Yes, there’s another “truly” cable-free in-ear monitor joining the market, the Apollo 7 Erato Audio Wireless Earbuds.
Apollo 7 Erato Audio Wireless Earbuds
The wireless earbud market seems like the place to be and Erato Audio wants in. The California-based company has cooked-up a bite-size pair of buds meant to rival Bragi’s The Dash, Earin, Nuheara’s IQbuds, and many others.
As they all fight for the top spot in the wireless world, we wonder what truly sets the Apollo 7 Erato Audio Wireless Earbuds apart from the pack? Compared to The Dash’s personal assistant and swipe control features, Erato may fall a bit flat. However, Erato is a sound competitor against Earin – both similar in dimensions, weight, and battery life. The Erato one-ups Earin with a microphone for inbound and outbound calls.
Earin’s Apollo 7 has an outer shell made of aluminum and looks rather fancy in shades of Mystic Grey, Liquid Silver, Luscious Gold, and Rose Gold. The ear tips are rubber, but the Apollo 7 will ship with three rubber tips, three Comply foam tips, and three sets of sport stabilizers fins in a rechargeable case. The buds should last between 3 – 4 hours from one charge. The buds are meant to be enjoyed in any environment. Although lacking a personal fitness coach feature, the buds were built with a 100 percent waterproof housing – sweat all you want. Looks-wise, the buds protrude slightly, as described by Engadget reviewer James Trew. “It’s not that bad, but they are a little on the pokey-outey side,” Trew writes. They’re comfortable to wear, and never felt like they were going to fall out, even during runs,” he adds.
Each earbud of the Apollo 7 connects with your smart device individually and then to one another over Bluetooth 4.1 technology. Unlike Bragi, the Erato buds don’t need to be close together to work – meaning you can share buds with a friend and hear your music just fine. Each earbud has a button which can be used to switch back and forth between tracks, adjust volume, and take calls. Earin lacks this feature.
But when it comes to connectivity, like its competitors, the quality of connection between the Apollo 7 earbuds and cellphone aren’t the strongest. Engadget reports a decent connection with your cellphone in a breast-pocket, but anywhere below the waist and expect skipping audio.
The Apollo 7 was built with a micro-driver fashioned to deliver great audio over a frequency range of 20 – 20,000 Hertz while retaining bass response. Trew describes the lows as “better sounding” compared to the mids, which “had a bite to them.” However, with extended wear he found them less harsh – unsure if the improvement was owed to burn-in or his ears becoming adapted to the sound.
The Apollo 7s will retail at $299, but can be snagged on Kickstarter until the end of the month for $250.
Crowdfunding Disclaimer: If you’re investing in a prototype hosted on a crowdfunding platform like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, be wary. Not all projects hosted by crowdfunding platforms come to fruition. Before making a purchase you should read the FAQs of the hosting platform as well as our article on the risks associated with investing in a crowdfunding projects.
