STK Accessories nearly manages to offer a great wireless headphone as Hassan M Kamal finds out
In the last few years, we have seen several respected audio brands offer decent headphones within 4K. But a majority of them remained wired; while the wireless ones didn't support the hands-free function. So, when we received the STK Bluetooth headphone BTHS800, priced at just '3,999, we were excited as well as sceptical to take it for a test drive. Here's what we found:
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STK BTHS800 GROOVEZ
Audio Quality: The STK BTHS800 Groovez Bluetooth headphone packs 3.5mm drivers, offering a decent sound quality. The bass sounds a bit upped, perhaps to offer a decent booming experience to listeners. We could hear even the slightest of notes while listening to music, even while travelling in an extremely loud environment. The ear cups fit perfectly, and provide ample noise cancellation too, however, we felt that it could have been better. The
in-built microphone captures sound very well too.
Connectivity and Controls: The device uses Bluetooth 4.0 (2.4G) to connect to your device, but it can also be used as a wired headphone using the 3.5mm cable that comes along. The controls are easy to reach and operate, and offer a combination of functions including play, pause, forward and reverse (on the left ear cup) and play and stop (on the right ear cup). It also supports hands-free.
Battery: Thanks to the in-built rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery (actual battery power is not disclosed), during our test, it gave nearly six hours of music playback (at 75% volume). When the juice runs out, you can always use the 3.5mm audio cable to stay plugged in as well.
Design and material: The BTHS800 looks aesthetically pleasing, and gets a swivel folding design. A bit bulky but still manageable considering it comes with a comfy carry case, thus providing the necessary protection during commute. The headband also gets leather covering in the insides and on the ear cups.
Build: We were very disappointed with the overall build of the headphone as the BTHS800 is squeaky, especially around the folds.
Overall rating
6.8/10
the guide verdict: The BTHS800 could have been a great buy for '3,990, especially because of the audio quality, design and for offering both wired and wireless usage, but it fails to offer a solid long-lasting build, which is a prime concern in this segment.
Available at Spice Retail stores, Bajaj Electronics, and other stores.