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Functionality
Logitech’s FreePulse Wireless headphones and receiver/transmitter are virtually plug-and-play.
During my test, I took the two devices out of the box, plugged in the provided AC power adapter to a power source, then plugged in both the Wireless receiver/transmitter and Wireless headphones into the power adapter’s two charging connections.
I was pleased to see the charging prongs are covered with a protective plastic. It always pleases me to see manufacturers pay attention to these connections, which wear out quickly when they are not thoughtfully designed. The connections on the included AC power adapter are hearty and seem like they will last a while.
Charging the FreePulse wireless receiver/transmitter and wireless headphones only took a couple hours. LED indicators on both devices glow orange while charging, then turn off when charging is complete.
Battery life is good. Both devices got at least the advertised six hours of playtime during multiple charging cycles.
Once I finished powering the devices, I selected the appropriate 4-40 gigabyte custom-fit adapter for my 30-gigabyte Photo iPod and snapped it into place on the bottom side of the FreePulse Wireless receiver/transmitter. The device comes with eight different custom-fit adapters to fit most MP3 players and all versions of Apple’s iPod.
With the adapter in place, I plugged the adjustable 3.5-millimeter stereo plug on the bottom of the receiver/transmitter into my already playing iPod, held down the single button on the top of the device until the adjacent LED indicator lit up red. Next, I compressed the power/connect button on the FreePulse Wireless headphones until the LED indicators on both the receiver/transmitter and the headphones lit up blue. Less than a second later, the music I had selected started to play over the Bluetooth wireless connection.
The FreePulse quick start guide instructs headphones’ users to play their audio device at half volume and then adjust the play level using integrated volume controls on the Bluetooth headphones. I tried this, and found the integrated controls worked intuitively. I could turn the volume up by pressing the top of my right earpiece, and could turn the volume down by pressing the bottom of the same earpiece.
In the end, I turned my audio-device volume all the way up, because my music was not loud enough for my listening preference when I had the device level at the halfway point. In addition, with the volume on my audio device all the way up, I found the integrated headphone volume buttons more useful, especially with my audio device in my pocket while walking down the sidewalk of a busy street. Instead of reaching for my device to turn the volume up when a loud truck drove by, I could quickly adjust the volume with the integrated headphone buttons.
Turning the headphones’ Bass Boost on or off was just as simple as adjusting the volume. The function – achieved by holding down the start/connect button and volume up button at the same time – proved useful when I was switching between bass-heavy music such as hip hop or blues and more treble-heavy music such as classical.
Functions lacking on Logitech’s FreePulse Wireless headphones are integrated buttons for advancing a track forward or backward and a play/pause button. While I could easily reach up and adjust the volume of a song that was playing using the integrated headphone volume controls, I still had to pull my audio device out of my pocket to skip or replay a track. The encumbrance wasn’t terrible since I kept my audio device within reach while testing the FreePulse Bluetooth Headphones. I would imagine FreePulse Wireless users planning to keep their audio device in their backpack or on a table next to the treadmill while they’re exercising would find these features’ absence more annoying.
Style and Comfort
Logitech’s FreePulse Wireless headphones look stylish to me, though style is a matter of personal preference. Some people may like how the headband that connects the two headphones looks behind the neck; others may prefer the traditional over-the-head headband, while others may prefer no headband at all.
Regardless, they are comfortable to wear and fit snugly because of their soft-touch comfort earloops. The FreePulse Wireless headphones are hard, though, which may offset some level of comfort provided by the earloops after several hours of use. The headphones high-carbon, spring-steel headband makes the device very lightweight, at 2.1 ounces or 59.5 grams, but the headband can be cumbersome and inflexible in some situations.
Walking down the street, I found it difficult to look left, right or up at something without feeling the headband against my neck. The headband rubs against and interferes with a collar on a shirt or a jacket when looking straight ahead. My wife found the headband was difficult to wear around her ponytail. I don’t understand why Logitech decided to make the headband unadjustable. I imagine a bigger person would have problems fitting these headphones on his or her head.
But the headphones are wireless; thus, they do not have the added encumbrance of a cord running from my pocket to my ears. To me, the freedom Bluetooth technology affords the FreePulse headphones makes the headband issue moot, especially when the sound quality that the FreePulse receiver/transmitter sends over the airwaves to the headphones is comparable with many, if not most wired headphones.
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