but it’s not as good on the other end of the call. I’ve heard voicemails I’ve recorded while using these headphones, and the audio quality was fine but certainly not great. That being said, I’ve never had anyone tell me they were having trouble hearing or understanding me. As for battery life, I recently traveled overseas and used the headphones for most of the 12 hour flight and still had enough battery to last a couple more days of light use. Comfort was also never an issue, and these come with several sizes of silicon buds so you can adjust the fit as needed.
One unexpected bonus was the range. I have accidentally walked away from my phone while on a call, and didn’t experience any choppiness or loss of connection until I was down the hall, in another room that was 20+ feet away, and through walls. I’ve tested plenty of corded and Bluetooth headphones that cost far more than these, and have unimpressive audio and shorter battery life. At just under $80, I think these ACIL Bluetooth Headphones are an exceptional deal.
If you’re looking for some new Bluetooth headphones, give these a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Pros
- 11+ hour battery life
- Charges quickly (about 90 minutes)
- Excellent sound quality
- Comfortable
- Water resistant
- Excellent range
- Convenient magnetic clasp
- Easy to pair with multiple devices and switch between them
Cons
- Microphone – audio on the other end of the call is acceptable, but unremarkable
- Similar Bluetooth headphones have longer battery life
To sum it up:
These headphones aren’t going to win awards for anything, but the cross section of quality, reliability, battery life and price make them easy to love.
Disclaimer:
I only review products I currently use or have used in the past. I am not paid to review products, although I will make an affiliate commission if you end up purchasing the products after clicking the links here on the site.