Being a tech reviewer sometimes means testing things that don’t particularly interest me. I have sensitive ears and REALLY don’t like the sensation of ear buds. That means I don’t like testing headphones and usually try to weasel out of it. I’ve been lucky so far and have only had to review one or two. However, perhaps because of my reservations, I’m sometimes the one who draws the short straw…first world problems. This was the case when it came round to reviewing the Daelus QD-6 Sports Earphones.
When you look at these online, they look like the clip on earrings kids get before they get their ears pierced. Clamps that forcibly lock themselves onto your ears so you can’t shake them off. These ones are designed to stay on when you run or do sport. Definitely my vision of introductory torture.
Little did I know that they might be the solution to my desire to have high quality sound without ear discomfort.
First Impressions
The packaging is not great. Flimsy and wasteful with an attempt to project a sporty, aqua feel. However, they kept the products undamaged in transit and contained the things needed to run the device.
The charging case is a bit more fun. It’s a little box with quite a large LED screen that keeps track of the level of charge in each of the earclips. When I turned it on, a part of me hoped it would have a little robot face to greet me when I started using it. I think the fact that it doesn’t demonstrates how little time was wasted on unnecessary features. Still, I think it’s a big screen that’s a bit under-utilised.
The ear clips themselves are quite striking. Two little balls with an orange connector made from ‘Memory Titanium Wire Material’. They have been designed to only fit into the case in one direction to ensure that they are always being charged correctly. Each of the clips have a single haptic button on the back. Regular readers probably know how I feel about haptic buttons – they are the bane of my existence. They don’t give me sufficient feedback that they have been pressed, so then I press them too many times or hold them for too long. As a result, I end up activating some unintended function that can’t be deactivated without repeating the button combination I accidentally completed.
Set Up
The Bluetooth connection was really easy. As soon as you take the earclips out of their case, they try to connect. They’re quick to find and connect almost instantly. I really can’t add anything to this beyond acknowledging how ready these ear clips are for instant use.
The buttons are mercifully simple with minimal functionality which means for once, the buttons do what I ask them to do. You tap either bud twice for play/pause and hold the right or left buttons to control the volume. There are no skip or fast forward functions, no change playlist, and no toggling angry robot screaming sounds that so many of these haptic buttons like to include. You can also use the buttons to answer and reject calls. However, there is no microphone and I am confident that I will accidentally answer scam calls I meant to reject so I am unlikely to use these functions.
The QD-6 is charged by a USB-C cable which is included in the box.
In Use
Placing the ear clips on my ears, I instantly realised just how wrong I was about these earphones. They were comfortable! Within seconds I could imagine them not there. I ran around a bit, tightened them, swung my head a few times and they stayed in place. They wouldn’t last in a mosh pit but they would definitely survive a run or gym workout.
The speakers rest just outside the ear which not only removes the key source of my discomfort when wearing normal earbuds but it also means they are hygienic enough to share with my wife and friends. Apparently the ‘airbag’ shape and silicone material used is particularly skin friendly and I can vouch that they feel right in my ear.
They have a good volume range. The top volume is uncomfortable but not enough to hurt my ears and the bottom is only just audible. I can imagine there are people who are hard of hearing that would like a louder top volume but I was satisfied. At its very top volume, it is barely audible to someone sitting very close in a silent room but they would be fine to wear on a train or other public place. This last fact surprised me because when you look at them, the speakers seem quite far from your ears.
Each earbud features Qinmu dynamic coils and I was impressed by the sound quality. Bass and treble sounds both come through very clearly with no rattling or dead spots in the frequency range. Stereo sound is well polarised with sound moving clearly between the left and the right speakers. Binaural sounds are flattened a bit, but overall, it has a really pleasant sound that suits an audiophile on the go.
Another great quality of the sound of these earphones is the balance it creates between the audio and the atmospheric sounds you need to hear as you walk about a city. I don’t know how but I always seem to be able to zone in on the music while still hearing and dodging bikes and aggressive walkers.
Finally, the battery and charging is excellent. Each earphones battery is rated to last for 5 hours and the charging case can charge them 12 times over before needing to be returned to a wall adapter. Further, the battery life is really clearly communicated on the LED screen. It seems unlikely to me that I will ever be caught out with dead earphones.
Gripes
I think the biggest challenge for these earphones is how unappealing they are at face value. The clips look uncomfortable, but they are by far the most comfortable earphones I have ever worn. The colours and packaging are initially garish but the charging case and earphones have really grown on me and I am enjoying the fluro-orange aesthetic. The haptic buttons are still my least favourite invention in modern technology but I would hate them a lot less if more products streamlined their functionality like Daelus.
I don’t think I actually have remaining gripes, just a desire for this ugly duckling to be seen as a beautiful swan.
Conclusion
It is rare for me to be so overwhelmingly wrong about technology as I was about the Daelus QD-6. They are really great earphones that I can’t endorse strongly enough. They are comfortable, affordable and provide excellent quality sound, particularly for commuters and sporty types who often have to settle for substandard aural experiences. Even if you’re just curious about the experience of an ear-clip style earphone, do yourself a favour and pick up a pair.
The Daelus QD-6 is available from their webstore with a RRP of AUD$75. There is a discount on at time of publishing bringing the price of a single unit down to AUD$60, or a pair of them for $99. These would make a great present for Christmas, whether it is for yourself or a loved one.
Editor-in-chief note: Daelus reached out exclusively to DRN to test drive these ear clips, and from my research does not appear to be available in the western market via other means. The team has been in extensive conversations with Daelus, with units provided to multiple editors including myself. I have also personally seen the stocks stored in Melbourne. Stay tuned for details of a giveaway!
Specification
General Features
- Headphone Type: Open, Clip on ear
- Driver size: 10mm
- Driver type: Composite diaphragm
- Driver sensitivity: 103 dB ± 3 dB
- Driver impedance: 16 Ω ± 10%
- Frequency response range: 20 Hz – 20 KHz
- Waterproof rating: IPX4
Battery
- Type: Lithium Polymer
- Battery capacity: 30 mAh (headset), 250 mAh (charging case)
- Type: Lithium Polymer
- Run time: ~ 4 hours per headset charge
- Standby time: 180 days
- Charging voltage / current: 5V /1A
- Charging time: ~ 60 minutes
- Charge Method: USB Type C (wired)
Bluetooth Specification
- Bluetooth version: Bluetooth v5.3+EDR
- Eaective Range: >10m
- Frequency Range: 2.4 GHz band (2.402 GHz – 2.480 GHz)
- Profile: A2DP v1.3, HFP 1.6, HSP 1.2, AVRCP 1.6
- Codec: SBC,AAC
